Advertise on podcast: Texas Monthly True Crime: Stephenville

After the Austin auto executive's conviction in a murder-for-hire conspiracy, a judge had ordered a retrial due to procedural errors. Now an appeals court has determined the errors don't warrant a new trial. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

With news of a break in the notorious Austin cold case of the "yogurt shop murders," we're sharing this episode of Texas Monthly's weekly subscriber-only podcast "TM Out Loud." Here, staff writer Michael Hall—who first covered the case in 2001—talks with host Katy Vine about the significance of this new DNA evidence. Read more in Michael Hall's 2001 story about the case, "Under the Gun": https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/under-the-gun/ To hear more "TM Out Loud," and get early access to Texas Monthly podcasts plus exclusive bonus episodes, become a Texas Monthly Audio subscriber at texasmonthly.com/audio.

Introducing a new season of "One By Willie," hosted by John Spong and now produced by PRX in partnership with Texas Monthly. Episodes of One by Willie are available across all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Overcast. Or visit texasmonthly.com/onebywillie to listen and read transcripts.

After the verdict in the Erik Maund murder-for-hire trial, this bizarre story finally seemed to have reached an end: Maund and his co-defendants all faced mandatory life in prison. But this week, some surprising news came from the federal court in Nashville: Erik Maund may be getting a new trial.

Katy Vine tells us about a new Texas true crime podcast you won't want to miss from our friends at Free Range called "The Unforgotten".

As investigators close in, they set a trap to see how far Erik will go to maintain control of the situation. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

Red agrees to a risky operation to help the investigation: going undercover to get Adam Carey and Bryon Brockway talking about the murders while the FBI listens in. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

With little to show for their time in Nashville, the team on the ground proposes a radical escalation: For a premium, they can fix Erik’s problem permanently. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

Facing the blackmail threat, Erik Maund decides not to pay up or go to the police. Instead, he turns to Gil Peled, a security guy at the Maund family car dealership who seems qualified to solve sensitive problems. Built like a bodybuilder, Peled claimed to have experience in the Israeli special forces, and had spent years in Hollywood protecting Charlie Sheen. But Gil Peled isn’t quite the success story he pretends to be. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

Bill Lanway met Holly Williams through mutual friends in the Nashville EDM scene. Soon after they started dating, he moved into her apartment. It was only then, after snooping around on her phone, that he discovered Holly was an escort. Bill reacted with jealousy and violence against Holly, but the scheme he hatched next put them both in peril. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

In early 2020, Erik Maund—an executive at one of the top Toyota dealerships in the country, founded by his grandfather—had a problem. A stranger was blackmailing him for having an extramarital affair. Erik’s response to the threat set off a series of fateful decisions that left two people dead. One of those victims was Holly Williams, a Nashville woman who trained as an esthetician, loved to party in the local EDM scene, and also worked as an escort. After months in an abusive relationship, she’d been trying to get her life on track when Erik requested a date. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

Erik Maund had it all. A wife and kids, a mansion by the Austin Country Club golf course, and an executive position with his family’s car dealership. But in March 2020, a message from a stranger put everything at risk. Someone knew Erik had an affair with an escort, and wanted money to keep quiet. Erik didn’t pay the money, though. He didn’t go to the cops, either. Instead, he paid Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard and a couple of special ops-trained security contractors to confront the blackmailer. Things didn’t go according to plan. In “The Problem with Erik,” host Katy Vine and producer Ana Worrel tell the twisted story of what came next: a perfect storm of secrets, mistaken identities, and tragic miscommunications that left two people dead. It's the latest true crime series from the Texas Monthly team behind “Tom Brown’s Body,” “Stephenville,” and "Shane and Sally," coming July 2. For more Texas Monthly productions, visit texasmonthly.com/podcasts

In this episode, investigators Larry Counts and David Jones detail their initial steps in trying to solve the case—and share the story of how Shane and Sally started speaking with the authorities just months before they were killed. Then, officials at the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office today share their frustrations with the initial investigation, and detail the surviving evidence from the crime scene.

In the fall of 1987, Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly met through mutual friends and began dating. Shane was tall and confident. Sally loved to be the center of attention and moved easily between groups of friends.  Later that year, the two began spending more time with a group of teenagers who met up to practice occult rituals. Some friends say the group's activities were just games, but by the summer of 1988, something had changed. Sally told one friend that she and Shane were leaving San Angelo to get away from the group. That was just before the two of them disappeared. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally  Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME.  Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

On July 4, 1988, sixteen-year-old Shane Stewart and eighteen-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in their West Texas hometown of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove out to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again. That summer, as their parents waited for news from the authorities, Shane’s father Marshall began an investigation of his own, discovering the teens may have been swept up in the town’s darkest of undercurrents. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally  Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME.  Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.