#245 - Rebecca Zahau was found dead, hanging naked, bound, and gagged, in the courtyard of her billionaire boyfriend's Coronado mansion on July 13, 2011, just two days after his six-year-old son suffered a fatal accident while under her care. Her mysterious death was ultimately ruled a suicide, but her family doesn’t believe that’s possible.

In this episode, we revisit all the key forensic evidence, including both autopsies.

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If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

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Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

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#244 - It’s a story that’s been called by the media: “The Black Swan Murder.” In September 2020, Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina and swimsuit model, walked to her neighbor's house in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and said she shot her husband, Doug Benefield, in self-defense. But prosecutors disagreed, and four years later, she was put on trial for his murder. 

What does the forensic evidence say about what really happened?

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

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#243 - It was just after 3:00 a.m. in the middle of nowhere when Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell came across a white Chevy van with no plates. He called dispatch, saying he was about to initiate a traffic stop, and it seemed everything was “OK.” But just seven minutes later, the dispatcher heard Mitchell’s radio clicking, signaling something was really wrong. When backup officers arrived, they found Officer Mitchell lying in the road next to his patrol car. He’d been shot in the head with his own service gun. Days later, the van was found with two dead bodies inside.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self.

Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first order at HappyMammoth.com with promo code TALES

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#242 - For three years in the early 1980s, the Minnesota police were confronted with a strange case. Three women had been murdered, and another brutally attacked. After each incident, an anonymous caller, soon dubbed “The Weepy-Voiced Killer,” would call the police to confess to the crimes.

Sponsors:

Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code COURTNEY at LumeDeodorant.com!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self.

Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first order at HappyMammoth.com with promo code TALES

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#241 - On the afternoon of July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler sped the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and crashed into another car, killing eight people. The toxicology report showed she consumed a large amount of alcohol prior to the accident, but her family insists something else was the cause.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self.

Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first order at HappyMammoth.com with promo code TALES

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#240 - 26-year-old Marshal Iwaasa from Alberta, Canada, was just a typical guy who loved fitness and bodybuilding and had a passion for the outdoors. But on November 17, 2019, he mysteriously vanished after stopping by his storage locker. Today, his disappearance has left behind very few clues and many unanswered questions.

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self.

Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first order at HappyMammoth.com with promo code TALES

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#239 - After failing to find a ride home from summer school, 11-year-old Linda O’Keefe decided to walk home—but she never made it back to her parents' house. The next day, her body was found along a popular running and cycling trail in Newport Beach, California.

How can new DNA technology catch her killer?

Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self.

Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first order at HappyMammoth.com with promo code TALES

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#238 - In January 2022, a Boston police officer was found dead, and his girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of killing him by backing her Lexus SUV into him and leaving him for dead in a snowstorm. But Karen Read’s supporters allege that she is the victim of an elaborate cover-up by the police.

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#237 - Actress and model Felicia Tang was found dead inside her Monrovia, California, apartment in September 2009. Not long after that, the police arrested a former reality TV contestant and pastor for the crime. But when the case went to trial, the prosecution and defense couldn't agree on what the forensic evidence meant or what caused Felicia's death.

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices