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Before Jack the Ripper, Austin had its own unidentified nighttime killer. In 1884 and 1885, a series of brutal attacks terrorized Austin, Texas. Black women working as domestic servants were among the earliest victims. Their work placed them inside other people’s homes, but proximity offered little protection. In this installment of If It Happened Now, Steph examines the Austin Ripper case, also known as the Servant Girl Annihilator murders. Who were the people behind the sensational name? How did race, gender, newspaper coverage, and investigative limitations shape the response—and the story we remember? Then we bring the case into the present. Could DNA, surveillance cameras, and connected investigations have changed the outcome? And would the women targeted first receive the attention needed to stop the attacks sooner? “The darkness helped him move. Indifference gave him time.” Follow Murder in the Black and leave a rating or review. Subscribe for exclusive episodes and more conversations with Steph. Join the conversation: If these attacks happened now, what would make the biggest difference: better technology or a faster response to the first victims? Instagram: @murderintheblackFacebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: [email protected]

In August 1965, witnesses in Louisville, Kentucky, heard a woman scream and saw a man dragging her toward a light-colored Ford. Hours later, the body of 34-year-old Alberta Odell Jones was recovered from the Ohio River. Earlier that year, Alberta had become Louisville’s first woman prosecutor and Kentucky’s first Black woman prosecutor. She was also the first Black woman known to pass the Kentucky bar examination, an accomplished attorney who represented a young Cassius Clay and a civil-rights organizer who helped register thousands of Black voters. Her rented Ford Fairlane was found with blood, fingerprints, her dentures and evidence of a violent struggle inside. Police interviewed hundreds of people, investigated multiple theories and presented two men to a grand jury—but no indictments were returned. Decades later, investigators matched one fingerprint from the vehicle to a living person. Even that discovery was not enough to support a prosecution. In this paid-subscriber episode, Steph examines Alberta’s extraordinary life, the final hours before her death, the evidence recovered from the Fairlane and the questions surrounding a case that has remained unsolved for more than 60 years. Alberta’s childhood and education in segregated Louisville Her historic legal career and representation of Cassius Clay The Independent Voters Association and Alberta’s work registering Black voters Her appointment as Louisville’s first woman prosecutor Alberta’s final evening with her friend Gladys Wyckoff Witnesses who reported seeing a woman being forced into a car The discovery of Alberta’s body near Fontaine Ferry Park Blood, fingerprints and evidence of a struggle inside the rented Ford Fairlane The two men presented to a grand jury Alberta’s purse, discovered inside the Sherman Minton Bridge nearly three years later Questions surrounding a possible civil-rights or political motive The fingerprint match investigators obtained in 2008 Evidence that could no longer be located when modern testing became available The Justice Department’s 2023 review of Alberta’s murder How Louisville is preserving Alberta’s legacy today The evidence shows that Alberta was attacked and entered the Ohio River alive. What it has never established is who killed her—or why. Louisville has honored Alberta with a park, a portrait and a statue. Her family is still waiting for the one thing the city has never been able to provide: the name of her killer. If you have credible information concerning the murder of Alberta Jones, contact the Louisville Metro Police Department Cold Case Squad at 502-574-7055. When a case has been investigated repeatedly but the surviving evidence can no longer support a prosecution, what does justice look like for the family left behind? Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Follow Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Thank you for supporting Murder in the Black. Your paid subscription allows Steph to spend more time researching these cases and telling the complete stories of the people at their center.

In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph follows the urgent, multi-state search to bring Carlesha home. A witness who called police twice. Detectives who promised her mother they would find her. An ATM transaction, a dealership decal, and a GPS tracker that helped investigators close the distance. At the center of every development was Carlesha: resisting, paying attention, and making decisions to survive nearly three days in captivity. As we prepare for our new series, If It Happened Now, this case raises a question: With more cameras and digital evidence available today, how much still depends on someone recognizing a clue—and acting before it’s too late? Content note: Discussion of kidnapping, violence, and captivity. CHAPTERS00:00 A camera captures the abduction01:24 A promise to Carlesha’s mother03:19 The attack and the witness who stayed05:20 Carlesha fights back07:13 Following the evidence10:27 The search reaches Maryland12:20 Identifying Delvin Barnes13:38 A dealership connection changes the search15:32 Her family waits for answers17:56 A tracker reveals a location18:26 Closing in—and bringing Carlesha home21:20 The people behind every breakthrough23:13 When evidence becomes public spectacle25:12 The guilty plea and sentence27:37 If it happened now30:59 Missing Black women, urgency, and unequal attention31:56 Centering Carlesha’s survival Follow Murder in the Black, leave a rating or review, and share this episode. Join the conversation on Instagram @murderintheblack.

This episode tells the story of 16-year-old Shaquilis Townsend, whose trust in a girl he believed he loved led him into a fatal ambush in South London. Steph unpacks the betrayal, the gang context around SMN, and the murder trial that followed. It also explores the harder questions about youth, manipulation, accountability, and how violence becomes normalized among teenagers. Key topics Shaquilis Townsend’s final hours and how Samantha Joseph allegedly lured him into Beulah Crescent by bus The relationship triangle between Shaquilis, Samantha Joseph, and Danny McLean SMN, the South London street gang linked to the attack, and the role of orange clothing and orange bandanas The CCTV, phone records, and witness evidence used to show the ambush was coordinated What happened during the attack, including the beating, stabbing, and Shaquilis calling for his mother as he was dying Nicole Dyer’s grief and the devastating last conversation she had with her son The 2009 trial at the Old Bailey and the murder convictions of seven defendants Samantha Joseph’s defense that she expected a beating, not a killing The legal significance of joint enterprise and later changes to the law in England and Wales The broader social questions around teenage violence, loyalty, jealousy, and betrayal Timestamps 00:00 - A 16-year-old love story turns into an ambush 01:39 - Introducing Murder in the Black and the case at the center 02:16 - Shaquilis Townsend and his infatuation with Samantha Joseph 03:14 - The hidden connection to Danny McLean and SMN 04:40 - A teenager’s betrayal becomes a murder setup 05:39 - CCTV shows the pair traveling through London 06:35 - Phone evidence suggests the group was being assembled 07:05 - Beulah Crescent and the trap closing in 08:04 - The chase, the beating, and the stabbing 08:58 - Shaquilis calls for his mother while dying 10:11 - Nicole Dyer’s final phone call with her son 11:29 - Doctors’ efforts fail and Shaquilis dies in hospital 12:13 - Samantha’s actions before, during, and after the attack 13:41 - Arrests, gang links, and the seven defendants charged 14:52 - Orange as a gang marker and Samantha’s orange t-shirt in court 16:25 - The murder trial begins at the Old Bailey 17:23 - Why prosecutors called Samantha the access point 18:23 - The jury’s verdicts and Danny McLean’s defense 19:22 - All seven defendants are convicted 21:24 - Life sentences and the judge’s remarks on abandonment 23:03 - How joint enterprise law later changed 24:02 - Andre Johnson Haynes’ appeal and why it failed 25:00 - Samantha’s release and later deportation 26:15 - Why the real case needs no embellishment 28:42 - Accountability, age, and the influence Danny held over Samantha 30:03 - The harder questions about youth violence and prevention 31:54 - Why Shaquilis’s last ordinary conversation is so devastating 32:53 - Remembering Shaquilis as somebody’s child, not a headline Notable quotes “He was 16. And when he realized his life might be ending, he wanted his mama.”

For the finale of Murder in the Black: Unsolved Mysteries, Steph examines two cases in which recovering a person’s body did not answer the most important question: What happened to them? Ricky McCormick was found dead near a Missouri field in June 1999. Inside his pockets were two pages covered in handwritten letters, numbers and symbols. More than a decade later, the FBI publicly released the pages after its own cryptanalysts were unable to decipher them. But members of Ricky’s family questioned whether he could have written the notes at all. Were the pages connected to Ricky’s death, a private form of shorthand—or simply an unexplained distraction from the investigation? Sixteen years later, Henry McCabe disappeared after spending an evening with friends in Minnesota. During his final known hours, Henry’s wife received a disturbing voicemail filled with unusual sounds and fragmented speech. His body was eventually recovered from Rush Lake, but the discovery did not explain how he got there or what happened after he was dropped off that night. The coded pages and unsettling recording have become the most recognizable details in these cases. But neither provides a complete story. In this episode, Steph separates what is documented from what has been repeated online and returns to the question still facing both families: How did Ricky McCormick and Henry McCabe get from their final known locations to the places where they were found? Timestamps 00:01 — Ricky McCormick’s mysterious handwritten pages01:01 — Introducing the Unsolved Mysteries finale02:29 — Why Ricky’s cause of death remained undetermined03:27 — Reconstructing Ricky’s final movements05:48 — Ricky’s family questions whether he wrote the pages06:16 — Addressing Ricky’s criminal history07:11 — The Florida trip and concerns that Ricky was afraid08:38 — Hospital visits, Ricky’s final call and his last reported sighting09:37 — Aunt Gloria remembers the last time she saw Ricky11:52 — Decomposition and the limitations of the autopsy13:16 — The FBI’s description of the mysterious pages15:32 — Repeated characters, possible patterns and the absence of a translation17:40 — The FBI asks the public for help19:58 — Ricky’s relatives challenge the coded-writing narrative22:08 — Investigative leads that never produced conclusive evidence23:55 — How the notes became the center of Ricky’s story26:41 — Introducing Henry McCabe27:40 — Henry’s life, family and career29:06 — The night out and the disputed gas-station drop-off31:33 — The disturbing voicemail33:36 — Search efforts and changes to the public timeline35:31 — Henry’s body is recovered from Rush Lake36:30 — Probable drowning without a complete explanation38:50 — Questions about the drop-off, Henry’s keys and his wallet41:43 — Remembering Henry beyond the recording43:10 — Parallels to other unexplained deaths45:03 — Closing the Unsolved Mysteries series If you have information If you have information concerning Ricky McCormick’s death, contact Crime Stoppers at 866-371-8477. When discussing Ricky’s handwritten pages, focus on genuine handwriting samples or recognizable habits rather than unsupported online theories. A proposed translation is not evidence unless it can be independently verified. Do you believe Ricky’s notes were connected to his death? What do you hear when you listen to Henry’s final recording? And which case from this three-part series stayed with you the most? Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblackFacebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: [email protected] Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Join the conversation

On March 28, 1999, Raymond “Freaky Tah” Rogers of the Lost Boyz was shot and killed outside a hotel near JFK Airport in Queens. Investigators said he was targeted because the gunman mistakenly believed he was related to another man. Three days later, 21-year-old Roderick Paget was killed because of another mistaken assumption. In this episode of Murder and Music, Steph examines the chain of robbery, retaliation, rumor, and mistaken identity that took multiple lives. We also remember Freaky Tah as more than a murder victim: a father, performer, community figure, and essential part of the Lost Boyz sound. Content warning: This episode discusses gun violence and homicide. Please keep all conversations respectful. Do not contact anyone connected to the case or post private information or accusations. Follow Murder in the Black on Instagram at @murderintheblack and Facebook at Murder in the Black Podcast. Email: [email protected] Follow Steph: @stepher_

In the second installment of Murder in the Black: Unsolved Mysteries, Steph examines the disappearances of Najah Ferrell in Indiana and Kierra Coles in Chicago. Najah disappeared on March 15, 2019, the day she was expected to begin a new job at Panera Bread. She never arrived at work and failed to pick up her children—both out of character. Her belongings were later recovered near Interstate 465 and Lafayette Road, and her 2018 Nissan Altima was found abandoned in Indianapolis. Weeks later, human remains were discovered more than 100 miles away near Crown Point. DNA confirmed they belonged to Najah. Investigators have never publicly explained how Najah traveled from Avon to Indianapolis, how her car and belongings came to be abandoned in separate locations, or how part of her remains ended up near Crown Point. Kierra Coles was 26, approximately three months pregnant and working for the United States Postal Service when she vanished from Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood in October 2018. Expanded surveillance later showed Kierra with a man identified as a person of interest and withdrawing money from a Walgreens ATM at approximately 10:43 p.m. Her vehicle later returned to her neighborhood without her. The man was seen entering Kierra’s building and leaving with unknown items, but the timeline still does not reveal what happened after Kierra disappeared from view. The cases are not publicly connected, but they share a frustrating pattern: cameras and physical evidence captured pieces of each woman’s final known movements without revealing what happened in the spaces between them. IN THIS EPISODE • Najah’s life as a mother of five, including three foster children • The belongings recovered near I-465 and Lafayette Road • Her abandoned Nissan Altima and the remains found near Crown Point • The missing link between Najah’s home, vehicle, belongings and remains • Kierra’s pregnancy and career with the Postal Service • Surveillance showing Kierra with a man identified as a person of interest • The 10:43 p.m. Walgreens ATM footage • Kierra’s vehicle returning without her • The purse, cellphone and packed lunch reportedly found in her vehicle • The increased reward of up to $250,000 in Kierra’s case • Why surveillance can document movement without providing an answer TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Najah’s disappearance 02:29 — Why these cases are paired 03:25 — Najah’s family and new job 07:01 — Belongings found near I-465 07:30 — Najah’s abandoned Altima 11:48 — Remains found near Crown Point 13:42 — The unexplained route through Indiana 17:33 — Questions surrounding Najah’s final hours 19:42 — Kierra’s life, pregnancy and postal career 21:07 — The surveillance timeline 21:35 — Walgreens ATM footage 23:14 — Kierra’s vehicle returns without her 26:55 — Kierra’s belongings are found 30:45 — Expanded surveillance released 32:41 — Reward increased to $250,000 35:48 — Why the cases are paired 37:14 — The limits of surveillance 40:08 — Final case recaps 42:33 — Closing and tip information IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION For information about Najah Ferrell’s movements, vehicle or belongings recovered near I-465 and Lafayette Road, contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana or the Hendricks County Communications Center. For information concerning Kierra Coles, contact the United States Postal Inspection Service and reference case number 2693502. Please share Najah and Kierra’s names, especially with anyone who lived in Indiana or Chicago when they disappeared. A detail that seemed insignificant at the time could help close one of the gaps in these timelines. FOLLOW MURDER IN THE BLACK Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: [email protected] Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Follow the show, leave a five-star rating and review, and share this episode with someone who will continue saying Najah Ferrell and Kierra Coles’ names.

Before her voice reached listeners around the world, Magnolia Shorty was already a legend in New Orleans. In this installment of Music & Murder, Steph explores the life of Renetta Lowe—the mother, artist, and bounce pioneer known as Magnolia Shorty. From the Magnolia Projects to the early days of Cash Money Records, her commanding voice helped shape a sound that carried the energy and identity of her city. After Hurricane Katrina disrupted her career, Magnolia Shorty was finding her rhythm again, performing, collaborating, and working toward new music. On December 20, 2010, she and Jerome Hampton were shot and killed in New Orleans East. Steph follows the federal investigation that later connected their murders to the 39ers criminal enterprise, examining what prosecutors established and separating the legal record from rumors surrounding Renetta’s death. This episode also celebrates the music she left behind, her lasting influence on bounce, and the voice a new generation would hear sampled in Drake’s “In My Feelings.” Steph closes with her own connection to New Orleans and why Magnolia Shorty’s story belongs in this series. In this episode: Growing up in the Magnolia Projects and finding her voice New Orleans bounce and the women of early Cash Money Monkey on a D and her reputation as a local legend Rebuilding her career after Hurricane Katrina The double murder and the federal case that followed Her legacy as an artist, mother, and New Orleans cultural figure Timestamps 00:00 — Introducing Magnolia Shorty 01:30 — Music & Murder: Why Steph chose this story 02:19 — The Magnolia Projects and her early years 04:22 — The sound and culture of New Orleans bounce 05:56 — Cash Money’s early years and the women shaping its sound 07:22 — Monkey on a D and her musical legacy 09:39 — Local fame, national recognition, and Hurricane Katrina 12:54 — Rebuilding her career and returning to the stage 16:18 — The murders of Magnolia Shorty and Jerome Hampton 19:05 — Rumors and unanswered questions 20:04 — The 39ers investigation and prosecution’s account 21:28 — Guilty pleas, convictions, and life sentences 24:16 — Remembering the woman behind the music 27:10 — Her lasting influence on bounce 29:24 — Steph’s personal connection to New Orleans Follow Murder in the Black, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves music history and true crime. Connect with the show: Instagram: ⁠@murderintheblack⁠ Facebook: ⁠Murder in the Black Podcast⁠ Email: ⁠[email protected]

A little girl disappears from her bedroom. A mother is killed while her children sleep. Decades later, their families are still fighting for answers. Steph opens the Unsolved Mysteries series with two cases: the unsolved murder of 4-year-old Dannarriah Finley in Orange, Texas, and the arrest nearly 27 years after Bridget Lockhart’s 1999 killing in Atlanta. Through the searches, physical evidence, unanswered questions, and a daughter’s determination to revisit her mother’s case, this episode explores what keeps an investigation alive—and what it takes to move it forward. Dannarriah’s case remains unsolved. In Bridget’s case, Janarra Sherrer has been charged but has not been convicted. An arrest begins a legal process; it does not establish guilt. In this episode Dannarriah’s disappearance and the community search to find her. The discovery on Pleasure Island and the clues investigators recovered. Circumstantial evidence, DNA testing, and the challenges of aging evidence. Bridget’s killing and her daughter Elandra’s efforts to get answers. The renewed investigation, arrest, and questions about evidence handling. Why both families’ searches for justice continue. Follow Murder in the Black, leave a review, and share this episode to help keep these stories in the conversation. Connect with us Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: [email protected] For more episodes, explore our paid subscription with a 3-day free trial.

Steph examines the life, music, and unsolved murder of Al Jackson Jr., the legendary Stax and High Records drummer whose playing helped define the Memphis soul sound. The episode weighs the main theories around his death—including robbery, domestic violence, and a possible Stax-related motive—while distinguishing documented facts from rumor.The episode also traces Al’s rise from child musician in Memphis to an indispensable session drummer for Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Al Green, and many others. Steph explores why his influence was enormous even when his name was less familiar than the records he played on.Key topics The major theories surrounding Al Jackson Jr.’s murder, and why Steph is skeptical of the Stax conspiracy theory.The crime scene on October 1, 1975: Barbara Jackson was found outside the Central Avenue home with her hands tied, while Al was found inside, shot five times in the back.Al’s role in shaping the Memphis soul sound through his work with Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Albert King, and Al Green.Why Al was known as the “human timekeeper”—a disciplined, restrained drummer who supported the song without crowding it.The accidental Stax session that produced “Green Onions” and helped launch Booker T. and the MGs.The racial realities surrounding the integrated band and Black artists’ experiences with unequal pay, segregated travel, and exploitative business practices.Al’s work as a songwriter and businessman, including his interests in a gas station and oil wells.The violent relationship between Al and Barbara, including the July 1975 shooting and the court’s decision to dismiss the charge against Barbara after accepting her self-defense claim.Barbara’s account of an intruder, the property reportedly taken, and the questions raised by the circumstances of Al’s death.The lack of charges despite police statements that they were investigating four suspects and expected indictments.Why the case remains unresolved, what a modern evidence review might examine, and why rumors should not be treated as proof.Steph’s closing reflections on remembering Al honestly: recognizing both his musical brilliance and the documented violence in his personal life. Timestamps (00:00) Why Steph is skeptical of the Stax theory (00:29) The robbery theory and the questions around what was taken (01:27) Other possible motives and unanswered questions (02:14) Introducing the music and murder series (03:11) Separating documented facts from speculation (03:34) Al Jackson Jr.’s childhood and early musical talent (04:22) The discipline behind Al’s understated style (05:53) The session that produced “Green Onions” (06:49) Booker T. and the MGs help define the Stax sound (07:I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.

Keith Warren was 19 when he was found hanging in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1986. Authorities ruled his death a suicide without performing an autopsy. His mother, Mary Couey, spent decades questioning that conclusion—and the investigation behind it. Steph examines the scene photographs, the clothing questions, the anonymous envelope delivered on Keith’s birthday, and the reported warning involving Mark Finley. She also follows Sherri Warren’s fight for answers. Keith’s cause and manner of death were reclassified as undetermined in 2024, and police reopened the investigation in 2025. Neither development establishes that he was killed. At the end of the episode, True Crime in Current News features an update on Nolan Wells. Steph reflects on why his case brought Keith’s story back to mind while keeping the facts of each case distinct. Content warning: Discussion of a hanging death, possible suicide, racial violence, and crime-scene photographs. In The Episode: Why Keith’s family challenged the original ruling The missing autopsy and limits of later forensic testing Questions about the rope, tree, body position, and clothing Mary Couey’s advocacy and the photographs left at her home What is—and is not—known about Mark Finley The 2024 reclassification and 2025 reopening A True Crime in Current News update on Nolan Wells Timestamps: 00:00 — The photographs delivered on Keith’s birthday02:34 — Facts, family accounts, and unanswered questions03:04 — Why the history of lynching matters06:58 — Keith’s life and his family’s doubts08:19 — Keith goes missing and is found10:55 — The approximately 21-minute scene response12:21 — No autopsy and the limits of later testing13:57 — Body position and the rope16:30 — The clothing questions17:25 — Mary’s search for answers19:52 — The anonymous envelope21:29 — The reported warning and Mark Finley23:48 — The official ruling and the family’s concerns25:38 — Race, trust, and the power to classify a death28:55 — Uprooted and Sherri’s advocacy30:07 — Reclassified as undetermined30:49 — The investigation reopens33:24 — What remains unknown36:03 — Mary’s persistence and accountabilityAt the end — True Crime in Current News: Nolan Wells update What should justice look like when an original investigation may have made the truth harder to find? Instagram: @murderintheblackSteph’s Instagram: @stepher_Facebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: [email protected] Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. For more coverage, join the paid subscription and try it free for three days.

**The Case of the Four Girls in Southeast D.C.** On January 9, 2008, deputy U.S. Marshals arrived at a Southeast Washington, D.C., row house to carry out an eviction. Inside, they discovered the remains of four sisters: Brittany Jacks, Tatiana Jacks, Nikaya Fogle, and Asia Fogle. This episode traces the warning signs preceding their deaths—from housing instability and school absences to unanswered welfare concerns and the family’s growing isolation following Nathaniel Fogle Jr.’s death. Schools, police, child welfare officials, housing agencies, and healthcare systems each held fragments of the story, but no one connected the full picture in time. We examine Benita Jacks’s trial and convictions, the District’s response, and how institutional fragmentation allowed four children to disappear in plain sight. **Timestamps** 00:00 – The eviction that uncovered four deaths 01:30 – Benita Jacks and the family’s history 05:14 – The first child-welfare warning 07:08 – Nathaniel Fogle Jr.’s death 08:07 – Brittany disappears from school 08:36 – Kathy Lopez attempts to verify her safety 10:19 – A closed investigation 11:17 – Brittany’s final months 12:12 – The house becomes increasingly isolated 13:08 – Medical findings and homicide rulings 14:18 – The discovery inside the home 15:22 – Benita’s statements and legal competency 16:45 – The forensic challenges 17:41 – The prosecution’s case 18:37 – The verdicts 20:22 – The 120-year sentence 21:21 – The breakdown across agencies 23:16 – Civil settlement and unanswered questions 24:14 – Mental illness and child safety 25:02 – Remembering the four girls 26:00 – The pattern of missed opportunities 26:56 – Closing reflection 31:33 – Outro and listener support

Between 1979 and 1981, Black children, teenagers and young adults disappeared across Atlanta. As fear spread, grieving families organized searches, challenged city leaders and demanded that the cases be treated as a coordinated emergency. In this special episode, Steph examines the victims, the community’s fight for answers and the controversial case against Wayne Williams. Williams was convicted of murdering two adult men, Jimmy Ray Payne and Nathaniel Cater. He was never tried for the children’s murders, yet authorities attributed more than twenty additional deaths to him and closed those cases. We examine the Jackson Parkway bridge encounter, fiber and dog-hair evidence, disputed witnesses, Williams’s changing explanations, racial and political pressure, possible Klan involvement, and the differences among the victims that continue to raise questions. Was Wayne Williams responsible for every murder attributed to him, only some of them, or was one conviction used to provide Atlanta with an ending it desperately needed? Content warning: This episode discusses the murders of children and young adults, racial violence and disputed allegations. Remember the victims as individuals—not simply as evidence for or against Wayne Williams.

Steph tells the haunting story of Raven Joy Campbell, a 31-year-old mother and sister who vanished from her apartment in 2009 and was not found until 2015, hidden inside a wall behind a closet. The episode follows the six-year search, the anonymous tip that led investigators to her remains, and the conflicting accounts that complicated the case all the way through a mistrial and plea deal.In this episode, Steph focuses on Raven’s life, the family detail that first raised alarm, and the disturbing question of how someone could remain concealed in the same home for so long. The case also raises bigger issues around vulnerability, delayed justice, and the gap between what prosecutors can prove and what a family believes is justice. TimeStamps: 0:00- Six years later, an anonymous call points to the wall 02:28 - Raven Joy Campbell’s age, background, and vulnerability 03:54 - The move to Harbour Hills and the apartment living arrangement 05:21 - The purse left behind and why Raven’s family knew something was wrong 07:18 - Why the public record leaves major investigative gaps 08:41 - Nicholas grows up during 2,197 days of uncertainty 09:34 - The bad smell, the missing person case, and the 2015 tip 10:32 - Cadaver dogs, patched drywall, and the discovery in the wall 11:28 - Cause of death and the case shifts to homicide 12:25 - Randolph Garbut becomes the focus of investigators 13:22 - Garbut’s explanation of an accident, then choking Raven 16:26 - Myesha Smith’s testimony about the hammer attack 17:59 - Hiding the body, masking the smell, and moving her twice 18:56 - Smith’s immunity and the defense strategy 21:09 - The mistrial and the unresolved trial complications 22:18 - The no contest plea to voluntary manslaughter 24:12 - Raven’s family speaks at sentencing 25:08 - Three questions the episode keeps returning to 27:10 - Remembering Raven as a person, not just the wallNotable quotesCopy“Her family knew she would not have left it behind, and they were right.Somebody knew something.Whatever else we remember about this case, the wall, the anonymous phone call, the conflicting stories, the mistrial, the plea deal, I think we should remember her name first.”

On the morning after Thanksgiving in 2014, firefighters responded to a blaze inside a Fort Worth apartment. There, they discovered 31-year-old Ashlea Harris bound and murdered. Ashlea was a hardworking store manager who had recently helped police identify two former employees suspected of robbing the American Eagle store where she worked. Months later, those same former employees—Carter Cervantez and Clarence “David” Mallory—were accused of entering Ashlea’s home and carrying out a brutal act of revenge. But what were they looking for inside her apartment—and why did they believe Ashlea had it? In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph examines the events leading to Ashlea’s murder, the evidence connecting Cervantez and Mallory to the crime, and the investigation that uncovered what they came back for. Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Steph’s Instagram: @stepher_ Email: [email protected] Follow the podcast wherever you listen, leave a five-star review, and share this episode with someone who loves true crime. You can also become a paid subscriber and start your three-day free trial for access to weekly bonus episodes.