Among the Dirt and Trees

From Talkocast Studios and Jonny Llama, host of Talk Murder To Me, comes a chilling true crime investigation that exposes decades of secrets hidden behind church walls in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/65QY9dSFwaQJYeSLmWy1cK Listen on Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signature-the-life-and-death-of-mica-miller/id1779973247 When Mica Miller was found dead at Lumber River State Park in April 2024, authorities quickly ruled it suicide. But a trail of desperate warnings tells a different story - restraining orders, GPS trackers on her car, and divorce papers served just 48 hours before her death. As federal investigators begin connecting the dots, they uncover a pattern of control at Solid Rock Ministries that stretches back decades. Through police reports, witness statements, and newly uncovered evidence, "The Signature" examines how a small-town church became the center of a story that would shock a community and expose the dark truth behind two deaths that share disturbing similarities. Listen to "The Signature" wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe here and your favorite podcasting apps: https://talko.fm/dirt Warning: This episode contains mature content and themes. Listener discretion is strongly advised. During this episode we will be discussing crimes involving violence, assault, murder or other disturbing details. Some listeners may find certain portions of our discussion offensive, upsetting or traumatic. If at any time you need to step away, we encourage you to take a break. Please proceed with caution and take care of yourself first while listening. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Betty Beets was married five times to six different men. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When three women went on a trip to visit Starved Rock State Park, they were looking for fresh air and the sweet taste of adventure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When an engaged couple can’t get a hotel room, they decide to illegally camp out on the beach for a night instead—but as they slumbered beneath the stars, someone had other plans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The internet is known for its fair share of conspiracy theories and trending topics, but some of them are downright WILD. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Helen Karipidis was only nine years old when she disappeared while playing outside in 1988. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To kick off the new year, we are going to explore some random crimes out in nature that anyone could commit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colleen Wood was a 51-year-old woman who was living her best life in Florida when she met someone special, a man named John Paul Sr. He had a beautiful boat and promised that they could live out her dream of sailing the world. On a whim, Colleen sold everything—her home, her car, her belongings—and moved onto his boat. Unfortunately, when they left for their first trip around the holidays, she never came back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

500 years ago, the Chimú Empire made the terrifying decision to sacrifice 140 children and 200+ baby animals. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Debra Lee Vowell, Dennis Vowell, and Gary Newton went out on a boat, they expected to enjoy their time out on the ocean. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Frank Lenz was a cyclist with a dream—to travel the world and take photos. After two years of traveling across Europe, he suddenly disappeared. In his absence, his magazine articles would continue to be printed even though his editor knew he was missing. What happened to him? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a mansion owner decided to have work done on their property, they discovered a shocking surprise—a car buried on their property. The car had been there for decades, and the owner of this car was John Lew, a man who lived a life of crime spanning across decades. Why was the car buried? What secrets did it hold? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three different crimes in three different parks. Whether you’re walking, talking, or working, the parks really just aren’t safe. You never know who you might meet there. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cowden family went out for a surprise camping trip during Labor Day Weekend, but when they never showed up for dinner, their extended family knew something was wrong. For seven months, the Cowdens were considered missing. Then, they found them. Their murders remain a mystery to this day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When you die, you expect your body to end up somewhere normal–in a grave, an urn, or maybe a medical lab. Unfortunately, not everyone who is laid to rest in the ground stays that way. Sometimes, people like to go in and pull bodies right back out for reasons of their own. These are those stories. EPISODE EDIT In the episode, I stated that Charlie Chaplin’s body was stolen in the late 90s instead of the late 1900s in error. His body was actually stolen in the 1970s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All around the world, there are forests just waiting to be explored—but you might not be alone out there. In the forest, there is death, and the dead don’t always leave. Do you ever wonder what terrible secrets your favorite forest holds? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we are taking a look at some of the more famous monsters in lore–and why human beings are actually the bad guys in these stories. Our crimes? Stalking, hunting, slander, and slaying! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the 1660s, Hartford, Connecticut flew into a frenzy when witch accusations started to be made. 11 were accused, 4 were killed for it, and some escaped. Accusations continued to fly until a group of neighbors took things a little too far. If only Salem had learned from these stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Hammersmith Ghost was a legend that plagued a village outside of London. When a villager committed suicide and was buried on consecrated ground, people began to report sightings of the local specter. Some ran. Some died. Some picked up guns and decided to fight. One man stumbled across the ghost and shot it in the face. There was just one problem—it wasn’t a ghost at all. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.