Crime and Motive

At Danvers High, a beloved math teacher and the new kid mysteriously vanish after class. And police uncover something more shocking than anyone imagined.

In this episode of Murder U, we examine the 2013 murder of 24-year-old Colleen Ritzer — a teacher who inspired her students and was loved by everyone who knew her. What began as two missing-person reports soon exposed a crime so disturbing it left an entire community searching for answers.

We trace the events from Colleen’s final class to the discovery that shattered Danvers High, the evidence that broke the case open, and the trial that forced Massachusetts to confront one of the darkest crimes ever committed on school grounds.

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Cassie Jo Stoddart was housesitting in Pocatello, Idaho, just days before Halloween — when a quiet weekend took a deadly turn.

In this Halloween episode of Murder U, we revisit the 2006 killing that turned a suburban home into a scene straight out of a horror film. What began as an ordinary weekend quickly spiraled into one of the most unsettling true-crime cases of the decade. As investigators traced Cassie’s final hours, they uncovered evidence of a carefully orchestrated plan — and a chilling fascination that blurred the line between fiction and reality.

It’s the story of a bright, responsible teenager whose trust was betrayed, and of a community left haunted by a crime that felt ripped from the movies.

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Two deaths. Same dorm. Five months apart.

At Gallaudet University — a prestigious school for the deaf — a tight-knit campus is shaken by back-to-back murders inside the same residence hall.

At first, investigators fear a serial killer is targeting LGBTQ+ students. But as evidence unfolds, suspicion turns closer to home… and one of the witnesses becomes the prime suspect in a case that stunned the deaf community and raised urgent questions about safety, trust, and identity.

This is the full story of the Gallaudet University murders — where silence wasn’t safety, and the truth was hiding in plain sight.

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A quiet family home turned into a crime scene.

In the early hours of July 21, 2000, four members of the Flores family were found murdered inside their Pico Rivera house, and the mother was barely alive. Three daughters survived the night — but how? There was no forced entry, nothing stolen, and no clear reason for the slaughter.

Detectives searched for answers in a maze of family ties, teenage secrets, and mounting contradictions. What began as a hunt for intruders soon uncovered something far more unsettling within the walls of the Flores home.

This episode follows the investigation into one of Los Angeles County’s most shocking crimes — the Flores family murders — and the truth that would forever change everyone left behind.


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He was known as the “Co-Ed Killer.”
In the early 1970s, students in Northern California began vanishing while hitchhiking near campus. Behind the disappearances was Edmund Kemper, a towering figure with a history of violence dating back to the murder of his own grandparents at age 15.

Over eleven months, Kemper lured six young women into his car, killed them, and mutilated their bodies. He terrorized the University of California, Santa Cruz community while socializing with local police officers who nicknamed him “Big Ed.” His crimes escalated until he turned his rage against the person he hated most — his abusive mother.

In this episode of Murder U, we trace Kemper’s path from a troubled childhood to one of the most infamous killing sprees in American history. From the manipulation of psychiatrists who released him at 21, to his chilling confessions and his decision to turn himself in, this is the story of Ed Kemper — a serial killer whose calculated violence still haunts true crime history.

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She was just weeks from graduating nursing school. The night before, Haley Anderson spent hours laughing and playing board games with friends. The next day, when she didn’t show up at a poetry reading, her friends tracked her phone to a nearby apartment — and found a scene they will never forget. The man who lived there was already gone, on a flight out of the country.

In this episode of Murder U, we follow the murder of Haley Anderson — a case that began on the campus of Binghamton University and stretched across borders. From her life as a beloved nursing student to the obsessive behavior of Orlando Tercero, from the horrifying discovery inside his apartment to an international trial that ended with a rare femicide conviction, this story reveals how jealousy and control turned deadly.

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A campus wrestling star found strangled in his dorm room. On February 24, 2024, Campbellsville University in Kentucky was shaken by the death of 18-year-old Josiah Kilman. A theology major and standout athlete, Josiah was known for his faith, leadership, and kindness. At first, the case looked like a mystery with no clear answers. But as investigators pieced together the evidence, they uncovered a suspect far closer than anyone on campus could have imagined.

In this episode of Murder U Podcast, we follow Josiah’s journey from Montana to Campbellsville, where his promising future ended far too soon. We trace the frantic manhunt, the stunning confession, and the questions about motive and mental health that still linger. From a community in mourning to a family clinging to faith, this is the story of a young man’s life cut short and a campus forever changed.

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In March 2018, Central Michigan University went into lockdown after reports of gunfire inside a dorm. By the time police reached the scene, two parents were dead — and the suspect was their own son. The killings left the campus reeling and raised urgent questions about mental health, warning signs, and how quickly a crisis can spiral out of control.

In this episode of Murder U, we follow the lives of James Eric and Diva Davis, their son Eric Davis Jr.’s sudden unraveling, and the troubling signs of paranoia and disorientation he displayed before violence tore his family apart. This case revealed not only the heartbreak of a double parricide but also the gaps in how universities respond to students in psychiatric crisis.

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It was one of the most shocking crimes in University of Miami history. In April 1996, linebacker Marlin Barnes and his close friend Timwanika Lumpkins were discovered brutally beaten inside Barnes’ on-campus apartment. At first, students feared a random predator was on the loose. But as detectives pieced together the evidence, the investigation led them to someone much closer — a jealous ex with a violent history.

In this episode of Murder U, we trace Marlin’s journey from Liberty City to the Hurricanes football team, where he became an inspiration to his family and community. We look at the life of Timwanika, remembered by loved ones as “Lil Bit,” and how both were pulled into a tragedy that stunned the campus and made national headlines. From the initial panic, to the trail of evidence, to the courtroom verdict, this is the story of how jealousy and rage destroyed two young lives full of promise.

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On a snowy December night in 2018, 17-year-old Breana Rouhselang left her Mishawaka, Indiana home to meet a classmate—and never came back. By sunrise, her body was found discarded behind a local restaurant, sending shockwaves through her tight-knit community.

In this episode of Murder U, we follow Breana’s story from her life as a cheerleader and softball player to the final hours before her death, and the troubling signs her classmate Aaron Trejo displayed as investigators unraveled the truth. This devastating case of teen violence raised haunting questions about secrecy, betrayal, and a future stolen before it began.

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