I Fear You, Babe

Back from two weeks out with the heaviest stretch of cases the show has ever covered. An arrest in the Wilmer, Alabama family murders. Two USF doctoral students from Bangladesh, both found dead. New developments in the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case. And a death penalty verdict that may come this week for the man who killed seven-year-old Athena Strand. Plus follow-ups on Anna Kepner and Kouri Richins.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.⚠️ Content note: graphic detail throughout. Take care.Support the show

A Monday show coming to you on a Friday. Dino's down with the flu, but the week didn't wait — and four cases this week demand we say their names.In Wilmer, Alabama, Lisa Gail Fields, her seventeen-year-old pregnant daughter Keziah Arionna Luker, and her twelve-year-old son Thomas "T.J." Cordelle Jr. were found dead in their home in the early hours of Monday, April 20th. Four days later, no one has been arrested. Lisa's husband Nathan Fields has spoken publicly for the first time. We sit with the family the killer or killers left behind — and the eighteen-month-old baby who was the only survivor in that house.In Titusville, Florida, the federal case against the sixteen-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner is moving fast. Anna had a plan. She was going to join the Navy, become a K9 officer. She was eighteen. She never came home from a family cruise.In Columbia, South Carolina, Ciarra Howcott was thirty-one. She was found shot on Howell Court on April 13th. We don't know enough about her yet — but we say her name.And in Lake Elsinore, California, this week brought devastating new revelations in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her autopsy was unsealed. Her family spoke publicly for the first time. And the man accused of killing her stood in a courtroom on the one-year anniversary of the day she was last seen alive. Dino unpacks what prosecutors revealed in court — and why the story belongs to Celeste, not to D4vd.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.⸻🎟️ Sponsor: SaltDrop NoHo. Promo code: IFEARYOUBABE🌐 ifearyoubabe.comSupport the show

Eight names. Said out loud. In a courtroom. By the man who killed them.On Wednesday, Rex Heuermann stood in Suffolk County Court and pleaded guilty eight times — once for each woman he strangled and dumped along the Long Island coast over seventeen years. Maureen Brainard-Barnes. Melissa Barthelemy. Megan Waterman. Amber Lynn Costello. Jessica Taylor. Sandra Costilla. Valerie Mack. Karen Vergata. Sentencing is June 17th. Their full episode is coming.In the Bahamas, Lynette Hooker — 55, Michigan, a sailor who loved the water her whole life — disappeared from a dinghy on April 5th. Her husband says she fell overboard. Her daughter says nothing about that story adds up. He was arrested this week. No charges. No body. This one is still moving.In Iowa, Ashley Okland was 27 years old when she was shot twice at an open house on April 8th, 2011. This past Wednesday was the fifteenth anniversary of her death. Two days later, Kristin Ramsey stood in a courtroom and pleaded not guilty. Ashley's siblings were in the front row. Trial is January 2027.And last Saturday night in Union Township, New Jersey — one person killed, six injured at a Chick-fil-A. Masked gunmen. Not random. No arrests. No name yet. When there is, we'll be back for them.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Support the show

Bianca Devins was seventeen years old when she was killed in Utica, New York on July 14, 2019. You probably already know how she died. What you probably don't know is who she actually was — the ukulele, the anime art, the YouTube videos she made at eleven where she hated being on camera, the way her grandfather sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" to her and she passed it down to her baby sister. The fact that she had been through depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD — years of it, in and out of hospitals — and came out the other side with a plan. She was going to study psychology. She was going to help adolescents who had been failed by the same mental health system that had failed her. She was seventeen years old and she had a plan. Every piece of coverage about this case starts with the internet. This one starts with Bianca.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Sources: Rolling Stone — Bianca Devins: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bianca-devins-viral-death-murder-926823/ CBS 48 Hours — Bianca Devins: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bianca-devins-murder-violent-images-psychological-terrorism-48-hours/ Wikipedia — Murder of Bianca Devins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Bianca_Devins WKTV — Brandon Clark sentencing: https://www.wktv.com/archive/brandon-clark-sentenced-in-murder-of-17-year-old-bianca-devins/article_d1bdf090-7932-11ec-8d73-77f82ffcca9c.html Rome Sentinel — Appeal denied: https://www.romesentinel.com/news/utica-devins-clark-appeal-denied/article_b6b933bf-d166-441c-98b9-368614a40fe8.html Observer-Dispatch — Sentencing hearing: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-sentenced-for-murder-of-utica-teen-bianca-devins/ar-BB1eEesoSupport the show

In Chicago, 18-year-old Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman walked to a lakefront beach at midnight with friends to see the city skyline. She whispered that someone was behind the lighthouse. There was one shot. Every segment this week was about politics. This show is about Sheridan. In Houston, a 36-year cold case broke open — the 1990 Lovers Lane murders. Cheryl Henry was 22. Andy Atkinson was 21. They went on a date night and never came home. Their mothers and Andy's father did not live to see this week. In Cookeville, Tennessee, 34-year-old Samantha Goolsby didn't come home Tuesday night. She was found in the woods the next afternoon. Most of the country never heard her name. We said it. And Rex Heuermann — charged with seven Gilgo Beach murders — is expected to plead guilty April 8th.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Sources: Block Club Chicago — Sheridan Gorman: https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/03/27/loyola-murder-suspect-ordered-detained-by-judge-who-calls-crime-horrible/Chicago Sun-Times — Sheridan Gorman: https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/03/24/heres-what-to-know-killing-sheridan-gormanWTTW Chicago — Sheridan Gorman: https://news.wttw.com/2026/03/27/man-charged-fatal-shooting-loyola-freshman-sheridan-gorman-be-detained-pending-trialNBC Chicago — Sheridan Gorman: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/suspect-in-killing-of-loyola-university-chicago-student-was-hiding-behind-lighthouse-prosecutors/3912716/Click2Houston — Lovers Lane DNA: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/03/26/the-crucial-tip-and-dna-link-that-led-to-a-capital-murder-arrest-for-1990-texas-lovers-lane-cold-case/KHOU Houston — Floyd Parrott arrest: https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/lovers-lane-killings-cold-case-arrest-houston-texas/285-fd2b5b56-b8ce-4dcc-845e-85cafc8a09a3CBS News — Lovers Lane timeline: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lovers-lane-cold-case-murders-houston-suspect-arrested/ABC13 Houston — Henry and Atkinson families: https://abc13.com/post/lovers-lane-murders-arrest-made-1990-west-houston-killing-cheryl-henry-andy-atkinson-authorities-say/18779096/FOX 17 Nashville — Samantha Goolsby: https://fox17.com/news/local/missing-woman-found-dead-suspect-charged-with-murder-in-putnam-countyNBC News — Rex Heuermann: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-gilgo-beach-serial-killings-rex-heuermann-expected-guilty-pSupport the show

This week's roundup covers four cases that all broke in the last seven days. In Altamonte Springs, Florida, two teenage girls — fifteen and fourteen — are sitting in jail charged as adults with attempted murder after allegedly plotting to kill a classmate in a blood ritual to resurrect the Sandy Hook shooter. New footage and unredacted court documents were released this week. In Southaven, Mississippi, twenty-year-old Mykryra Clemons — who had Down syndrome and was nonverbal — was found dead in a bag in a closet in her mother's bedroom. She had been there since January. Court is tomorrow. In West Des Moines, Iowa, a fifteen-year-old cold case finally broke open: Kristin Ramsey was arrested and charged with the 2011 murder of realtor Ashley Okland, who was shot dead during an open house. Ramsey says she's innocent and is already fighting the charges. And in Seattle, a verdict came down Friday in the 2023 killing of Eina Kwon — a pregnant restaurant owner shot at a red light on her way to work. The man who killed her was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Both the prosecution and defense's own experts agreed. Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Support the show

Skylar Neese was sixteen years old, a 4.0 student, and a girl who wanted to be a criminal defense attorney. On July 6th, 2012, she snuck out of her Star City, West Virginia apartment after midnight to get into a car with two girls she had known for years. She never came home. The case is solved — and the answers are harder to sit with than the questions ever were. This episode goes deeper than the Hulu documentary Friends Like These: the real motive that the doc handled irresponsibly, Skylar’s Law and the legislation her parents fought to pass in her name, and Rachel Shoaf’s June 2026 parole eligibility — live information you can act on right now. Before we talk about how she died, we talk about how she lived.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Support the show

The verdict is in. After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury in Park City, Utah found Kouri Richins guilty on all five counts — aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of insurance fraud, and forgery — in the fentanyl poisoning death of her husband Eric Richins in 2022. She faces life in prison without parole. Sentencing is May 13th. His sons were five, seven, and nine when he died. They are eight, ten, and twelve today. This one is for them.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Support the show

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONFive cases this week. Closing arguments in the Kouri Richins murder trial are happening today in Park City, Utah — the jury that spent three weeks hearing how a Utah mother allegedly poisoned her husband with fentanyl, wrote a grief book for their kids, and tried to coach a witness from jail is now deciding her fate. In Queens, New York, a 75-year-old man was arrested this week for the murder and dismemberment of his 34-year-old wife Salisha Ali, who had already left him — but was talked into one last visit. In Michigan, Dale Warner was convicted of murdering his wife Dee, whose body was found sealed inside a welded fertilizer tank on their farm three years after she disappeared. In Massachusetts, the federal murder case against former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell — accused of grooming Sandra Birchmore from age twelve and killing her at twenty-three — survived a motion to dismiss. And in California, Ashlee Buzzard has a court date in 48 hours to face charges in the death of her nine-year-old daughter Melodee. If she doesn't show up, a judge has warned he will have her extracted from her cell.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.SOURCESKouri Richins https://kutv.com/news/local/kouri-richins-murder-trial-moves-to-closing-arguments-after-three-weeks-of-testimony https://www.kpcw.org/summit-county/2026-03-12/kouri-richins-rests-in-murder-trial-without-presenting-defense-case https://www.courttv.com/news/ut-v-kouri-richins-grief-author-murder-trial/https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/03/14/kouri-richins-trial-what-know/ https://www.abc4.com/richins/kouri-richins-trial-week-three/Salisha Ali https://queensda.org/husband-charged-with-murder-and-dismemberment-of-wife-whose-remains-were-found-in-separate-locations-along-brookville-blvd-and-cross-bay-blvd/ https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/husband-allegedly-murdered-dismembered-young-wife-dumped-remains-queens-woods/6475807/https://www.amny.com/new-york/queens-murder-senior-husband-young-wife-03112026/https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/16/queens-woman-had-separated-from-husband-now-accused-of-dismembering-her-mom-says/Dee Warner https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/03/10/dale-dee-warner-murder-trial-verdict-fertilizer-tank/89029126007/ https://www.13abc.com/2026/03/10/jurors-reach-verdict-dale-warner-murder-trial/https://www.clickondeSupport the show

Three active cases: the Kouri Richins murder trial in Park City, Utah enters day thirteen — and two bombshells drop in court, including a six-page letter prosecutors say is Kouri coaching a witness, and the revelation that her grief children's book was written by a ghost writer. In Massachusetts, a federal judge denies a motion to dismiss the Matthew Farwell case — the former detective accused of grooming Sandra Birchmore from age twelve and killing her at twenty-three. And in California, Ashlee Buzzard refuses to appear in court for the second time this week to face charges in the death of her nine-year-old daughter, Melodee. Every Monday, this is where we check in on what's moving.Before we talk about how they died, we talk about how they lived.Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how people died, we talk about how they lived.This week’s roundup tracks verified movement only. No gore, no rumor, no comment section detective work. We start in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where the ice rink shooting during a high school hockey game has now claimed a third victim, and we break down what is confirmed about the victims, the shooter, and the bystander intervention that likely prevented more loss of life.Then we move to the still unfolding disappearance of 84 year old Nancy Guthrie in Arizona, including the expanded no parking zone around her neighborhood, the reward landscape, what a CODIS no hit actually means, and why investigators are leaning into slower forensic lanes and signal based search tools.We also cover Tipp City, Ohio, where Ashley Flynn’s husband faces murder and evidence tampering charges amid allegations of staging, plus an important court calendar update on the preliminary hearing. Finally, we go to Norristown, Pennsylvania, where a shooting investigation led to arrests in two alleged rival sex trafficking operations, and we walk through the specific mechanics described in the criminal complaint and what prosecutors will need to prove next.Victim centered. System aware. Clear lines between what is confirmed, what is alleged, and what is still unknown.Resources:AP story on expanded no parking zone due to journalists and streamershttps://www.timesunion.com/news/article/no-parking-zone-in-nancy-guthrie-s-neighborhood-21941696.phpAP story on the family’s $1 million reward, via AP reposthttps://www.wboc.com/news/national/savannah-guthrie-says-her-family-is-offering-a-1-million-reward-for-her-mothers-recovery/article_2454b004-00ed-5497-b79c-dea6f0fc90d9.htmlGuardian, reward and the $500,000 donation to NCMEChttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/24/nancy-guthrie-savannah-reward-informationPima County Sheriff statement on “different day” claims being speculative, Yahoo repost of People reportinghttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pima-county-sheriff-addresses-claim-025949565.htmlSheriff Chris Nanos telling People there is no evidence the suspect came a different day, Yahoo repost of People reportinghttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ariz-sheriff-says-no-evidence-054510489.htmlAZFamily, glove DNA CODIS update, Walmart backpack lead, BlueFly statement, and reward referenceshttps://www.azfamily.com/2026/02/17/fbi-using-signal-sniffer-technology-search-nancy-guthries-pacemaker/ABC News live updates via Good Morning America, BlueFly and gun shop canvasshttps://www.goodmorningamerica.com/US/live-updates/nancy-guthrie-investigation-live-updates-person-detained-released-130050835/police-trying-to-find-nancy-guthrie-through-pacemaker-signals-130238559?offset=5Parsons BlueFly product page, how they describe the techhttps://www.parsons.com/products/bluefly/AZPM, 88 CRIME anonymous donation, reward increase detailshttps://news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2026/2/18/228532-88-crime-receives-anonymous-100k-donation-for-reward-in-nancy-guthrie-case/CBS News, accomplice not ruled out, reward references and investigative posturehttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-guthrie-disappearance-accomplice-arizona/People reporting on Google Trends address searches, via Yahoo reposthttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/online-searches-nancy-guthrie-address-213949998.htmlFox6 Milwaukee, sheriff department statements including biological evidence language and reward admin clarificationhttps://www.fox6now.com/news/nancy-guthrie-biological-evidence-found-her-catalina-foothills-homeTipp City, Ohio, Ashley Flynn caseAP wire via ABC News, charges, alleged staging, bond amount, 911 call contexthttps://aSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Abigail Williams and Liberty German died, we talk about how they lived.On February 13, 2017, two eighth grade best friends went for a walk on the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana. It was a warm snow make up day. School was out. The kind of afternoon where nothing feels dangerous.Abby Williams was 13. Libby German was 14. They took photos. They crossed the bridge slowly. Libby pressed record when something felt off.What happened next would fracture a town of under 3,000 people and become one of the most analyzed cases in modern true crime history.In this episode, we walk through:• A detailed timeline of February 13 and 14, 2017• The video and audio Libby captured• The discovery of the girls near Deer Creek• The investigation, the misfiled 2017 tip• The 2022 arrest of Richard Allen• The 2024 trial, forensic evidence, and ballistics testimony• The guilty verdict and 130 year sentence• The ongoing appeals and questions raised by the defenseThis is not a story about a bridge. It is a story about two girls who mattered. And about what it took to hold a case together for nearly eight years.I’m Dino Malvone. This is I Fear You, Babe.Core Case & Official Info• Wikipedia — Murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty Germanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Abigail_Williams_and_Liberty_German(Includes timeline, evidence released, details on the video/audio from Libby’s phone, arrest, conviction, and sentencing.)News & Trial Links• ABC News — Delphi man found guilty on all chargeshttps://abcnews.com/US/delphi-double-murder-trial-jury-reaches-verdict-killing/story?id=114784404• AP News — Video and an unused bullet prove man’s guilthttps://apnews.com/article/9d9756a1e076edaa2f0694a2b54ab3da• People.com — Where is the Delphi murderer now?https://people.com/where-is-richard-allen-today-delphi-murderer-11905667Related Media & Context• Podcast — Down The Hill: The Delphi Murders (Spotify)https://open.spotify.com/show/05NNftx1ghXnguEFwlEzAE• YouTube — Libby German’s last video & analysishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwleZgjHNQSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how people died, we talk about how they lived.In our first weekly crime update, Dino walks through the major cases moving right now — what investigators actually know, what’s still unclear, and where things stand as families and communities wait for answers.This week: a deadly shooting in Arizona, a domestic homicide case in Pennsylvania after a woman reported an assault, murder charges connected to a Washington, D.C. violence intervention program, and new forensic details emerging in the Idaho student murders.Plus, Dino introduces the new weekly format: one episode covering the biggest crime developments each week, and another diving deep into a case we all want to understand better.No sensationalism. No speculation. Just the facts, the context, and the human stories behind the headlines.Let’s get into it.SOURCES:• Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office — Tonopah shooting investigationhttps://www.azfamily.com/2026/02/09/mcso-investigating-shooting-tonopah/• 12 News Phoenix — Tonopah shooting details & injurieshttps://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/mcso-investigating-shooting-involving-four-people-in-tonopah-arizona/• ABC7 Chicago — Yuan Yuan Lu homicide case coveragehttps://abc7chicago.com/post/woman-killed-after-reporting-sexual-assault-boyfriend-charged/• NBC10 Philadelphia — Bucks County investigation detailshttps://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/bucks-county-homicide-investigation/• Washington Post — D.C. violence interrupters charged in Blake Bozeman casehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/02/10/arrest-homicide-violence-interrupter/• People Magazine — Idaho murders autopsy & court updatehttps://people.com/bryan-kohberger-murders-autopsy-motive-overkill• Associated Press — Idaho case legal status & sentencing backgroundhttps://apnews.com/hub/idaho-college-killingsSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Spencer and Monique died, we talk about how they lived.In this episode, Dino walks through the Columbus, Ohio case of Spencer and Monique Tepe as a family story first, not a headline. We start with who Spencer was as a steady, show up kind of person, and who Monique was as the connective tissue who held the center, then widen out to the patterns that too often follow people after separation.From there, we move carefully through what is known and what is still unknown, including the early morning window investigators believe the murders occurred, the alley footage and why space matters in a neighborhood like Weinland Park, and the detail that keeps sticking in everyone’s throat: police initially going to the wrong house during the welfare check.We keep it victim centered and non sensational, with clear labels for what can be proven versus what is still unfolding, and we end where this story really lives: in the aftermath, the children who survived, and the systems that only seem to move fast once it is already too late.I hear you, babe.SourcesAssociated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/michael-mckee-spencer-monique-tepe-dentist-killed-9ec689320e27da89617165a151b95d54https://apnews.com/article/7af663eea9f47533079d320ef5a4bc17People Magazinehttps://people.com/inside-the-lives-of-spence-and-mo-tepe-the-murdered-dentist-and-wife-who-loved-fiercely-and-were-where-the-party-was-at-exclusive-11888403https://people.com/michael-mckee-court-appearance-ohio-spencer-monique-tepe-1189137210TV Columbushttps://www.10tv.com/article/news/crime/tepe-killings-timeline-ex-husband-michael-mckee-charged/530-41af1b8d-d824-43c6-83df-d019a89f2cc5ABC6 On Your Side (Columbus)https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/one-week-later-still-no-suspect-murders-spencer-monique-tepe-columbus-ohio-person-of-interestWOSU Public Mediahttps://www.wosu.org/news/2026-01-16/mckee-faces-four-aggravated-murder-charges-in-deaths-of-spencer-and-monique-tepeColumbus Police Departmenthttps://www.facebook.com/ColumbusPolice/videos/2510591306022306https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusPolice/posts/1289208609903866Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Before we talk about how JonBenét Ramsey died, we talk about how she lived.We stay inside the morning of December 26, 1996.The house. The staircase. The ransom note. The 911 call. The waiting.The decisions made in shock. The systems that weren’t built for clarity.The moment the story changes forever.This episode does not chase a theory.It does not rush to a suspect.It slows down and sits with what actually happened — and what didn’t.Because this case didn’t fracture because people were evil.It fractured because humans were trying to survive something unthinkable.Then the story dives into the investigation itself — the autopsy findings, the garrote detail, the ransom note as evidence, the pineapple timeline, the window debate, the grand jury, the DNA wars, the media frenzy, and the institutional failures that keep this case unresolved.SHOW REFERENCES & SOURCESBoulder Police Department — Official JonBenét Ramsey Case Pagehttps://bouldercolorado.gov/jonbenet-ramsey-homicideDenver7 — Timeline and investigative overview of the casehttps://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/jonbenet-ramsey-case-a-timeline-of-eventsFBI Law Enforcement Bulletin — Kidnapping and ransom note characteristicshttps://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/kidnapping-and-extortion-investigative-considerationsColorado Judicial Branch — Grand jury process overviewhttps://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help/grand-juryCBS News — Reporting on the grand jury decision and later disclosureshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonbenet-ramsey-grand-jury-indictment-documents-released/Associated Press — DNA evidence debate and ongoing testinghttps://apnews.com/article/jonbenet-ramsey-dna-investigation-boulder-police-5e6b3c4b6f9b9a1e9b0a8b6a0c9f5d3f(Links included for transparency and listener reference. This episode prioritizes publicly available reporting and official statements.)Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Martha Moxley died, we talk about how she lived.Martha Moxley was fifteen years old when she was murdered on Mischief Night in 1975 in the Belle Haven section of Greenwich, Connecticut. Her body was found the next day in the yard of a wealthy neighborhood, beaten and stabbed with a golf club taken from a nearby home.What followed was not a lack of evidence, but a lack of urgency. Witnesses went unchallenged. Evidence aged. And for decades, the case stalled under the weight of privilege, hesitation, and silence.In this mega episode, we trace the full timeline of Martha’s murder and the investigation that followed — from the night she disappeared, through the failed early inquiry, to the eventual conviction and its reversal decades later. We center Martha and her mother, Dorothy Moxley, and examine what happens when justice is delayed long enough to fracture truth itself.Show NotesCase OverviewMartha Moxley was murdered on October 30, 1975, in Greenwich, Connecticut.The murder weapon was a Toney Penna golf club from the Skakel household.The case went cold for decades before charges were filed.Legal TimelineOne person grand jury convened in 1998Michael Skakel convicted in 2002Conviction overturned due to ineffective counselProsecutors declined retrial in 2020Key ThemesWealth and influence in criminal investigationsThe cost of delayed justiceMemory versus evidence in cold case prosecutionsThe emotional labor of grieving familiesSources & Further ReadingConnecticut Supreme Court opinion: State v. Skakelhttps://jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR278/278CR23.pdfCBS News timeline of the Martha Moxley casehttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/martha-moxley-murder-case-timelineThe New York Times coverage of the Skakel trial and appealshttps://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/martha-moxleyJustice for Martha Moxley Foundationhttps://www.justiceformartha.orgSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Michelle O’Connell died, we talk about how she lived.Michelle O’Connell was twenty four years old when she was found dead from a gunshot wound in her boyfriend’s home in Florida. Authorities ruled her death a suicide. The case was closed quickly.Years later, a group of mothers driving their children to school began asking questions no one else seemed interested in answering. They noticed inconsistencies in the investigation. They noticed gaps in the record. And they noticed how fast the system stopped looking.They didn’t have badges or jurisdiction. They had carpools, notebooks, and persistence.In this mini episode, we examine the Michelle O’Connell case through the women who refused to let it disappear. We trace the timeline, the procedural failures, the conflicts of interest, and the legal limits that shaped the outcome. We center Michelle and her family, not speculation — and we ask why ordinary women so often become the last line of accountability when institutions step back.Show NotesCase OverviewMichelle O’Connell died on September 2, 2010, in St. Johns County, Florida.Her death was ruled a suicide despite objections from her family.Her boyfriend at the time, Jeremy Banks, was a deputy with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.Key ThemesConflict of interest in law enforcement investigationsDomestic violence indicators that go undocumentedHow suicide rulings can prematurely end accountabilityThe emotional and investigative labor taken on by private citizensSources & Further ReadingCNN reporting on the Michelle O’Connell casehttps://www.cnn.com/2013/02/15/justice/florida-michelle-oconnellFlorida Department of Law Enforcement case materialshttps://www.fdle.state.fl.usCoverage of the Carpool Detectives by local Florida outletshttps://www.jacksonville.comNational Domestic Violence Hotline (for resources and education)https://www.thehotline.orgIf You or Someone You Know Needs HelpNational Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 800 799 SAFEText START to 88788Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Rekia Boyd died, we talk about how she lived.Rekia Boyd was twenty two years old. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a Black woman standing with her friends in her own city on an ordinary night.In March of 2012, Rekia was shot and killed by an off duty Chicago police officer. She was unarmed. The officer was never convicted. Her case ended not with accountability, but with a legal technicality that exposed how easily justice can be mischarged, misdirected, and ultimately denied.This episode examines what happened the night Rekia Boyd was killed, how the legal system responded, and why her death did not receive the attention it deserved. This is not a story about a single decision. It is about systems of protection, prosecutorial failure, and whose lives are treated as disposable.Rekia Boyd — References & SourcesPrimary Reporting & ContextRekia Boyd Foundation (family and advocacy) — official sitehttps://rekiaboydfoundation.orgChicago Tribune — Coverage of the shooting and trialhttps://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/chi-chicago-police-officer-cleared-in-rekia-boyd-shooting-20150715-story.htmlABC7 Chicago — Article on Rekia Boyd case and aftermathhttps://abc7chicago.com/rekia-boyd-shooting-dante-servin-chicago/1501854/CNN — Reporting on the judge’s ruling and community responsehttps://www.cnn.com/2015/07/15/us/chicago-rekia-boyd-officer-acquitted/index.htmlLegal & Court DetailsChicago Sun-Times — Analysis of the legal decision and involuntary manslaughter issueshttps://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2015/7/15/18448752/cook-county-judge-acquits-former-cpd-officer-dante-servin-in-rekia-boyd-killingSouth Side Weekly — Breakdown of legal arguments and community impacthttps://southsideweekly.com/rekia-boyd-acquittal-police-accountability/Police Violence & Racial Justice ContextMapping Police Violence — Database of police killings (nationwide data)https://mappingpoliceviolence.orgBlack Women’s Blueprint — Report on Black women and state violencehttps://www.blackwomensblueprint.orgCenter for Constitutional Rights — Racial justice resources and case archiveshttps://ccrjustice.orgHistorical & Social ContextNAACP — Police Reform and Accountability Resourceshttps://www.naacp.org/issues/criminal-justice-reformACLU — Civil liberties and police violence overviewhttps://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-policeSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe. Before we talk about how Kaysera Stops Pretty Places died, we talk about how she lived.Kaysera Stops Pretty Places was eighteen years old. She was Crow and Northern Cheyenne. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a young woman moving through a place that looked safe enough to stop asking questions.In August of 2019, Kaysera disappeared in Hardin, Montana. Days later, her body was found in a residential backyard. Her death was ruled suspicious. The cause was never determined. No one has been charged.This episode examines what is publicly known about Kaysera’s disappearance and death, and what remains unresolved. We place her story within the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, looking closely at investigative gaps, jurisdictional failures, delayed notifications, and the systems that allow cases like hers to remain unfinished.This is not a story about shock or speculation.It is about context, accountability, and what happens when silence becomes policy.References & SourcesJustice for Kaysera Stops Pretty PlacesOfficial family and advocacy sitehttps://www.justiceforkaysera.orgKTVQ News — Ongoing coverageReporting on the investigation, family advocacy, and unresolved statushttps://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/six-years-later-advocates-demand-action-in-death-of-kaysera-stops-pretty-placesKTVQ — Criminal endangerment pleaCoverage of the limited charges connected to the night she disappearedhttps://www.ktvq.com/news/local-news/man-avoids-prison-for-role-in-death-of-kaysera-stops-pretty-placesNational Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC)MMIW data, legal context, and systemic analysishttps://www.niwrc.org/resources/mmiwNative Women’s WildernessNational statistics on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womenhttps://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiwMontana Office of Public Instruction — MMIW ResourcesState specific data and educational materialshttps://opi.mt.gov/Educators/Teaching-Indian-Education/Indian-Education-Resources/Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-PeopleSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Before we talk about how Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind died, we talk about how she lived.Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was 22 years old, a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, and eight months pregnant with her daughter, Haisley Jo. She was a daughter, a partner, and a young woman preparing to become a mother.In this episode, I walk through who Savanna was, the days leading up to her disappearance in Fargo, North Dakota, the investigation that uncovered her murder, and the courtroom record that followed. This episode also examines the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and why cases like Savanna’s so often require families to fight for visibility and accountability.This episode is built only on documented facts, court records, trial testimony, and verified reporting.Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was here.She mattered.And she deserved better.SOURCES & REFERENCESCase background and disappearanceInForum: What happened in Apartment 5https://www.inforum.com/newsmd/what-happened-in-apartment-5-everything-we-know-and-dont-know-about-savannas-deathThe Dickinson Press: Tenants reflect on building where Savanna disappearedhttps://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/tenants-reflect-on-living-in-building-where-lafontaine-greywind-was-murderedMurder, discovery, and investigationA&E: Murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywindhttps://www.aetv.com/articles/murder-of-native-woman-baby-stolenValley News Live: Remembering Savanna Greywindhttps://www.valleynewslive.com/2021/08/20/remembering-savanna-greywind-four-years-later/Trial outcomes and sentencingInForum: Jury acquits William Hoehn of murder conspiracyhttps://www.inforum.com/newsmd/jury-acquits-william-hoehn-of-murder-conspiracy-in-savanna-lafontaine-greywinds-killingMPR News: Accomplice in killing sentencedhttps://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/10/07/accomplice-in-killing-of-savanna-greywind-gets-20-yearsBroader context and legislationSavanna’s Act (U.S. law)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna%27s_ActNational Indigenous Women’s Resource Center statementhttps://www.niwrc.org/news/niwrc-statement-savanna-lafontaine-greywind-and-all-missing-murdered-native-women-girlsSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Before we talk about how Chad Entzel died, we talk about how he lived.Chad Entzel was 42 years old, a regular at his bowling league, a working guy with routines and people who expected him to show up. He was not a plot twist in someone else’s story.This episode walks through the house fire in North Dakota, how investigators realized it wasn’t an accident, and the courtroom record that revealed a conspiracy to cover up Chad’s murder.This episode is built only on documented facts, court records, plea agreements, trial testimony, and verified reporting.Because Chad Entzel was a life.And he deserved better.SOURCES & REFERENCESCase overviewhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_Entzel Investigation and firehttps://abcnews.go.com/US/alleged-affair-security-cameras-9-police-determined-north/story?id=97911794Trial and convictionshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/convicted-north-dakota-woman-speaks-publicly-1st-time/story?id=97912264https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/02/17/nikki-sue-entzel-sentenced-life-with-possibility-parole-conspiring-murder-her-husband/Plea agreement and sentencinghttps://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-bismarck-prisons-crime-14100d6b087ff983c84925b05e5db360Courtroom reporting and testimonyhttps://www.inforum.com/news/bismarck/furnace-calls-life-insurance-highlight-testimony-in-north-dakota-murder-conspiracy-trialhttps://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/deputy-details-how-entzel-investigation-shifted-from-suicide-to-murder-conspiracyTrial hubhttps://www.courttv.com/news/north-dakota-v-nikki-entzel-cheating-wife-murder-trial/Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Before we talk about how Tara Grinstead died, we talk about how she lived.Tara Grinstead was a high school history teacher, a mentor, and a trusted part of her small Georgia community. She wasn’t passing through. She wasn’t disconnected. She was embedded.This episode walks through Tara’s life, the night she disappeared, the twelve years her family lived without answers, and the courtroom testimony that finally revealed what happened to her.This is not a conspiracy driven retelling.It is built on documented facts, court records, confessions, and verified reporting.Because Tara Grinstead was not a mystery.She was a life.And she deserved better.RESOURCESCase overviewhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Grinstead_murder_caseInvestigation and arresthttps://gbi.georgia.gov/press-releases/2017-02-23/gbi-arrest-disappearance-tara-grinsteadhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/tara-grinstead-case-new-search-for-long-missing-teachers-remains-after-arrest/Trial and courtroom reportinghttps://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/ryan-duke-sentencing-tara-grinstead-casehttps://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/ryan-duke-trial-day-5-tara-grinstead-murderhttps://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/ryan-duke-trial-tara-grinstead-murder-case-day-6https://www.courttv.com/news/ryan-duke-tara-grinstead-trial-updates/Legal recordhttps://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/court-of-appeals/2025/a24a1619.htmlInvestigative mediahttps://season1.upandvanished.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_and_VanishedPhoto and timeline referencehttps://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/what-happened-to-tara-grinstead/Support the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Jennifer Dulos was a mother of five in the middle of a brutal divorce when she disappeared from her Connecticut home in 2019.What followed was not a mystery, but a slow, horrifying reveal—surveillance footage, digital evidence, and a trail of lies that exposed a crime rooted in control and punishment. This episode walks through the marriage, the custody battle, and the meticulous planning that turned a domestic conflict into a homicide.We examine the legal proceedings, the co-conspirators, and the unanswered questions that remain—not because they’re sensational, but because they matter.This is not just a case about murder.It’s about what happens when leaving becomes the most dangerous moment.Show Notes / ReferencesConnecticut State’s Attorney court filingsArrest affidavits and charging documentsSurveillance footage documentationConnecticut Supreme Court recordsNew York Times investigative coverageDateline NBC reportingTrial transcripts and evidentiary summariesSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe — Bonus Episode.In December 2021, Lauren Smith-Fields, a 23-year-old Black woman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was found dead in her apartment after a man she had met the night before called 911.Within hours, police publicly suggested there was no foul play.No full investigation.No preserved crime scene.No immediate answers for her family.This bonus episode examines how quickly Lauren’s death was categorized—and how that decision shaped everything that followed. We walk through the initial police response, the failures in evidence handling, the role of bias in early assumptions, and the long fight her family endured simply to be heard.This is not a whodunit.It’s an examination of process, power, and what happens when the system prioritizes closure over truth.This episode exists because some stories demand space outside the usual structure—when the crime isn’t just what happened in a room, but what failed to happen afterward.Show Notes / ReferencesBridgeport Police Department incident reportsMedical Examiner preliminary and amended findingsFamily attorney statements and filingsConnecticut State Police review documentationDOJ civil rights inquiry announcementsAssociated Press investigative reportingNew York Times coveragePublic statements from the Smith familySupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.On May 1, 2023, Jordan Neely died on a New York City subway after being restrained by another passenger.Jordan was a performer. A Michael Jackson impersonator. A man experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness. His death sparked immediate outrage—and a national debate about safety, race, mental health, and who is allowed to exist without consequence.In this episode, we slow everything down. We examine who Jordan was beyond the headlines, what unfolded on that subway car, and how the justice system responded. We look at the charges, the defenses, and the broader failures that made this confrontation possible.This is not a story about a single decision.It’s about the conditions that made that decision feel inevitable.Show Notes / ReferencesManhattan District Attorney charging documentsNYPD incident and arrest reportsMedical Examiner autopsy findingsNew York Times reportingAssociated Press coverageEyewitness statements summarized in court filingsDOJ civil rights review announcementsSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.Ajike "AJ" Owens was a 35-year-old mother of four. She was shot and killed by her neighbor in Ocala, Florida—after months of escalating harassment, repeated complaints, and pleas for intervention that went unanswered.In this episode, we examine how conflict calcifies into entitlement, how warnings are normalized instead of addressed, and how systems fail people long before violence occurs. We break down the legal arguments, the stand-your-ground defense, and the cultural permission that allowed this situation to spiral unchecked.This case forces a hard reckoning:How many times does someone need to ask for help before the cost becomes permanent?Show Notes / ReferencesMarion County Sheriff’s Office incident reportsState Attorney charging documentsFlorida court recordsBody camera footage summariesAssociated Press and CNN reportingStand Your Ground statute documentationTrial coverage and legal analysisSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.A Tesla accelerates off Devil’s Slide in California.Two parents are killed.Three children survive.At first, it looks like a tragic accident. Then the evidence begins to shift.In this episode, we examine the case of Dharmesh Patel, a father accused of intentionally driving his family off a cliff. We walk through the investigation, the psychological evaluations, and the unsettling questions about image, pressure, and the private fractures that can exist inside seemingly intact families.This is not a story about a moment of impact.It’s about what leads someone to decide that survival isn’t the goal.Show Notes / ReferencesCalifornia Highway Patrol investigation reportsSan Mateo County charging documentsCourt-ordered psychiatric evaluationsBail hearing transcriptsAssociated Press reportingCNN investigative coverageSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.On New Year’s Day 2022, Ana Walshe vanished from her home in Cohasset, Massachusetts.At first, it appeared to be a missing persons case. But as investigators followed the digital trail—search histories, surveillance footage, discarded evidence—the truth became impossible to ignore.This episode traces Ana’s final days, the unraveling of the story her husband told police, and the mounting evidence that transformed concern into certainty. We examine how technology recorded what words tried to hide, and how control often disguises itself as normalcy until it turns lethal.This is a case about disappearance—but also about what happens when someone is erased long before they’re reported missing.Show Notes / ReferencesNorfolk County District Attorney charging documentsArrest affidavits and search warrant returnsSurveillance footage summaries released in courtGoogle and digital search warrant disclosuresBoston Globe investigative reportingNew York Times coveragePretrial hearing transcriptsSupport the show

This is I Fear You, Babe.In this episode, we examine the chilling case of a young woman found dead beneath the bed of a cruise ship cabin—days after passengers were told she had simply “gone missing.”What unfolds is a story of delayed responses, jurisdictional confusion, and the unnerving reality of how easily violence can hide in transient spaces. We walk through the timeline, the investigation, and the moments where intervention could have changed everything.This case isn’t just about what happened.It’s about where responsibility dissolves—and who pays the price when it does.Show Notes / ReferencesFBI jurisdictional guidelines for crimes at seaCruise ship incident reports and affidavitsMedical examiner findingsInternational maritime law documentationMedia investigations and court summariesWitness statements from passengers and crewSupport the show