On November 18, 1987, the small town of Ina, Illinois, was forever changed when Keith and Elaine Dardeen, their 3-year-old son Peter, and their newborn daughter Casey were found murdered in one of the most horrific crime scenes investigators had ever encountered.

Nearly four decades later, the murders remain officially unsolved.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, I take a closer look at the lives of the Dardeen family, the timeline leading up to the murders, the crime scene investigation, the forensic evidence, and the theories that continue to surround this heartbreaking case. From early rumors and community panic to the controversial confessions of serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, we'll examine what investigators know, what they don't, and whether this mystery may ever be solved.

In this episode:

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The Unsolved Murder of Robert Wone

In this special Patreon Bonus Preview, I share a portion of this month's exclusive episode covering the mysterious and unsolved murder of Robert Wone.

Listen to the FULL episode: http://Patreon.com/ForensicTales

On August 2, 2006, Robert Wone—a successful attorney, devoted husband, and respected friend—arrived at a townhouse on Swann Street in Washington, D.C., where he planned to spend the night with a longtime friend.

Less than two hours later, he was fighting for his life.

Robert had been stabbed three times in the chest while three other men were inside the home. Yet no one reported seeing the attack. No intruder was ever identified. And despite years of investigations, forensic analysis, court proceedings, and countless theories, no one has ever been convicted of his murder.

In the full Patreon episode, I explore:

The strange crime scene
The unexplained forensic evidence
The needle-like puncture marks found during the autopsy
The lack of defensive wounds
The investigation into Joseph Price, Victor Zaborsky, and Dylan Ward
The obstruction and conspiracy trial
The competing theories that continue to divide investigators and true crime followers today

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Hosted and produced by Courtney Fretwell.

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In the early morning hours of May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson was driving home after celebrating the end of the college semester when his car became stuck in a ditch along a rural Minnesota road.

Unable to free his vehicle, Brandon called his parents for help. For the next 47 minutes, he remained on the phone with his father while walking through fields, fences, and farmland, attempting to meet up with his family. Then, without warning, Brandon shouted, "Oh, shit!" The call went silent, and he was never seen again.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the disappearance of Brandon Swanson, the extensive search efforts that followed, the forensic challenges investigators faced, the role of cell phone evidence in reconstructing his final movements, and the theories that continue to surround this baffling case more than 18 years later.

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For a full list of sources used in this episode, please visit our website: ForensicTales.com/Brandon-Swanson

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The murder of Rachel Nickell remains one of the most infamous true crime cases in the United Kingdom. In July 1992, Rachel was brutally attacked and murdered on Wimbledon Common in broad daylight while walking with her young son. What followed was a controversial murder investigation that captivated the nation, generated intense media scrutiny, and ultimately led investigators down the wrong path.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we revisit the Rachel Nickell case, exploring the failed investigation into Colin Stagg, the controversial use of criminal profiling, the role of undercover police operations, and the forensic DNA evidence that eventually identified the true killer, Robert Napper.

With renewed interest in the case following recent documentaries and Netflix coverage, this replay examines details that are often overlooked, including the forensic breakthroughs, investigative failures, and lasting impact the case had on British policing and criminal justice.

Topics discussed include:

• The murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common

This episode is part of the Forensic Tales Achieve, where we revisit some of the most important forensic cases from the show's archives.

Hosted by Courtney Fretwell, M.S. Forensic Psychology.

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Patricia Viola was a devoted wife, mother, and volunteer librarian living in Bogota, New Jersey. On February 13, 2001, she seemingly vanished without a trace after returning home from work. She left behind her purse, wallet, identification, seizure medication, and nearly every indication that she planned to return.

As investigators worked to reconstruct Patricia's final known movements, they uncovered a series of puzzling clues: a home security alarm that had been triggered earlier in the day, a concerning conversation Patricia had with her best friend the night before she disappeared, and a timeline that raised more questions than answers.

For years, Patricia's family searched for answers while investigators explored multiple theories, including foul play, suicide, and a medical emergency related to her epilepsy.

Then, more than a decade later, forensic DNA analysis finally provided a breakthrough.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the disappearance of Patricia Viola, the investigation that followed, the creation of New Jersey's Patricia's Law, and how a single foot bone discovered on a beach in Queens became one of the only pieces of evidence ever recovered in this baffling missing persons case.

Topics discussed:

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The Fox Hollow Farm Murders remain one of the most chilling serial killer cases in American history.

For years, young men disappeared from the Indianapolis area after being seen at local gay bars and nightlife districts. Many were later found strangled and abandoned in rural areas throughout Indiana and Ohio, leading investigators to suspect the existence of the so-called I-70 Strangler.

Everything changed when police searched Fox Hollow Farm, the 18-acre estate owned by successful businessman Herb Baumeister. Hidden within the woods behind the family home, investigators discovered thousands of human bone fragments belonging to multiple victims.

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine:

• The life and background of Herb Baumeister

Despite Herb Baumeister's death in 1996, investigators continue working to identify victims recovered from Fox Hollow Farm. As advances in forensic science continue, families may finally receive answers after decades of uncertainty.

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Remember... Not all stories have happy endings.

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On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down New York's Taconic State Parkway, causing a devastating head-on collision that killed eight people, including herself, her daughter, and three young nieces. The crash shocked the nation and sparked years of debate, speculation, and investigation.

Toxicology reports revealed shocking findings, but Diane's family strongly disputed the official conclusions. Was this a tragic case of impaired driving, a hidden medical emergency, or something else entirely?

In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the forensic evidence, toxicology results, accident reconstruction findings, and competing theories surrounding one of the most infamous highway crashes in American history.

Topics Covered:

New episodes of Forensic Tales are released every Monday.

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Remember... Not all stories have happy endings. 

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#335 - When 53-year-old Oakey Kite, who went by Al, failed to show up for work on May 24th, 2004, his coworkers immediately knew something was wrong. Concerned, they went to his townhouse in Aurora to check on him where they discovered a crime scene so brutal, investigators would never forget it.

Al had been restrained, tortured for hours, and ultimately murdered inside his own home by a man posing as a prospective tenant.

The killer meticulously cleaned the scene, erased much of the evidence, and vanished without a trace leaving behind only fragments of forensic evidence and a fake identity that would send investigators across multiple countries.

More than two decades later, the murder of Al Kite remains one of Colorado’s most disturbing unsolved cases.

If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon.

Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales.

And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it.

For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com.

Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.

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#334 - In April 1991, 20-year-old Angela Hammond stood alone outside a grocery store in Clinton, Missouri, talking to her fiancé on a payphone late at night. She mentioned seeing a strange truck circling the parking lot, but they both shrugged it off. 

Moments later, Angela’s fiancé heard her scream, and the line went dead.

The payphone was only a few blocks away, so he jumped in his car and sped toward the woman he planned to marry. But he was too late. Angela was never seen alive again. 

Over 30 years later, her story remains one of the mysterious disappearances in Missouri history. And despite a vehicle description and a timeline, the case was haunted by one major problem: there was almost no forensic evidence left behind.

If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales.

And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it.

For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com.

Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.

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#333 - In February 2000, 18-year-old college student Michelle O’Keefe was on her way home from appearing in a Kid Rock music video when she was gunned down inside her car. A security guard named Raymond Jennings was eventually arrested and charged with Michelle’s murder, and after three separate trials, he was sentenced to life in prison. On paper, it seemed like an open-and-shut case. But the deeper you look, the forensic evidence seems to tell a very different story.

So what really happened to Michelle in that parking lot?

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

If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon.

Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content.

You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales.

And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it.

For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com.

Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week.

Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.

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