True Crime Brewery

Law enforcement interrogation is a real skill, but much of it has been questioned in recent years with instances of botched police investigations and false confessions. When police have little forensic evidence, as is the case with many cold cases, witness interviews and suspect interrogations can be crucial in solving a case. But how far should detectives go for a confession?The disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon from a Maryland mall in March 1975 went unsolved until detectives in 2013 came across a six-page statement made by 18-year-old Lloyd Welch back in April of 1975. At the time of the disappearances, Welch had contacted the police to say that he had witnessed the girls’ abduction. Detectives in 1975 dismissed his elaborate story as an attempt to gain attention and play the hero. Thirty-eight years later, new investigators thought that Lloyd could be an actual witness or even the man responsible for abducting the girls.Join us at the quiet end for Secrets & Lies: Solving the Murders of Kathe

Heather Elvis was just 20-years old when she disappeared on a Tuesday night just one week before Christmas. Heather was kind and clever. She knew what it was like to work hard and she liked to have fun. She never would have disappeared from her family without explanation.When Heather’s father, Terry, was notified that her car had been abandoned at South Carolina’s picturesque Peachtree Landing, he knew that something was terribly wrong. As a policeman opened her car’s trunk, Terry was terrified of what he would find. Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Heather Elvis. The search for Heather led investigators through hundreds of phone calls and texts, reels of CCTV footage, and into the lives and motivations of one very strange, sinister couple.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Good friends 13-year old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German had a day off from school on Monday, February 13, 2017. At around noon, they decided to visit a local hiking trail. But when Libby’s father showed up at 3pm to pick up the girls, they weren’t there. By 5:30pm, the police were called and a search began.The next day, the girls’ bodies were found less than a mile away. Despite having a video and audio of the suspected killer from Libby’s Snapchat account and two sketches from witnesses in the area, investigators have still not found the man responsible for their murders.Join us at the quiet end for a discussion on the Delphi murders. Three years have passed since Abby and Libby were killed, but the case remains a mystery in spite of what seems like the best evidence.Anyone with information is requested to contact the Delphi Homicide Tipline at 844-459-5786. All information will be taken and followed up on by investigators. All callers may remain anonymous. Tips can also be submitted online v

Susan Reinert was an English teacher at Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, when she began dating fellow English teacher William Bradfield. Bradfield was charismatic. In fact, Susan left her husband to carry on a secret relationship with him. On June 25, 1989, Susan’s naked body was found in her car in a hotel parking lot near Philadelphia's "Main Line” and her two children, Karen and Michael, were nowhere to be found. An investigation by state police and the FBI centered on William Bradfield and the school principal Dr. John Smith, who would be revealed as a sadist with a passion for pornography, illicit drugs, and violence.Join us at the quiet end for Something Wicked. It’s been 30 years since William Bradfield and Dr. John Smith were exposed as cruel and deviant men, but this is a case that never fails to fascinate or invite debate.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Oxnard, California is a town like many towns across the United States. Oxnard has its share of institutional racism and gender hate, but no one would have expected one junior high student to murder another in cold blood. Growing up transgender, biracial, and in an abusive home, Leticia King had many challenges in life. At age 15, Leticia was struggling to find herself. She was identifying as a female and asking her classmates to stop calling her Larry and begin calling her Leticia. Leticia was adopted as a toddler boy. As she reached adolescence, child abuse in her adopted home resulted in placement in a shelter for abused and neglected children. In the shelter, she found a supportive and accepting environment. At school, she was teased, ostracized, and bullied. But Leticia was strong and self-empowered. She refused to hide who she was from her classmates. Some of her peers didn’t like that. One of these peers was 14-year-old Brandon McInerney. Brandon was raised in a home where abuse, illegal drugs, and weap

The story of Tina Fontaine’s life belongs to her and her family, but it parallels many others in Indigenous communities. Her struggle for stability, the promises not kept, and the sexual exploitation she endured meant that Tina experienced more trauma and pain than most people could imagine. Because of situations beyond her control, Tina needed housing, health, and educational services that were not easily accessed. In the last years of her life, poverty, homelessness, and drug use led her into life threatening situations on an almost daily basis. All of this by the time she was 15-years-old. Today, at the quiet end, we’re telling Tina’s story. After all, Tina was just a girl. She was a girl with hopes and dreams, just like our daughters. But Tina was left vulnerable to dangerous predators. Why was no one able or willing to protect or defend her?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

The family portrayed on social media by Jennifer Hart seemed perfect. She and her wife, Sarah, were a progressive and loving couple with six adopted black children. Pictures on Facebook showed two moms giving their disadvantaged children a better life. Never mind that the pictures looked posed and the children were rail thin.Real life for the Hart children was far from perfect. A trail of abuse followed the family from Minnesota, to Oregon, to Washington, until Jennifer Hart drove the family’s SUV off a California cliff. Join us at the quiet end for The Hart Family Tragedy. This case is a disturbing example of unchecked child abuse, failures in the foster care and adoption system, and a society that doesn’t value children enough to intervene on their behalf. In the final analysis, Jen and Sarah Hart were responsible for the children’s deaths, but that doesn’t mean that there was no way the tragedy could have been prevented.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery

On December 2, 2010, 24-year-old Phoebe Handsjuk was found dead on the floor of her apartment building’s garbage compactor room. Her death was slow and painful as she bled to death, alone and in pain, on the dirty floor. Now, nearly 10 years have passed, and her family is still searching for answers. This was a strange way to die. How and why Phoebe died that day has become a complex narrative of alcohol and drug abuse, domestic discord, police incompetence, and alleged cover-ups.Join us at the quiet end for Phoebe’s Fall. This is the story of a vibrant but troubled young woman whose violent death has left a veil of sadness, frustration and suspicion over everyone who knew her.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Wendi Mae Davidson excelled in school and succeeded in her career, but her personal life was always a mess. Wendi had a habit of either choosing the wrong men or sabotaging her relationships. Unfortunately, her parents enabled her unstable and selfish behavior.After two unplanned pregnancies, Wendi married 24-year old Air Force officer Michael Severance. Mike was a nice guy, less educated than Wendi, but hard-working and responsible. For a while, it seemed like the marriage could work. Then, just one day before they were due to visit Mike’s family on the other side of the country, Mike vanished.Join us at the quiet end for The Case Against Wendi Mae Davidson. It would take months for investigators to find Mike, but analysis of Wendi’s internet searches and GPS tracking of her vehicle would lead to her arrest.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

In a small, quiet seaside town in 1991, the bodies of young nurse Lesley Howell and police officer, Trevor Buchanan, were found in a car filled with carbon monoxide. Lesley wore headphones playing her favorite Christian music. She was surrounded by family photos. These deaths stunned the community and broke the hearts of family members. What would cause these devout Baptists and parents of young children to take their own lives?Lesley and Trevor did have one common struggle: Their spouses were involved in a lengthy love affair. Both deeply religious, Lesley’s husband Colin played his role as a family man and a well-liked dentist while Hazel Buchanan lived her life as a teacher, a wife and a mother. But they were living a lie.The depravity and hypocrisy of this affair was a painful reality for Lesley and Trevor, but not everyone was convinced that they had resorted to a suicide pact. Not until a surprise confession nearly twenty years later would the horrible truth come to light.Join us at the quiet end for In

Maria Cruz was a perfect example of the American dream fulfilled. Growing up in the Philippines, she moved to New York in 1992, received her M.B.A. from Fordham University, and took a job as a senior credit analyst. On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003, Maria attended mass at St. Malachy’s Church. She stopped by her office that afternoon, excited about an appointment she had later that day for a cosmetic laser procedure.When Maria didn’t show up for work that Monday or Tuesday, everyone agreed that it was not like her to miss work without calling. On Wednesday, the police were called to her apartment, but there was no sign of Maria. It would take months before detectives searched her emails and ran a check on her laser specialist, Dean Faiello, uncovering his lengthy criminal history.Join us at the quiet end for The Pretender. Dean Faiello had looks, intelligence, and charm, but Maria’s disappearance would reveal that he lacked a conscience.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-c

Dale Ewell worked hard to give his children all of the advantages he didn’t have as a child. His wife, Glee, provided a loving home, staying home with their daughter Tiffany and son Dana, and showering them with attention as well as possessions.Growing up with every advantage, Dana Ewell didn’t appreciate what he was given. He always wanted more. He didn’t inherit his parents’ strong work ethic, but wanted everything handed to him, all the while acting like he was a successful businessman in his own right.On April 19th, 1992, the Ewell’s home was robbed. Two days later, the housekeeper found the house torn apart, with three dead bodies sprawled across the floors. Join us at the quiet end for Eight Million Reasons to Kill. We all want to give our children the best things in life, but this may have backfired for Glee and Dale Ewell.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

When things didn’t go the way Raynella Leath wanted, she could be calculating and vicious. But she could also be quite charming. After attempting to kill a man who considered her a friend, and after two husbands died suspicious deaths, the people where she lived in Solway, Tennessee wondered about Raynella. Many feared her and even warned others not to cross her.Raynella is a grandmother, formally married to a state prosecutor. She is well-off, well-educated, and a former director of nursing. It took years for her to go to trial for murder but, despite a conviction, she is now a free woman.Join us at the quiet end for Until Death, a complex story of a justice system influenced by money and privilege and a woman who may had gotten away with murder twice.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

With little medical training and no scientific basis for her treatments, Dr. Linda Hazzard was able to attract many wealthy clients to her Institute of Natural Therapeutics in Olalla, Washington. Dorothea and Claire Williamson, wealthy sisters from England, read Dr. Hazzard’s book “Fasting for the Cure to Disease” and believed it was their path to true health.Two months after starting treatment, Dorothea and Claire each weighed about 70 pounds. By the time family members were summoned to the institute, Claire was dead and Dorothea weighed 50 pounds. She was unable to care for herself as she endured starvation, daily enemas and beatings. In addition, Dr. Hazzard had been appointed the executor of Claire’s estate and the legal guardian of Dorothea. Investigations revealed that Dr. Hazzard was responsible for the deaths of many of her patients.Join us at the quiet end for a story of greed and sadism in a time when pseudoscience and questionable medical practices went virtually unchecked. In today’s episode

Kim Barry loved to dance and she had plans to train as a nurse. Living with her parents in a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, she cared for disabled children in preparation for her future career. On Friday night, February 6, 1981, Kim’s parents left town overnight, leaving her in charge of her little brother. Kim was usually very responsible, but she also wanted to enjoy her freedom that night. After going to a movie with a girlfriend, the two girls headed to the local disco. Her friend left early, but Kim stayed on to dance and drink some wine. She was last seen chatting with a man named Graham Potter. Join us at the quiet end for The Girl Who Loved to Dance. Kim was a kind girl with simple dreams of a nursing career and a family of her own, until one night of freedom put her into the hands of a killer.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Amy St. Laurent went out on a Saturday night and seemed to vanish into thin air. As parents, this is our worst nightmare. Amy was a sensible, smart young woman who knew how to take care of herself, but one bad choice put her into the path of a violent predator. In the search for Amy, detectives had to deal with uncooperative witnesses, inaccurate stories, and a suspect who wove a complex web of lies. As time passed with no sign of Amy, her family had to accept a terrible fact: Amy was never coming home.Join us at the quiet end today for Finding Amy St. Laurent. What happened to Amy is, tragically, something that happens all too often. Sometimes, a monster presents himself as a charming and fun guy while out in the public eye. Then, when he isolates his victim and his violent and murderous true self emerges, it is too late to escape.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Brandon Teena was a female to male transgender person born into a homophobic culture. As we discuss Brandon’s life growing up in rural Nebraska in the 1970s and 80s, it’s difficult to conceive of the difficulties he faced. Looking back, you can see how his life spiraled out of control as he attempted to navigate relationships and endured abuse, judgment and disapproval.Join us at the quiet end today for what we hope will be an insightful look at the struggles of a young transgender person and the hate crime that took his life, in Boys Do Cry: The Brandon Teena Story.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Kurt Sonnenfeld has been in the news for nearly 18 years, both for the death of his wife Nancy and for being an outspoken 9/11 “truther.” As a videographer for FEMA, Kurt put together footage of the 9/11 disaster for media outlets around the world. On CNN, he spoke of the heroics of the recovery workers under tragic circumstances. But, back at home, Kurt was a very troubled man.Nancy Sonnenfeld died on January 1, 2002 under suspicious circumstances. When it looked like Kurt might be prosecuted for her murder, he fled the country. Since then, he has remarried and developed a new narrative about his work and Nancy’s death.Join us at the quiet end today for Justice Denied. The death of Nancy Sonnenfeld has been determined, by scientists and investigators, to be a murder. But will her loved ones ever get a chance for justice for Nancy?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

It’s been nearly 40 years since young wife and mother Lynette Dawson disappeared from her New South Wales home. Lynette’s last known conversation was with her mother. On the morning of January 8, 1982, her mother called to plan an outing to a local beach. Lynette agreed, but she was nowhere to be found when her mother arrived.Over the years, as Lynette remained missing, suspicions landed on her husband, Chris Dawson. His behavior leading up to and following his wife’s disappearance was improper and offensive. Lynette was not reported missing for six weeks and she was quickly replaced by his teen-aged lover. Still, the investigation did not lead to any arrests. Finally, the case was reopened in 2015. Investigators gathered evidence for a case against Lynette’s husband and a true crime podcast “Teacher’s Pet,” put together the case with witness interviews and well-supported theories. Join us at the quiet end today for A Lovely Drink. This is a cold case, surrounded by years of deception and speculation, that ma

Stacey Castor was a recent widow suspected of two murders when her eldest daughter Ashley was hospitalized following an apparent suicide attempt. While some looked at Stacey with sympathy, others thought she was evil, a woman who was alone responsible for the tragedies in her life.The story of Stacey Castor’s life, her relationships, and her losses is a complex and twisted narrative. After it all played out, she would be exposed as a heartless, calculating killer. Join us at the quiet end today for Her Dark Plans: Stacey Castor. After getting away with one murder, Stacey Castor became comfortable with eliminating anyone who got in the way of what she wanted. Her murderous plots knew no boundaries, not even the lives of the children she claimed to love.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.