Solved Cases Episodes

In 2007, 22-year-old Lindsay Hawker left England for Japan to pursue her dream of teaching English and experiencing life abroad. Kind, adventurous, and passionate about helping others, she had no idea that one persistent stranger would change the course of her life forever.After repeatedly seeking her attention and convincing her to give him private English lessons, the man followed Lindsay home. When she failed to arrive at work, concern quickly turned into a missing persons investigation that ...

The search for Barbara Mackle was becoming a race against time. After 20-year-old Barbara was buried alive inside a custom-built underground capsule, her family and the FBI faced an impossible challenge: pay a $500,000 ransom before her air supply...

In December 1968, 20-year-old Barbara Mackle was abducted from a Georgia motel and buried alive in a custom-built underground box while her kidnappers demanded a $500,000 ransom. For 83 terrifying hours, Barbara fought panic, darkness, and the fear that she would never be found. This week in part 1, i walk you through the planning if one of theFBI's most infamous kidnappings. Connect with us on Social Media! You can find us at: Instagram: @bookofthedeadpod X: @bkofthedeadpod Facebook: The Book ...

In June 1988, 24-year-old truck driver David Churchill Jackson walked out of his Pembroke Pines, Florida apartment and completely vanished. He left behind a loving mother, a complicated past, and a young son who would grow up wondering what happened to his father. For fifteen years, David’s disappearance remained a frozen mystery—until a cold case detective's vision board caught the eye of an unexpected visitor. ​In this chapter of The Book of the Dead, I explored the life of David Jackson, the...

On the coast of California, in November 2004, retired couple Tom and Jackie Hawks thought they were closing a new chapter, selling their yacht and preparing for a quieter life. Instead, they were lured into a meticulously planned trap. What began as a routine boat sale quickly spiraled into one of the most disturbing maritime murders in true crime history. In this episode, I broke down the calculated scheme that led to their disappearance, the shocking method used to silence them, and the inve...

After years of terrifying messages, threats, and manipulation, the truth behind Cari Farver’s disappearance finally begins to surface.In Part 2, investigators uncover a chilling web of deception that points not to an unknown stalker, but to someone much closer. As digital evidence, forensic clues, and shocking behavior come together, the case takes a turn no one expected. Who was really behind the messages? What happened to Cari Farver? And how did one person maintain such an elaborate lie for y...

In 2012, Cari Farver after blowing up at the man she had been seeing, vanished from Omaha, Nebraska but what followed made no sense. Her family, Dave Kroupa who she had been dating, and a woman named Liz Golyar, who dated the same man, began receiving disturbing, erratic messages from Cari. As the texts escalated into threats and harassment, it was clear that Cari was a stalker, hellbent on destroying lives. However, as the investigation unfolded, the truth became far more disturbing than anyone...

In 1980, two unidentified women were found murdered in California, one in Ventura County and the other in Kern County. For decades, they were known only as Jane Does, their names and stories erased by time. Their killer, Wilson Chouest, was identified years ago, but the identities of his victims remained a mystery. Now, through advances in forensic genealogy and relentless investigative work, both women have finally been identified, restoring their names after more than 40 years. In this episod...

What happens when the danger isn’t on the job, but waiting at home? Robbie Doerr was a veteran firefighter who never imagined the greatest threat would come from someone he trusted. When Evansville, Indiana, is rocked by the murder of a beloved member of their community, the police have very few clues to go on to find the killer. With no murder weapon, witnesses who saw nothing, and no known enemies to look into, the case should have hit a wall. However, the clue they needed to propel the case ...

When 19-year-old Brianna Denison vanished from her friend's home in the early hours of January 20, 2008, the city of Reno, Nevada was on high alert, rallying to help find her and bring her home. As police worked with minimal evidence to find Brianna's abductor, they followed the DNA trail to the University of Nevada, Reno Campus, uncovering a predator who had been targeting students for months. Connect with us on Social Media! You can find us at: Instagram: @bookofthedeadpod X: @bkofthedeadpod ...

“It can’t rain all the time.” Those words became immortal the day Brandon Lee brought The Crow to life and lost his own in the process. Born to a martial arts legend, Brandon Lee was poised for stardom, carving out a name for himself outside of his...

In Part 2 of my coverage on the McStay Family Murders, I cover the trial of Chase Merritt, the man arrested for the murders of Summer and Joseph McStay, and their two little boys, Gianni and Joey Jr. The case against Chase Merritt was built entirely on circumstantial evidence, and three years after my original coverage, I'm still not entirely sure police got the right guy. From the discourse between the prosecution and defense, cell phone and computer records suggesting Chase Merritt's movement...

Three years ago, I explored one of California’s most tragic true crime cases: the disappearance and murder of the McStay family, Summer and Joseph McStay, and their two young sons, Gianni and Joey Jr., on February 4, 2010. While there have been no major updates since my last coverage, I’ve gathered additional details about the case and trial that shed new light on the events. In Part 1, I follow the timeline from the days leading up to the McStays’ disappearance to the shocking discovery of thei...

In the 1970s, New York's LGBTQ Community was gripped by fear; from a string of grisly unsolved killings known as the “Bag Murders,” to the shocking murder of film critic Addison Verrill, and whispers of a Hollywood curse surrounding The Exorcist. At the center of these intersecting stories stands Paul Bateson, a man described as handsome and charismatic, yet linked to both cinema lore and real-life violence. In one of New York City's darkest chapters, fact and fiction collided, spawning an evil ...

In August 2005, 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier Joshua Bennett returned home to Illinois, grieving the unexpected loss of his father. Ne reconnects with his mother, who invited him to stay the night at her home, but within hours, Joshua would be murdered in his mother’s home by a group of people who believed they were under the influence of a witch’s curse. The murder of Joshua Bennett is a senseless killing fueled by occult paranoia, the power of influence, and a revenge plot gone horribly wrong....

Among the legendary singers of the 27 Club who captivated the world with their music and lyrics, is a woman who is not as well known—one whose powerful voice and thought-provoking lyrics set her apart from the men dominating the industry. Mia Zapata and her band, The Gits, were on the verge of becoming a household name in Seattle's grunge and punk rock scene when everything was ripped away one night in July of 1993. Mia Zapata's violent murder shocked Seattle as a whole. Who would want to kill a...

Today, we delve into the dark world of exorcisms and the tragic case of Kennedy Ife, a 26-year-old man from Enfield, London, whose shocking death in 2016 raised unsettling questions about faith, mental health, and the dangers of so-called demonic...

Together with C.J., host of Beyond the Rainbow: True Crimes of the LGBTQ, we dive into two heart-wrenching cases where friendships turned deadly. The murders of Missy Avila and Skylar Neese are the ultimate betrayal, each one a tragic tale of trust...

To end 2024, we revisit the execution of Johnny Frank Garrett and go over the proof that shows he was innocent of the murder he was charged with committing. From FBI reports to an alleged confession from another convicted killer, Johnny's case is a...

In this chilling episode, we dive deep into one of the most horrifying and mysterious murder sprees in modern history – the Lainz Angels of Death. Operating under the radar for years, a group of nurses at the Lainz General Hospital in Vienna turned...

Teenagers Riley Powell and Breezy Otteson were wildly in love and looking forward to building a future together. After childhoods filled with various hardships and heartache, they finally found love and happiness. However, everything would change in...

In today's episode, we bring you a guest episode from Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide. Ky brings you the infamous Betty Broderick case, a story of love, betrayal, and murder. Betty, a once-devoted wife and mother, found herself at the center...

"I’d like to thank my family for loving me and taking care of me. And the rest of the world can kiss my ass.” After the murder nun in Amarillo, Texas, police are convinced they found their killer. Johnny Frank Garrett was tried, sentenced, and...

Carmen Van Huss, at 19, had her whole life ahead of her. After visiting her grandmother in the hospital, Carmen headed to her apartment to prepare for work in the morning, when she met up with a man and they headed into her apartment together. After...