Crime Junkie

When 27-year-old Scott Johnson is found deceased at the bottom of a cliff in Australia, authorities are quick to rule his death as a suicide. However, his brother, Steve, isn’t convinced, and begins a multi-decade quest to get answers – and justice.

When 22-year-old Franchesca Alvarado set out on a quick weekend trip to Atlantic City in March of 2012, it was meant to be a simple getaway… but it spiraled into a baffling tragedy. Her family is hoping that someone out there has the answers they’ve been searching for.

A young man stops for a restroom break during a walk with his mom along the seaside in the United Kingdom and is never seen again. His family has been searching for him for over 30 years…

When tragedy strikes in a wealthy Argentinian community, the suspicions of the nation fall squarely on the victim’s own family, and the case takes on a life of its own. This is Part 2 of 2.

When tragedy strikes in a wealthy Argentinian community, the suspicions of the nation fall squarely on the victim’s own family, and the case takes on a life of its own. This is Part 1 of 2.

When five young boys vanish from their village in South Korea, local authorities are quick to assume they ran away. However, their parents know that’s not what happened – and as their search for their children expands, they become convinced that something terrible happened… and it’s being covered up.

Since 2014, the mysterious deaths of Joyce and John Sheridan have been a major topic of conversation in Skillman, New Jersey. And as you might expect from the title, the story I have for you today is not as cut-and-dried as certain city officials would have you believe. In fact, the deeper I dove into this story, the more confused, shocked, and angry I became. This case could be a simple mishandling of an investigation, or it could be a corruption cover-up… time will tell.

After midnight on July 6th, 2012, three teenage girls walked into the thick Appalachian woods somewhere along the Mason-Dixon county line. Hours later, under the glow of a nearly full moon, only two walked out. The very last time Dave and Mary Neese saw their only child Skylar was in a grainy black-and-white video. In it, she's sneaking out of her ground-floor bedroom in the middle of the night, her purse over her shoulder, her brown hair swinging as she hurries across the small parking lot to a waiting car. What happened to Skylar Neese has become gothic American lore: the odd girl out in a vicious teenage triangle. But in the ten years since that fateful night beneath the West Virginia stars, a fuller portrait of what happened has emerged. From award-winning journalists Justine Harman and Holly Millea comes a gripping 10-part series featuring Skylar's family, closest friends, and law enforcement who lived the case—and are still living it.

When Angela Green vanished from her home in a Kansas suburb in 2019, she left behind a web of her husband's lies and a mystery that’s been haunting her loved ones and baffling police.

Ohio State Highway Patrol were identifying unknown remains along the side of a highway in northern Ohio at the same time a man in Michigan was being reported missing. Now, over five years later, U.S. Marshals are still searching for the culprit of this despicable crime. And they know exactly whom they’re looking for, she’s just been on the run since 2018.

Dozens of commuters see a young girl fleeing a car on the side of the expressway in Rochester, NY, but no one pulls over to help. The community is devastated when her body is discovered just days later, but it’s assumed to be a tragic but isolated incident. But when more young girls go missing, only to have their bodies discovered within days in a similar manner… the community must ask: is a serial killer stalking the streets of Rochester? And is he choosing his victims based on a seemingly random characteristic?

Dozens of commuters see a young girl fleeing a car on the side of the expressway in Rochester, NY, but no one pulls over to help. The community is devastated when her body is discovered just days later, but it’s assumed to be a tragic but isolated incident. But when more young girls go missing, only to have their bodies discovered within days in a similar manner… the community must ask: is a serial killer stalking the streets of Rochester? And is he choosing his victims based on a seemingly random characteristic? This is Part 1 of 2.

When a beloved college student disappears on her way home one January day in 2007, a massive city-wide ground search is initiated, and the community is hopeful that she’ll be found and brought safely home. But as hope starts to dwindle, investigators realize that a predator has been stalking their community for years, hiding in plain sight.

In honor of this past National Missing Persons Day, Ashley and Brit are going to take turns telling you the stories of seven missing kids that all have a certain connection. These are the stories of 7 out of 36 missing kids that are featured in the 1993 music video for the song Runaway Train by Soul Asylum. A majority of those cases have been resolved thanks to that video, but that means there are still too many left that need your attention – and maybe someone, somewhere out there holds the key to solving their cases.

Over the past 20 years, Maura Murray’s case has taken on a life of its own. It’s become hard to distinguish what’s fact versus what’s rumor… until now. For the first time ever, we’re getting Maura’s full story from the person who knew her best - her sister, Julie Murray.

When Aarushi Talwar is found brutally murdered in her bedroom, it sets off one of the strangest and most controversial murder cases in India’s history.

A fun-filled wakeboarding festival turns tragic after a young woman’s body is found floating in the lake. Her family is told that it was an accident, but they begin to suspect that her friends may know more than what they are saying.

When 14-year-old Christie Mullins is found murdered, police are quick to charge a young man who fits the description of the killer to a tee. However, as the case unfolds, Christie’s father – and the public – realize that the case is not as open and shut as it seems.

In this episode, we discuss the latest update in the Colonial Parkway Murders case. Investigators have recently named Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. as a suspect in three unsolved killings from the late 1980s... including one of the double homicides in the Colonial Parkway Murders.

Just days before she was due to give birth to her second child, 24-year-old Evelyn Hernandez goes missing, along with her 5-year-old son, Alex. And although her disappearance receives some media attention, it pales in comparison to a much more infamous case that shares disturbing similarities.

A young mother walks out her front door in the middle of the night and seems to vanish into thin air. With little help from law enforcement, her family and friends fight to keep her case active and find the answers they deserve.

When 13-year old Matthew Margolies didn’t come home for supper on the night of August 31, 1984, police in Greenwich, Connecticut launched a full scale search scouring the Pemberwick woods and waters of the Byram River for any sign of the young fisherman.

When a 36-year-old man is found stabbed to death in his apartment, it’s just the beginning of a locked room mystery that has his family convinced he was murdered, but the police convinced it might be something far stranger.

Kitty Genovese has become infamous as the woman who was ignored by her neighbors as she was being murdered on March 13th, 1964. Much of her story has been embellished or misreported, though that’s not to say the truth isn’t horrific and her legacy lasting. Kitty’s case set the precedent for the 911 system we have in place and rely on to this day.

Sometimes we see our legal system as black or white. Innocent or Guilty. But there is a technical gray area. Room for someone to plead guilty while still maintaining their innocence. And this is only possible because of a precedent set in the case against a man named Henry Alford more than half a century ago.

Join Brit and the founder of Safe from Online Sex Abuse (SOSA), Roo Powell, and learn about the incredible work SOSA is doing, how to stay safe online, and how any Crime Junkie parents can best support their children against the monsters of the internet.

Two harrowing stories – those of Asia Anderson and Walker Montgomery – illustrate how the rising digital threat of sextortion can impact anyone and forever change lives.

An ASU student comes home one afternoon in 1997 to find her roommate, Fiona Yu, clinging to life in their shared apartment. She had been sexually assaulted, beaten, and left for dead. Though DNA evidence was left at the scene, the case goes cold. When other attacks of young women in the area are reported and their cases closed, there is hope that a connection will shed light on Fiona’s.

When 23-year-old Beth Barnard is found murdered in her home, investigators immediately suspect a woman named Vivienne Cameron, whose husband had been having an affair with Beth. But the more investigators – and the wider public – dig into the mystery, the less the puzzle pieces seem to fit together.

When 23-year-old Beth Barnard is found murdered in her home, investigators immediately suspect a woman named Vivienne Cameron, whose husband had been having an affair with Beth. But the more investigators – and the wider public – dig into the mystery, the less the puzzle pieces seem to fit together.

Two 17-year-old girls set off one summer night in 1999 for a high school field party, excited to mark the end of summer with friends. But when they never make it to the party… or back home… the search is on.

The sudden disappearance of the manager at an Off-Track Betting parlor has his family, friends, and the police convinced he's met with foul play at the hands of someone he knows.

Reed Jeppson, a Salt Lake City teen, went outside to feed his dogs one Sunday afternoon in 1964 and vanished, with the dogs, into thin air. Decades later, his heartbroken family still has so many unanswered questions.

After nearly 50 years as East Haven, Connecticut’s Jane Doe, police have finally identified the murder victim found behind Bradlees Department Store as 18-year-old Patricia Newsom. Now, they need your help to catch her killer – or killers.

On March 24th, 2012, Molly Young rushed to her on-again, off-again boyfriend Richie Minton's aid, only to be found dead hours later in his Carbondale, Illinois apartment with a gunshot wound to the head. Did she take her own life, or was she the victim of foul play? With lingering doubts about the investigation's integrity, the search for answers continues.

When a young mother vanishes from her small town, alarm bells sound immediately. Local police are on the case, but just a few days into the investigation, the woman’s family discovers that she had been having a secret affair with a married police officer. When that officer turns out to be the lead investigator on the case, speculation runs rampant. Her family is sure she was murdered by this officer, and the motive seems clear. So, why after twenty years does her case remain ice cold?

In May 2021, Crime Junkie covered the 1981 murder of Father Patrick Ryan and the subsequent conviction of James Reyos. Now almost 40 years since James' arrest, officials discovered that there was untested evidence that has been sitting idle...which proved James was innocent and was only uncovered because two Crime Junkies listening to our episode decided to make a little noise.

When 18-year-old Jade Winston is found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in her Carrier Mills, Illinois, apartment in August 2007, the entire community is stunned, and investigators are split on whether she was murdered or if she took her own life. As rumors fly, a Coroner's Jury rules Jade's death a homicide. But 16 years later, the case is on the shelf, and her family is still desperate to know what happened… and praying that someone will give it the attention it deserves.

When 32-year-old Deanna Cook is found murdered in her home, her family automatically suspects her ex-husband. But despite a swift arrest, the investigation into her homicide reveals appalling gaps in the Dallas 911 system and the people who failed Deanna when she needed them most.

When Pherbia Tinsley is found shot to death inside her car miles from her apartment in Central Virginia, authorities work fast to try and find her killer. Detectives uncover a handful of wild secrets in the lives of those around Pherbia which only deepen the mystery. Suspects are developed but the questions still plague cold case investigators. Who wanted Pherbia dead? And why?

When Morgan Patten is killed in a mysterious auto crash while visiting her fiancé in North Carolina, police are quick to call it a tragic accident. But her loved ones believe she was the victim of foul play, and they won’t rest until they learn the truth.

When a local news anchor vanishes in the pre-dawn hours, the entire community is struck by the irony. The person who typically broke stories in their small town was now the focus of the biggest missing persons case in the Midwest. Leads and suspects are plentiful, but somehow, almost three decades have passed without a shred of evidence pointing to anyone in particular.

In 1843, Daniel M’Naghten gunned down another man in broad daylight. But when he was taken to trial things got complicated. His defense argued that he shouldn’t be held fully responsible because he wasn’t in his right mind. However, the courts didn’t know what to do with that because there was no precedent for this kind of thing. So his defense team got to work putting in place a defense strategy that is still used, almost in the exact same way, almost 200 years later.

When the body of a man is found in the burned remains of the Roberts home, the family assumes it’s 52-year-old Clarence. But the question surrounding his identity remains for years… until another fire 10 years later leaves everyone with more questions than answers.

If you’ve been following Alissa Turney’s case, you’ll know that her stepfather, Michael Turney, has been acquitted of her murder, which has left us all with too many questions. What does all this mean? What exactly happened in court? And what’s next? Well Alissa’s biggest advocate, Sarah Turney, is here to give us the answers.

When a young woman goes missing under mysterious circumstances, questions swirl around a local businessman. But throughout the next 15 years, authorities figure out he may be involved in much more.

When a young woman vanishes, police think she left willingly. That changes when her body is discovered months later and it’s clear she was brutally murdered. Small town secrets keep this case a mystery for decades…. until a cold case team is finally able to get people talking.

When a promising young woman fails to show up for a Father’s Day celebration in 2013, her dad knows immediately that something is very wrong. And as investigators work to unravel the chaotic timeline of the night she went missing, they find no lack of viable persons of interest. But when her case goes ice cold, they’re forced to ask if they’ve been overlooking a monster in their midst.

The update episode you all have been waiting for! On July 13th, 2023, Suffolk County ended the search for their Gilgo murder suspect and charged 59-year-old Rex Heuermann for the murders of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman.

On July 26, 2021, we covered the case of MISSING: Alicia Navarro. On July 26, 2023, exactly two years after the release of our episode, 18-year-old Alicia Navarro showed up at a small police station in Montana and stated she was the person who vanished almost four years ago from Glendale, Arizona.

When a beautiful young woman and her mother go missing, all eyes turn to the strange behavior of her father. And when he crumbles under the scrutiny, a lifetime of secrets make their way to the surface.

When a successful career woman goes missing in Washington, D.C., her family immediately knows something is wrong. And when the investigation’s winding path eventually leads detectives right back to the place they started, her family’s long fight for justice produces a stunning result.

When 36-year-old Maribel Ramos doesn’t show up to her weekly softball game, her friends and family immediately know something is wrong. And that sense of dread only increases when they go to her house, only to discover there’s no trace of her —despite her car still being in the garage. As investigators dig into the case, the signs quickly begin to point to one of the people closest to Maribel.

When young women start disappearing from the streets of Honolulu only to soon be found brutally murdered, investigators at first dismiss any connection between the cases. But as the disappearances continue and the similarities pile up, they’re forced to confront a brutal truth... there’s a serial killer in paradise.

When Shawn O’Brien is found unconscious in his Cranston, RI, apartment and dies days later in the hospital, the unusual circumstances spark suspicions of foul play. But the investigation quickly stalls out, leaving a grieving family searching for answers on their own.

On a Friday afternoon in 1986, 18-year-old Denise Pflum leaves her home in Connersville, Indiana, to go searching for a purse she had left at a party the night before. When she doesn’t return home, it’s just the beginning of a nightmare that will haunt her parents for over 30 years.

When police and federal agents descended on the home of the Todt family, they never expected to discover the gruesome scene waiting for them inside. While investigators had been able to piece together bits and pieces of what may have happened, questions still remained about who instigated everything... and why.

When Amber Hagerman was abducted in 1996, there was a witness who saw a man and a distinctive car near where she was taken. But there was no way to get this information out to the mass public in time, and to this day, the mystery of what happened to Amber still remains. But her story changed the way the country handles child abductions and a precedent to issue an Amber Alert in situations like hers was made.

When firefighters responded to 33-year-old Joey Lynn Offutt’s burning house in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, on July 12, 2007, they were shocked to discover the remains of her infant son, Alexis Brolin III. Joey was nowhere to be found and at the time, investigators didn’t know if she was a victim of the crime - or the perpetrator. But her family is convinced she was set up, and their only hope is that someone will come forward with the information they’ve been desperately seeking for 15 years.

When a friend is MIA after a night out, loved ones worry that she didn’t make it home safely. When police do a wellness check, they see that she did make it to her apartment… but surprisingly, she was far from safe.

Brian Wehrle vanished without a trace during a trip to his hometown of Carrollton, Georgia. Everyone suspects foul play, but no one knows what could have happened to him. And nearly 14 years after his disappearance, his family is hoping someone out there has the information they need to bring Brian home.

When a fire destroys the Krentel home, family and friends are devastated to learn that one member, Nanette, didn’t make it out. But despite her death clearly being a homicide, her death remains unsolved.

When 20-year-old Ashley Loring HeavyRunner goes missing on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, her older sister Kimberly is forced to pick up the slack of a system that’s designed to fail those it’s supposed to protect. Her investigation leads her to three people who may know what happened to her sister… but none will talk.

When a young mother is reported missing, investigators quickly realize she was probably murdered. Their prime suspect is her husband, but a slew of suspicious statements and circumstantial evidence isn’t enough to put him behind bars... until a lucky discovery gives them everything they need.

Elizabeth Santos’ unexpected and tragic death in 2020 left behind a million questions. Some believe it was the result of a mental health crisis, but many of her loved ones think she’s a victim of foul play, and they’ve been pushing for answers.

When a young mother is found brutally beaten to death in 2007, investigators are able to quickly apprehend her killer. But as the years go by, he decides to open up and reveal he has a darker past than anyone could’ve ever imagined.

Oakley Carlson was only four years old when she went missing in 2021. Investigators launched a desperate search to bring her home, but with each new piece of evidence, they learned that home may not have been the safest place for her. And the systems put in place to protect her may have been the very thing that put her in the hands of the people responsible for her disappearance.

In 1981, a young boy named Adam was abducted by a stranger from a shopping plaza. It would take almost three decades to bring closure to his family but in that time Adam’s legacy would forever change the way America views and handles missing children cases.

When mother-of-three QC Chadwick and her husband, Peter, don’t pick their kids up at the bus stop, their friends and neighbors immediately know something’s wrong. But, they never could have guessed the horrors that had already occurred behind closed doors… and the lengths a man would go to in order to avoid capture.

When 23-year-old Phoenix Coldon walks out the front door of her family home, her parents never could have guessed that she wouldn’t come back. The search for her only turned up more questions, and over 10 years later, many of those questions still remain.

When Julie Kibuishi’s body is discovered in Sam Herr’s apartment, investigators immediately launch a manhunt to track Sam down. But things take an unexpected turn when a new suspect places himself front and center, and confesses to a crime so callous, it’s as if it’s a movie.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, multiple young women and girls go missing in the Vernon-Tolland area of Connecticut. For years, investigators have wondered if these seemingly unrelated cases might share too strong a connection to be ignored. Three, in particular — Janice Pockett, Lisa White, and Debbie Spickler — bear striking similarities to each other, and have become known as the Vernon-Tolland Three.

When 17-year-old Tracy Kirkpatrick is found murdered in March 1989, investigators struggle to find any evidence pointing to who killed her. Despite numerous efforts to dig up leads and strong tips through the investigation, the case has remained a mystery for nearly 40 years.

When Theresa Allore vanishes from her college campus in Quebec, Canada, in 1978, local police dismiss her as runaway and force her family to start their own investigation that would span across 45 years. Over the decades, they piece together evidence and uncover an array of conspiracies, from a potential serial killer on the prowl to the possibility of corrupt law enforcement.

David Josiah Lawson headed off to college in Arcata, California with big dreams only to be stabbed to death at a party off-campus. But a case that seemed straightforward when it began proves to be anything but… and years later, his mom is still fighting for justice.

When Christina Calayca disappeared on a camping trip in Ontario, Canada, in 2007, investigators expected to find her in a few short hours. But despite numerous search efforts, no sign of her was ever found. And 16 years later, her family is still searching for answers.

When 15-year-old Sharmini Anandavel doesn’t come home from her first day at a new job, her family is immediately suspicious of one of their neighbors. But despite an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence, her death remains unsolved… at least, in the eyes of the law.

When Nichol Olsen and her two daughters are found shot in the home they shared with her boyfriend, a theory quickly emerges that lays the blame on Nichol. But to those who knew her, that’s not an option, and points to someone else as the culprit. Over three years later, the question still remains: what happened in that house on January 9, 2019?

Aaron Taylor was 36 and experiencing homelessness when he was lit on fire on Christmas Day in 2007. Police think they know who’s responsible, but a lack of physical evidence, coupled with reluctant witnesses, has kept this case open for years. But multiple people know what happened… and investigators are hoping they’ll come forward.

Natanalie Perez was chasing her dream of being a singer when she fell victim to a violent sex-trafficking ring in Florida and disappeared in June of 2012. More than a decade later, her family and investigators from the Anti-Predator Project are still trying to find her…or find out what happened to her.

In 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested for kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery. Ultimately, he gave police a confession, but only because he didn’t know he had the option not to talk to them… or to get an attorney. Miranda’s path through the justice system set a precedent for informing those arrested of their rights. And now the Miranda Warning is something so ingrained in us Crime Junkies that we could probably recite it on our sleep.

There are Crime Junkies far and wide and SURPRISE! Conan O’Brien is in fact a Crime Junkie. On this special bonus episode, Ashley sits down with Conan to deep dive into what it is about true crime that has got them absolutely hooked. From the first case that caught each of their attention to the one that keeps them up at night, Ashley and Conan share it all!

When 16-year-old Phylicia Simone Barnes is found dead in a river 40 miles from where she was staying, her family suspects one man is responsible. But bringing him to justice is far more difficult than anyone could have expected.

When 16-year-old Phylicia Simone Barnes goes missing while visiting her half-sister in Baltimore, the whole community comes together to search. But what started as a missing person's investigation that consumed the city of Baltimore quickly turns into something far more sinister.

For our 5-year celebration episode, we take a look back at the impact Crime Junkie has made. From funding DNA testing to solving crimes, nothing would have been possible without the support of everyone who has tuned in every week for the last 5 years!

When federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna was found face-down in a creek with multiple stab wounds, homicide seemed like the obvious answer. Over time, though, public officials started to pose a different theory: that he took his own life. But for those who knew Jonathan, that wasn’t an option – and the more they learned about the circumstances surrounding his death, the more they started to wonder if it was being covered up by those in charge.

11-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted as she was walking to school in June of 1991. No one would see her again for 18 years, until two campus police officers did what parole and police officers couldn’t. But her story isn’t just one of survival – it’s one of strength, resiliency, and life after tragedy.

When a 9-year-old girl vanishes from her home overnight, investigators must try and overcome a lack of evidence and follow a number of shocking, but ultimately dead-end tips that have them convinced she is still out there somewhere more than three decades later.

Nadia Malik was trying to break free of an abusive relationship when she disappeared only to be found dead in a car. And while her family and many others are sure that one person is responsible for her death, the mysterious circumstances have made finding justice elusive.

A young woman is abducted in the middle of the day, and despite seeming like an open and shut case, her family is still searching for answers almost 30 years later.

When Michael and Mary Short are found murdered in their Virginia home in August of 2002, the question on everyone’s minds is: where is their nine-year-old daughter Jennifer? But as weeks go by with no solid leads, authorities grow more and more concerned that they won’t find Jennifer alive. And those worries only intensify when a homeowner across state lines finds something horrifying in his front yard.

When Nicole Fitts is found murdered in a park in San Francisco, both her family and law enforcement have the same two questions: who killed her, and where is her 2-year-old daughter, Arianna? The investigation into Arianna’s disappearance leads them right to the people who were supposed to be watching her... but they quickly realize that this case won’t be easy solve.

Five-year-old Hassani Campbell disappears without a trace, leaving behind a community desperate for answers. No one knew four-year-old Tianna Kirchner was missing for four years, until a chilling phone call shocks law enforcement and the public. Though not connected in life, one thing is clear: they both deserve justice.

Today, October 31, 2022, the Indiana State Police, in conjunction with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the Carroll County Prosecutor's Office, held a press conference where they made the announcement thousands of people have been waiting to hear: an arrest had been made for the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German.

Celina Mays was 12 years old when she vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night back in 1996. Her disappearance helped peel back the curtain on a small controversial church where an environment of shame, isolation, and fear allowed sexual abuse to flourish.

When eight-year-old Stella Nolan went missing in 1953, no one could have known that she was the first in a long list of children that would disappear throughout the 50s and 60s in Los Angeles, California. But despite child after child vanishing, it would take an unexpected twist of fate for anyone to even know there was a monster living in their midst.

Toddlers Kreneice Jones and LaMoine Allen disappear from a small town in Mississippi during a family gathering on Mother’s Day in 1992 under bizarre circumstances. The two children aren’t related – in fact, they barely know each other – and to this day, no one can make sense of what happened to them.

When two boys are found deceased on the train tracks in Bryant, Arkansas, their deaths are considered a tragic and unexpected accident. But as their parents begin looking for answers, they uncover deep-rooted corruption and a scheme to cover up their deaths that everyone from the police to the prosecutor seems to be in on.

Recently divorced and living on her own in a new city, 27-year-old Owachige Osceola’s life was in a season of transition before she was killed in the bedroom of her Norman, Oklahoma apartment in September 2013. While the medical examiner who performed her autopsy concluded her cause and manner of death were “undetermined,” a detective who remains on the case today insists a killer has been allowed to walk free for nearly a decade.