Best Courtney Fretwell Podcasts (2024)

1
Valentine Sally 44:33

40m ago44:33

44:33

#253 - For nearly 40 years, a teenage girl found dead on Valentine’s Day along an Arizona highway was known only as “Valentine Sally.” But now, with advancements in DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, she has finally regained her name. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with…

1
Tara Grinstead 1:01:31

2d ago1:01:31

1:01:31

#252 - Tara Grinstead was a 30-year-old history teacher from Georgia when she went missing in October 2005. Without any sighting of her for the next five years, she was legally pronounced dead, leaving many to wonder if we would ever know what happened to her. Then, over a decade later, the authorities finally got the tip they had been waiting for.…

1
Candace Derksen 50:01

9d ago50:01

50:01

#251 - In November 1984, 13-year-old Candace Derksen went missing on her way home from school. Her sudden disappearance sparked one of Winnipeg's most extensive searches for a missing person, lasting six and a half weeks. Twenty-two years later, a man was finally arrested for her murder. However, justice is still far from being served after concern…

1
Connie Dabate 55:53

24d ago55:53

55:53

#250 - It’s a story often referred to in the media as “The Fitbit Murder.” In 2015, 39-year-old Connie Dabate was found shot to death inside her Connecticut basement. Her husband, 40-year-old Richard Dabata, says a masked intruder was to blame. But when the authorities examined Connie’s wearable fitness device, they suspected he was lying. Support …

1
Executed: Marcellus Williams 43:03

30d ago43:03

43:03

#249 - On September 24, 2024, Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection in Missouri after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay despite prosecutors and the victim’s family asking that he be spared. Marcellus Williams was charged and convicted of murdering a St. Louis woman inside her home in August 1998 despite zero forensic evidence linki…

1
Libby Caswell 50:31

1M ago50:31

50:31

#248 - In 2017, a bright and fun 21-year-old Libby was found dead in a motel room in Independence, Missouri, with her boyfriend’s belt tied around her neck. Her death was ruled a tragic suicide, but her family disagrees and is seeking answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding her death. Was this actually a case of a young woman who took …

1
Nancy Brophy Part 2 48:02

1M ago48:02

48:02

#247 - Part 2. *If you haven't listened to Part 1, please do so before listening to this one.* In 2011, fictional romance author Nancy Brophy wrote a book called “How to Murder Your Huband.” She seemed to have a knack for writing about these things: murder and criminal investigations. But seven years later, in 2022, she found herself being accused …

1
Nancy Brophy Part 1 44:02

1M ago44:02

44:02

#246 - Part 1. In 2011, fictional romance author Nancy Brophy wrote a book called “How to Murder Your Huband.” She seemed to have a knack for writing about these things: murder and criminal investigations. But seven years later, in 2022, she found herself being accused of the very things she wrote about in her novels: Prosecutors put her on trial f…

1
Revisited: Rebecca Zahau 46:45

2M ago46:45

46:45

#245 - Rebecca Zahau was found dead, hanging naked, bound, and gagged, in the courtyard of her billionaire boyfriend's Coronado mansion on July 13, 2011, just two days after his six-year-old son suffered a fatal accident while under her care. Her mysterious death was ultimately ruled a suicide, but her family doesn’t believe that’s possible. In thi…

1
Ashley Benefield 43:04

2M ago43:04

43:04

#244 - It’s a story that’s been called by the media: “The Black Swan Murder.” In September 2020, Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina and swimsuit model, walked to her neighbor's house in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and said she shot her husband, Doug Benefield, in self-defense. But prosecutors disagreed, and four years later, she was put on trial for…

1
Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell 49:18

2M ago49:18

49:18

#243 - It was just after 3:00 a.m. in the middle of nowhere when Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell came across a white Chevy van with no plates. He called dispatch, saying he was about to initiate a traffic stop, and it seemed everything was “OK.” But just seven minutes later, the dispatcher heard Mitchell’s radio clicking, signal…

1
The Weepy Voiced Killer 42:03

2M ago42:03

42:03

#242 - For three years in the early 1980s, the Minnesota police were confronted with a strange case. Three women had been murdered, and another brutally attacked. After each incident, an anonymous caller, soon dubbed “The Weepy-Voiced Killer,” would call the police to confess to the crimes. Sponsors: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant a…

1
Diane Schuler 46:15

3M ago46:15

46:15

#241 - On the afternoon of July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler sped the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and crashed into another car, killing eight people. The toxicology report showed she consumed a large amount of alcohol prior to the accident, but her family insists something else was the cause. Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.…

1
Marshal Iwaasa 40:37

3M ago40:37

40:37

#240 - 26-year-old Marshal Iwaasa from Alberta, Canada, was just a typical guy who loved fitness and bodybuilding and had a passion for the outdoors. But on November 17, 2019, he mysteriously vanished after stopping by his storage locker. Today, his disappearance has left behind very few clues and many unanswered questions. Sponsors: This episode i…

1
Linda O'Keefe 37:45

3M ago37:45

37:45

#239 - After failing to find a ride home from summer school, 11-year-old Linda O’Keefe decided to walk home—but she never made it back to her parents' house. The next day, her body was found along a popular running and cycling trail in Newport Beach, California. How can new DNA technology catch her killer? Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by Bet…

1
Karen Read 53:01

4M ago53:01

53:01

#238 - In January 2022, a Boston police officer was found dead, and his girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of killing him by backing her Lexus SUV into him and leaving him for dead in a snowstorm. But Karen Read’s supporters allege that she is the victim of an elaborate cover-up by the police. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show …

1
Felicia Tang 57:26

4M ago57:26

57:26

#237 - Actress and model Felicia Tang was found dead inside her Monrovia, California, apartment in September 2009. Not long after that, the police arrested a former reality TV contestant and pastor for the crime. But when the case went to trial, the prosecution and defense couldn't agree on what the forensic evidence meant or what caused Felicia's …

1
Tracy Kroh 45:45

4M ago45:45

45:45

#236 - When Tracy Kroh left her Enterline Township, Pennsylvania home on Saturday, August 5, 1989, she didn’t expect to be gone long. She planned to drive to her sister’s home to return a barbeque grill she had borrowed and drop off some coupons she had clipped. But her sister wasn’t home when Tracy got there, so she left the items on her front por…

1
Roxanne Wood 44:32

4M ago44:32

44:32

#235 - Roxanne Wood was murdered inside her Berrien County home on February 19, 1987. Her throat had been cut. Her husband found her dead after the couple had driven separately to go bowling, and Roxanne returned home first. The case went cold, and although Michigan State Police reopened it in 2001 and again in 2020, it remained unsolved. That is u…

1
Megan Parra 49:47

5M ago49:47

49:47

#234 - On June 28, 2014, in the small town of Cottonport, Louisiana., 29-year-old Megan Parra was discovered in her home by her parents with a gunshot wound to her head. Megan’s husband, Dustin Parra, showed up minutes later and tried to save her, but it was too late. She was taken off life support the next day. Her death was ruled a suicide, but h…

1
Kurt Sova 48:00

5M ago48:00

48:00

#233 - In October 1981, three young boys in Newburgh Heights, Ohio, made a frightening discovery in a ravine: a dead body. Other than some scratches and bruises, the body showed no obvious sign of injury. One tennis shoe was found in a nearby pile of rocks. The other shoe was missing. It was the body of 12-year-old Kurt Sova. An autopsy revealed th…

1
Blair Adams 50:35

5M ago50:35

50:35

#232 - Blair Adams from Canada was just 31 years old when his body was found in the parking lot of a Knoxville, Tennessee hotel in July 1996. Scattered around his body was $4,000 worth of mixed Canadian, American, and German currency. His death was later discovered to be caused by a blow to the stomach - but what exactly happened to Blair remains a…

1
Tiffany Valiante 47:02

5M ago47:02

47:02

#231 - On a summer night in 2015, New Jersey Transit train 4693 struck and killed an 18-year-old named Tiffany Valiante. Her death was ruled a suicide. But her family insists that the recent high school graduate and star athlete was actually murdered. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a posi…

1
Koodathayi Cyanide Killings 37:22

5M ago37:22

37:22

#230 - A woman is arrested for poisoning six members of her family with cyanide between 2002 and 2016. She is accused of murdering them to inherit the family property and to marry her lover, who was her husband’s cousin. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You …

1
Joshua Guimond 42:07

6M ago42:07

42:07

#229 - St. John’s University student Joshua Guimond left a party on Nov. 9, 2002, and was never seen again. Although more than two decades have passed, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation into his disappearance remains active. What happened to Joshua all those years ago? And is too late for forensic science to help answer som…

1
John and Joyce Sheridan 50:08

6M ago50:08

50:08

#228 - In 2014, a prominent couple from New Jersey was found brutally killed inside their home. They each suffered multiple stab wounds, and the house had been almost burned down to the ground. But after the police wrapped up the investigation, they believed the couple died in a murder-suicide plot. However, those close to the Sheridans disagree th…

1
Chris Jenkins 51:47

6M ago51:47

51:47

#227 - 21-year-old college student Chris Jenkins mysteriously vanished on Halloween Night 2002 after spending the night out with friends. Four months later, his body was found in the Mississippi River, but things aren't always as they initially appear. What happened to Chris Jenkins after spending a fun night out at the bar with friends, and can fo…

1
Mirna Salihin 48:44

6M ago48:44

48:44

#226 - In 2016, 27-year-old Mirna Salihin met up with a group of friends to grab some coffee - but less than 30 minutes later, she ended up dead after taking a few sips of her drink. No one had any idea what could have happened to her at the coffee shop - until forensic evidence raised some serious and deadly suspicions. Support My Work If you love…

1
Patrick Mullins 56:25

7M ago56:25

56:25

#225 - A man’s empty boat is found miles away from his home. And when his body surfaces over a week later, the authorities and his family are left with more questions than answers. Did Patrick Mullins, a beloved librarian and high school teacher, take his own life in 2013? Or does the forensic evidence point to something far more sinister? Support …

1
Suzy Lamplugh 43:29

7M ago43:29

43:29

#224 - It’s been almost four decades since real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh left her office to meet with a potential buyer named “Mr Kipper” and was never seen again. The 25-year-old simply vanished on July 28th, 1986, and her body has never been found, leaving many unanswered questions. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show …

1
Pelley Family Murders 50:44

7M ago50:44

50:44

#223 - In 1989, four members of the Pelley family from Indiana were gunned down inside their home. Without any leads or forensic evidence, the police decided they had their suspect: the Pelley family's 17-year-old son, Jeff. And the motive was simple: Jeff murdered his family because he wasn't allowed to go to prom. Is Jeff Pelley guilty or innocen…

1
Thomas Haynesworth 44:33

7M ago44:33

44:33

#222 - Over four weeks in the winter of 1984, five women were assaulted at knifepoint in a series of attacks in and around the East End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. The police quickly zeroed in on their suspect, Thomas Haynesworth, after every one of the victims identified him as the preparator. But can eyewitness identification always be tr…

1
Murders of Courtney Smith and Christina Jackson 48:30

8M ago48:30

48:30

#221 - Two three-year-old girls from Noxubee County, Mississippi, are found murdered under very similar circumstances. They were both abducted from their homes, sexually assaulted, and killed. Their killers also left behind a strong piece of forensic evidence: a bitemark. But despite their similarities suggesting the same person was responsible for…

1
Tupac Shakur 51:33

8M ago51:33

51:33

#220 - It's a murder still widely talked about today: the 1996 unsolved murder of hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur. Although an arrest was recently made in the case, some people wonder if we'll ever know what happened that night in Las Vegas. And if forensic evidence can still be tested in the case. Who murdered Tupac? Support My Work If you love the sh…

1
SPECIAL: Delphi Murders Update 46:22

8M ago46:22

46:22

#219 - In this week's episode, we're taking a deep dive into the offiicial court documents that have been made public about the Delphi Murders. We also discuss the forensic evidence and what still remains unknown about the murders of Abby and Libby from Delphi, Indiana. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is b…

1
The Geylang Bahru Family Murders 37:53

8M ago37:53

37:53

#218 - In 1979, four children from Geylang Bahru, Singapore, were found murdered inside their home with multiple stab wounds and their bodies stacked on top of each other. Although the police received a lot of tips, the murders remain unsolved today. Is there still hope for advancements in forensic science to finally crack this mystery? Support My …

1
Lisa Valdez 42:20

9M ago42:20

42:20

#217 - When 36-year-old computer programmer Lisa Valdez was found dead inside her upscale San Francisco apartment, the police immediately suspected she was killed by someone she knew. But even after the police collected DNA samples from all of her male friends and family members, they were no closer to making an arrest, and the case eventually turn…

1
Leola Shreves 44:13

9M ago44:13

44:13

#216 - The brutal murder of a 94-year-old woman inside her home completely shocked a California community for years. The police were left without many answers as to who could be responsible for such a terrible crime until they found the clue they needed in the form of DNA. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support i…

1
Lisa Ziegert 46:45

9M ago46:45

46:45

#215 - In 1992, 24-year-old Lisa Ziegert was kidnapped from the gift shop where she worked in the sleepy town of Agawam, Massachusetts. Over the next several years, law enforcement worked tirelessly to identify and capture her attacker. Can important forensic evidence eventually lead investigators to their suspect? Support My Work If you love the s…

1
Marcellus Williams 46:48

9M ago46:48

46:48

#214 - Marcellus Williams was charged and convicted of murdering a St. Louis woman inside her home in August 1998. Despite zero forensic evidence linking him to the brutal murder, he sits on death row today. Is Marcellus Williams a cold-blooded killer? Or another wrongfully accused man like he and his attorneys claim? Support My Work If you love th…

1
A Jogger in New Mexico 39:24

9M ago39:24

39:24

#213 - A young woman is assaulted while jogging in a popular trial in New Mexico, but law enforcement struggles to identify her attacker. Without any fresh leads in the case, the police turn to a new investigative tool - forensic genetic genealogy to hunt down a predator. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is…

1
Jill Dando 44:42

10M ago44:42

44:42

#212 - A famous British journalist was mysteriously gunned down on her very own front doorstep in April 1999, leaving many people to wonder if this infamous murder will ever be solved. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friend…

1
Nancy and Derek Haysom 54:51

10M ago54:51

54:51

#211 - In April 1985, Nancy and Derek Haysom were found brutally murdered inside their home in Bedford County. Both became victims of unspeakable violence, leaving many people to question who could have been responsible. When the forensic evidence led investigators to their suspects, no one could believe who it was. Support My Work If you love the …

1
Gainesville Ripper 43:56

10M ago43:56

43:56

#210 - In August 1990, the Gainesville Ripper murdered five college students over the course of just four days. These murders would eventually inspire one of the most popular slasher movies, Scream. If it weren't for DNA testing, the true identity of the Gainesville Ripper might not have ever been uncovered. Support My Work If you love the show, th…

1
Revisited: The Black Dahlia 41:33

10M ago41:33

41:33

#209 - It’s the murder that Time magazine dubbed “one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in the entire world.” The 1947 murder of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short has become a staple in the true crime community. From the brutality of the murder itself. To the fact it’s still unsolved decades later. The Black Dhalia murder has been one of the biggest m…

1
Ezra McCandless 50:48

11M ago50:48

50:48

#208 - A young teenager showed up at a stranger's doorstep, claiming to have been attacked by her ex-boyfriend. But the more the police investigated her claims, the more inconsistencies they found, especially when it came to what the forensic evidence said happened. Is Ezra McCandless an innocent victim or a cold-blooded killer? Support My Work If …

1
Terrence Woods Jr 50:54

11M ago50:54

50:54

#207 - In October 2018, a 27-year-old production assistant mysteriously vanished while filming for a television show in Idaho. Before he disappeared, Terrence Woods Jr. had big dreams, but all those dreams were suddenly faulted when he inexplicably walked out scene. Since then, Terrence has never been seen or heard from again - Can forensic science…

1
Brittany Stykes 45:32

11M ago45:32

45:32

#206 - A young pregnant mother was brutally gunned down inside her car while her toddler sat in the backseat. Was this a random attack, a freak accident, or something far more sinister? And can forensic science help solve the mystery of Brittany's death? Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a p…

1
Bonny Lee Bakley 47:18

11M ago47:18

47:18

#205 - In May 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was shot to death outside a popular Los Angeles restaurant while sitting in her husband's car. After a lengthy criminal investigation by the LAPD, the police arrested her husband, famous Holly wood actor Robert Blake, for the crime. But was Robert Blake a guilty man? Or was the forensic evidence not strong enoug…

1
Leonard Mack 40:04

12M ago40:04

40:04

#204 - Leonard Mack is arrested after two high school girls were assaulted as they walked home from school in New York in the 1970s. But could the police have the wrong guy and is forensic science able to finally prove his innocence? Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a…

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