Advertise on podcast: Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

On July 5th, 1998, 82-year-old Manhattan socialite Irene Silverman vanished from her Upper East Side townhouse without a trace. There were no signs of a struggle and no forced entry, but the investigation quickly pointed to a tenant named Manny and his mother. What seemed like a sudden disappearance was actually the culmination of a highly calculated plan by Sante Kimes and her son, Kenneth Kimes Jr., who had spent decades mastering deception, manipulation, and control. Sante's criminal history started with small thefts and escalated into fraud, arson, and eventually, murder. Kenneth Jr. was raised in this environment, learning how to manipulate situations and avoid consequences from a young age. Their schemes spanned across the country and even internationally, leaving a trail of victims including Elmer Holmgren, Syed Bilal Ahmed, and David Kazdin. We discuss the shocking details of Sante's meticulously kept notebooks, their arrest in Las Vegas that unraveled their plan, and how investigators built a murder case without a body. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off, text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture a peaceful day on the highway. Cars are driving along, everyone is minding their own business. Sounds nice, right? Now, picture that same highway interrupted by a man driving a stolen four-wheeler directly into oncoming traffic—completely and utterly naked. It all started when Jonathan decided to go on a multi-vehicle joyride. After abandoning a stolen PT Cruiser with a flat tire, he snagged a bright yellow ATV from a sweet older man's garage. What followed was a bizarre, slow-speed police chase that ended with Jonathan flying over the handlebars and into custody, leaving the ATV perfectly fine but in desperate need of a car wash. But the strange arrests don't stop there. This episode is a wild ride through some of the most baffling criminal decisions ever caught on camera. We're talking about a man who pulled into a police officer's driveway just to twerk on the hood of the squad car and rip off the windshield wipers—all because he was trying to escape a vampire. Then, there's the guy in Daytona Beach who got into a screaming match with Fish and Wildlife officers, insisting the 10-foot alligator he was feeding bagels to was actually just a turtle. And just when you think you've heard it all, we meet a shoplifter who tried to conceal a 34-inch crossbow down his sweatpants, and a man who demanded the keys to the city of Jacksonville after being wrongfully arrested for the "murder" of a highly aggressive neighborhood rooster. It's an episode full of questionable getaways, baffling excuses, and criminal masterminds who really should have put some clothes on first.

On a summer evening in June 2021, a 911 call from a home in Newnan, Georgia, reported a terrible accident. Cheryl Coe claimed she had been startled awake and fired two warning shots at an intruder, only to realize she had shot her husband, Luther "Luke" Lee Coe III. But as investigators arrived and examined the scene, the physical evidence told a much different story. The gunshot wound was inflicted at close range, contradicting her claims of firing across the room. As detectives dug deeper, they uncovered a marriage strained by jealousy, control, and a complicated open relationship. With conflicting timelines, shifting stories, and a history of escalating arguments, what began as a tragic mistake quickly transformed into a complex murder investigation. Listen as we explore the tragic death of Luke the unravelling of Cheryl's varying accounts, and the two trials it took to finally reach a verdict. Check-out early release, ad-free and bonus episodes at patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply. Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of true crime, we talk a lot about masking the face a person presents to the world versus the face they wear behind closed doors. Few cases illustrate that duality more starkly than the story of Gerhardt and Arielle Konig. Arielle was a brilliant nuclear engineer and project manager at TerraPower. Gerhardt was a respected anesthesiologist. They had a blended family, a beautiful $1.5 million home in Maui, and a life that looked from every angle like an absolute dream. But behind closed doors, Gerhardt was engaging in a pattern of coercive control. After discovering Arielle had an emotional relationship with a coworker, he became consumed by jealousy. He surveilled her phone, demanded she quit her job, and isolated her from friends. Then, on Arielle's 36th birthday, Gerhardt planned a romantic hike on the Pali Puka trail — a closed, dangerous ridge on Oahu with 300-foot drop-offs. What happened on that cliff led to a massive police manhunt, a shocking discovery in a hidden fanny pack, and a controversial trial that left the true crime community in disbelief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture a beautiful three-bedroom home with a pool and jacuzzi in sunny Cathedral City. It’s the perfect retirement oasis. Sounds nice, right? Now, picture that same home turning into a living nightmare when a new tenant moves in and systematically destroys everything you love. It all started innocently enough. Anita Cowen, an elderly woman trying to make ends meet, decided to rent out rooms in her dream home. Enter Scott Pettigrew, a seemingly clean-cut, educated man who claimed to be studying for the bar exam. At first, he appeared to be the perfect tenant, charming Anita and befriending her. But beneath the surface lurked a manipulative, deeply disturbed individual. Things quickly took a bizarre and terrifying turn. Scott began a campaign of psychological warfare, terrorizing both Anita and her other tenant, Darrell. We're talking stolen showerheads, missing toilet bowl cleaners, and horrifying acts of vandalism...like vomiting and defecating in the bathtub, only to blame it on Darrell. Scott’s behavior escalated from unhinged to dangerous, culminating in him changing the locks, pouring superglue in doorframes, and orchestrating a web of lies that landed the innocent Darrell in jail. What happens when a landlord's trusting nature is exploited by a true Jekyll and Hyde personality? Absolute tragedy. This is a harrowing story of a peaceful retirement shattered by a diabolical housemate, leading to a heartbreaking and fatal conclusion.

On the morning of October 2, 2020, 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett pulled into the parking lot of her job in Carrollton, Texas. Within minutes, she was ambushed in broad daylight, shot, and stabbed multiple times. What initially looked like a random act of extreme violence quickly revealed itself to be something much more sinister. Investigators soon discovered that someone had been quietly tracking Alyssa for months, setting her up, and building a methodical plan to ensure she did not survive. The investigation led police to the father of Alyssa's child, Andrew Beard, and his fiancée, Holly Elkins. As detectives unraveled a complex web of GPS trackers, false police reports, planted evidence, and burner phones, they uncovered a disturbing campaign of cyberstalking and harassment driven by a bitter custody dispute. The evidence showed a steady escalation toward violence, orchestrated by individuals desperate to create a "picture-perfect" family at any cost. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Check-out all of our links at momsandmysteries.com. Join Patreon today for bonus episodes and ad-free/early release episodes! Subscribe to our Youtube for shorts and more videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February 1978, five young men from Yuba County, California, drove to Chico to watch a college basketball game. They were close friends who thrived on routine and predictability, and they had a big basketball tournament of their own the next day. But after a quick stop for snacks, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Ted Weiher, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias vanished. Instead of driving south toward home, their car was found abandoned 70 miles in the opposite direction, stuck on a remote, snow-covered mountain road. What followed is one of the most baffling cases in true crime history. Months later, the remains of four of the men were discovered miles away from their vehicle, including one who had miraculously survived for weeks inside a well-stocked forest service trailer but failed to use the resources that could have saved him. Gary Mathias has never been found. We discuss the confusing timeline, the strange witness account of a man stranded nearby, and the lingering questions of why these men walked deeper into the freezing wilderness. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/MOMS #Tumble #ad Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.  Join the more than 3 million families who have been served by K12 and bring personalized learning to the comfort of your home. Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mamta Kafle Bhatt worked tirelessly to build a life in the United States. She was a dedicated nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia, and a loving mother to her one-year-old daughter. From the outside, her life and marriage to Naresh Bhatt appeared stable and happy. However, close friends and coworkers began to notice troubling signs, including visible injuries and attempts by Mamta to separate from her husband and regain control of her finances and identification documents. When Mamta failed to show up for her nursing shift in early August 2024, her coworkers immediately raised the alarm. Despite her husband's claims that she had simply walked away to cool off after an argument, the reality of the situation soon became clear. As investigators searched their home, they uncovered a disturbing crime scene that contradicted Naresh's story, leading to his arrest for her murder. While her body has yet to be found, the overwhelming forensic evidence paints a grim picture of what happened to the devoted mother who was just days away from her US citizenship interview. Thank you to this week's sponsors! For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50.  Way Day is THE sale to shop the best deals in home – we’re talking up to 80% OFF with fast and FREE shipping on everything! Head to Wayfair.com April 25th through the 27th to shop Way Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 11, 2022, 25-year-old professional gravel cyclist Moriah Wilson was found shot to death inside a friend's apartment in Austin, Texas. She had traveled to town for a major race that had the potential to elevate her rising career. Investigators quickly discovered that Moriah had spent the evening with Colin Strickland, a fellow cyclist who was involved in a complicated, on-again, off-again relationship with 34-year-old yoga instructor Kaitlin Armstrong. As detectives unraveled the timeline, they found that Kaitlin had been tracking Moriah's movements for months. Surveillance footage placed Kaitlin's vehicle at the scene within minutes of Moriah being dropped off. What followed was a massive search that crossed international borders, involving altered identities, cosmetic surgery, and a desperate attempt to evade justice in Costa Rica. Thank you to this week's sponsors! IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% off text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.  To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to PakaApparel.com now! New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture a picturesque life in a quiet New England town. A loving husband, a beautiful home, and a picture-perfect family. Sounds ideal, right? Now, picture that same husband secretly living a double life so dark and twisted, it defies belief. It all started as a whirlwind romance. Kathleen, a young, ambitious stockbroker, met Bruce, an easygoing guy who swept her off her feet. They married, had a son, and settled into a comfortable routine. But as the years went by, Bruce's behavior started to change. It began with an unhealthy obsession with his cell phone and petty, passive-aggressive acts—like leaving every cabinet and drawer in the kitchen wide open just to make a point. But here’s where it gets truly sinister. When Kathleen confronts Bruce about a suspicious text from a woman named Victoria, he claims she’s just a "stripper friend." Unsurprisingly, Kathleen isn't buying it. When Bruce suddenly disappears overnight and ends up in jail, the horrifying truth finally comes out. Bruce wasn't just having an affair; he was orchestrating a vicious, calculated campaign of terror against his mistress. What happens when a seemingly normal husband turns out to be a vengeful monster? Absolute nightmare fuel. We're talking stolen life savings, dead snakes in the mail, and a horrifying cyberstalking campaign that involved creating fake escort sites and sending explicit videos to high school students. It’s a story that proves you can share a life, a home, and a family with someone, and still have absolutely no idea who the bleep you married.

A quick note on today's episode: Linda Hazzard's 'treatments' heavily involved extreme fasting and starvation. We want to mention this up front for anyone who might be sensitive to discussions around restrictive diets or disordered eating. This week we discuss Linda Hazzard, a self-proclaimed doctor in the early 1900s who convinced patients that extreme fasting was a medical cure. Operating out of Washington state, Linda exploited legal loopholes to open a sanitarium that locals grimly called "Starvation Heights." She targeted wealthy individuals, placing them on starvation diets while slowly taking control of their finances and estates as they grew weaker. The situation finally reached a breaking point when wealthy British heiresses Claire Williamson and Dora Williamson entered her care. We cover the harrowing conditions the sisters endured, the desperate rescue mission by their childhood nanny, and the sensational murder trial that followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever met someone who was terrible at something but thought they were a genius? This week, we explore the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their own competence. We start with the case that inspired the research: McArthur Wheeler, a man who robbed two banks after covering his face in lemon juice, believing it would make him invisible to security cameras. His baffling confidence led psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger to study this strange phenomenon. We then look at how this bias plays out in the world of true crime, from the comically inept “Hillbilly Heist” orchestrated by the Loomis Fargo crew, to the chilling case of Caleb Flynn, a former American Idol contestant accused of murdering his wife and staging a break-in. We also examine the tragic story of Lauren Giddings and the law student who thought he could commit the perfect murder, only to have his plan unravel on live television. Finally, we share the incredible story of Brett Johnson, a cybercriminal who went from the Secret Service's Most Wanted list to a respected FBI consultant, demonstrating the rare journey from the “peak of Mount Stupid” to true self-awareness. Thank you to this week's sponsors: See why more than 3 million families have chosen K12 – find a K12 Powered School near you today! Go to K12.com/MOMS to learn more. Right now, go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping and 365-day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. Now available in Canada, too. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, we head to Nashville, Tennessee, where what seemed like a close bond between a divorced man named Steven and his older neighbors, Jack and Joanne, takes a bizarre and offensive turn. After Steven gifts Joanne a novelty “White Privilege Card” purchased on Amazon, their relationship implodes. The conflict escalates into a battle over a three-foot property line, an expensive fence, and Steven’s decision to launch a lucrative YouTube channel documenting Joanne’s explosive reactions. Despite a half-hearted peace offering involving a case of Corona Light and a barbecue dinner, the feud ends with a tense showdown at a local pub and a threatened hundred-thousand-dollar lawsuit. Then, we travel to a wealthy neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas, where former state senator Jeff Wentworth finds himself at war with his new neighbor, Alexa, a self-described "Alchemist of Light." The trouble starts when Alexa begins constructing a massive ten-to-twelve-foot wall around her property, prompting Jeff to compare it to Osama bin Laden's compound. As Jeff rallies the neighborhood and files complaints, Alexa retaliates by adopting a mafia persona, driving a blacked-out Escalade, and blaming her physical ailments on spiritual attacks from her neighbor. With an ongoing battle over city fines and a failed Board of Adjustments hearing, this bizarre dispute proves that sometimes the highest fences make the worst neighbors.

At 2:14 AM, Navy sailor Angelina “Angie” Resendiz made a frantic, crying phone call to a friend, begging to be picked up from a fellow sailor’s barracks. Moments later, a man took the phone and insisted she was fine, even as Angie could still be heard saying she wanted to leave. Her friend arrived within minutes, but Angie was nowhere to be found. Less than two weeks later, her body would be discovered inside a duffle bag in the woods behind a Virginia elementary school. This week, we cover the tragic and preventable murder of Angie Resendiz at the hands of Jeremiah Copeland, a fellow sailor with a documented history of violence. We also discuss the heartbreaking parallels to the case of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, whose death sparked national outrage and led to military reform. Angie’s story raises critical questions about whether those reforms go far enough and what happens when the system designed to protect service members fails them. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 16, Barry Minkow started a carpet cleaning company in his parents' garage. By 21, he was one of the youngest CEOs of a publicly traded company in America, with a business valued at over $200 million. But the entire empire was built on a foundation of lies. This is the story of ZZZZ Best, one of the most audacious corporate frauds of the 1980s, and the story of a charismatic young man who fooled auditors, investors, and the media with staged job sites and forged documents. After serving time in federal prison, Barry reinvented himself as a pastor and a fraud investigator, only to find himself back in court, facing new charges of embezzlement and stock manipulation. It's a wild ride through the mind of a master manipulator who couldn't stop scamming. Thank you to this week's sponsors! See why more than 3 million families have chosen K12 – find a K12 Powered School near you today! Enrollment portals are now open. Go to K12.com/MOMS to learn more. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices