Box in the Basement

By Arlene, Leah, Bree

"Box in the Basement" is a compelling new podcast created by Arlene, a woman whose life was forever changed by a family tragedy. The unsolved murder of her Uncle Leon Laurales serves as the catalys

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· True Crime

4.5

3131 ratings

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FAQs about Box in the Basement:

How many episodes does Box in the Basement have?

The podcast currently has 78 episodes available.

Box in the Basement episodes:

August 14, 2025The Driveway Execution Caught on Camera: Who Pulled the Trigger on Elizabeth Barraza?
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She was setting up for a garage sale at sunrise. Minutes later, she was dead.
On January 25, 2019, 29-year-old Elizabeth Barraza stepped into her driveway in Tomball, Texas, ready for a weekend of fundraising and fun. What happened next was caught on camera—but the killer remains a mystery. Wearing a disguise, the shooter approached Liz, fired four rounds at point-blank range, and vanished without a trace. No arrest. No clear motive. And no answers for the family and friends left behind.
In this episode, Arlene and Leah unravel the haunting timeline, dissect the chilling surveillance footage, and explore theories that range from personal vendettas to the perfect stranger murder. This is a case that feels solvable, but isn’t.
If you think you know what happened to Elizabeth Barraza, you might want to listen twice.
Show Notes:
Who Killed Elizabeth Barraza? Tomball Woman Fatally Shot
Tomball Woman Killed While Setting Up Garage Sale
Memorial Planned for Tomball Woman Killed
Elizabeth Barraza Coverage & Updates
Houston’s Shocking Unsolved Murder Nears 5-Year Anniversary
Elizabeth “Liz” Barraza Murder
Sergio Barraza Speaks on Wife’s Murder
Tomball Woman Shot to Death
Police Still Seeking Clues
Five Years Later: Murder of Tomball Woman Remains Unsolved
Unresolved: The Murder of Elizabeth Barraza
Case File: Elizabeth Nuelle Barraza – SolveTheCase.org
Who Killed Liz Barraza?
The Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Barraza
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43min
July 31, 2025Attacked on Camera, Missing Without a Trace - Her Body Discovered 70 Miles Away: The Case of Tiera Strand
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Tiera Strand, a 25-year-old mother from Austin, Texas, vanished on April 16, 2023, after a night out on Sixth Street with friends. As she worked to complete her GED, Tiera dreamed of joining the Navy to forge a better future for herself and her daughter, despite her family's expectation that she would follow a path in cosmetology.
That evening, Tiera and her friends stopped by the Mooseknuckle Pub in the "Dirty Sixth" district. Surveillance footage captures her involvement in a heated fight, first inside the bar and then outside, where a group of women attacked her. Witnesses last saw her running away barefoot, leaving behind her purse, shoes, and phone. One friend caught a glimpse of her heading toward Trinity Street but quickly lost track of her.
Five days later, authorities discovered her body 70 miles away near Temple, Texas. The autopsy raised more questions than answers—no visible signs of trauma, no drugs in her system, only alcohol present. Decomposition likely concealed any evidence of injury. With an official cause of death still undetermined, investigators now treat the case as a homicide, deepening the mystery surrounding Tiera's disappearance.
Join Arlene and Leah as they posit the theories of what happened to Tiera Strand.
Woman Seen in Footage Attacked Outside Austin Bar Found Dead
Unsolved: The Death of Tiera Strand
Autopsy Report Released for Tiera Strand, Cause of Death Undetermined
Tiera Strand's Cause of Death Remains Undetermined
Texas Cold Case: What Happened to Tiera Strand?
Family of Tiera Strand Seeks Justice
Missing 25-Year-Old Found Dead
Family of Austin Woman Found Dead in Bell County Wants Answers
Video Report: Family Seeks Justice
Missing Austin Woman Found Dead in Bell County
Woman Reported Missing in Austin Found Dead
Missing Woman Found Dead After Leaving Austin Bar
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25min
July 17, 2025Texas’s Oldest Unsolved Family Massacre: What Really Happened to the Arellanos?
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In 1968, five members of the Arellano family were slaughtered outside a remote Texas farmhouse, after two blown out tires in the middle of nowhere. Like out of a horror movie, the whole family was found shot, stabbed and beaten to death, with one sole survivor, 5-year old Manuel Jr. He claims a cowboy good Samaritan who helped with their flat tire was the perpetrator, a man police never found.
With renewed attention from journalists, podcasters, and even the Texas Rangers, pressure is building to uncover the truth. New evidence and theories, was it a sole man, or multiple perpetrators?
Join Arlene and Leah as they examine the victims, the timeline, the eerie silence of the investigation, and the lingering shadows cast by one of Texas’s most baffling mass murders.
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35min
July 10, 20257-Year-Old Cortney Clayton Disappeared in Broad Daylight… Then Her Body Was Found 15 Miles Away
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Seven-year-old Cortney Clayton vanished while walking home from a corner store in tiny Stamford, Texas. It was 1988—a time when kids still rode bikes until dark, and trust lingered in small towns. But what followed shattered that trust: Cortney's body was found miles away, and despite witness sketches, leads, and decades of investigation, her murder remains unsolved.
This case has haunted the community for over 36 years. New composite sketches, evolving theories, and a heartbroken family’s relentless push for answers have kept Cortney’s name alive. But has law enforcement missed something crucial? Why was she targeted? Who could’ve been watching?
Join Arlene and Leah as they walk through the timeline, explore the evidence, revisit the original suspect sketches, and ask the questions that still demand answers.
Show Notes
36 Years Later: Murder of 7-Year-Old Stamford Girl Remains Unsolved
Yahoo News Recap: Cold Case of 7-Year-Old Cortney Clayton Still Haunts Texas Town
Solve the Case: Cortney Clayton
New Composite Sketch Released in 28-Year-Old Cortney Clayton Case
Parents Remember Cortney Clayton 30 Years Later
Texas Cold Case: Who Killed Cortney Clayton?
Cortney Clayton – True Crime Diva
The Austin Chronicle: Still Searching for Justice in Jones County
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Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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31min
June 26, 2025He Vanished After a Party—Three Years Later, His Bones Were Found on a Hillside: The Case of
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On a cold February night in 1999, 25-year-old Wil Hendrick vanished after leaving a party near Moscow, Idaho. His friends thought he had walked home. He never made it. Months later, his abandoned car was found—muddied, keys gone, and ominously silent. Three years after that, Wil’s remains were discovered on a remote hillside, miles from town.
Wil was openly gay in a small town, a proud artist with a vibrant spirit—and possibly, a target. Despite the passage of more than two decades, no one has been charged with his murder. The case has bounced between local police, the FBI, and cold case teams—but crucial evidence remains missing, and key suspects have slipped through the cracks.
Was Wil the victim of a hate crime? A personal vendetta? Or something even darker?
Join Arlene and Leah as they examine the victim, timeline, evidence, and suspects in this haunting cold case.
Remembering Wil Hendrick: A Cold Case That Still Haunts Idaho
A Party Leads to Murder: The Unsolved Death of Wil Hendrick
Wil Hendrick’s Father Still Seeks Justice After Son’s Mysterious Death
The Unsolved Murder of Wil Hendrick
Justice for Wil Hendrick: A Cold Case Involving a Native Victim
A Look at Idaho Cold Cases: Wil Hendrick Still Unsolved
FBI Joins Investigation Into Wil Hendrick Case
The Trail Went Cold: Episode on Wil Hendrick
Wil Hendrick’s Story Featured on Luminol True Crime Blog
Unsolved Mysteries Gallery: William "Wil" Hendrick
Newspaper Coverage of Hendrick Case – Part 1
Newspaper Coverage of Hendrick Case – Part 2
True Crime Diva: The Murder of Wil Hendrick
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Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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25min
June 19, 2025They Were in Love. He Was Watching. Then He Opened Fire.
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In the spring of 1988, two women set out for peace, adventure, and freedom on the Appalachian Trail. But only one would make it home. Rebecca Wight and Claudia Brenner were hiking through Pennsylvania’s Michaux State Forest when their journey turned into a nightmare. After being stalked by a stranger in the woods, the couple was ambushed in a shocking act of violence fueled by hate. Rebecca was shot and killed. Claudia, injured and alone, had to survive—and fight to tell their story.
In this episode, Arlene and Leah revisit one of the most devastating and pivotal hate crimes in LGBTQ+ history. They explore the timeline of events, the harrowing survival of Claudia Brenner, the manhunt for shooter Stephen Roy Carr, and the courtroom drama that followed. Was this a random act of madness or a calculated hate crime ignored by too many for too long? How did this brutal murder shape the conversation around LGBTQ+ safety and justice in the wilderness and beyond?
Join Arlene and Leah as they examine the victim, the evidence, and the ripple effects of a case that left a permanent scar on the Appalachian Trail.
Show Notes:
Rebecca Wight Murder Case – Roanoke Times Archive
Stephen Roy Carr Kills Hiker on Appalachian Trail
LGBTQ Hate Crime on the Appalachian Trail
Killed for Being Gay: The Murder of Rebecca Wight
Criminal Discourse Podcast: Rebecca Wight
BBC Podcast on Rebecca Wight's Story
1995 Testimony on LGBTQ Hate Crimes in PA Legislature
Washington Post: The Target That Shot Back
YouTube: Appalachian Trail Hate Crime Coverage
UPI Archives: Murder on the Appalachian Trail
Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes

Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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Donate to Seasons of Justice

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30min
June 12, 2025Utah’s Dark LGBT History—Who Murdered Anthony Adams?
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In 1978, 27-year-old Anthony Adams, a gay man living in Salt Lake City, was found brutally murdered in his home. His killing was both savage and personal—signs of a struggle and a life cut short. Four decades later, no arrests have been made, and vital evidence has gone missing.
Why did the police let this case go cold? Was Anthony targeted because of his sexuality? And what dark secrets still linger in Salt Lake City’s cold case files?
Join Arlene and Leah as they examine the victim, timeline, evidence, and suspects.
Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes

Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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40min
June 05, 2025Trans, Two-Spirit, Missing & Murdered: Aubrey Dameron
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In the early morning of March 9, 2019, 25-year-old Aubrey Dameron left her home in Grove, Oklahoma, and disappeared. As a transgender, two-spirit woman, Aubrey’s identity placed her at greater risk in a community already grappling with systemic gaps in missing persons cases. Her family launched desperate searches and demanded answers, but for years, the mystery of her disappearance loomed large.
Six years later, her remains were discovered in a wooded area, bringing heartbreaking closure, yet still no accountability. What happened to Aubrey that night? Why did it take so long to find her? And who is responsible?
Join Arlene and Leah as they examine the victim, timeline, evidence, and suspects.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: is 800.656.HOPE •
U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
The LGBT National Hotline: (888) 843-4564
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741-741
Show Notes:
Aubrey Dameron Vanishes
Aubrey Dameron’s Remains Found
Remains of Aubrey Dameron Found After 6 Years
Family Thanks Community
A Life Worth Finding
Remains of Trans Woman Found
Aubrey Dameron’s Remains Located
Aubrey Dameron ID’d
LA Times: Aubrey’s Disappearance
Aunt: There’s More to Aubrey’s Case
HubPages: Aubrey Dameron
Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes

Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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Donate to Seasons of Justice

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34min
May 29, 2025The Unsolved Murder of Leon Laureles: Crying For Justice
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In this powerful episode of Box in the Basement, Arlene is joined by her life partner, Leah, and podcast producer Bree to discuss the latest developments in the unsolved 1996 murder of Leon Laureles in Brownwood, Texas.
💔 Arlene shares the emotional toll of losing Leon and introduces new findings from the private investigator's files that were hidden for decades, including a suspect list and shocking crime scene photos.
🕵️ Leah shares her chilling connection to true crime: she attended the same church as Jeffrey Dahmer’s father and grew up hearing stories of a local unsolved murder. Bree, with family roots in law enforcement, reflects on how true crime shifted from passive interest to active advocacy.
🧾 The team exposes:
Mishandled crime scene protocol and possible corruption
A mysterious civilian in crime scene photos
Questions around Sheriff Donahue’s recusal
Autopsy findings prove Leon’s execution-style murder
Speculation on the weapon and accelerant used
The burning of Leon’s car and the deliberate destruction of evidence
🎯 This episode also explores Brownwood’s dark undercurrent of discrimination and systemic failure in handling LGBTQ+ hate crimes.
🕯️ You're invited:
Join us on May 31, 2025, for a memorial honoring Leon's life.
📍 11 AM–2 PM | Common Grounds Coffee House, 809 Main St, Brownwood, TX
🔗 Support Justice for Leon
📜 Sign the petition at Change.org
💵 Donate at GoFundMe – Search “Leon Laureles”
🌐 Visit justiceforleon.com for updates, FOIA info, and anonymous tip submission
Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes

Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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41min
May 22, 2025Justice for Leon part 3: The Day of the Murder
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In this gripping continuation of Box in the Basement, host Arlene shares what happened in the days leading up to and the night of her uncle Leon Laureles unsolved murder on May 10th, 1996, outside Brownwood, Texas.
Through witness accounts, community stories, and her own exhaustive research, Arlene pieces together the timeline of events—red flags, threats, a suspicious red sports car, the chilling final 911 calls, and the appalling mishandling of the investigation by local law enforcement and the Texas Rangers.
This episode reveals:
Leon’s fears and threats made against him before his death
The mysterious cars seen at the scene and possible hate crime motives
The gross mishandling of evidence, including the destruction of his car, failure to preserve the bullet, and lies about missing case files
The deeper corruption and neglect that plagued small-town law enforcement in 1990s Texas
Arlene bravely confronts her own guilt, shares the trauma felt by witnesses and coworkers, and pleads for renewed attention to Leon’s case.
Support Box in the Basement & Our Causes

Leon Laurales: Website & GoFundMe

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34min

FAQs about Box in the Basement:

How many episodes does Box in the Basement have?

The podcast currently has 78 episodes available.

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