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On a Tuesday afternoon in March 2024, Ashley Smylie—a beloved high school mathematics teacher—returned home with her 14-year-old daughter, Carly. Minutes later, the quiet of their Brandon, Mississippi, home was shattered by three gunshots. What followed was a chilling sequence of events captured on home security footage: a teenager calmly texting on her mother’s phone, a lure set for a stepfather, and a friend invited over to see a "dead body." -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1974, Sweden delivered 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans to North Korea, hoping to spark a new era of trade. The cars arrived, but the payment never did. Five decades later, the debt has ballooned into the billions, and the vintage Volvos are still being spotted on the streets of Pyongyang. This episode of True Crime To Go breaks down the largest "car theft" in history—a state-sponsored swindle that remains on Sweden's books to this day. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On May 17, 1995, a quiet evening in San Diego turned into a scene out of a war movie. Shawn Timothy Nelson, a struggling Army veteran and plumber, breached a National Guard armory, hot-wired an M60A3 tank, and began a 25-minute path of destruction through suburban streets. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2016, Nathan Carman was found drifting in a life raft eight days after his boat, the Chicken Pox, sank during a fishing trip. He was a survivor—but to the FBI, he was a cold-blooded killer. This episode of True Crimecast explores the disturbing history of the Chakalos-Carman family. From the unsolved 2013 murder of Nathan’s multimillionaire grandfather to the "suspicious" modifications Nathan made to his own vessel, we examine the government’s theory that Nathan orchestrated multiple deaths for a massive inheritance. We also cover the shocking 2023 conclusion that left both families without a final verdict. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this fascinating bonus episode of True CrimeCast, we are joined by homicide prosecutor and author Jarrett Ferentino to dissect one of the most polarizing ethical dilemmas in legal history: The "Buried Bodies" Case. When serial killer Robert Garrow confessed to his attorneys, Frank Armani and Francis Belge, that he had murdered two missing women and hidden their remains, the lawyers did the unthinkable. They used Garrow’s hand-drawn maps to find the bodies, photographed the remains, and then… they stayed silent. For six months, while the victims' families pleaded for answers and searched the woods, the lawyers kept the secret to protect attorney-client privilege. We sit down with Jarrett to discuss his new book, Mothers, Murders, and Motivation, and dive into the "prosecutor’s perspective" on a case that is still required reading in every law school in America. Pre-Order: Mothers, Murders, and Motivation: A Journey Through the Mind and Heart of a Prosecutor Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FVMGB3TS?tag=simonsayscom Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mothers-murders-and-motivation-jarrett-ferentino/1148497486;jsessionid=BDDF2BE4CAAEBEBDB49BDD6625C961A7.prodny_store01-atgap01?ean=9798895654620 Follow Jarrett on IG: @jarrettferentino -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most fugitives run to escape the law, but Christopher Daniel Gay ran to find his way home. Known by the nickname "Little Houdini," Gay didn't commit violent sprees or masterminded conspiracies; instead, he became a national folk hero and a law enforcement nightmare through a series of daring escapes and one of the most bizarre vehicle thefts in history. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A quiet Sunday morning in Tucson, Arizona, turned into a national nightmare when Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, failed to show up for church. By Monday morning, what began as a frantic search for a missing grandmother escalated into a full-scale criminal investigation, with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declaring her home a "crime scene." -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the early 1970s, as the "Golden Age of Skyjacking" gripped the American skies, one man didn't just want to pull off a heist—he wanted to outdo a legend. Just months after the mysterious D.B. Cooper vanished into the Pacific Northwest wilderness, Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., a Vietnam veteran, helicopter pilot, and Sunday school teacher, decided to put his own elite training to the test. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2017, a social media firestorm in Trumbull County, Ohio, turned 18-year-old Austin Burke into the prime suspect in the disappearance and murder of 22-year-old Brandon Sample. What followed was a whirlwind investigation that culminated in a five-day trial where Austin was convicted of both murder and an unrelated pizza shop robbery—despite significant questions surrounding the physical evidence. In this episode, we sit down with Austin’s mother, Jamie Sell, and author Donna Waters (Wrong Ride Home) to dissect a case they argue is a textbook example of a wrongful conviction. We explore the glaring inconsistencies in the prosecution's narrative, including a robbery suspect description that didn't match Austin, a lack of DNA linking him to the crimes, and a timeline that Jamie says she can personally debunk. Wrong Ride Home by Donna Waters is a complex investigation.  It takes the reader through the investigation, trial, and where Austin's fight is today. Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Ride-Home-Donna-Waters/dp/B0DZT62SW6 For more information on Austin's case, visit https://trumbullcountyiscorrupt.com/.           -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy February! In this Patreon exclusive episode, we dive into the murder of Louise Cicelsky. She was found brutally stabbed to death in her home in 1995. Louise was a 69-year-old go getter. She was a strong, independent woman who could handle her own affairs and her property rental business. When police found her murdered, they found themselves chasing leads down a rabbit hole rather than chasing evidence. To hear the rest of the episode, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/truecrimecast. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a bizarre collision of NFL stardom, pop-culture drama, and legal procedure, a quiet Sunday at Travis Kelce’s Kansas home turned into a police matter. This episode of True Crimecast examines the arrest of Justin Lee Fisher, a process server who jumped a fence to hand-deliver a subpoena to Taylor Swift. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a legal first that made headlines across the globe, a small town in North Wales became the backdrop for a case that redefined the boundaries of digital harassment. What began as a domestic dispute took a surreal turn when 25-year-old Rhiannon Evans decided to weaponize her phone camera in the most juvenile—yet legally consequential—way possible. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ana Montes seemed like the ultimate American patriot. By day, she was the "Queen of Cuba," the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) top analyst at the Pentagon. By night, she was the most dangerous mole in U.S. history, using a Toshiba laptop and a shortwave radio to dismantle American operations from within. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cairenn Binder is the Assistant Director of the IGG (Investigative Genetic Genealogy) Center and the Director of the IGG Certificate Program. Cairenn has been at the forefront of IGG since its inception, applying genetic genealogy to identify human remains with the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project from 2018 through 2023. In 2022, she co-founded Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Services to fulfill the need for additional IGG practitioners to generate leads in violent crimes. She began working at Ramapo in October of 2022, helping to launch the IGG center in December 2022. Her casework has been featured on BBC news, ABC, NBC, Fox, Oxygen, and CourtTV, in addition to podcasts and digital media. Cairenn joins True Crimecast today to talk about the work of investigative genetic genealogy, give insight to how it helps solve crimes, and share information about how YOU can contribute directly to the great work being done in investigative genetic genealogy. Support IGG work being done at Ramapo: https://www.ramapo.edu/igg/how-you-can-help/ Follow Cairenn on IG: @cairennoid -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the scenic hot spring city of Beppu, Japan, a 21-year-old college student noticed a few missing items from her laundromat dryer. What seemed like a minor inconvenience led police to a discovery that left seasoned detectives speechless: 730 pieces of women’s undergarments meticulously stashed in a single apartment. -- For early, ad free episodes and monthly exclusive bonus content, join our Patreon!   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.