Advertise on podcast: Forensic Tales

#356 - When 71-year-old Alan Abrahamson was found shot dead near his gated Florida community, the missing weapon pointed investigators toward murder. But unusual purchases, a puzzling timeline, and a digital trail revealed a different story. This week on Forensic Tales, explore how physical evidence and digital forensics helped unravel Alan’s death—and why his life deserves to be remembered beyond the headlines. Content warning: Discussion of suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or text HOME to 741741.  Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more): patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: https://www.forensictales.com/alan-abrahamson Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Jordan Harbinger Show is a podcast with incredible guests, from experts speaking on major global topics, to more personal discussions on issues like navigating your career or romantic life. I have become a regular listener and hope you enjoy it too.

#355 - In 2015, healthy 60-year-old chiropractor Mary Yoder suddenly became violently ill and died less than 48 hours later. Toxicology revealed that she had been poisoned with colchicine, but identifying who gave it to her would divide her family and community for years. A suspicious letter, a bottle hidden inside her son’s Jeep, conflicting digital evidence, and touch DNA eventually led investigators to his ex-girlfriend, Katie Conley. But after two trials, a conviction, and its eventual reversal, one question remains: Who really poisoned Mary Yoder? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more): patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: https://www.forensictales.com/mary-yoder Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#354 - When 74-year-old Bill and Peggy Stephenson failed to attend church on Memorial Day weekend in 2011, their family immediately knew something was wrong. Inside their secluded Kentucky condo, investigators discovered a brutal double murder and one of the strangest staged crime scenes they had ever encountered. More than 15 years later, unknown DNA, a partial fingerprint, and disturbing evidence withheld from the public have yet to reveal who killed the beloved couple or why. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: https://www.forensictales.com/the-unsolved-murders-of-bill-and-peggy-stephenson Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#353 - Five long weeks after a 16-year-old girl is brutally murdered, a chilling letter arrives on a police desk. The arrogant killer boasts about wearing a plastic Halloween mask and details exactly how he strangled her. He ends with a chilling promise to the investigators: “You will never get me.”  For more than 25 years, he was right… He disappeared into the crowd, completely undetected.  But he didn’t realize he left behind a microscopic witness that would eventually hunt him down. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: https://www.forensictales.com/the-murder-of-colette-aram Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#352 - Four children from the same family died suddenly before reaching their second birthdays. To investigators, the pattern seemed too extraordinary to be natural. And when their mother’s private diaries appeared to contain admissions of guilt, she was branded Australia’s worst female serial killer. But there were no witnesses. No physical evidence of smothering. And no one could explain exactly how the children had died. Then, decades later, advances in genetic testing uncovered something that no one involved in the original investigation could have known. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: forensictales.com/kathleen-folbigg Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Sponsors: Talkiatry - Get matched with an in‑network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. https://www.talkiatry.com/tales BetterHelp - Visit BetterHelp.com for 10% off Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#351 - A mother of three suddenly disappears after discovering that her husband has been cheating on her. He insists she simply left—but investigators soon uncover evidence suggesting something far more sinister happened to her involving a commercial woodchipper. Although her body would never be recovered, forensic scientists pieced together the horrifying truth from tiny fragments of bone, human tissue, strands of hair, and a single tooth. The evidence would ultimately lead to the first murder conviction in Connecticut history without the victim’s body. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: forensictales.com/the-woodchipper-murder-helle-crafts Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Sources for this episode can be found at ForensicTales.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#350 - Imagine being accused of a crime you didn’t commit. Now imagine that crime was the brutal murder of your wife and two young children. That became David Camm’s reality.  Within days of discovering his family’s bodies, the former Indiana State Police trooper went from grieving husband and father to primary suspect. At the center of the case was a tiny pattern of blood on his T-shirt—evidence prosecutors claimed could only have been created when he pulled the trigger. But the forensics didn’t tell just one story. And as new evidence emerged, the case against David Camm—and the man investigators had ignored—would begin to unravel. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: forensictales.com/the-wrongful-conviction-of-david-camm Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: @forensictales TikTok: @forensictales Facebook: Forensic Tales Contact: [email protected] Sources for this episode can be found at ForensicTales.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Two husbands. Two suspicious deaths. And one chilling common denominator. In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the case of Stacey Castor, a woman whose life became the center of a disturbing investigation involving antifreeze poisoning, questionable deaths, and a daughter who barely survived. As detectives began looking closer, forensic toxicology, fingerprint evidence, DNA, and digital forensics would all play a role in uncovering what really happened—and in building the case against Stacey Castor. Listen now as we break down the investigation, the forensic evidence, and the trial that earned Stacey the nickname “The Black Widow.” Support Forensic Tales on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Website & Episode Sources: https://www.forensictales.com/the-antifreeze-murders-of-stacey-castor Follow Forensic Tales: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forensictales Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forensictales TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forensictales Patreon members get full-length bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For nearly four decades, she was known only as the “Lime Lady.” She had been shot three times, stripped of her clothing, and covered in quicklime by someone who seemingly wanted to destroy her identity. Instead, the lime helped preserve the forensic evidence that would eventually give her name back. This special preview explores the mysterious crime scene, the unusual evidence found during her autopsy, and the DNA breakthrough that finally identified her. The complete, full-length episode is available exclusively to Forensic Tales subscribers. Join today at https://www.patreon.com/forensictales or subscribe through Apple Podcasts to unlock this episode—plus monthly bonus cases, early ad-free episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Don’t just hear the beginning of the mystery. Become a member and hear the complete story. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On April 1, 1988, eight-year-old April Tinsley disappeared while walking through her Fort Wayne neighborhood. Three days later, her body was discovered in a rural ditch, leaving investigators with a witness description, reports of a blue vehicle, and biological evidence from an unknown man—but no way to identify him. Two years later, a disturbing message appeared on a barn near where April had been found. Then, in 2004, threatening letters and DNA samples were left outside the homes of young girls around Fort Wayne. Testing confirmed the letter writer was April’s killer, but searches of law-enforcement databases still produced no match. In this episode, we examine the investigation into April’s murder, the early suspect who was eventually cleared, the killer’s terrifying messages, and the evolution of the DNA evidence over three decades. We also break down DNA profiling, CODIS, behavioral analysis, DNA phenotyping, and the forensic genetic genealogy that finally led investigators to John D. Miller in 2018. Topics discussed include: April’s disappearance and the search for her The forensic evidence recovered in 1988 The witness account and reported blue vehicle The 1990 barn message The unrelated murder of seven-year-old Sarah Bowker The threatening letters left for young girls in 2004 The FBI’s behavioral profile of April’s killer DNA phenotyping and the computer-generated suspect images CeCe Moore’s genetic-genealogy investigation The discarded DNA sample that confirmed Miller’s identity Miller’s confession, conviction, and 80-year sentence April’s legacy and the memorials created in her honor Content warning: This episode discusses the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a child. Support Forensic Tales and listen to monthly bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, and more: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales For a complete list of sources used in this episode: https://www.forensictales.com/the-murder-of-april-tinsley Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this newly rerecorded episode from the Forensic Tales Vault, we revisit the 1984 abduction and murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop. After arriving home from school in Queensville, Ontario, Christine disappeared before meeting a friend at a nearby park. Nearly three months later, her body was discovered in a wooded area more than 30 miles from home. Investigators soon focused on Christine’s neighbor, Guy Paul Morin. Their case relied heavily on microscopic hair and fiber comparisons, along with testimony from jailhouse informants. Although Morin maintained his innocence and was acquitted at his first trial, he was eventually retried and convicted of Christine’s murder. Then DNA testing changed everything. The biological evidence conclusively excluded Morin, exposing a devastating wrongful conviction. But Christine’s real killer remained unidentified for another 25 years—until investigators turned to forensic genetic genealogy. In this episode: • Christine’s disappearance and the search for her • The discovery of her body • Why investigators targeted Guy Paul Morin • The limitations of microscopic hair and fiber evidence • Morin’s two trials and wrongful conviction • The DNA testing that proved his innocence • How forensic genetic genealogy identified Calvin Hoover • The crucial lead investigators overlooked in 1984 Please note: This episode discusses the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a child. For more Forensic Tales: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ForensicTales Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forensictales Website: https://www.forensictales.com Listen, follow, and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more listeners discover the show. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy