This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we’re pouring something crisp… because this one needs it.

First, we step into the quiet corners of a relationship that should’ve been filled with anticipation and new beginnings. Instead, it became the backdrop for the devastating murder of Sativa Transue—a young woman whose trust was met with unimaginable betrayal. What investigators uncovered doesn’t just raise questions… it rewrites the entire story.

Then, we cross the ocean to unravel the heartbreaking case of Natalie McNally, a woman described as warm, vibrant, and deeply loved—whose life was stolen while on a vacation. As the investigation unfolds, what emerges is a chilling reminder that sometimes the greatest danger isn’t a stranger in the dark… but someone standing in the light.

Two women. Two futures stolen. And in both cases, the truth was hiding in plain sight.

So dim the lights, grab your glass, and settle in… because tonight, we’re talking about the kind of love that doesn’t just crack—it shatters.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/dec/02/family-of-sativa-transue-who-was-found-dead-in-can/https://www.khq.com/news/please-get-help---family-of-cheney-woman-murdered-in-mexico-pleading-with-those/article_a763cc58-677a-11ec-9742-cfbe0ac6a0d7.htmlhttps://people.com/crime/washington-woman-found-dead-in-cancun-hotel-room-after-going-on-thanksgiving-vacation-with-boyfriend/https://people.com/crime/family-of-washington-woman-killed-in-cancun-allege-boyfriend-has-been-violent-before/https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/sativa-transue-thanksgiving-hotel-death-b1968224.htmlhttps://www.cheneyfreepress.com/story/2021/12/16/news/cheney-woman-found-dead-in-cancun/29056.htmlhttps://www.latintimes.com/woman-found-beaten-bloody-pulp-swanky-cancun-hotel-after-trip-boyfriend-497185https://www.change.org/p/sativa-s-law

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/natalie-mcnally-murder-trial-hears-psni-cyber-crime-officer-say-live-stream-alibi-was-pre-recorded-PAHNBRD4Q5CNZF7IKIDHQCH42Q/

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2026/02/25/former-partner-of-natalie-mcnally-peddled-false-alibi-about-live-gaming-stream-court-hears/

https://www.thejournal.ie/stephen-mccullagh-trial-natalie-mcnally-belfast-crown-court-6966178-Feb2026/

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/natalie-mcnally-murder-trial-hears-defendant-told-psni-aggressive-ex-boyfriend-had-been-harassing-her-V7BONRGUNFHH5B42WHJ2JOFQA4/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lisburn-family-psni-northern-ireland-rebecca-black-b2926727.html

We’re back…

In this redo episode, both of your favorite hosts dive back into the chilling legends of Franklin Castle and Leap Castle with fresh eyes, sharper instincts, and a whole lot more questions. What’s folklore, what’s fact… and what still doesn’t sit right?

From shadowy figures in Cleveland’s most infamous mansion to the violent, blood-soaked history lurking inside Ireland’s Leap Castle, we’re peeling back the layers and sitting with the stories a little longer this time.

The kind of late-night, best-friends energy that makes even the darkest tales feel a little too real.

Because sometimes… the second look is where things get truly unsettling.

• Wikipedia — Franklin Castle (Hannes Tiedemann House): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Castle. Wikipedia
  

• Cleveland Historical — Tiedemann House (Franklin Castle): https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/531. Cleveland Historical
  

• WKYC local feature — rare tour through Ohio City Franklin Castle: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/a-rare-tour-through-ohio-city-franklin-castle/95-b057ce23-2617-460a-9857-291d13dbc22e.
  

• The Franklin Castle (official / tour info and history): https://thefranklincastle.com. The Franklin Castle
  

• AllThat'sInteresting — “The Tragic History Of Franklin Castle”: https://allthatsinteresting.com/franklin-castle. All That's Interesting
  

Eventbrite / tour listings (sample of modern tours): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-franklin-castle-tour-tickets-1484749378359. Eventbrite

https://www.mustseespots.com/ireland/articles/the-legends-and-lore-of-leap-castle-irelands-haunted-history/

https://paranormalcasefiles.com/p/the-haunting-of-leap-castle-irelands

https://www.theirishpost.com/life-style/irelands-haunted-castle-174273

https://ghostwatch.com/paranormal-report/haunted-locations/ireland/leap-castle/

https://www.revisitinghistory.com/castles/ireland/leap-castle/

https://listverse.com/2016/03/21/10-tales-of-haunted-irish-castles/

https://spookyvalley.com/events/leap-castle-ireland/

A haunted Irish hillside. A ghost with a story that refuses to stay buried. And a stretch of Ireland where women seemed to vanish into thin air.

This week we start with the eerie legend of Petticoat Loose, where folklore, fear, and a tragic past still cling to the landscape like fog rolling over the hills.

Then we step into something far darker. The Vanishing Triangle, a chilling cluster of disappearances that left families searching, investigators scrambling, and a nation asking one question that still hangs in the air.

Coincidence? Cover ups? Something more sinister?

Pour the champagne. Things are about to get strange. 🥂

1. Duchas.ie – The National Folklore Collection (Schools’ Collection and manuscript archives)https://www.duchas.ie

2. The National Folklore Collection, University College Dublinhttps://www.ucd.ie/folklore/en/

3. The Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie)https://www.logainm.ie

4. Clare County Library – Folklore & Local Studies Archivehttps://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folklore.htm

5. Loop Head Tourism & Local History Resourceshttps://www.loophead.ie

1. Penal Laws historical overview – Library Irelandhttps://www.libraryireland.com/HistoryIreland/Penal-Laws.php

2. Irish bog bodies and archaeological context – National Museum of Irelandhttps://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology/Exhibitions/Kingship-and-Sacrifice

3. Witchcraft belief in Ireland – History Ireland journalhttps://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/witchcraft-in-ireland/

4. Irish Folklore Commission backgroundhttps://www.ucd.ie/folklore/en/about/

https://www.irishtimes.comhttps://www.rte.iehttps://www.independent.iehttps://www.thejournal.iehttps://www.garda.iehttps://www.irishmirror.iehttps://www.irishcentral.comhttps://www.oireachtas.iehttps://www.irishexaminer.com

This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we hold space for three young women whose lives should have stretched far beyond the headlines.

We begin in Auckland with Grace Millane, a bright, ambitious traveler celebrating her 22nd birthday on a solo trip around the world. One Tinder date. One night. And a courtroom battle that would ignite global conversations about consent, victim-blaming, and the stories we tell about women after they’re gone.

Then we travel to the wide-open landscapes of Argentina, where best friends Marina Menegazzo and María José Coni set off on a backpacking adventure through Ecuador. Their trip was filled with photos, plans, and promise until their final days unraveled into betrayal and violence that shocked two nations.

Three women. Three futures stolen. And three stories that deserve to be told with care, clarity, and just enough righteous fire to remember who the real villains were.

Pour a glass. We’re remembering them properly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Grace_Millane
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-11-24/no-compensation-for-grace-millanes-family
https://news.sky.com/story/grace-millane-murder-trial-jury-retires-to-consider-verdict-11866830https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caso_Mar%C3%ADa_Jos%C3%A9_Coni_e_Marina_Menegazzo https://miafm.cienradios.com/ecuador-encontraron-a-los-supuestos-asesinos-de-las-turistas-mendocinas/

https://www.ecuadortimes.net/before-the-crime-marina-menegazzo-and-maria-jose-coni-were-drugged-examination-reveals/

In this week’s episode, we swirl our champagne and step straight into the smoke of old Detroit, where legend says a crimson little creature foretells chaos. We’re diving into the history, folklore, and fever dreams behind the infamous Marche du Nain Rouge in Detroit.

Who is the Nain Rouge? A misunderstood trickster? A colonial curse? A tiny harbinger with impeccable timing and terrible vibes? From its first alleged sighting by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in the early 1700s to the city’s modern-day parade that theatrically banishes him each year, we unpack the myth, the history, and the way a city turned its bad luck into a party.

It’s folklore, it’s fire, it’s civic therapy with a splash of sass. Grab a glass and let’s chase the red devil out of town.

Official Parade & Modern Event

• https://www.marchedunainrouge.com

• https://www.facebook.com/marchedunainrouge

Detroit Historical Society & Local History

• https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/nain-rouge

• https://detroithistorical.org/blog/2017-03-23/legend-nain-rouge

Encyclopedia & Folklore References

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nain_Rouge

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/marche-du-nain-rouge

Local & Regional Journalism

• https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2017/03/24/nain-rouge-parade-detroit/99566028/

• https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/the-legend-of-the-nain-rouge/Content?oid=2443976

• https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/14878/the_nain_rouge_and_detroit_s_history_of_bad_luck

Cultural Context & French Colonial Detroit

• https://www.michiganradio.org/post/story-behind-detroits-nain-rouge

• https://www.historydetroit.com/nain-rouge.html

On this episode, we honor lives taken far too soon.

First, we tell the story of Fan Man-Yee, a bright young woman whose disappearance and murder shook her community and left a family searching for answers that never fully came.

Then, we turn to one of the most heartbreaking cases in American history: the Girl Scout Murders at Camp Scott in Oklahoma, where three young girls lost their lives during what should have been a summer of laughter, friendship, and s’mores.

This isn’t about sensational headlines.

This is about remembering who they were.

About the families who never stopped loving them.

And about making sure their names are never forgotten.

Because true crime should never forget the humans at the center of the story.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty_murder_case

2. https://people.com/hell-kitty-murder-hong-kong-11831537

3. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3011932/hong-kong-hello-kitty-murder-meth-paranoia-or-product-violent-decade-and

4. https://filmdaily.co/news/hello-kitty-murder/

5. https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/dental-forensic-doctor-who-handled-hello-kitty-murder-case-says-teeth-can-still-be-used-to-verify-the-identity-of-the-murdered-victim-abby-choi-even-after-cooking/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_Girl_Scout_murdershttps://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/kidnappings/oklahoma-girl-scout-murders/https://www.oklahomadaily.news/oklahoma-girl-scout-murders-faqs/https://www.thecoldcases.com/p/a-timeline-of-the-oklahoma-girl-scouthttps://www.kjrh.com/news/40-years-later-the-girl-scout-murdershttps://www.killerqueenspodcast.com/oklahoma-girl-scout-murders/https://discover.hubpages.com/true-crime/1977-Girl-Scouts-Murders-Police-Hope-DNA-Will-Identify-Killer

Love isn’t always sweet. Sometimes it’s controlling. Sometimes it’s obsessive. And sometimes… it’s fatal.
This Valentine’s Week, we dive into the heartbreaking murder of Tara Grant and the shocking, rage-filled story of the Papin sisters. Two cases. Two relationships gone wrong. One unforgettable episode about what happens when love turns dangerous.Sources 

Wikipedia – Murder of Tara Lynn Granthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Tara_Lynn_Grant

Murderpedia – Stephen Christopher Granthttps://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/grant-stephen.htm

Daily Press – “10 years pass since Grant murder”https://www.dailypress.net/news/local-news/2017/02/10-years-pass-since-grant-murder/

Michigan Lawyers Weekly – “Grant sentenced in wife’s dismemberment slaying”https://milawyersweekly.com/news/2008/02/25/grant-sentenced-in-wifes-dismembermentslaying/

CNN Transcripts – Nancy Grace coverage of the Grant case and confessionhttps://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ng/date/2007-03-06/segment/01

ClickOnDetroit – “I created closure for myself”: Tara Grant’s children speak outhttps://www.clickondetroit.com/video/local-news/2021/10/07/i-created-closure-for-myself-tara-grants-children-speak-out/

Chilling Crimes – Tara Lynn Grant case overview and community impacthttps://www.chillingcrimes.com/blogs/news/tara-granthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_and_L%C3%A9a_Papinhttps://sites.psu.edu/passionblogeliot/2022/02/28/the-papin-sisters/https://blogs.gwu.edu/himmelfarb/2022/07/08/disorder-in-the-court-2-folie-a-deux/https://thecoolbeans.ca/2023/12/26/the-murderous-maids-of-le-mans/

This week, we’re telling two stories about women who refused to stay in their lanes and terrified society in very different ways.

First up: Sharon Kinne. Blonde. Beautiful. Seemingly untouchable. Behind the polished smile was a trail of bullets, dead husbands, and a courtroom saga so wild it feels fictional… except it wasn’t. From suburban Kansas City to an international escape, Sharon’s story is one of manipulation, charm, and a justice system that blinked at exactly the wrong moments.

Then, we ride straight into legend with Calamity Jane. Frontierswoman. Scout. Drunk, brave, grieving, and endlessly misunderstood. Was she a fearless truth-teller or her own best myth-maker? We strip back the dime-novel nonsense to find the real woman beneath the buckskins, the loneliness behind the bravado, and the reason her name still echoes through the Wild West.

One woman killed to protect her image.
One woman became an image to survive.

Two stories. Two reputations. And a reminder that history has never known what to do with women who refuse to behave.

Pour something strong. This one rides hard.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Kinne

• https://kcpolice.org/media/news-releases/kcpd-jackson-county-sheriff-s-office-solve-fugitive-serial-killer-case/

• https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-01-31/independence-woman-sharon-kinne-accused-serial-killer-dead-missing-54-years

• https://rdnewsnow.com/2025/01/31/serial-killer-wanted-in-u-s-and-mexico-lived-in-taber-for-49-years/

• https://apnews.com/article/f100887093f0794b8b50db3989acc28b

 britannica.com/biography/Calamity-Jane-American-frontierswoman nationalgeographic.com/history/article/calamity-jane-legend-reality wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamity_Jane deadwood.com/history/infamous-deadwood/calamity-jane historynet.com/the-calamities-of-calamity-jane cowboystatedaily.com/2024/11/14/the-american-west-calamity-jane-wild-woman-of-the-west

This week’s episode is a double feature in red flags that everyone saw… and no one stopped.
We start with the Powell family case, a slow-burn nightmare filled with control, paranoia, and systems that missed every chance to intervene before tragedy struck.
Then we turn to Jodi Arias, a case where obsession, image-crafting, and manipulation collided in a way that still leaves people arguing years later.
Two cases that prove “it’s complicated” is sometimes the most dangerous phrase in the room.

1. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-5/husband-of-missing-utah-woman-kills-self-and-two-young-sons

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powell

3. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/susan-powells-blood-letter-detailing-her-fear-of-husband-found-at-family-utah-home/

4. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/wa-court-reinstates-nearly-100m-verdict-against-state-in-death-of-2-boys/

5. https://dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/reports/CFR3qtr2012.pdf

6. https://www.deseret.com/2012/8/2/20505065/report-washington-social-workers-needed-more-powell-information-from-west-valley-police

7. https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicupload/eclips/2023%2004%2020%20WA%20court%20reinstates%20nearly.pdf

8. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/jury-finds-washington-state-liable-in-powell-boys-deaths-awards-98m/

9. https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/social-worker-on-josh-powell-he-exploded-the-3131867.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Travis_Alexander

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/jodi-arias

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jodi-arias-a-timeline-of-a-sensational-murder-case/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/jodi-arias-trial-timeline-events-arizona-murder-case/story?id=18123295

https://murderpedia.org/female.A/a/arias-jodi.htm

https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/5-essential-things-to-know-about-the-jodi-arias-case

https://www.abdallah-law.com/blog/how-jodi-arias-was-charged-with-the-murder-of-travis-alexander-and-avoided-the-death-penalty/

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/01/05/jodi-arias-addresses-murder-case-claims-lost-evidence-first-time-years/

https://www.foxnews.com/us/convicted-killer-jodi-arias-signals-fresh-legal-push-more-than-decade-after-guilty-verdict

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_Arias:_Dirty_Little_Secret

Two people. Two countries. Two moments in time where everything simply… stops.

Sneha Philip disappears in New York City on September 10th, 2001. Her case becomes forever entangled with the shadow of 9/11, blurring the line between tragedy, possibility, and unanswered questions. Was she lost in the chaos, or did she vanish before the world changed forever?

Years later in England, 14-year-old Andrew Gosden skips school, boards a one-way train to London, and is never seen again. No note. No backpack. No confirmed sightings. Just a quiet exit that has haunted his family and investigators for nearly two decades.

This episode explores two separate disappearances bound by silence, speculation, and the unsettling truth that some people don’t leave behind clues. They leave behind echoes.

What happened to Sneha Philip?
And where did Andrew Gosden go?

Sometimes the most disturbing mysteries aren’t about what we know.

They’re about what we never will.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Sneha_Anne_Philiphttps://charleyproject.org/case/sneha-ann-philiphttps://voicescenter.org/living-memorial/victim/dr-sneha-anne-philiphttps://www.rediff.com/news/report/roll/20080807.htmhttps://www.rediff.com/news/special/snehas-room-has-been-kept-the-same-way-for-the-past-15-years/20160911.htmhttps://truenoirstories.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/sneha-philip/https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-trace-evidence-29076624/episode/028-the-disappearance-of-sneha-48069733/https://thartribune.com/what-the-security-footage-shows-in-the-disappearance-of-dr-sneha-anne-philip/https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/sneha-philip-mystery-disappeared-9-11-b1917381.html

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Andrew_Gosden Wikipedia

2. https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2022-07-10/the-huge-hole-felt-by-family-of-boy-still-missing-after-15-years ITVX

3. https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2025-09-08/appeal-for-teenager-andrew-gosden-who-went-missing-from-doncaster-18-years-ago ITVX

4. https://news.sky.com/story/andrew-gosden-disappearance-two-men-arrested-on-suspicion-of-kidnap-and-human-trafficking-after-boy-14-went-missing-in-2007-12513719 Sky News

5. https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2023-09-20/men-arrested-over-andrew-gosden-disappearance-eliminated-from-inquiry ITVX

6. https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/crime/andrew-gosden-police-send-out-update-on-doncaster-missing-boy-after-false-information-is-spread-5307929 The Star

7. https://news.sky.com/story/andrew-gosden-new-age-progression-image-of-boy-who-went-missing-in-2007-aged-14-11847662 Sky News

8. https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/missing-people-charity-safecall-campaign-andrew-gosden-b2878228.html The Independent