#352 - Four children from the same family died suddenly before reaching their second birthdays.

To investigators, the pattern seemed too extraordinary to be natural. And when their mother’s private diaries appeared to contain admissions of guilt, she was branded Australia’s worst female serial killer.

But there were no witnesses. No physical evidence of smothering. And no one could explain exactly how the children had died.

Then, decades later, advances in genetic testing uncovered something that no one involved in the original investigation could have known.

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.

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#351 - A mother of three suddenly disappears after discovering that her husband has been cheating on her.

He insists she simply left—but investigators soon uncover evidence suggesting something far more sinister happened to her involving a commercial woodchipper.

Although her body would never be recovered, forensic scientists pieced together the horrifying truth from tiny fragments of bone, human tissue, strands of hair, and a single tooth. The evidence would ultimately lead to the first murder conviction in Connecticut history without the victim’s body.

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.

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#350 - Imagine being accused of a crime you didn’t commit.

Now imagine that crime was the brutal murder of your wife and two young children.

That became David Camm’s reality. 

Within days of discovering his family’s bodies, the former Indiana State Police trooper went from grieving husband and father to primary suspect.

At the center of the case was a tiny pattern of blood on his T-shirt—evidence prosecutors claimed could only have been created when he pulled the trigger.

But the forensics didn’t tell just one story. And as new evidence emerged, the case against David Camm—and the man investigators had ignored—would begin to unravel.

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.

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Two husbands. Two suspicious deaths. And one chilling common denominator.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the case of Stacey Castor, a woman whose life became the center of a disturbing investigation involving antifreeze poisoning, questionable deaths, and a daughter who barely survived.

As detectives began looking closer, forensic toxicology, fingerprint evidence, DNA, and digital forensics would all play a role in uncovering what really happened—and in building the case against Stacey Castor.

Listen now as we break down the investigation, the forensic evidence, and the trial that earned Stacey the nickname “The Black Widow.”

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For nearly four decades, she was known only as the “Lime Lady.”

She had been shot three times, stripped of her clothing, and covered in quicklime by someone who seemingly wanted to destroy her identity. Instead, the lime helped preserve the forensic evidence that would eventually give her name back.

This special preview explores the mysterious crime scene, the unusual evidence found during her autopsy, and the DNA breakthrough that finally identified her.

The complete, full-length episode is available exclusively to Forensic Tales subscribers.

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On April 1, 1988, eight-year-old April Tinsley disappeared while walking through her Fort Wayne neighborhood. Three days later, her body was discovered in a rural ditch, leaving investigators with a witness description, reports of a blue vehicle, and biological evidence from an unknown man—but no way to identify him.

Two years later, a disturbing message appeared on a barn near where April had been found. Then, in 2004, threatening letters and DNA samples were left outside the homes of young girls around Fort Wayne. Testing confirmed the letter writer was April’s killer, but searches of law-enforcement databases still produced no match.

In this episode, we examine the investigation into April’s murder, the early suspect who was eventually cleared, the killer’s terrifying messages, and the evolution of the DNA evidence over three decades. We also break down DNA profiling, CODIS, behavioral analysis, DNA phenotyping, and the forensic genetic genealogy that finally led investigators to John D. Miller in 2018.

Topics discussed include:

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In this newly rerecorded episode from the Forensic Tales Vault, we revisit the 1984 abduction and murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop.

After arriving home from school in Queensville, Ontario, Christine disappeared before meeting a friend at a nearby park. Nearly three months later, her body was discovered in a wooded area more than 30 miles from home.

Investigators soon focused on Christine’s neighbor, Guy Paul Morin. Their case relied heavily on microscopic hair and fiber comparisons, along with testimony from jailhouse informants. Although Morin maintained his innocence and was acquitted at his first trial, he was eventually retried and convicted of Christine’s murder.

Then DNA testing changed everything.

The biological evidence conclusively excluded Morin, exposing a devastating wrongful conviction. But Christine’s real killer remained unidentified for another 25 years—until investigators turned to forensic genetic genealogy.

In this episode:

• Christine’s disappearance and the search for her

Please note: This episode discusses the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a child.

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On December 27, 2011, Russ Faria returned home and discovered his wife, Betsy, lying on the living room floor with a knife lodged in her neck. Although Russ had spent the evening with friends, cellphone records supported his alibi and none of Betsy’s blood was found on his body or clothing, investigators became convinced that he was responsible.

What they failed to seriously examine was the woman who had driven Betsy home that night: Pamela Hupp.

Just four days before the murder, Betsy had named Pam the sole beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy. Pam’s account of her final moments with Betsy repeatedly changed, yet she was treated as a trusted witness while Russ was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

In this episode, we examine:

• The final hours of Betsy Faria’s life

Pam is currently serving life in prison without parole for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger. She has pleaded not guilty to Betsy’s murder and is presumed innocent of that charge unless proven guilty in court. Her bench trial is currently scheduled to begin on January 31, 2028.

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This week, we’re opening the Forensic Tales Vault and revisiting one of the most controversial cases ever covered on the show—the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson.

On January 11, 2013, Kendrick was found upside down inside a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia. Investigators concluded that Kendrick climbed into the mat while trying to retrieve a pair of shoes, became trapped, and died from positional asphyxia.

But Kendrick’s family has never accepted that explanation.

In this completely re-recorded and updated Vault episode, we take a fresh look at the forensic evidence surrounding Kendrick’s death, including:

• The position of Kendrick’s body and the gym mats

More than a decade later, Kendrick Johnson’s death continues to generate debate.

Was this truly a devastating accident—or does the forensic evidence suggest something else happened inside that gym?

️ This episode has been completely re-recorded and updated from the original Forensic Tales episode.

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On November 2, 2007, 21-year-old British exchange student Meredith Kercher was found murdered inside the apartment she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy.

What followed became an international media spectacle. Amanda Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were arrested, convicted of Meredith’s murder, acquitted, convicted again—and ultimately cleared by Italy’s highest court.

But what did the forensic evidence actually prove?

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