Obscura: A True Crime Podcast

For nearly a decade, a predator stalked the quiet marshlands and sugarcane fields of southeastern Louisiana, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. In this episode, we dive into the chilling case of Ronald Dominique, a man who confessed to the rape and murder of at least 23 men and boys between 1997 and 2006.Despite a victim count that rivals some of history's most notorious killers, Dominique's name is rarely mentioned alongside Bundy or Gacy. We explore the "perfect storm" of factors that allowed him to evade capture for so long—from his strategic targeting of marginalized men on society's fringes to the devastating chaos of Hurricane Katrina that overshadowed the investigation. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In Bridgeville, PA, George Sodini executed a chilling attack inside a gym. Featuring real audio. George Alfred Sodini, 48. He was a systems analyst, once invisible and misunderstood, who turned his personal darkness into devastation. On August 4, 2009, in Collier Township, Pennsylvania, Sodini walked into an LA Fitness gym with a duffel bag, setting the stage for chaos. As he turned off the lights in a crowded aerobics class, the room descended into terror as he opened fire. By night's end, three women lay dead, and several others were injured. The investigation revealed a disturbing blog chronicling Sodini's loneliness and rage, providing a glimpse into a troubled mind plotting revenge. The evidence was overwhelming, with cameras capturing the moments leading up to the horror. The case never reached a courtroom closure, as Sodini took his own life at the scene. His actions left a community scarred and searching for answers. This episode features court recordings and 911 calls. Listener discretion advised. Support Obscura: Patreon | Website | Apple Premium Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On the morning of December 2, 2025, a mother at work checked the surveillance camera in her Elk Grove home and saw her eleven-year-old son lying motionless on the floor. Officers from the Elk Grove Police Department responded to the 7600 block of Ferrell Way and found Mar Aris Untalan Morales with multiple stab wounds. The boy was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. His father, Marvin Morales, was gone. THE SUSPECT: Marvin Morales was a Sacramento County Sheriff's Office deputy from 2017 until his forced resignation in February 2024. His career unraveled on October 24, 2023, when fellow deputies found him unresponsive on the floor of a restroom at the Central Division station. Body camera footage captured deputies administering Narcan to revive him from what turned out to be a fentanyl overdose. The internal investigation that followed revealed Morales had confiscated narcotics from citizens during field stops, then kept them for personal use. He admitted to taking a methamphetamine pipe home and smoking the residue three to four times over four months, claiming the drugs gave him the energy he needed to write reports. On the day he collapsed, he had seized fentanyl from a suspect and smoked it in the station bathroom while still in full uniform. THE AFTERMATH: Morales resigned in February 2024 ahead of his termination and was subsequently decertified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released over four hundred pages of internal investigation documents, photographs, and body camera video detailing his drug use, evidence tampering, and dishonesty. Sheriff Jim Cooper called it a horrible embarrassment for the department. THE CRIME: Less than two years after his firing, Morales was watching his two children at the family home in Elk Grove when he fatally stabbed his eleven-year-old son. A six-year-old girl was also in the home at the time but was not physically harmed. She was later evaluated at a hospital and released to her mother. THE PURSUIT: After the stabbing, Morales fled in his vehicle. Law enforcement agencies across Sacramento County were alerted and spotted him driving southbound on Interstate 5. A pursuit ensued at speeds exceeding one hundred miles per hour. Near the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 12, Morales stopped his vehicle and, according to deputies on scene, produced what appeared to be a rifle and pointed it toward officers. Multiple officers from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and other agencies fired, striking Morales. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The California Department of Justice opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting. CURRENT STATUS: The Elk Grove Police Department Investigations Bureau continues to lead the homicide investigation into the death of Mar Aris Untalan Morales. Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ad: Time4Learning Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is available to everyone as a preview of what Black Label has to offer. Ricardo López believed he knew Björk. He had never met her, never spoken to her, never been in the same room with her. But through obsessive consumption of her music, her interviews, and her public appearances, he constructed an entire relationship in his mind — one that demanded his loyalty, then his anger, and finally his violence. Between 1993 and 1996, López recorded over twenty hours of video diaries from his small apartment in Hollywood, Florida. These tapes documented a slow psychological unraveling in real time. What started as adoration became entitlement. What began as devotion curdled into rage when López learned Björk was in a relationship with another artist. In his mind, this was a betrayal of him personally. The Björk case stands as one of the earliest and most extensively documented examples of parasocial obsession turning violent. López spoke directly to his camera, constructing elaborate justifications for what he planned to do. He researched methods. He tested materials. He kept working, day after day, toward a goal that made complete sense in his distorted worldview. On September 12, 1996, López mailed a package to Björk's London address. It contained a hollowed-out book filled with sulfuric acid, designed to spray in her face when opened. Then he returned to his apartment, pressed record one final time, and ended his own life. The package was intercepted by Scotland Yard after López's body was discovered. Björk never saw it. But the twenty-two hours of video López left behind reveal something chilling: how obsession can hide behind the mundane routines of ordinary life, how fixation can grow in isolation until it becomes indistinguishable from purpose. This episode examines not just what López did, but how he got there. It traces the warning signs that were never seen, the psychological patterns that repeat across stalking cases, and the specific dangers of parasocial attachment in the early internet era. Through his own recorded words and the investigation that followed, we piece together a portrait of obsession unchecked. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of stalking, violence, and suicide. For more Black Label episodes, visit patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. For help with stalking situations, contact the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) at stalkingawareness.org. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the rural reaches of Florida's Panhandle, where longleaf pines line quiet roads and neighbors know each other by the sound of their engines, a sexual battery case in the unincorporated community of Fountain exposed how far the state's legal system will go to punish crimes against children. This episode examines the case and the legal architecture behind it. VICTIM PROFILE: The victim was a minor between the ages of twelve and seventeen living in Bay County, Florida. Her identity is protected under state law. What the record shows is that her willingness to come forward and testify at trial formed the foundation of the prosecution's case. Without her testimony, the legal system would have had nothing to act upon. Her courage carried a weight that no verdict can fully acknowledge. THE CRIME: In 2020, allegations surfaced that Brandon Paul Janssen had committed sexual battery against the victim in Fountain, a small unincorporated community in Bay County. The Bay County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation in coordination with the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, which provided forensic interview support for the minor. During questioning, Janssen confessed to the acts. Prosecutors charged him with two counts of sexual battery on a minor under Florida Statute 794.011(4)(b), each carrying the potential for life imprisonment. THE INVESTIGATION: The Bay County Sheriff's Office led the case with the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center handling victim support and forensic interviews. Janssen's confession became a focal point at trial, with his defense challenging its admissibility on grounds of voluntariness and Miranda compliance. Prosecutor Jeff Moore presented six witnesses before Bay County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register. The defense also raised hearsay objections to certain testimony. After roughly one hour of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts. CURRENT STATUS: On November 13, 2023, Janssen received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He was designated a sexual predator under Florida law, ensuring lifetime registration and supervision. He appealed to the First District Court of Appeal, which affirmed the convictions and sentences on August 27, 2025, under docket number 1D2023-3176. As of early 2026, Janssen remains incarcerated at Century Correctional Institution. Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/OBSCURA * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The investigation into Heather Strong's disappearance ends in the most devastating way possible. What began as a missing person case becomes a murder trial that sends ripples through Florida's legal system for years to come. Heather Strong was 26 years old when her life was brutally cut short. A mother of two young children, McKinzie and Zachary, she had spent years navigating a turbulent relationship with her ex-partner Joshua Fulgham while trying to build a better life for her family. Her cousin Misty, who grew up with Heather in Mississippi, described her as the sister she never had. On February 15, 2009, in a storage trailer in rural Boardman, Florida, Heather walked into a trap. Lured by promises of hidden money, she instead found herself bound to a chair with duct tape, a plastic bag sealed over her head. According to court testimony, she remained conscious for approximately five agonizing minutes as she suffocated. Joshua Fulgham and his pregnant girlfriend Emilia Carr worked in tandem to restrain her, silence her pleas for help, and end her life. The investigation that followed was methodical and relentless. Deputy Billings from the Marion County Sheriff's Office pieced together witness accounts, jailhouse recordings, and forensic evidence. When detectives enlisted Fulgham's sister to wear a wire, Carr's admissions unraveled completely. On March 19, 2009, Fulgham led investigators to a shallow grave on property owned by Carr's mother, where Heather's decomposing remains confirmed what her family had feared. Both perpetrators faced justice. Emilia Carr was initially sentenced to death in 2011 by a 7-5 jury vote. Following the 2016 Hurst v. Florida Supreme Court decision declaring non-unanimous death penalty recommendations unconstitutional, she was resentenced to life without parole in June 2017. Joshua Fulgham received life without parole in April 2012. Heather's two children were eventually adopted into new families. This episode contains audio from court proceedings and investigative interviews. Listener discretion is advised. If you are experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. For more episodes, visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Join Black Label at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a February evening in 2009, a young mother vanished from rural Marion County, Florida, lured to a storage trailer by promises that masked a deadly betrayal. What investigators would uncover weeks later would reveal a calculated murder born from a toxic love triangle and a bitter custody battle. VICTIM PROFILE: Heather Strong was 26 years old, a hardworking mother of two young children, McKinzie and Zachary. She worked the morning shift at the Iron Skillet restaurant in Reddick, Florida, supporting her family through the service industry. Those who knew her described a woman caught in a turbulent on-again, off-again relationship with Joshua Fulgham, a pattern that had defined much of her adult life. Despite the instability, Heather remained devoted to her children and had recently begun building a new life away from Fulgham's control. THE CRIME: On February 15, 2009, Heather was lured to a storage trailer in Boardman by her estranged husband Joshua Fulgham and his pregnant girlfriend Emilia Carr under the pretense of retrieving money. Once inside, she was bound to a chair with duct tape while Fulgham confronted her about custody papers for their children. The attack escalated when a plastic bag was placed over her head and sealed with tape around her neck. Medical examiners determined she suffocated over approximately five agonizing minutes while fully conscious. Her body was buried in a shallow grave on the property, where it remained undiscovered for over a month. THE INVESTIGATION: When Heather's cousin Misty Strong reported her missing on February 24, 2009, Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies began canvassing her known associates. The trail led quickly to Joshua Fulgham and the volatile history between the couple, including his January 2009 arrest for pointing a shotgun at Heather. Through persistent interviews, Emilia Carr's story unraveled, eventually leading investigators to the burial site on March 19, 2009, where Heather's decomposed remains were unearthed. CURRENT STATUS: Both perpetrators were convicted. Emilia Carr was initially sentenced to death in 2011, but following the U.S. Supreme Court's Hurst v. Florida ruling, she was resentenced to life without parole in 2017. Joshua Fulgham received life without parole in 2012. Both remain incarcerated in the Florida correctional system. Heather's two children were adopted into new families following the murder. AUDIO NOTE: This episode features detailed accounts of the crime reconstructed from court testimonies, confessions, and forensic evidence. Listener discretion is advised. For more episodes, visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Join Black Label at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On March 15, 2024, a Piedmont, Oklahoma police officer responded to a routine runaway report that would uncover one of the most disturbing child abuse cases in recent Oklahoma history. The officer found a 14-year-old girl hiding under a blanket, weighing approximately 60 pounds—the size of a first grader. Her skin hung from her bones, and her eyes carried a fear that went far beyond a typical runaway. She had fled from her foster mother, 43-year-old Tina Marie Ramirez, and she was terrified to go back. What the officer discovered inside the Ramirez home shocked even veteran investigators. Every cabinet was padlocked. The refrigerator was locked. The pantry was locked. Surveillance cameras covered every room in the house. The children couldn't access food without permission—and permission was rarely granted. The officer found a taser that Tina had used as "discipline" on the malnourished children. He also discovered a handwritten letter from one of the children, addressed to God, its desperate words scrawled by a child who had lost hope that any human would help. This was the girl's seventh runaway attempt. For reasons that remain unclear, this time someone finally listened. Five foster children were immediately removed from the home and evaluated at OU Children's Hospital, where medical professionals described it as one of the worst malnutrition cases they had ever seen. The children were placed with their biological grandmother, Shelly Yates, who described them as "fragile and very thin" upon arrival. On March 28, 2024, Tina Marie Ramirez was charged in Canadian County District Court with four counts of child abuse by injury, two counts of child neglect, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Her husband, 26-year-old Anthony Ibeziako, was charged with two counts of child neglect and child abuse for failing to intervene. Both remain free while court proceedings continue. As of early 2026, the children are reportedly recovering with their grandmother—gaining weight, attending school, and slowly rebuilding their lives away from the locks, cameras, and fear. This episode features body camera footage, police interrogation recordings, and 911 dispatch audio. Listener discretion is advised. For more episodes, visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Join Black Label at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Part 2 of 2: In our conclusion to the Baby Lollipops case, we examine the final months of three-year-old Lazaro Figueroa's life, the investigation that followed his discovery, and the decades-long pursuit of justice that saw his mother convicted three separate times. VICTIM PROFILE: Lazaro Figueroa never had a chance at a normal childhood. Born in September 1987, just weeks after his father, drug dealer Fidel Figueroa, was murdered in Miami, Lazaro became the target of his mother's resentment as her lavish lifestyle collapsed. At three years old, he weighed only eighteen pounds, half what a healthy child his age should weigh. His left arm had been broken so many times that muscle tissue calcified into bone, freezing the limb at a permanent ninety-degree angle. Despite the relentless abuse, witnesses recalled him running across streets alone, a tiny figure navigating a hostile world without protection. THE CRIME: On the morning of November 2, 1990, Florida Power and Light employees discovered Lazaro's body hidden beneath bushes outside a Miami Beach mansion. His emaciated frame bore forty-three documented injuries: cigarette burns, defensive wounds on his small hands, a fractured skull, and two front teeth knocked out months apart. Brown packing tape secured a soiled diaper to his wasted body. Medical examiner Dr. Bruce Hyma determined Lazaro had endured eighteen months of systematic torture, including being bound, gagged, locked in closets, and left in bathtubs with scalding or freezing water. The cause of death was blunt force trauma from a baseball bat, compounded by starvation and extensive bodily trauma. Most devastating: Lazaro may have survived up to three days after being abandoned, lying alone and helpless before death finally came. THE INVESTIGATION: Police initially could not identify the child and dubbed him Baby Lollipops after the cartoon candy pattern on his T-shirt. The nickname stuck as investigators canvassed Miami Beach with flyers. On November 6, Martha Fleitas recognized the photograph on television and identified Lazaro. The investigation led to his mother, Ana Maria Cardona, and her partner Olivia Gonzalez Mendoza, who had fled to St. Cloud, Florida, stopping at Disney World after disposing of the body. Neighbor Mercedes Estrada reported hearing screams on Halloween night followed by a heavy thump against her wall, then silence. Her report to social services went unanswered. CURRENT STATUS: Ana Maria Cardona's path through the courts spanned nearly three decades. She was sentenced to death in 1992, but the conviction was overturned in 2002 due to a Brady violation. Convicted and sentenced to death again in 2011, that conviction was overturned in 2016 for prosecutorial misconduct. In 2017, prosecutors waived the death penalty, and Cardona was found guilty a third time, receiving life without parole. Judge Miguel de la O told her that wild beasts show more empathy for their offspring. Olivia Gonzalez Mendoza served fourteen years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Cardona's eldest son, Juan Puente, died in prison in 2018 at age thirty-seven. The only publicly available photograph of Lazaro Figueroa shows him in death. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On November 2, 1990, Florida Power and Light workers discovered the emaciated body of a small child hidden in the bushes of a wealthy Miami Beach home. The boy, dressed only in a lollipop-decorated T-shirt and a soiled diaper wrapped in brown packing tape, had been beaten, starved, and systematically tortured. He weighed just eighteen pounds. This is part one of the story of how a mother's resentment turned deadly. VICTIM PROFILE: Lazaro Figueroa was born September 18, 1987, into what should have been a life of comfort. His father, Fidel Figueroa, was a well-connected drug dealer who kept his family in a lavish penthouse overlooking Biscayne Bay. But fate intervened before Lazaro ever drew breath. Just two days after his birth, his father was executed in a gangland-style shooting outside a Miami riverfront bar. The murder was never solved. From that moment forward, Lazaro became the target of his mother's displaced rage, blamed for the loss of everything she had. THE CRIME: Ana Maria Cardona's abuse of Lazaro began shortly after he was returned to her custody from foster care in late 1988. Over the next eighteen months, she systematically starved, beat, and confined her son in conditions the Dade County Medical Examiner would later call the worst child abuse he had ever witnessed. Lazaro spent weeks locked in closets and tied to beds. His arm was broken and left untreated, eventually becoming fixed at a ninety-degree angle. His two front teeth were knocked out. Cardona wrapped duct tape around his diapers to avoid changing them, leaving his skin raw with bedsores. On October 31, 1990, Cardona beat Lazaro with a baseball bat, fracturing his skull. She then dumped his dying body in the bushes of a Miami Beach mansion and fled the state with her girlfriend, Olivia Gonzalez, stopping at Disney World before their arrest. THE INVESTIGATION: Miami Beach police initially could not identify the battered child, dubbing him Baby Lollipops after his T-shirt. Detectives conducted door-to-door interviews in English and Spanish and distributed flyers throughout the community. The break came when a neighbor who had occasionally cared for Lazaro recognized him from police bulletins. The investigation led detectives to Ana Maria Cardona and Olivia Gonzalez, who had fled to central Florida. Both women were arrested within weeks. Gonzalez eventually testified that Cardona had called Lazaro the son of the devil and blamed him for her descent from riches to rags. CURRENT STATUS: Ana Maria Cardona has been convicted of first-degree murder three times. Her first two death sentences were overturned by the Florida Supreme Court on procedural grounds. In 2017, she was convicted for the third time and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Olivia Gonzalez served fourteen years for her role in Lazaro's abuse and has since been released. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse: https://podcasts.apple.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Escambia County, FL. March 24, 2010. When Tina Brown invited twenty-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman to her trailer under the guise of reconciliation, the young mother had no idea she was walking into an ambush. What would unfold in the following hours represents one of the most horrific crimes in Florida history. Part 02 of 02. VICTIM PROFILE: Audreanna Zimmerman was just twenty years old, a young mother navigating the precarious landscape of poverty in rural Pensacola. She lived in close proximity to Tina Brown's family, sharing the forced intimacy of a mobile home park where everyone knew everyone's business. Despite the tensions that had developed between her and Brown—accusations of slashed tires, broken car windows, reports to child protective services—Zimmerman believed in the possibility of peace. When the invitation came to clear the air, she accepted it with the trust of someone who had not yet learned that reconciliation can be a weapon. THE CRIME: On the evening of March 24, 2010, Zimmerman entered Brown's trailer expecting conversation. Instead, she was ambushed with a stun gun. Tina Brown, her sixteen-year-old daughter Britnee Miller, and Heather Lee restrained Zimmerman, beat her, and forced her into the trunk of a car. They drove her to a remote clearing in the Florida woods, where the assault escalated to torture. Zimmerman was struck repeatedly with a crowbar, doused with gasoline, and set on fire. The women left her burning in the clearing, believing they had killed her. THE INVESTIGATION: Zimmerman did not die. A third of a mile away, witness Terrance Hendrick heard cries for help and found a figure so badly burned he could not determine her race or whether she wore clothing. Despite injuries that defied comprehension—her skin crackling as she walked, her jaw broken, burns covering the majority of her body—Zimmerman remained conscious. She identified her attackers by name. She told investigators everything that had been done to her. She survived for sixteen days before succumbing to thermal injuries at the University of South Alabama Burn Center. CURRENT STATUS: On June 21, 2012, a jury convicted Tina Brown of first-degree murder. On September 28, 2012, she was sentenced to death. The court found the murder was cold, calculated, and premeditated; heinous, atrocious, and cruel; and committed during the course of a kidnapping. Britnee Miller and Heather Lee were also prosecuted for their roles in the crime. Tina Brown remains on Florida's death row. Content warning: This episode contains extremely graphic descriptions of torture, burning, and prolonged violence against a young woman. Real medical and investigative details. Listener discretion strongly advised. Learn more about this case at: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse: https://podcasts.apple.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On March 24, 2010, nineteen-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman was ambushed by three women she knew from her Pensacola trailer park. What followed was one of the most brutal attacks in Florida criminal history. Beaten with a crowbar, shocked repeatedly with a stun gun, and doused in gasoline before being set ablaze, Audreanna somehow survived the initial attack. Despite burns covering sixty percent of her body, she managed to walk nearly a third of a mile to a nearby house for help. Before slipping into a medically induced coma, she gave authorities the names of her attackers. Sixteen days later, Audreanna died without ever regaining consciousness. She was a mother of two. Part 1 of 2: Before the crime comes the life. This first episode traces the devastating childhood of Tina Brown, the woman who would orchestrate Audreanna's murder and become one of Florida's only female death row inmates. VICTIM PROFILE: Audreanna Redawn Zimmerman was born on April 13, 1990, and was just nineteen years old when her life was taken. A young mother of two, she lived in a Detroit Avenue mobile home park in Escambia County, Florida. Despite the volatile environment of her neighborhood, Audreanna believed she had patched things up with the women who would ultimately kill her. She visited them as a friend on the day she died. THE CRIME: The murder of Audreanna Zimmerman stemmed from escalating disputes between trailer park neighbors. Accusations flew about slashed tires, broken windows, and reports to child protective services. The situation reached its breaking point over a romantic entanglement. On that March evening, Tina Brown, her sixteen-year-old daughter Britnee Miller, and neighbor Heather Lee lured Audreanna into a trap that would end with her burning in the Florida woods. THE INVESTIGATION: Audreanna's dying declaration proved crucial to the case. She identified all three attackers before losing consciousness. Physical evidence corroborated her account, including a bloodied crowbar and stun gun, a piece of hair weave, and DNA evidence recovered from Brown's vehicle. Authorities waited until Audreanna's death to arrest the suspects, ensuring murder charges that could not be plea-bargained down. CURRENT STATUS: Tina Brown was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in 2012 and sentenced to death. She remains the only woman currently on Florida's death row at Lowell Correctional Institution. Her daughter Britnee Miller, who was sixteen at the time, received a life sentence. Heather Lee accepted a plea agreement and received twenty-five years, with a scheduled release in 2031. Brown's multiple appeals have been denied, most recently in May 2024. This episode examines how decades of trauma, addiction, and unresolved rage shaped the woman who would commit this unthinkable crime. Part two will cover the night of the attack in full detail. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse: https://podcasts.apple.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On March 13, 2020, a long-simmering domestic conflict in Des Moines, Iowa, erupted into fatal violence. Paula Marie Thompson, a 50-year-old claims processor, was beaten to death with a crowbar by her adult son Christopher inside the home they shared on Pleasantview Drive. Her body would not be discovered until five days later. VICTIM PROFILE: Paula Thompson was 50 years old at the time of her death. She worked as a claims processor and was known among friends and coworkers as hardworking and responsible. Behind closed doors, however, Paula struggled with a volatile home situation. Her 32-year-old son Christopher still lived with her, financially dependent on her despite years of unemployment and sporadic work through temporary agencies. Paula had confided to friends that she was afraid of Christopher, tired of the drinking, and tired of supporting an adult who showed no progress toward independence. CASE SIGNIFICANCE: This case represents a devastating example of domestic violence that did not arrive suddenly. Paula Thompson spent months warning the people around her. She told friends she was afraid. She contacted her son's probation officer multiple times between December 2019 and March 2020, expressing growing fear. She even appeared in a Facebook video whispering to a friend that Christopher was "going to kill" her. Despite these warnings, Paula could not escape the danger living inside her own home. CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode contains descriptions of domestic violence, blunt force trauma, and animal cruelty. Listener discretion is advised. KEY CASE DETAILS: • Paula and Christopher argued on March 13, 2020, both having been drinking. Christopher retrieved a crowbar and struck his mother multiple times in the head. He remained in the home with her body for five days before confessing to a friend over the phone. • Christopher also killed Paula's cat with the same crowbar, later disposing of the animal's body in a trash can. He pleaded guilty to animal abuse in addition to the murder charge. • On March 18, 2020, Christopher walked into the Polk County Jail and confessed. He was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. RESOURCES: This episode draws from court documents filed in Polk County, Iowa, including criminal complaints and the Iowa Supreme Court opinion in State v. Thompson. Additional sources include reporting from KCCI Des Moines, KCRG, and the Des Moines Register. For anyone experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. SUPPORT OBSCURA: For extended episodes, bonus content, and ad-free listening, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast. Visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura for episode resources, sources, and additional case information. Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse: https://podcasts.apple.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a humid September day in 1997, a man walking his dog discovered the nude body of 26-year-old Tracy Habersham in a ditch near Fort Benning, Georgia. She had been strangled. What investigators couldn't know then was that her death marked the beginning of a six-year killing spree. Part 2 of 2 VICTIM PROFILE: Paul Durousseau's victims shared heartbreaking commonalities. They were young African American women—many of them mothers—struggling to build better lives. Tyresa Mack was raising three small children. Nikia Kilpatrick was six months pregnant when she died; her two young sons, aged 11 months and 2 years, were found alive but malnourished beside her body two days later. Shawanda McCalister was also pregnant. These women trusted the wrong person, and that trust cost them everything. CASE SIGNIFICANCE: Between 1997 and 2003, Durousseau used his various jobs—security guard, taxi driver—to identify and gain access to vulnerable women. His method was consistent: gain trust, enter their homes, bind them, sexually assault them, then strangle them with whatever cord was available. A phone cord. A coaxial cable. An extension cord tied in a distinctive military-style slipknot. His victims included Tracy Habersham, Tyresa Mack, Nicole Williams, Nikia Kilpatrick, Shawanda McCalister, Jovanna Jefferson, and Surita Cohen. German authorities also suspect him in additional unsolved murders near U.S. military bases during his Army deployment. CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault, strangulation, domestic violence, and child endangerment. Listener discretion is strongly advised. KEY DETAILS: RESOURCES: For case documentation, sources, and additional information, visit: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. CREDITS: Research and narration by Justin Drown. Obscura is an independent true crime documentary podcast dedicated to telling the stories of forgotten victims with unflinching honesty and scholarly research. All information presented draws from court records, police reports, and verified news archives. SUPPORT OBSCURA: Join the Obscura community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, extended content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse: https://podcasts.apple.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a humid September day in 1997, a man walking his dog discovered the nude body of 26-year-old Tracy Habersham in a ditch near Fort Benning, Georgia. She had been strangled. What investigators couldn't know then was that her death marked the beginning of a six-year killing spree. Part 1 of 2 VICTIM PROFILE: Paul Durousseau's victims shared heartbreaking commonalities. They were young African American women—many of them mothers—struggling to build better lives. Tyresa Mack was raising three small children. Nikia Kilpatrick was six months pregnant when she died; her two young sons, aged 11 months and 2 years, were found alive but malnourished beside her body two days later. Shawanda McCalister was also pregnant. These women trusted the wrong person, and that trust cost them everything. CASE SIGNIFICANCE: Between 1997 and 2003, Durousseau used his various jobs—security guard, taxi driver—to identify and gain access to vulnerable women. His method was consistent: gain trust, enter their homes, bind them, sexually assault them, then strangle them with whatever cord was available. A phone cord. A coaxial cable. An extension cord tied in a distinctive military-style slipknot. His victims included Tracy Habersham, Tyresa Mack, Nicole Williams, Nikia Kilpatrick, Shawanda McCalister, Jovanna Jefferson, and Surita Cohen. German authorities also suspect him in additional unsolved murders near U.S. military bases during his Army deployment. CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault, strangulation, domestic violence, and child endangerment. Listener discretion is strongly advised. KEY DETAILS: RESOURCES: For case documentation, sources, and additional information, visit: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. CREDITS: Research and narration by Justin Drown. Obscura is an independent true crime documentary podcast dedicated to telling the stories of forgotten victims with unflinching honesty and scholarly research. All information presented draws from court records, police reports, and verified news archives. SUPPORT OBSCURA: Join the Obscura community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, extended content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

[Part 2 of 2] On February 24th, 2005, nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford vanished from her bedroom in Homosassa, Florida—taken through an unlocked door while her family slept. The girl who was afraid of the dark, who couldn't sleep without her stuffed purple dolphin, was about to become the center of one of the most heartbreaking cases in American true crime history. Jessica was a cheerful third-grader who loved singing, helping others, and spending time with her dachshund, Corky. She lived with her father Mark and grandparents Ruth and Archie in a small community where neighbors knew each other. The night she disappeared, she'd just returned from church, been tucked into bed by her grandmother, and fell asleep clutching her favorite toy. By morning, both Jessica and her dolphin were gone. This case matters because it exposed critical failures in sex offender monitoring and directly resulted in Jessica's Law—legislation that now protects children across the United States with mandatory minimum sentences and lifetime electronic monitoring for predators. Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of child abduction, sexual assault, and murder. It includes graphic details about the victim's captivity and death. Listener discretion is strongly advised. In This Episode: The InvestigationThe PerpetratorThe Aftermath Resources: If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit www.missingkids.org. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides 24/7 support at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Jessie's Place in Citrus County continues Jessica's legacy by providing free services to abused and traumatized children—learn more about their vital work and how to support them. This episode was meticulously researched using court documents, police reports, forensic testimony, and news archives from the investigation and trial. All facts have been verified against primary sources. Support Obscura: Obscura is an independent production dedicated to uncovering forgotten cases with unflinching detail. Join our Black Label community on Patreon for bonus episodes, extended cuts, ad-free listening, and exclusive research materials at https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast. Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On February 24th, 2005, nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford vanished from her bedroom in Homosassa, Florida—taken through an unlocked door while her family slept. The girl who was afraid of the dark, who couldn't sleep without her stuffed purple dolphin, was about to become the center of one of the most heartbreaking cases in American true crime history. Jessica was a cheerful third-grader who loved singing, helping others, and spending time with her dachshund, Corky. She lived with her father Mark and grandparents Ruth and Archie in a small community where neighbors knew each other. The night she disappeared, she'd just returned from church, been tucked into bed by her grandmother, and fell asleep clutching her favorite toy. By morning, both Jessica and her dolphin were gone. This case matters because it exposed critical failures in sex offender monitoring and directly resulted in Jessica's Law—legislation that now protects children across the United States with mandatory minimum sentences and lifetime electronic monitoring for predators. Content Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of child abduction, sexual assault, and murder. It includes graphic details about the victim's captivity and death. Listener discretion is strongly advised. In This Episode: The InvestigationThe PerpetratorThe Aftermath Resources: If you or someone you know needs support, please contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit www.missingkids.org. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides 24/7 support at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Jessie's Place in Citrus County continues Jessica's legacy by providing free services to abused and traumatized children—learn more about their vital work and how to support them. This episode was meticulously researched using court documents, police reports, forensic testimony, and news archives from the investigation and trial. All facts have been verified against primary sources. Support Obscura: Obscura is an independent production dedicated to uncovering forgotten cases with unflinching detail. Join our Black Label community on Patreon for bonus episodes, extended cuts, ad-free listening, and exclusive research materials at https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast. Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Apopka, Florida. October 30, 1990. When 10-year-old Christine McGowan's stepfather entered her bedroom to wake her for school—he found her lifeless body face down in bed, the sheets beneath her soaked in blood. The door to their home stood slightly ajar. His white construction truck—keys left in the ignition the night before—had vanished. Christine McGowan was a blonde-haired child who spent her afternoons watching her neighbor at The Lighthouse Mission halfway house craft decorative wooden boats. She stood in the autumn sun asking if she could watch him work, fascinated by his woodworking skill. She had no way of knowing that Elmer Leon Carroll—the seemingly harmless craftsman next door—was a twice-convicted child molester living under pastoral supervision. On the night of October 29, 1990, as an unseasonable cold front brought 40-degree temperatures and 45 mph winds to central Florida, Carroll's schizophrenic delusions reached a breaking point. Witnesses at Lockahart Tavern watched him drink beer after beer, wrapping his jacket around a chair and holding long conversations with it about demons, devils, and the coming apocalypse. Hours later, he entered the McGowan home through an unlocked door. This case exposes the catastrophic failures of Florida's 1990s halfway house system and sex offender monitoring. Carroll had served less than two years of a six-year sentence for child molestation, then served just over seven years for a second offense—both times released with minimal supervision directly into residential neighborhoods. The Lighthouse Mission placed a known predator with untreated severe mental illness next door to a family with a young daughter. The investigation moved swiftly—Carroll was apprehended within hours after stealing the family's truck—but the preventable nature of Christine's death haunted the community for years. Her case became a catalyst for examining how convicted sex offenders with documented psychiatric disorders were supervised after release. This episode contains detailed discussion of child sexual assault, graphic autopsy testimony, and descriptions of fatal violence against a child. This content may be disturbing. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Key Details: The Investigation:Forensic Evidence:The Penalty Phase: Resources: If you or someone you know has experienced childhood sexual abuse, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential 24/7 support at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or online at rainn.org. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline offers crisis intervention and professional counseling at 1-800-422-4453. Credits: Research, writing, and narration by Justin Drown. Production and sound design by Justin Drown. This episode utilized court documents, medical examiner testimony, and contemporary news reporting from the Orlando Sentinel. Support Obscura: Join our community at patreon.com/obscurapodcast for ad-free episodes, extended cuts, and exclusive Black Label cases. Visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura for full episode archive and case resources. Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In January 2025, Nguyen Dat, a 35-year-old Vietnamese man living in Ha Dong, voluntarily sought his own execution—fulfilling a years-long sexual obsession with decapitation. Through extreme pornography forums and dating apps, Nguyen publicly advertised his desire to be beheaded, eventually connecting with an unnamed butcher who shared his fatal fetish. The killing occurred between January 25 and February 24, 2025, in a makeshift execution chamber. Graphic video footage—leaked to Vietnamese and Chinese Telegram groups—shows Nguyen's decapitation as he reached sexual climax. The butcher then dismembered his body with professional precision, documenting the process across 11 videos and 98 photographs. Evidence suggests the killer cannibalized Nguyen's remains, cooking parts of his body into Vietnamese dishes. When concerned citizens reported the leaked footage to authorities, they discovered Nguyen had been missing for five years. This case represents only the third confirmed consensual homicide motivated by mutual sexual gratification—and the first where execution footage was publicly leaked. Obscura examines this disturbing intersection of extreme fetishism, voluntary death, and the dark corners of online subcultures where such transactions occur. [BLACK LABEL CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains extremely graphic descriptions of violence, dismemberment, and cannibalism.] Explore more obscure true crime cases at mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura. Join Obscura on Patreon to unlock the entire back catalogue ad-free, plus exclusive Black Label premium episodes—darker, longer cases released monthly. Dive deeper into the cases mainstream media forgot. KEYWORDS: true crime, true crime podcast, Nguyen Dat, Vietnam crime, consensual homicide, voluntary execution, cannibalism case, Ha Dong Vietnam, decapitation, dismemberment, sexual homicide, extreme fetish, guro, murder case, Armin Meiwes, Zambian Meat case, 2025 crime, obscure true crime Our Sponsors: * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy