True Crime Couple

The stillness of a warm September morning in the South was broken by something that didn’t belong: a bright red Jeep, abandoned and half-submerged in the murky edge of a quiet creek. Not far from it, drifting in the same dark water, was a young mother of two. What should have been a peaceful start to the day instead became the beginning of a mystery as clouded as the water itself. For the detectives called to the scene, nothing about this case came easily. The deeper they looked, the more the details seemed to twist. Unanswered questions, unsettling circumstances, and relationships that were far more complicated than they first appeared. But as the truth slowly surfaced, it revealed something far more disturbing than anyone had been prepared to face. Sponsors Visit Rula.com/tcc to get affordable, high-quality therapy that’s actually covered by insurance Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/image/244437525/?match=1&terms=18%20years%20later%3A%20What%20to%20know%20about%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum%27s%20killing https://www.newspapers.com/image/276089133/?match=1&terms=%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum https://www.tncourts.gov/press/2013/03/27/supreme-court-affirms-convictions-upon-finding-no-prosecutorial-misconduct https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/court-of-criminal-appeals/2011/m2009-01810-cca-r3-cd.html Snapped Season 24, Episode 25

The danger of a predator that stalks their victims online, the one that moves silently through glowing screens, is that they use cunning to trap those they prey upon. They study the patterns of their victims, learn their rhythm of life through late night posts and quiet confession. To them vulnerability isn’t a tragedy but rather a signal. With unsettling precision they are able to step in and be or say whatever they need to to become whatever their target needs. They lead with understand, compassion. They listen, they mirror, they comfort. They are exactly what their target craves or needs. Pieces by piece they build trust, an assurance of safety. But behind the carefully chosen words and curated personas lies something sinister. It had been orchestrated in a way that by the time the illusions cracks their victim has already been trapped and the cage that has been so meticulously built around them has consumed them. The greatest weapon of the 21st century against the safety and sanctity of our homes is the internet, because it has allowed predators an opportunity to be stealthy enough to prey on your children and infiltrate your home…from the comfort of theirs. Sources: Newspaper articles accessed through Newspapers.com from 2002-2021. Papers include: The Sun and The Mountain Echo https://arkansasgravestones.org/view.php?id=821033 Caught in the Web: Four Part Series by Cathy Frye for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Investigation Discovery: Web of Lies Aired 1/15/2014 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-07-na-slay7-story.html https://www.fbicollector.com/historybaltimoreinnocentimages.html https://katv.com/community/good-morning-arkansas/officer-shares-personal-tragedy-to-warn-families-and-children-about-online-dangers?fbclid=IwAR3TIHuLlb56dvkRSQ9xaLc0LXJHrz8OmNrIs4LdxOIF8AA2UIv00U84ByE

Two screams pierced the silent, unseasonably warm and windy night of October 13, 1997 in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The first, was that of 10 year old Joel Kirkpatrick as he desperately sought help against the person who had entered his room in the black of night and had attacked him with a knife. The second scream was that of his mother’s as she ran to her neighbors house and pounded on their door desperately seeking help. She begged for them to open up. “They’ve got Joel”, she bellowed into the closed door, “They took Joel.” Once the shock of what had happened settled, and the years went on the question that lingered was whether or not the person that hurt Joel was the least likeliest suspect or the dangerous stranger that had rolled into town with that warm wind. Trigger warning: violence against a child Sources: https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/news/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-another-subjective-science-convicting-innocent-people/ https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/06/26/court-overturns-rea-convictio/118184118/ https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/julie-rea https://nationalpublicdata.com/people/r/julie-rea/tn/martin/pd06p1qslq5zi0nmlilw2zf05nyb8p17/ https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/ https://www.propublica.org/article/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-jury-wrongful-conviction-acquitted-exonerated https://www.newspapers.com/image/84706396/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick https://www.newspapers.com/image/84742918/?match=1&terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769767/?match=1&terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769827/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/ https://www.facebook.com/ABC2020/videos/julie-rea-recalls-what-happened-night-her-son-was-killed-2020-goodnight-mother/854470515223652/ https://wwws.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/documents/nulawreporterwparticle.pdf Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells by Diane Fanning

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, guilt does not stay buried. It festers beneath crowns and costumes, slipping through rehearsed smiles and whispered prayers. A kingdom rots from the inside, not because of the murder alone, but because of the secret that follows it, heavy and impossible to silence. “O, my offence is rank,” King Claudius confesses, discovering that even a throne cannot shield a poisoned conscience. In the bedroom of a teenager, centuries later, those same words would land a little too close to home. In this case we will explore a modern tragedy shaped by Shakespearean shadows: ambition without a crown, desperation without a dagger, and a confession that would echo far beyond the pages of a play. Because sometimes the most dangerous poison isn’t poured into a cup, it’s carried in the heart, waiting for its moment to speak. Sources https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/poisoning-daddy/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/3/ https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/product/sigald/243671 https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815133/?terms=Marie%20Robards https://www.newspapers.com/image/823666883/?match=1&terms=Marie%20Robards https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815129/?match=1&terms=Marie%20Robards https://www.newspapers.com/image/646308983/?match=1&terms=Marie%20Robards

In today’s case a similar situation to the one we covered in Episode 224 arose in central Florida in the Spring of 2011, but this time with a 21st century twist. The teens exhibited the same type of behavior we saw in 1965 in Tucson but this time social media was present to fan the flames of an all too familiar fire caused by jealous, and hierarchical, high-conformity behavior…and just like last time someone would lose their life. Join me as I tell John the case of Seath Jackson. Sponsors Factor Meals factormeals.com/truecrimecouple50off and use code truecrimecouple50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year NOCD Go to NOCD.com to schedule a free 15-minute call with their team and find out more about how they can help. Sources: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1557636/#:~:text=Rather%20than%20a%20sense%20of,Steinberg%20&%20Silverberg%2C%201986). https://psychcentral.com/lib/click-or-clique-positive-and-negative-teen-social-groups#:~:text=Members%20are%20discouraged%20from%20being,are%20valued%20for%20their%20individuality.&text=Natural%20leaders%20may%20emerge%20but,t%20find%20mutually%20trusting%20relationships. https://www.marionschools.net/parents__students__and_community/parents/Student_Enrollment/your_zoned_school https://www.circuit5.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/soto-sentencing-5-30-12.pdf https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2012/09/05/man-charged-as-accessory-in-seath-murder-case-ruled-incompetent/64312725007/ https://pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&DCNumber=U46099&TypeSearch=AI https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2018/03/20/guilty-plea-to-accessory-in-murder-of-seath-jackson/12948232007/ https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/17/charlie-ely-wins-freedom/42153993/ https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2011/04/21/facebook-posts-show-troubled-relationship-before-murder/64298523007/ https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/state/2016/02/23/amber-wright-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-a-second-time-for-summerfield-murder/31892000007/ https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/fl-supreme-court/1866390.html#footnote_ref_2 "Seath Jackson - Sleeping With a Killer (Season 1, Episode 12)". Apple TV. 2021. Retrieved February, 2026.

By the summer of 1965 three teenage girls had gone missing from Tucson, AZ. When the truth would finally come to light the members of the community would be forced to question everything they knew to be true…and also what their children had been up to. Join me as I tell John the cases of Alleen Rowe and Gretchen and Wendy Fritz. Patreon.com/truecrimecouple Sponsors: NOCD If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/TCC Sources: https://altsclass.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/8/0/38808759/lifemagazinepiedpiper.doc.pdf https://tucson.com/morguetales/article_db508906-e3de-11df-af58-001cc4c002e0.html https://tucson.com/morguetales/article_0826e27c-e245-11df-b65f-001cc4c03286.html https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166810356/james_mcilroy-fritz#view-photo=162428330 https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/supreme-court/1973/1720-0.html Newspapers.com Access to the Daily News,Arizona Daily Star, and the Los Angeles Times from 1966-182

The city of Austin found itself in a predicament in late 1988. A horrific crime was committed against a young mother in broad daylight, in a well known establishment on a busy street. The unsolved crime would largely impact the city’s reputation for having the lowest crime rate of all of Texas’s great cities…so it was time to solve the murder of Nancy DePriest, let’s see how they did it. Instagram: Truecrimecouple Patreon.com/truecrimecouple | Join for ad free episodes and two bonus episodes a month! Sponsors: True Crime Society Podcast Sources: https://exonerationregistry.org/cases/10386 https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/third-court-of-appeals/1991/4881.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/649638052/?match=1&terms=nancy%20depriest https://www.newspapers.com/image/364054228/?match=1&terms=nancy%20depriest https://www.newspapers.com/image/363966719/?match=1&terms=nancy%20depriest https://www.facebook.com/groups/742034912983989/posts/2019627575224710/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/hector-polanco-andre-causey-false-confessions/ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/burden/innocents/danziger.html https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/03/09/facing-her-daughter-s-killer-at-last https://www.justice.gov/archives/dag/file/877741/dl?inline=#:~:text=Forensic%20hair%20examiners%20generally%20recognize,Forensic%20Examination%20of https://nij.ojp.gov/nij-hosted-online-training-courses/crime-scene-and-dna-basics-forensic-analysts/history-and-types-forensic-dna-testing/polymerase-chain-reaction-pcr/dq-alpha https://www.kvue.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/austin-police-hector-polanco-yogurt-shop-murders/269-160c495f-9212-420c-ad47-edf02bea3d5a https://law.wisc.edu/fjr/clinicals/ip/ https://innocenceproject.org/about/#:~:text=We've%20helped%20free%20more,and%20advance%20the%20innocence%20movement. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-21-me-confess21-story.html https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/261908704/richard_edward-danziger

On Halloween night of 1992 something happened that divided the small farming town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. A young single mother accused the town’s well respected doctor of sexual assault while under his care. Wanting to save his reputation, the doctor took a blood test to prove his DNA was not a match for the samples found during the performance of a sexual assault exam. It was not a match. Despite this, Candice, the accuser, was adamant about what had happened. Join me as I tell John about the case of the ‘Good Doctor’. Sponsors: Masterclass Masterclass.com/tcc to get an additional 15% off any annual membership Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/image/497356653/?terms=john%20schneeberger https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-endless-nightmare-of-lisa-dillman/article761440/ https://forensictales.com/case-of-dr-john-schneeberger/ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/19616-midazolam-injection https://www.iflscience.com/a-doctor-cheated-dna-tests-by-implanting-somebody-elses-blood-into-his-arm-59380 https://www.newspapers.com/image/496716610/?match=1&terms=john%20schneeberger Forensic Files Interviews Season8, Episode 8

In today's case we have an entire family at the center of our story and theirs is one of love, good times, and wealth but when the good times stop rolling tragedy strikes. Join me as I tell John the case of the Grossman/Jenkins Family. Sponsors: Quince Quince.com/crimecouple Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/575629657/?match=1&terms=george%20jenkins https://www.socialaw.com/services/slip-opinions/slip-opinion-details/commonwealth-vs.-joshua-y.-jenkins https://drive.google.com/file/d/13g5GyHJibNFmwlo1004jfIiTX7F6ZXeq/view https://www.vistadelmarhospital.com/programs/adolescent https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/575629657/?match=1&terms=george%20jenkins https://lasvegassun.com/news/1996/feb/27/police-say-teen-plotted-slaying/

The Ewell family celebrated Easter weekend together at their beach house in Pajaro Dunes, CA. They spent those days together playing tennis and walking on the beach, their vacation home echoing with warmth and familiarity. The family of four had no clue that those beautiful moments they shared that weekend would be their last. Back at their home in Fresno someone waited, silent, patient, and merciless for them to return. Late that Sunday afternoon, as they stepped inside, they were murdered one by one. Because things are so hectic we decided to release a patreon episode into our regular feed (this was patreon episode 150 released in the fall just after John had missed an episode the week before). Don't worry we cleared it with our AMAZING patreon subscribers first! We also think its a great way to show you what is available on our patreon feed twice a month for just $5! Please enjoy!

On December 11, 1974 Patricia Ann Ross had a hot date, or at least one that she hoped would be. Unfortunately, she would never find out because as she got ready to go out that night she was brutally attacked in her apartment. Join me as I tell John the case of Annie Greenthings. Sponsors: Quince Quince.com/CRIMECOUPLE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Uncommon Goods Uncommongoods.com/tcc for 15% off! Sources: https://behindthebadge.com/anatomy-cold-case-40-years-la-palma-police-believe-killer/ https://lizjin.medium.com/victims-dog-helps-solve-city-s-oldest-cold-case-a0c0c1317a96 https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-prison-sentence-oc-killing-20180507-story.html Access to archived articles from the LA Times, Press Telegram, Daily News-Post, Anaheim Bulletin through Newspapers.com

In 1995, the Campbellton Road neighborhood of southwest Atlanta was rocked by the brutal murder of 14 year old Nacole Smith. The crime would haunt the community for decades. Nearly ten years later, a young girl in nearby East Point survived a horrific attack with unsettling echoes of Nacole’s case. Join me as I tell John the heartbreaking cases of Nacole Smith and Betty Brown and we explore the parallel stories of two young victims, the forensics that tied their experiences together, and the long, painful wait for the truth. Sponsors: Uncommon Goods Uncommongoods.com/tcc for 15% off Sources: https://www.disastercenter.com/georgia/crime/2726.htm https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/page/832 https://www.newspapers.com/image/799530544/?match=1&terms=Nacole%20SMith https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/atlanta-nicole-smith https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/atlanta-child-murders.html https://www.ajc.com/news/local/years-later-year-old-brutal-killing-remains-unsolved/jBg57t8HJscJGpObfClDQL/ Newspapers.com Accessed archived articles from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Voice, and the Fulton COunty Daily Report from 1995-2022 Cold Case Files: a Fatal Path https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlHQTDFNufg

On December 7, 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe decided to spend his Sunday shopping at the Sunshine Plaza, hoping to find Christmas gifts for his family. To get there, he would need to take a 20-minute bus ride. As he waited for the bus, unaware that it had broken down, Daniel could never have imagined that a predator was lurking nearby, ready to take advantage of his unfortunate situation. Warning: This episode includes violence against children. A warning before this is discussed is provided within the show. Uncommongoods.com/tcc for 15% off Sources: Kiels Mountain Road Underpass https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/10-years-later-the-life-and-death-of-daniel-morcombe/news-story/9f19aadc0645ea907316d2816e9b752d https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2013/QSC13-337.pdf https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2015/QCA15-087.pdf Confession Video https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2003-040 https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/prisoner-who-tortured-daniel-morcombes-killer-said-he-had-it-coming/0b69o2v2h https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-01/child-killer-laws/100665802 https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/daniel-morcombe-murder-trial-brett-peter-cowans-second-confession-shown-in-court-20140227-33md8.html Crime Investigation Australia

Join us for our ninth installment of listener stories!

On the morning of January 16, 2014 a man was found yelling out for help on the sidewalk outside of his home in Walsenburg, CO. He had a traumatic brain injury and his wife had been murdered. After looking into the couple's family history the Colorado Bureau of Investigation discovered there were many possible suspects both within the family and out. Patreon.com/truecrimecouple Sponsors: Quince Quince.com/crimecouple for free shipping and a 365-day return Sources: https://worldjournalnewspaper.com/tag/ralph-candelario/ Newspapers.com Access

On September 8, 1978 15 year old Raynham, MA resident, Mary Lou Arruda, was kidnapped while riding her bike to her friends house on the first friday of the new school year. Could her disappearance have had something to do with the fact that she grew up in the middle of what paranormal psychologists had coined the Bridgewater Triangle? Could it have been the work of the satanic cult who practiced their rituals in the Freetown State forest, or had the devil himself rode into town? Join me as I tell John the case of Mary Lou Arruda. Patreon.com/truecrimecouple Join to get ad free episodes and two full-length bonus episodes a month! Sponsors IQBAR IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your twenty percent off, text TCC to 64-000. See terms for details. Sources: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1038292.html https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/01/26/no-tears-in-raynham-on/987501007/ https://www.silvafuneralhome.com/obituaries/joanne-arruda https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/crime/2016/01/31/steve-damish-time-to-delete/32590506007/ https://lailasnews.com/international/mary-lou-arruda-death-obituary-how-james-kater-death-happened/ https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/02/01/decades-later-arruda-case-looms/32587202007/ https://www.patriotledger.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2020/10/28/enter-the-bridgewater-triangle-if/581946007/ https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/1983/388-mass-519-2.html#:~:text=*522%20On%20November%2011%2C%201978,afternoon%20of%20September%208%2C%201978. Articles from the Boston Globe from 1978-2002 accessed via Newspapers.com

Crime doesn’t take a day off. And neither does Crime House Daily. Hosted by self-defense instructor and advocate for victims, Katie Ring, Crime House Daily is coming to you twice every weekday, covering the biggest crime stories as they unfold. Morning episodes give you the need-to-know. The latest headlines, breaking developments, and where things are going next. Evening episodes go deeper. Into the people, the evidence, and the moments that matter most. The pursuit of justice never stops. And with Crime House Daily, you won’t have to either. Follow Crime House Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or listen here: https://link.podtrac.com/swmkd35w

In August of 2003 Sonya Ivanoff went missing after parting ways with her best friend and roommate. Within hours of being reported missing her body was found in a remote old mining road in Nome, Alaska. Police were shocked by the lack of evidence at the scene. It made them wonder if their killer had done this before… Patreon.com/truecrimecouple Sponsors: IQ Bar Text TCC to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Sources: https://law.justia.com/cases/alaska/court-of-appeals/2021/a-13016.html https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ivanoff-24 https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2018/08/23/from-2003-nome-police-must-work-to-regain-trust-after-officer-charged-with-murder/ https://www.oxygen.com/dateline-unforgettable/crime-news/alaska-officer-matt-owens-convicted-murder-sonya-ivanoff https://www.newspapers.com/image/579071706/?match=1&terms=sonya%20ivanoff https://www.newspapers.com/image/1061988740/?match=1&terms=sonya%20ivanoff https://www.newspapers.com/image/1061933416/?match=1&terms=sonya%20ivanoff https://www.newspapers.com/image/1137349180/?match=1&terms=sonya%20ivanoff ‘

In the sleepy Fort Worth enclave of River Oaks football, like in all Texas towns, was king. The energy surrounding Friday nights under the stadium lights was electric. Football wasn’t just a game, it was a way of life. The players were hometown heroes, the cheerleaders their shining counterparts, and together they stood at the center of the community’s pride. To many, they were untouchable teenage gods living out through their glory years. But when whispers of fear began to spread, that illusion of safety cracked. Someone out there was watching the cheerleaders. Hunting them. One by one, the girls who had once been celebrated as the town’s brightest stars would become targets in a chilling game of obsession that would end in blood. What seemed like the plot in the newest slasher film quickly became the reality for the students of Castleberry High School in 1981. Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangerous-reunion/ Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 1 Episode 1 https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/convict-to-return-to-prison-for-jailhouse-romance/285-342720631 https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/second-court-of-appeals/2010/21828.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-appeals/1410329.html https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/485957-where-wesley-miller-today-retha-strattons-prison-sentence/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangerous-reunion/ Newspapers.com

Hudson, Wisconsin is a sleepy, quiet community bordering the St. Croix river. In 2002, as the rest of the country adjusted to the growing crime rates of the 21st century Hudson locked itself away in its tight northwest corner of the state. Everyone truly knew everyone and daily interactions between the residents resembled episodes from Leave It to Beaver and The Andy Griffith Show. That was why, when a beloved member of their community was murdered, the town was left reeling. It would be difficult, but, in order to catch the killer, the town would have to face their demons. Sources: Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6