EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 18 MIN
The tree that held three dismembered corpses
from True Crime Vanished · host Creator at Obomedia
The tree that held three dismembered corpses: The murder spree of Matthew Hoffman A Walmart receipt from November 11, 2010, found in a garage triggered the discovery of one of the most disturbing crimes in Ohio. Matthew Hoffman's license photo matched exactly with the security camera image: same shirt, same day. The mystery was incomprehensible: three bodies had been placed inside the hollow trunk of a tree over 10 meters high. In this episode, we explore how a morbid obsession with trees and a repeated shirt in two photographs connected a serial killer to the greatest atrocity in Mount Vernon. We analyze the contradictions between Hoffman's silence during interrogations and his 10-page confession, and the lingering question: why did he choose to leave one victim alive to testify against him? Forensic investigation revealed marks on shower curtains, remnants of flesh in bathtubs, and evidence of systematic dismemberment. Victim: Tina German, Sara Meynard, Cody Meynard, Stephanie Spring Date: November 10-11, 2010 Location: Mount Vernon, Ohio Status: Life sentence without parole, 10 charges - Sara Meynard was found alive in the basement surrounded by leaves, raped daily for days, and fed rotten cereal. - Matthew Hoffman had a history of arson: he set fire to 10 houses in Colorado in 2001 and served 8 years in prison. - The three bodies were dismembered in Hoffman's bathtub and placed in the tree through an upper opening, requiring chainsaws to verify the finding. - Hoffman refused to speak for 48 hours of interrogation until he demanded a plea deal that spared him the death penalty, then revealing the exact location of the bodies. Tina German, Mount Vernon Ohio, murder, 2010, serial killer, investigation, forensic, mystery, aggravated homicide, true crime, suspense, true crime EnglishTo listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.comOBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
Embed this episode
NOW PLAYING
The tree that held three dismembered corpses
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.