Murder On The Space Coast

After 23 years in prison for a murder many believe he did not commit, Jeff Abramowski's conviction was overturned and he was released from custody. The state has yet to announce whether it will retry the Melbourne man again for the 2002 murder of Cortney "Dick" Crandall in Palm Shores.

Episode 1: Years after a notorious pill mill doctor is put out of business, violence and addiction wash over a once idyllic beachfront community.

Episode 2: A pill mill doctor’s office is so busy that a hot dog stand is set up to accommodate all the people waiting to get their pain pills.

Episode 3: A Melbourne teenager falls deeper into addiction thanks to Dr. John Gayden.

Episode 4: As more and more people die from Oxycodone overdoses, police begin connecting the deaths to one doctor in the area.

Episode 5: Dr. Gayden uses his opiate-induced influence on underage girls.

Episode 6: A federal judge lays into the man who prescribed more opiates in six months than the state of California, calling him a “monster.”

Bonus episode: FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explains a bit of the backstory of our journey to telling you about the Gayden case.

Based in the small beachside community of Indialantic, Florida, the long-awaited sixth season of the award-winning true crime podcast Murder on the Space Coast is nearly ready to drop. Listen to all our previous episodes before we dive into our next story: Monster on the Beach.  

Murder on the Space Coast season 6 is currently in production. While you wait for it to drop, check out The Last Ride - a series produced by our friends here in the USA Today Network of Florida.

With the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversing Crosley Green’s previous victory of a new trial, his lawyers are hoping to get his case in front of the highest court in the land – The U.S. Supreme Court.

After 32 years in prison, Crosley Green was released – pending the outcome of the state’s appeal. He talks prison, family, his lawyers and ice cream with host John A. Torres.

Nearly 40 years after she went missing, local beauty queen Tammy Lynn Leppert’s disappearance continues to baffle. Could there be a simple explanation? Could she have been one of the first victims in Brevard County for John Crutchley, the notorious ‘Vampire Rapist’?

John Crutchley, the ‘Vampire Rapist,’ seems one step ahead of police at all times as they struggle to prove he was a serial killer responsible for killing numerous local women. And why are we, as a society, obsessed with murder?

A potential deal between Crutchley and the prosecutor’s office falls apart. Other suspects emerge in Tammy’s disappearance and can being obsessed with murder save your life?

Having already spent 36 years in prison for a murder many doubt he committed, Gary Bennett finally gets some good news in the form of a top law firm taking his case.

Crosley Green dreams of freedom while his attorneys prepare for a worst-case scenario.

A Federal Court rules that Crosley Green should get a new trial.

Could troubling DNA results derail convicted killer Crosley Green’s fight for freedom?

A private eye succeeds in getting Crosley Green’s story national media coverage.

While Crosley sits on death row, a Chicago private eye investigates his case ten years after conviction.

Already facing a stacked deck, Crosley Green’s murder trial seems hopeless when his own sister testifies against him.

Almost immediately the police hone in on Crosley Green. Using a tainted photo lineup and suggestive language, investigators get Kim Hallock to identify Green as the killer, though he does not match her earlier description of the killer being big and muscular with Jheri curls.

Twenty-year-old Chip Flynn slowly bleeds to death alone in an orange grove after being shot and left to die. His final words to police could reveal the answer to the mystery of what really happened that night all those years ago.

A late-night romantic drive turns into a nightmare as a young Titusville couple are kidnapped at gunpoint and driven to a deserted orange grove in the middle of the might where gunshots change three lives forever.

Attorneys for convicted killer Crosley Green battle for their client’s freedom in federal court in what is likely the final climax in a 31-year saga filled with controversy, withheld evidence and accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.

FLORIDA TODAY's award-winning podcast is back for its fifth season with an in-depth and timely look at the conviction of a Titusville man sentenced to die after a shooting at a north Brevard orange grove in the late 1980s left a 22-year-old man dead. 

As Palm Bay Police determine what areas should be searched next in the search for missing firefighter Brandy Hall’s remains, an expert in prosecuting murder cases without a body offers insightful information.

In this episode police and investigators look into what connection a piece of construction equipment in Brandy Hall’s driveway could have with the firefighter’s disappearance.

Brandy Hall’s last 24 hours is accentuated by the mystery of the 26 minutes from when she left the Malabar Fire Station to the moment she finished a phone call with her married lover Randall Richmond.

One of the private investigators looking into Brandy’s last 24 hours aptly described nearly every facet of the firefighter’s disappearance as ‘nebulous and murky.’ Construction equipment, drug angles and arguments all potentially played a part in the hours before Brandy went missing.

Palm Bay Police examine an area they believe may be the final resting place of missing firefighter Brandy Hall, but come up short. With Sid Ladow-like resolve, investigators remain vigilant in their pursuit of the answer to the question "Where is Brandy Hall?"

After the sudden passing of retired detective Sid LaDow, the case fell to a private investigator whose main focus was filling in the gaps in Brandy Hall’s timeline.

A hearing to possibly shorten Gary's prison sentence turns into a nightmare that no one expected.

If you missed our March 6th Live event at Surfside Playhouse in Cocoa Beach, we've got the audio here for you. Look for Season 5 in late 2019.

Can a hand-written question mark on a state report and two untested hairs from the crime scene hold the key to Jeff Abramowski’s freedom?FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

In the first of a two-part episode, John begins to outline the case for Jeff's actual innocence.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

New audio in the case against Jeff surfaces and we finally hear from the family of murder victim Dick Crandall.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

During the course of our storytelling process, new audio from the Abramowski case has just fallen into John Torres' lap.We apologize for the delay, but Episode 9 will arrive on all your favorite podcast platforms on Tuesday.

What was it that made Jeff Abramowski the primary focus of the investigation? What changed to make investigators believe he was their man?FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

Jeff Abramowski is surprised to learn a private attorney will take his case for free just before his second trial. But lying witnesses on the stand doom Jeff’s fate.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

Judy and Rita are arrested after returning to Florida when they break into the dead man’s trailer and take his things. Jeff’s first trial ends in mistrial.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

The people closest to murder victim Dick Crandall suspiciously leave town around the time of his murder.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

The annual celebration of motherhood takes on a new light when a brawl breaks out between murder victim Dick Crandall and his girlfriend’s son.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

A trace amount of DNA is what ultimately convicts Jeff Abramowski of murder. Do we really understand DNA?FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

A near fatal accident changes the life of Jeff Abramowski forever as he is introduced to the painkiller Oxycontin.FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

A 78-year-old man is found in his Melbourne trailer bludgeoned to death. Who could have wanted Dick dead?FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres explores a case of murder, mayhem and whether the real murderer is serving a life sentence for the 2002 death.

Are you ready? Murder on the Space Coast Season 4 explores a brutal Melbourne, Florida, homicide and what happens when "friends" become business partners in the prescription pill black market.

Gary Bennett, the subject of Season One of Murder on the Space Coast, could finally see some movement in his case through the diligence of an attorney and fan of our podcast.

Did you miss our LIVE Season 3 wrap up event? Not to worry. We've got the audio here. Season 3 of Murder on the Space Coast focuses on the disappearance of Malabar Volunteer firefighter Brandy Hall. More details are available at whereisbrandyhall.com