Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

On the evening of September 10, 2001, 31-year-old physician Sneha Philip walked into her Lower Manhattan apartment building carrying shopping bags. It was the last confirmed sighting of her. By the next morning, planes struck the World Trade Center just blocks away, plunging the city into chaos and swallowing the mystery of her disappearance into the tragedy of 9/11. From the outside, Sneha and her husband Ron Lieberman seemed to have a perfect life. But in the months leading up to her vanishing, Sneha faced a suspension from her medical residency, a pending legal charge, and rumors of a secret double life. Was she a hero who ran toward the towers to help, or did something far more sinister happen the night before? Join us as we discuss the puzzling final movements, the unidentified woman she was seen shopping with, and the enduring mystery of the doctor who vanished into thin air. Thank you to this week's sponsors! To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to PakaApparel.com! Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hawthorne Hill was supposed to be a dream. An elite equestrian facility, an Olympic coach, and a student willing to do whatever it took to make it to the top. But what started as a $5,000 a month training arrangement between dressage legend Michael Barisone and rider Lauren Kanarek turned into one of the most bizarre and violent feuds in equestrian history. The fight over a prized horse named JT, the threatening Facebook posts, the SafeSport complaints, and the 911 calls were all just the buildup. On August 7, 2019, things at Hawthorne Hill came to a head in a way that nobody could have predicted. Michael shot Lauren twice in the chest at point-blank range, and the story only gets stranger from there. We cover the full case, including the trial, the insanity defense, the not guilty verdict, and where things stand today, including a recent Netflix documentary that has reignited the whole debate. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Every style. Every home. For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1945 and 1950, five people vanished without a trace in a remote, rugged stretch of southwestern Vermont. The area, later dubbed the Bennington Triangle, was once home to the booming logging town of Glastenbury, but as the town emptied out, a string of inexplicable disappearances began. From an experienced 74-year-old hunting guide to an 18-year-old college student, these cases shared one chilling detail: despite massive, military-led searches, almost no evidence was ever found. What makes these cases so baffling isn't just the unforgiving terrain or the sudden shifts in weather—it's the tight timelines and the sheer lack of clues. We discuss the five distinct cases of Middie Rivers, Paula Welden, James Tedford, Paul Jepson, and Frieda Langer. Was it the harsh environment, a string of tragic accidents, or something more sinister hiding in the woods? Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right nowIQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a cold September night in the Scottish Highlands, a 63-year-old grandfather set out on a solo cycling journey that he never returned from. Tony Parsons was an experienced endurance athlete riding 104 miles to raise money for charity after surviving prostate cancer. When he vanished without a trace along the remote A82, search teams spent years scouring the rugged terrain with no success. The truth finally surfaced three years later when a forensic pathologist named Dr. Caroline Muirhead came forward with a chilling confession from her new boyfriend, Alexander "Sandy" McKellar. The details revealed not just how Tony died, but the deliberate and cruel steps Sandy and his twin brother Robert took to ensure he would never be found. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. And right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 5th, 1998, 82-year-old Manhattan socialite Irene Silverman vanished from her Upper East Side townhouse without a trace. There were no signs of a struggle and no forced entry, but the investigation quickly pointed to a tenant named Manny and his mother. What seemed like a sudden disappearance was actually the culmination of a highly calculated plan by Sante Kimes and her son, Kenneth Kimes Jr., who had spent decades mastering deception, manipulation, and control. Sante's criminal history started with small thefts and escalated into fraud, arson, and eventually, murder. Kenneth Jr. was raised in this environment, learning how to manipulate situations and avoid consequences from a young age. Their schemes spanned across the country and even internationally, leaving a trail of victims including Elmer Holmgren, Syed Bilal Ahmed, and David Kazdin. We discuss the shocking details of Sante's meticulously kept notebooks, their arrest in Las Vegas that unraveled their plan, and how investigators built a murder case without a body. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a summer evening in June 2021, a 911 call from a home in Newnan, Georgia, reported a terrible accident. Cheryl Coe claimed she had been startled awake and fired two warning shots at an intruder, only to realize she had shot her husband, Luther "Luke" Lee Coe III. But as investigators arrived and examined the scene, the physical evidence told a much different story. The gunshot wound was inflicted at close range, contradicting her claims of firing across the room. As detectives dug deeper, they uncovered a marriage strained by jealousy, control, and a complicated open relationship. With conflicting timelines, shifting stories, and a history of escalating arguments, what began as a tragic mistake quickly transformed into a complex murder investigation. Listen as we explore the tragic death of Luke the unravelling of Cheryl's varying accounts, and the two trials it took to finally reach a verdict. Check-out early release, ad-free and bonus episodes at patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply. Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of true crime, we talk a lot about masking the face a person presents to the world versus the face they wear behind closed doors. Few cases illustrate that duality more starkly than the story of Gerhardt and Arielle Konig. Arielle was a brilliant nuclear engineer and project manager at TerraPower. Gerhardt was a respected anesthesiologist. They had a blended family, a beautiful $1.5 million home in Maui, and a life that looked from every angle like an absolute dream. But behind closed doors, Gerhardt was engaging in a pattern of coercive control. After discovering Arielle had an emotional relationship with a coworker, he became consumed by jealousy. He surveilled her phone, demanded she quit her job, and isolated her from friends. Then, on Arielle's 36th birthday, Gerhardt planned a romantic hike on the Pali Puka trail — a closed, dangerous ridge on Oahu with 300-foot drop-offs. What happened on that cliff led to a massive police manhunt, a shocking discovery in a hidden fanny pack, and a controversial trial that left the true crime community in disbelief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of true crime, we talk a lot about masking the face a person presents to the world versus the face they wear behind closed doors. Few cases illustrate that duality more starkly than the story of Gerhardt and Arielle Konig. Arielle was a brilliant nuclear engineer and project manager at TerraPower. Gerhardt was a respected anesthesiologist. They had a blended family, a beautiful $1.5 million home in Maui, and a life that looked from every angle like an absolute dream. But behind closed doors, Gerhardt was engaging in a pattern of coercive control. After discovering Arielle had an emotional relationship with a coworker, Gerhardt became consumed by jealousy. He surveilled her phone, demanded she quit her job, and isolated her from friends. Then, on Arielle's 36th birthday, Gerhardt planned a romantic hike on the Pali Puka trail—a closed, dangerous ridge on Oahu with 300-foot drop-offs. What happened on that cliff led to a massive police manhunt, a shocking discovery in a hidden fanny pack, and a controversial trial that left the true crime community in disbelief. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-797-7233 Or you can text BEGIN to 88788 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the morning of October 2, 2020, 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett pulled into the parking lot of her job in Carrollton, Texas. Within minutes, she was ambushed in broad daylight, shot, and stabbed multiple times. What initially looked like a random act of extreme violence quickly revealed itself to be something much more sinister. Investigators soon discovered that someone had been quietly tracking Alyssa for months, setting her up, and building a methodical plan to ensure she did not survive. The investigation led police to the father of Alyssa's child, Andrew Beard, and his fiancée, Holly Elkins. As detectives unraveled a complex web of GPS trackers, false police reports, planted evidence, and burner phones, they uncovered a disturbing campaign of cyberstalking and harassment driven by a bitter custody dispute. The evidence showed a steady escalation toward violence, orchestrated by individuals desperate to create a "picture-perfect" family at any cost. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Check-out all of our links at momsandmysteries.com. Join Patreon today for bonus episodes and ad-free/early release episodes! Subscribe to our Youtube for shorts and more videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February 1978, five young men from Yuba County, California, drove to Chico to watch a college basketball game. They were close friends who thrived on routine and predictability, and they had a big basketball tournament of their own the next day. But after a quick stop for snacks, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Ted Weiher, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias vanished. Instead of driving south toward home, their car was found abandoned 70 miles in the opposite direction, stuck on a remote, snow-covered mountain road. What followed is one of the most baffling cases in true crime history. Months later, the remains of four of the men were discovered miles away from their vehicle, including one who had miraculously survived for weeks inside a well-stocked forest service trailer but failed to use the resources that could have saved him. Gary Mathias has never been found. We discuss the confusing timeline, the strange witness account of a man stranded nearby, and the lingering questions of why these men walked deeper into the freezing wilderness. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/MOMS #Tumble #ad Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mamta Kafle Bhatt worked tirelessly to build a life in the United States. She was a dedicated nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia, and a loving mother to her one-year-old daughter. From the outside, her life and marriage to Naresh Bhatt appeared stable and happy. However, close friends and coworkers began to notice troubling signs, including visible injuries and attempts by Mamta to separate from her husband and regain control of her finances and identification documents. When Mamta failed to show up for her nursing shift in early August 2024, her coworkers immediately raised the alarm. Despite her husband's claims that she had simply walked away to cool off after an argument, the reality of the situation soon became clear. As investigators searched their home, they uncovered a disturbing crime scene that contradicted Naresh's story, leading to his arrest for her murder. While her body has yet to be found, the overwhelming forensic evidence paints a grim picture of what happened to the devoted mother who was just days away from her US citizenship interview. Thank you to this week's sponsors! For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. Way Day is THE sale to shop the best deals in home – we’re talking up to 80% OFF with fast and FREE shipping on everything! Head to Wayfair.com April 25th through the 27th to shop Way Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 11, 2022, 25-year-old professional gravel cyclist Moriah Wilson was found shot to death inside a friend's apartment in Austin, Texas. She had traveled to town for a major race that had the potential to elevate her rising career. Investigators quickly discovered that Moriah had spent the evening with Colin Strickland, a fellow cyclist who was involved in a complicated, on-again, off-again relationship with 34-year-old yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong. As detectives unraveled the timeline, they found that Kaitlin had been tracking Moriah's movements for months. Surveillance footage placed Kaitlin's vehicle at the scene within minutes of Moriah being dropped off. What followed was a massive search that crossed international borders, involving altered identities, cosmetic surgery, and a desperate attempt to evade justice in Costa Rica. Thank you to this week's sponsors! IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to PakaApparel.com now! New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick note on today's episode: Linda Hazzard's 'treatments' heavily involved extreme fasting and starvation. We want to mention this up front for anyone who might be sensitive to discussions around restrictive diets or disordered eating. This week we discuss Linda Hazzard, a self-proclaimed doctor in the early 1900s who convinced patients that extreme fasting was a medical cure. Operating out of Washington state, Linda exploited legal loopholes to open a sanitarium that locals grimly called "Starvation Heights." She targeted wealthy individuals, placing them on starvation diets while slowly taking control of their finances and estates as they grew weaker. The situation finally reached a breaking point when wealthy British heiresses Claire Williamson and Dora Williamson entered her care. We cover the harrowing conditions the sisters endured, the desperate rescue mission by their childhood nanny, and the sensational murder trial that followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever met someone who was terrible at something but thought they were a genius? This week, we explore the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their own competence. We start with the case that inspired the research: McArthur Wheeler, a man who robbed two banks after covering his face in lemon juice, believing it would make him invisible to security cameras. His baffling confidence led psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger to study this strange phenomenon. We then look at how this bias plays out in the world of true crime, from the comically inept “Hillbilly Heist” orchestrated by the Loomis Fargo crew, to the chilling case of Caleb Flynn, a former American Idol contestant accused of murdering his wife and staging a break-in. We also examine the tragic story of Lauren Giddings and the law student who thought he could commit the perfect murder, only to have his plan unravel on live television. Finally, we share the incredible story of Brett Johnson, a cybercriminal who went from the Secret Service's Most Wanted list to a respected FBI consultant, demonstrating the rare journey from the “peak of Mount Stupid” to true self-awareness. Thank you to this week's sponsors: See why more than 3 million families have chosen K12 – find a K12 Powered School near you today! Go to K12.com/MOMS to learn more. Right now, go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. Now available in Canada, too. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 2:14 AM, Navy sailor Angelina “Angie” Resendiz made a frantic, crying phone call to a friend, begging to be picked up from a fellow sailor’s barracks. Moments later, a man took the phone and insisted she was fine, even as Angie could still be heard saying she wanted to leave. Her friend arrived within minutes, but Angie was nowhere to be found. Less than two weeks later, her body would be discovered inside a duffle bag in the woods behind a Virginia elementary school. This week, we cover the tragic and preventable murder of Angie Resendiz at the hands of Jeremiah Copeland, a fellow sailor with a documented history of violence. We also discuss the heartbreaking parallels to the case of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, whose death sparked national outrage and led to military reform. Angie’s story raises critical questions about whether those reforms go far enough and what happens when the system designed to protect service members fails them. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 16, Barry Minkow started a carpet cleaning company in his parents' garage. By 21, he was one of the youngest CEOs of a publicly traded company in America, with a business valued at over $200 million. But the entire empire was built on a foundation of lies. This is the story of ZZZZ Best, one of the most audacious corporate frauds of the 1980s, and the story of a charismatic young man who fooled auditors, investors, and the media with staged job sites and forged documents. After serving time in federal prison, Barry reinvented himself as a pastor and a fraud investigator, only to find himself back in court, facing new charges of embezzlement and stock manipulation. It's a wild ride through the mind of a master manipulator who couldn't stop scamming. Thank you to this week's sponsors! See why more than 3 million families have chosen K12 – find a K12 Powered School near you today! Enrollment portals are now open. Go to K12.com/MOMS to learn more. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Halloween weekend in 2015, a quiet community in Pendleton, South Carolina, was shattered by a brutal quadruple homicide. Four members of the Scott family were found dead in their home, the victims of a savage knife and gun attack. For years, the case remained cold, leaving a family and a town desperate for answers. The initial theory of a robbery gone wrong slowly gave way to a more disturbing possibility: that the killer was someone they knew. Eight years after the murders, investigators finally made an arrest that stunned everyone. The person charged with the killings was not a stranger, but the daughter and step-daughter of two of the victims, Amy Vilardi. This episode follows the long and twisted investigation, the shocking trial, and the dark family secrets that were revealed along the way. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Let your hair be one less thing to worry about. See visibly thicker, stronger, faster growing hair in 3–6 months with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you visit Nutrafol.com and enter promo code MOMS. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In July 2014, 28-year-old German tourist Lars Mittank walked into Varna Airport in Bulgaria, preparing to fly home after a vacation. He had suffered a minor ear injury and needed a quick medical check before his flight. But what happened next turned his case into one of the most baffling disappearances in recent history. Surveillance cameras captured Lars suddenly bolting from the doctor’s office, sprinting through the terminal, and climbing an eight-foot perimeter fence before vanishing into the woods. He left his wallet, passport, and all of his luggage behind. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Lars had made a series of increasingly frantic calls to his mother, claiming he felt unsafe and that people were following him. Was he suffering from a medical-induced paranoia, or was a real threat closing in? More than a decade later, the chilling airport footage is the last confirmed trace of him. This episode dives into the timeline, the theories, and the endless search for answers in the case of Lars Mittank. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now, go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lars_Mittank https://people.com/all-about-lars-mittank-mysterious-disappearance-11768067 https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31744248 https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/vermisster-lars-mittank-spurensuche-in-bulgarien-a-983857.html https://www.abendblatt.de/region/article131346203/Vermisster-Lars-Mittank-Mutter-hofft-auf-neue-Spuren.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Vermisster-Lars-Mittank-Spurensuche-in-Bulgarien,mittank100.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAfveiD6cWw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing "Rachel Hoffman Case: Florida Police Informant Operation Gone Wrong (Tallahassee)" from Crime Salad. Follow the show: Crime Salad In late spring 2009, Florida State University students in Tallahassee, Florida were wrapping up finals when 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman became the center of a police operation that would end in tragedy. In this episode of Crime Salad, we break down the Rachel Hoffman case, focusing on how a “controlled” and “by-the-book” confidential informant (CI) operation unraveled, and why officers reportedly waited more than 90 minutes after her last contact before launching a search. Rachel Hoffman was a college student with big plans, described as driven and fearless, working toward her future when she was asked to assist law enforcement as an informant during a drug sting in Tallahassee. What happened next raised serious questions about informant safety, police procedures, and accountability when undercover operations go wrong. We cover the timeline, the decisions made leading up to that night, and the broader issue of how confidential informants are used in drug investigations, especially when the informant is young, vulnerable, or under pressure. This is the story of Rachel Hoffman, and the failures that followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A birthday party at a rental cabin in the scenic Hocking Hills of Ohio should have been a night of celebration. But fueled by alcohol and jealousy, the night spiraled into a violent confrontation that left a young father, Charlie Starner, dead. This episode examines the chaotic moments captured on a cell phone video and the legal battle that followed, asking whether the stabbing was a desperate act of self-defense or a senseless murder. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Use our exclusive link to save 20% off Honeylove at honeylove.com/moms. To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to pakaapparel.com. Every day they're handling money without guidance is a missed opportunity. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/moms. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices