Forensic Tales

#289 - Torrey Pines State Beach in California is a place where many come to find peace. But for two young women, it became the backdrop of unspeakable tragedy. In August 1978, police officers responded to the beach, where they found the body of 15-year-old Barbara Nantais lying on the sand. She had been strangled and beaten to death, and one of her breasts had been severed. Her boyfriend was also discovered nearby, suffering from a severe head injury that left him with no memory of the attack. Six years later, 14-year-old Claire Hough was found just yards away from where Barbara had been killed. Like Barbara, she had been beaten, strangled, and had her breast mutilated. The similarities between the two cases were undeniable. For decades, these cases remained unsolved. But advancements in forensic science have reopened the investigation, leading to new suspects and questions about the true identity of the killer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#288 - It was Valentine’s Day, 1988, in Wales. While couples exchanged roses and love notes, in a small flat above a betting shop, a young woman lay brutally murdered. Her name was Lynette White. She was just 20 years old. What followed her death wasn’t just a murder investigation—it was a legal and forensic nightmare. Five innocent men were accused, imprisoned, and publicly vilified for a crime they didn’t commit. And it would take 15 years—and one tiny fragment of DNA—to reveal the true killer hiding in plain sight. This isn’t just a story of a violent crime. It’s a story about the failure of justice... and how forensic science became the key to unraveling a decades-old lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#287 - Imagine waking up to find your entire world shattered—and being told you’re the one who destroyed it. In 1997, Phoenix, Arizona, was rocked by a gruesome and baffling crime. Yarmila Falater, a devoted wife and mother, was found stabbed over 40 times and drowned in her own backyard pool. The suspect? Her husband, Scott Falater—a devout Mormon with no history of violence, who claimed he had no memory of the attack. His defense? He was sleepwalking. Could someone really commit such a brutal murder while unconscious? Or was this a calculated cover-up cloaked in pseudoscience? This is the story of Yarmila Falater. A case that would challenge the limits of forensic psychology and force a jury to decide whether sleepwalking can be deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#286 - In January 2022, Boston police officer John O’Keefe was found dead in the snow outside the home of another police officer. The case quickly captured national attention—not just because of the tragedy itself, but because of the woman accused of killing him: Karen Read. If you’ve been following Forensic Tales, you might remember that we covered the full story of this case in a previous episode—walking through the timeline, the key players, and the strange twists that led to Karen’s arrest. But today’s episode is different. Now that the second trial has concluded and the jury has delivered their verdict, we’re breaking down what happened inside that courtroom. We’re focusing on the forensic evidence presented—what helped the prosecution, what raised questions for the defense, and how science played a central role in one of the most controversial trials in recent memory. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#285 - It was supposed to be a fun night.A group of moms—neighbors and friends—gathered for an adult slumber party. Alcohol, games, laughter… the kind of night where you let loose, take off your responsibilities, and just be yourself. But by the next morning, one of them was dead. Her name was Tamla Horsford. A 40-year-old mother of five.She was found face down in the backyard of the home where the party took place—cold, lifeless, and alone.The official story? She was drunk. She slipped. She fell off a second-story deck and died. But that explanation didn’t sit right with Tamla’s family. Or with a growing number of people who started asking hard questions. Why were there so many injuries—far more than you'd expect from a simple fall? Why did no one hear or see what happened? And why, in a house full of people, was there so little forensic evidence to go on? This is the story of what happens when the science raises more questions than answers… When families are forced to fight for investigations they believe never truly happened… And when the absence of evidence becomes its own kind of clue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the heat of Maryland summer in 1979, a young woman’s life was brutally cut short — and for over four decades, the case went cold. Vicki Lynn Belk was just 28 years old when she vanished, her vibrant future stolen in an instant. For years, investigators pored over evidence, haunted by the lack of answers. But it wasn’t until the power of modern forensic science — DNA technology that didn’t even exist when Vicki was murdered — that the truth began to surface. In this episode, we dive deep into how cutting-edge forensic breakthroughs finally gave Vicki a voice and how a persistent pursuit of justice turned silence into revelation. This is a story of tragedy, of perseverance, and of science catching up to a crime that thought it could outrun time. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a July morning on Wimbledon Common when Rachel Nickell took her usual walk with her two-year-old son. What happened next would send shockwaves through the UK and spark one of the most controversial investigations in modern British history. A young woman brutally murdered in broad daylight. A toddler left clinging to her lifeless body. And a police force so desperate for answers that they focused on the wrong man… while the real killer remained free for over a decade. This weekend, I’ll be at CrimeCon UK in London, so I wanted to cover a case that left a lasting mark on the British criminal justice system. This is not just the story of a murder—it’s the story of a forensic failure, a media firestorm, and a long-overdue breakthrough that finally delivered justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February 26, 1984. East Windsor, New Jersey. Nineteen-year-old Donna Macho disappears from her family home without a trace. Her car is found abandoned near a sewer plant, and her skeletal remains are discovered 11 years later in a wooded area near a farm. At the time of her disappearance, the police had a promising suspect, but given the limitations of forensic testing in 1984, the case went unresolved for decades. ​This is the story of a young woman's life cut short, a family's decades-long quest for answers, and the relentless pursuit of justice that finally brought closure to a nearly 40-year-old mystery. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#281 - In December 2017, first responders arrived at a sprawling mansion in one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighborhoods. What they found inside would shock the nation. Barry Sherman, a billionaire pharmaceutical tycoon, and his wife, Honey, were found dead at the edge of their indoor pool. No signs of forced entry. No note. Just two lifeless bodies and a scene that felt… staged. At first, the authorities suspected a murder-suicide. But the Shermans’ family pushed back on these rumors, claiming the couple had powerful enemies, and the truth was far darker than anyone wanted to believe. Who wanted Barry and Honey Sherman dead? Was it a personal vendetta? A bad business deal or rival? Or something else far more sinister? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#280 - This week, we're revisiting a case that captured national attention and shattered a small Tennessee community—the abduction and murder of 20-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo. It’s been over a decade since Holly disappeared from her home, sparking the largest search effort in state history. And while her remains were eventually found and a conviction secured, questions have lingered, and new developments continue to emerge. Joining me for this week’s episode is ABC News Senior National Correspondent and co-anchor of Good Morning America, Eva Pilgrim. Eva’s covered the Holly Bobo case extensively, and she brings critical insight into the latest updates and what they could mean for the case—and for Holly’s family Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#279 - She was young, bright, and full of promise. Angela Samota was a 20-year-old college student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She had a tight-knit circle of friends, a good boyfriend, and a future that seemed limitless. But on one October night in 1984, everything changed. After a night out with friends, Angela returned to her apartment, and by morning, she was gone. Brutally raped and murdered, stabbed multiple times in what appeared to be a crime of unthinkable violence. But the case quickly went cold. For decades, there were no arrests, no answers, just silence and a haunting sense that justice might never come. But Angela had one friend who refused to let her be forgotten. And years later, armed with nothing but determination and a relentless need for the truth, that friend would help crack a case that sat frozen in time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#278 - December 12, 1985. St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. A quiet morning was shattered by gunfire. Forty-five-year-old mother of four, Yvonne Menke, was found shot to death outside her apartment—one bullet to the neck, two to the back of the head. The killer vanished, leaving behind only footprints in the snow and a trail of unanswered questions. For decades, the case went cold. No arrests. No justice. But in 2021, a renewed investigation unearthed chilling forensic evidence: boot prints matching a rare pair of snow boots, and a note with a suspect's car information found in Yvonne's purse. This is the story of obsession, betrayal, and a murder that remained frozen in time for nearly 40 years until forensic clues finally brought a killer to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#277 - In August 1975, 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington left her parent’s house in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, heading to summer vacation Bible school class. The church was less than a mile up the road, and she had walked it many times in the past, but something about this morning was different. Gretchen never made it. Two months later, her remains were found by a jogger in Ridley Creek State Park. Next to the remains were her neatly folded clothes, and her underwear was found hung in a nearby tree branch. The case went unsolved for decades and remained a haunting mystery in the community for nearly 50 years. Then, in 2023, there was a significant breakthrough leading to an arrest. But the man arrested wasn’t exactly the person you’d expect to commit a crime like this. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. True Crime Awards 2025: To vote for Forensic Tales for the TCA 2025 Listeners' Choice Awards, please visit: https://truecrimeawards.co.uk/truecrimeawards2025/en/page/listenerschoice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#276 - In October 1981, a 30-year-old single mother living in Carmel, California, was brutally murdered in her own home. She was found strangled to death, and the case shocked the quiet, upscale community of Carmel. For many years, there were few leads, and the case went cold. But in 2020, thanks to advancements in DNA technology, investigators were able to link DNA from the scene to a promising suspect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#275 - Throughout the early 1990s, Phoenix, Arizona, was terrorized by a series of violent crimes, including the murders of two young women. The crimes went unsolved for decades, and the man responsible remained unidentified. By the time the police caught up to him, he had a new persona and was hiding in plain sight. But besides the two victims he would eventually be charged with murdering, are there any more innocent victims out there? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#274 - In October 1986, a 29-year-old nurse and mother was found dead inside her Polk County, Florida home. The attack was so vicious that it left her nearly decapitated. Despite the tremendous amount of DNA evidence left behind at the crime scene, investigators were unable to identify her killer for over three decades. But just when everyone thought they had hit a roadblock in the investigation, the authorities got the clue they had been waiting for. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#273 - The death of UK spy Gareth Williams in 2010 has become one of the most high-profile unsolved mysteries in years after his naked body was discovered padlocked inside a duffel bag. Described as a genius mathematician who the intelligence service had recruited, Gareth’s exact cause of death remains unknown, and people can’t agree whether he could have locked himself in there on his own or whether someone else was responsible. There have been a number of theories over the years, including sex games gone wrong and Russian spies. But even today, there are still so many unanswered questions about his death. What happened to Gareth Williams, and how can forensic science help us find those answers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#272 - In February 1979, 17-year-old high school student Esther Gonzalez was attacked while walking from her parent’s house to her sister’s home in Riverside County, California. The following day, her body was found dumped in a snowpack near a highway. Without any solid leads or suspects, the case went cold for more than 45 years until the police were able to use new DNA testing to find her killer. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#271 - In the summer of 1987, a young bartender from Green Bay, Wisconsin, goes missing, only to turn up dead hours later. The police interviewed dozens of people, including the customers who were at the bar with the victim the night before. Almost all of them said they noticed a strange man hanging around the bar wearing a flannel shirt despite temperatures above 90 degrees that day. It wasn’t until years later that the police arrested two brothers in connection to the bartender’s murder. But without any forensic evidence linking them to the brutal crime, did the authorities have the right suspects? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#270 - In September 2002, two women were found dead inside the Dolly Madison bakery in Great Bend, Kansas. They were 24-year-old Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Even after years of investigating and the discovery of foreign DNA on one of the victims, the case of the Dolly Madison murders is still unsolved today. How might new advancements in forensic science solve these awful murders? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices