In December 2022, a horrific discovery in the woods of Rice Borough, Georgia, shocked the nation: the dismembered torso of 40-year-old Mindy Kassotis. The victim was the wife of Nicholas Kassotis, a decorated Navy JAG officer, Georgetown law graduate, and a man who lived a profound double life.

The pursuit of viral fame on TikTok has created a dark undercurrent in the world of true crime. This episode exposes the alarming pattern of TikTok stars hiding violent reality behind their polished online personas, leading to shocking consequences. We examine crimes intertwined with the app, some happening right now in 2025.

We dive into the chilling, developing case of musician DV4D(David Anthony Burke). His rise to fame with the hit song "Romantic Homicide" was shattered when the decomposed body of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in his Tesla in the Hollywood Hills.

Viral Lives, Violent Ends: Other TikTok True Crimes

D4vd's story is not an isolated incident. The pressure to maintain a perfect online image has driven others to commit unthinkable acts:

Convicted murderer and "Facebook Rapist" Thabo Bester faked his death to escape from a maximum security prison. We explore his life on the run and the shocking role of his accomplice, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana.

In the gripping second part of the Daniel Markel case we delve deeper into the intricate web of deceit surrounding the murder-for-hire plot. This episode focuses on the trials of the two masterminds behind the shocking crime: Charlie and Donna Adelson.

• Charlie Adelson's Trial: The episode begins with the conviction of Charlie Adelson. The state's case was built on compelling evidence, including audio recordings from a Miami restaurant where Charlie discussed killing a blackmailer or a police officer. The money trail connecting the Adelson family's dental practice to Katie Magbanua, the ex-girlfriend of the hitman, also played a crucial role. Charlie took the stand in his own defense, claiming he was being extorted by the hitmen. This defense was ultimately not believed by the jury, leading to his conviction for first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation.

• Donna Adelson's Arrest and Trial: Just seven days after her son's conviction, the matriarch, Donna Adelson, was arrested at Miami International Airport as she and her husband, Harvey, were attempting to flee to Vietnam, a non-extradition country. Key evidence against her included monitored phone calls where she discussed fleeing the country and a recording where she was overheard mulling over extradition policies and reading text messages from her daughter, Wendi. During her trial, testimony from her fellow inmates revealed her attempts to orchestrate false testimony and her admission of her role in the murder. The verdict was unforgettable, as Donna gasped dramatically when she was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, becoming the fifth person convicted in Dan's murder.

• The Family's Web of Lies: The podcast also uncovers new details about the involvement of other family members. Wendi Adelson, Dan's ex-wife, testified under immunity but was confronted with her past inconsistencies about her knowledge of the murder plot. It was also revealed that Donna and Wendi had a deep knowledge of Dan's daily routine, and Wendi's ex-boyfriend testified that she once mentioned Charlie looking into a hitman for $15,000.

• Legacy and Justice: The episode concludes with the powerful impact of the case on Dan Markel's parents, Ruth and Phil Markel. Their advocacy led to a new law and a long-awaited reunion with their grandsons.

In this episode, we delve into the shocking murder of Harvard-educated law professor Dan Markel. His life was cut short in a targeted hit that investigators believe was a murder-for-hire plot.

This is more than just a true crime drama; it's a story of a devoted father and brilliant legal scholar caught in a bitter family feud that spiraled into something unthinkable. Dan's divorce from his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, became an all-out war over the custody of their two young sons and relocation to South Florida.

You'll hear about the powerful and controlling Adelson family, specifically Wendy's parents, Donna and Harvey, and her brother, Charlie, who had an "obsession" with their hatred of Dan. As the story unfolds, you’ll discover disturbing emails from Donna Adelson detailing a plan to manipulate Dan, including using his Jewish faith against him, and even joking about dressing the children in Hitler Youth uniforms.

The police investigation quickly turned to the Adelson family after Wendy made some unusual comments and her boyfriend, Jeff Lacasse, urged them to look into her family. The timing of the murder, which took place just after a hearing on family control was set, was not lost on investigators, who saw a clear motive for murder. After his death, Wendy quickly moved their children to Miami and cut off contact with Dan's parents.

Join us for Part 1 of this unbelievable case as we explore the chilling details that lead to the death of Dan Markel. The second part of this episode is available now on Patreon and will be available everywhere on Thursday.

On a warm summer night in 1908, 19-year-old Hazel Drew disappeared from Troy, New York. Her body was found days later, and the brutal details of the crime sparked a century-old mystery.

Join us as we explore the unsolved murder that inspired the fictional character of Laura Palmer from the cult classic TV series, Twin Peaks. We dive into the bizarre clues, conflicting timelines, and a tangled web of suspects that left investigators with more questions than answers. From the mysterious letters found in her trunk to her complicated secret life, this true crime case has all the elements of a classic whodunit.

Listen now to uncover the real-life mystery behind the case and decide for yourself who killed Hazel Drew.

We are revisiting the wild and unforgettable story of Michael Mastromarino, a former dentist and oral surgeon turned "body snatcher". This unusual true crime story, which made national headlines in 2005, exposes a horrific black market trade and has victims whose final wishes were utterly betrayed.

This is a re-release of our original 2020 episode, brought back because the details of this shocking case connect directly to our current bonus series on the Netflix documentary, The Kings of Tupelo.

On a Thursday evening in September 1922, a phone call placed to Reverend Edward Hall—a respected Episcopal minister—would lead to one of the most sensational "Jazz Age" scandals in American history.

Two days later, the Reverend's body was found alongside his lover, choir singer Eleanor Mills, posed beneath a crab apple tree. Their passionate love letters were torn and scattered around them like confetti, a clear message from a killer driven by jealousy.

An 18-year-old college freshman, full of creativity and ambition, walked out of her dorm room one cold February night and never made it back. Her family knew something was wrong immediately, but from the start, the investigation into her disappearance was plagued with delays and unanswered questions.

In 1954, one of the most sensational murder cases in American history began when Marilyn Sheppard was brutally murdered in her Ohio home. Her husband, respected osteopath Dr. Sam Sheppard (often referred to incorrectly as "Shepherd"), claimed a "bushy-haired intruder" was responsible. Prosecutors, however, were convinced it was a cold-blooded domestic murder.

We dive into the facts of this decades-long fight for justice:

• The Crime Scene: We detail the chaotic scene in the Sheppards' home and the initial story told by Dr. Sheppard: that he woke up to a struggle, pursued a mysterious intruder, was knocked unconscious, and awoke to find his wife dead.

• The Media Frenzy: The local press became judge, jury, and executioner, constantly publishing sensational, front-page headlines that declared Dr. Sheppard guilty before the trial even began. This relentless media pressure would later be cited as a violation of his rights.

• The Trial: Dr. Sheppard was convicted in a highly charged atmosphere. However, his defense never stopped fighting, and 12 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the massive, prejudicial publicity had violated his constitutional right to a fair trial.

• The Cultural Impact: The story of the accused doctor and the fugitive hunt became the direct inspiration for the popular 1960s television series and the 1993 movie, The Fugitive.

Join us as we cover the initial investigation, the controversial Supreme Court ruling, the 1966 retrial that finally secured Sam Sheppard's acquittal, and the lingering debate over who truly killed Marilyn Sheppard.

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We are traveling back to the early 1900s to meet one of the most prolific and cold-blooded female serial killers in American history: Belle Gunness. A seemingly respectable widow in La Porte, Indiana, Belle used lonely hearts ads to lure wealthy, unattached men to her farm, promising love and companionship.

It was just before sunrise on a quiet September morning in Phoenix City, Alabama, when 30-year-old Eric Nealms stepped outside, heading to work like he did every morning. But someone was already waiting. This week, we explore the shocking, premeditated murder of a man who was deeply loved and is still desperately missed by his family.

After a night out with friends in July of 2021, 23-year-old Destiny McClain was waiting for food at a taco truck outside a busy nightclub in Phoenix, Arizona, when tragedy struck. She was shot and killed, leaving behind a heartbroken family and many questions about whether this was a random act of violence or if she had been targeted.

On July 9, 1975, an aspiring actor named Kelsey Grammer boarded a flight to Colorado Springs to identify the body of his younger sister, Karen Grammer. Before he became known as Frasier Crane, Kelsey was a big brother whose world was shattered when Karen was murdered just weeks before her 19th birthday.

Jennifer Kesse was a 24-year-old woman with a bright future who vanished from her home in Orlando, Florida, in January 2006. She had just returned from a trip and spoke to her family the night before. When she failed to show up for work, her family immediately knew something was wrong.

In 1922, a beautiful showgirl named Clara Phillips shocked Los Angeles when she committed a gruesome murder with a hammer. This is the twisted tale of the "Tiger Woman," a name given to Phillips after her crime. The violent act was fueled by a jealous rage over a rumored affair.

We revisit the chilling case of Dr. Amy Bishop, the Harvard-educated neuroscientist and mother of four who committed a mass shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in 2010. Her life was a shocking mix of bizarre incidents, including a prior connection to a pipe bomb, a public physical altercation over a booster seat, and the unexpected violence she unleashed on her colleagues.

On Mother’s Day 2020, Suzanne Morphew, a wife and mother battling cancer, allegedly went for a bike ride near her home in the Colorado Mountains and vanished. What began as a missing persons case quickly unraveled into a web of confusing secrets, including an affair, deleted messages, and the shocking discovery of tranquilizer darts.

After serving 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit, Chris Tapp was fully exonerated in the murder of Angie Dodge and began rebuilding his life, using his experience to become an advocate for the wrongfully convicted. But in a tragic twist, Chris was found unconscious at a party in Las Vegas in 2023 and later died from his injuries.

In the summer of 1965, Houston, Texas, police performed a welfare check that led to the discovery of one of the most disturbing crime scenes in the state's history. The dismembered bodies of Fred and Edwina Rogers were found chillingly placed inside their own refrigerator. The couple's son, Charles Rogers, vanished without a trace and remains the only suspect in this brutal case.