Jamie Dickerson never believed her daughter, April Holt, committed suicide. Not because she is in denial, but because she knows her daughter was trying to leave her marriage and had told her husband two weeks before her death that she wants a divorce. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the case, how 29-year-old April Holt is found unresponsive in the bathroom of the home she shares with her husband and son, with a plastic bag taped tightly around her neck. Why is her death ruled a suicide, and what does her mother do to catch the killer and see him go to trial for murder.  This episode discusses domestic abuse and suicide. If you are someone you know is living in a domestic violence situation, there is a toll free number to call:  1-800-799-3233. There is also a number if you are having thoughts of self-harm or even taking your own life, the suicide hotline and Crisis Lifeline - 988.

Transcribe Highlights

00:00.97 Introduction
NOTE - In this episode both domestic violence and suicide will be discussed

 05:09.61 Victim's mother solves the crime

09:50.94 Discussion of the "finder" and the "reporter"

14:11.21 Talk about framing of a story for the police on the scene

18:58.24 How cases are classified as "final exit" case

25:00.55 Discussion of broken blood vessels in the cheek

30:20.65 Claim of "sex play" gone too far and staging the scene

35:02.96 Killer sentenced to two-years in prison

39:29.59 Sentence is a "slap in the face to victims of domestic violence"

41:03.67 Conclusion Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-3233
                    Suicide Hotline and crisis lifeline - 988 

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Joseph Donohue's son can't get in touch with the Boston attorney and after two days failing to connect, reaches out to police asking for a welfare check. When Police arrive at the yacht in Boston Harbor, they can see a woman inside running around. When she finally answers the door, the 24-year-old Nora Nelson lies to police - giving them a false name and telling them Donohue was at a "Strip Club". Nelson tries to keep the officers from entering the houseboat but they are insistent, and once inside they find the body of the attorney wrapped in a rug with weights tied to his hands. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the forensic evidence that will be used in court and get into the background of the case of a 65-year-old Attorney dead on his houseboat and the 24-year-old woman with warrants in other states who lies to police from the beginning.

Transcript Highlights
00:04.29  Introduction 

02:01.09 Living and sleeping on a houseboat

04:49.17 Son calls police asking for a "welfare check" of his father

10:36.80 Female on the boat lies to police

15:01.19 Victim had two dogs living with him

20:11.93 Nora claims blood on boat was from her "period"

25:37.41 What do police do when they find what appears to be a body wrapped in carpet?

30:22.56 Going through crime scene photos prior to trial 

35:13.75 Explaining bone density of skull in different places

40:20.98 Looking for "defects" in the skull

44:09.96 Matching the blade of knife with tip part broken off

46:15.65 Conclusion

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A 911 call is made by a father who claims he woke up and found his 6-month-old son unresponsive. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about how first responders report the smell of urine and feces in the home and how roaches are seen all over the kitchen. Joe also explains the injuries that led to the beating death of a 6-month-old boy at the hand of his own father.  Kaysyn Hedrick's name was never used by the courts until after his father was sentenced for his murder.

Transcript Highlights

00:00.00  Introduction

05:07.11 Six-month-old child beaten to death by his father

09:50.22 Not releasing child's name

15:11.11 Story about Roaches taking over home

20:01.24 Investigators have to see location of death

25:05.40 Shane Hedrick taken to sheriff's office

30:07.09 Taking the measure of a scene

35:03.98 Deciding on manner and cause of death

40:10.49 Child robbed of his life

47:07.75 Conclusion

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Evelyn Boswell's grandfather reports her missing when he realizes nobody has seen the 15-month-old baby for several weeks. An Amber Alert is issued and Evelyn's mother, Megan Boswell, does interviews on tv and with investigators. Boswell gives three totally different stories about where baby Evelyn is and investigators eventually find the baby in her grandfather's backyard in trash bag located in a child's playhouse. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the case with Joseph providing expert analysis of the decomposition that would occur under the conditions. 

Transcript Highlights
00:01.58 Introduction
02:58.46 Amber Alert - Baby Evelyn Boswell 
05:18.99 Grandfather reports Baby Evelyn missing
10:06.94 Megan Boswell tells multiple stories
15:11.50 How does investigation move forward when main person is lying?
20:38.25 Megan Boswell trying to deceive investigators
25:14.65 Evelyn Boswell found in a trash bag inside playhouse
30:25.87 Manner of death is Homicide.
35:05.39 Body had been "unnaturally folded"
40:37.51 latent prints found on tin foil
44:02.48 Conclusion

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A landlord staging a property in preparation for a new tenant, sees what appears to be the foot of a child sticking out of the ground. The landlord calls police, and they find the remains of 9-year-old Zemar King III buried in a shallow grave. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about how the mother of Zemar King, Brandee Pierce,  is caught in Georgia in January, where she is already in jail, charged with abuse of her three-year-old days before Christmas. Joseph Scott Morgan also explains how investigators determined how Brandee Pierce "smothered" and "choked" her 9-year-old son to death before burying him in a backyard grave and then skipping town. 

Transcript Highlights
00:00.01 Introduction
01:53.70 Zemar King, little boy left in shallow grave by his mother
04:57.48 Would a human foot look different than a plastic foot in the dirt?
10:25.76 Investigators benefit from "containment"
14:33.47 Reactionary event, panic
19:12.14 How long has it been since victim died
24:41.84 What actually happened to Zemar?
30:15.49 Hands and feet of Zemar were tied together
36:24.94 Determining how Zemar died - smothering / neck compression
39:28.72 Conclusion: Case is still active, we will update

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James Dennis Ford and Richard Lee Tabler were both executed on February 13, 2025. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the crimes that led both men to be sentenced to death as well as take a look at methods for carrying out the death sentence. They also discuss what Bryan Kohberger might face if he is convicted in the Idaho Student murders. James Dennis Ford murdered Gregory and Kimberly Malnory while on a fishing trip. Ford  shot Gregory Malnory in the head with a .22-caliber rifle, bludgeoned him, and slit his throat. Ford then raped, beat, and shot Kimberly Malnory. All of this in front of their 23-month old daughter, Maranda Malnory, who was left behind as Ford fled the scene. Maranda was found nearly a day later -  dehydrated and covered in insect bites by an employee of a nearby sod farm. Florida executed James Dennis Ford by lethal injection.

One Hour Later:

Richard Lee Tabler was 24 when he  fatally shot four people in 2004. He has always admitted this, but was only tried and convicted for the murders of Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni, 25, and Haitham Frank Zayed, 28.  Texas used a lethal injection of pentobarbital to kill the 46-year-old Tabler, whose mother and sister were among the witnesses to the execution.

Transcript Highlights

00:00.91 Introduction 
04:34.95 Two executions take place on the same day
09:08.11 During murders, mother puts 23-month old daughter in car
14:42.77 Being present for autopsy of person sentenced to death
20:08.51 Convict said to have mind of a child
25:14.09 Victims lured to death
29:14.60 Tabler gets "saved" while in prison
38:48.20 Discussion of Capital Punishment qualified
43:11.80 Using Capital punishment as a deterrent 
48:10.55 Conclusion

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There are at least five murders attributed to "Jack the Ripper".

• Mary Ann Nichols: The first confirmed victim, murdered on August 31, 1888
• Annie Chapman: Murdered on September 8, 1888
• Elizabeth Stride: Murdered on September 30, 1888
• Catherine Eddoweson: Murdered on September 30, 1888
• Mary Jane Kelly: Murdered on November 9, 1888

Some people believe there were victims prior to August 31, 1888, and after November 9, 1888. That is a discussion for a different day. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the evidence that includes DNA from one of the victims as well as a possible suspect and how working with genealogists led investigators to the only person that could have provided the DNA found on the shawl of Catherine Eddoweson.  Case Solved!

Transcript Highlights

00:00.46 Introduction of Jack The Ripper case

04:02.28 Joe Scott describes time in London

09:11.12 Immigration impact

13:35.86 Murders included in the Jack the Ripper case

18:35.25 Studying the case

22:25.38 Developing skills with knife

28:47.48 Suspect described - leather apron

34:15.31 Ripper Case sold a lot of news papers

38:55.85 DNA from Shawl

43:45.68 Victim and suspect DNA evidence

49:28.75 Suspect was "hair dresser" as well as barber

50:13.83 Conclusion

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When a young newly engaged couple pick up a couple bottles of "Homemade" Limoncello from a local restaurant, they assume they are buying a product that is safe to consume. Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Els Arno Quinton, 36 are world travelers, she from Great Brittain, he from South Africa, and are celebrating their recent engagement.  Cleaning service shows up to clean their room on Boxing Day (December 26) and discovers the couple dead.  Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take a look what really happened to the couple and other world travelers who are suffering the same or similar fate.

Transcript Highlights

00:12.79 Introduction: Mardi Gras - Drinking Alcohol

05:07.20 Ethanol vs methanol

10:05.13 "Homemade" Limoncello

15:13.03 Alcohol effects

20:06.36 Atlanta Bathtub gin

25:01.39 Alcohol - different types

30:21.77 Victim contacted mother, talks about worst hangover

35:31.07 Tourist dying drinking methanol instead of ethanol

40:02.02 Methanol poisoning, suspects being charged with murder

43:17.41 Conclusion

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Christy Giles, 24, and Hilda Cabrales-Arzola, 26, go out for a "Girls Night" of dancing and fun. Hilda is an interior designer and architect and Christy has been modeling since she was a teen, and is now becoming an actress. Dancing at an after party the girls meet a hollywood producer, David Pierce and a couple of his friends. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss what happened after Christy and Hilda went back to Pierce's apartment and how each woman was dumped on the sidewalk at different hospitals hours apart by men wearing masks in a car without a license plate 

Transcript Highlights

00:00.00 Introduction - producers
process.

03:02.04 Christy and Hilda - Girls night out, never made it back home

08:07.00 Both women dropped off at hospitals, license plates removed from vehicle

12:01.75 Worst case scenario for medical professionals

16:31.12 UBER arrives, leaves without Christy and Hilda

21:27.31 How fast drugs breakdown in system  

27:11.05 Hilda had different drugs than Christy in her system

32:32.43 When charges against Pierce became public, more women came forward

34:31.88 Conclusion

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In Nebraska a 56-year-old man dies alone in his apartment. He seemed to be in good health and his family wants to know what happened. A police officer decides the man died of "Natural Causes" so no autopsy is performed. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about legal death investigation and who makes the call when it comes to the "Manner of Death".

Transcribe Highlights

00:00.00 Introduction

04:38.56 Story of regret

10:35.89 Things that appear to be "natural"

15:35.28 When the coroner is elected position

20:18.72 Who makes a great legal death investigator

25:37.62 Determining manner and cause of death

30:50.66 Discussion of Coroner state

35:20.27 What qualifies a police officer to determine "natural causes"?

37:06.32 Conclusion

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