Forensic Tales

In July 2002, the body of 15-year-old Katie Hamlin was discovered in a remote area of Cherokee County, Georgia. She had been brutally murdered, and her killer attempted to erase every trace of evidence by setting her on fire.

What followed was a years-long investigation that left a quiet community shaken. Police quickly focused on two suspects who pointed fingers at each other, but with crucial forensic evidence destroyed, the case stalled. It wasn’t until a determined mother, new forensic findings, and unexpected jailhouse confessions that prosecutors finally had enough to bring Katie’s killer to justice.

This is the story of Katie Hamlin, the search for truth, and the fight to bring her killer down.

#295 - In December 1988, a road crew in rural Ware County, Georgia, discovered an abandoned television console on the side of Duncan Bridge Road. Inside was a black suitcase. Inside that suitcase, a duffel bag. And inside the bag — the body of a little girl.

For decades, no one knew her name. She was remembered only as “Christmas Doe.”

Thirty-four years later, advances in forensic genealogy finally gave her identity back. Now, investigators say they know who is responsible for her death.

This episode follows the heartbreaking story of Christmas Doe, the decades-long mystery of who she was, and how modern forensic science finally brought her justice.

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.

#294 - In 1989, 37-year-old Patricia Meehan crashed head-on into another car on a Montana highway. She calmly stepped out, stared at the other driver—and walked away into the night. She was never seen again… or was she?

Over the years, thousands claimed to spot her across the country, yet not a single sighting was confirmed. Was it amnesia, a planned disappearance, death in the wilderness, or something darker? Decades later, her fate remains one of America’s strangest mysteries.

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.

#293 - In the early 1970s, two young women from Stanford University—Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor—were strangled and left in remote areas just miles apart. Despite extensive investigations, both cases remained unsolved for decades.

Nearly 50 years later, a stunning breakthrough in forensic genealogy revealed their killer: John Getreu, a seemingly ordinary man with a violent past. Hidden behind the mask of a family man and community volunteer was a predator who had escaped justice for far too long.

This episode explores how preserved DNA evidence, advanced technology, and determined investigators finally brought long-overdue answers to two grieving families—and exposed a serial killer hiding in plain sight.

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.

#292 - In 1974, 19-year-old Arlis Perry was brutally murdered inside Stanford University’s Memorial Church. Her body was discovered posed in a ritualistic manner, surrounded by religious objects—fueling decades of rumors about satanic cults and ritual sacrifice. Despite the collection of physical evidence, the case would remain unsolved for over 40 years.

Arlis’s murder became one of Northern California’s most haunting cold cases. But behind the layers of myth and speculation, forensic science quietly held the answers. Decades later, advancements in DNA and fingerprint analysis would expose the killer—someone who had been involved in the case from the very beginning.

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.

#291 - In 2005, chemist Geetha Angara vanished during her shift at a New Jersey water treatment plant. A day later, her body was found floating inside one of the facility’s massive water tanks—along with more questions than answers. Was it a tragic accident? Or a calculated murder perfectly concealed by the very environment she worked to protect?

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.

#290 - On a cold December night in 2014, first responders in Courtland, Mississippi, arrived at the scene of a car fire—only to discover something far more horrifying. Nineteen-year-old Jessica Chambers was found walking down a rural road, covered in burns and barely clinging to life. Before succumbing to her injuries, she tried to name her attacker. But what exactly did she say? And why has her case remained unsolved for nearly a decade?

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.

#289 - Torrey Pines State Beach in California is a place where many come to find peace. But for two young women, it became the backdrop of unspeakable tragedy.

In August 1978, police officers responded to the beach, where they found the body of 15-year-old Barbara Nantais lying on the sand. She had been strangled and beaten to death, and one of her breasts had been severed.

Her boyfriend was also discovered nearby, suffering from a severe head injury that left him with no memory of the attack.

Six years later, 14-year-old Claire Hough was found just yards away from where Barbara had been killed.

Like Barbara, she had been beaten, strangled, and had her breast mutilated. The similarities between the two cases were undeniable.

For decades, these cases remained unsolved. But advancements in forensic science have reopened the investigation, leading to new suspects and questions about the true identity of the killer.

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.

#288 - It was Valentine’s Day, 1988, in Wales. While couples exchanged roses and love notes, in a small flat above a betting shop, a young woman lay brutally murdered. Her name was Lynette White. She was just 20 years old.

What followed her death wasn’t just a murder investigation—it was a legal and forensic nightmare. Five innocent men were accused, imprisoned, and publicly vilified for a crime they didn’t commit. And it would take 15 years—and one tiny fragment of DNA—to reveal the true killer hiding in plain sight.

This isn’t just a story of a violent crime. It’s a story about the failure of justice... and how forensic science became the key to unraveling a decades-old lie.

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.

#287 - Imagine waking up to find your entire world shattered—and being told you’re the one who destroyed it. In 1997, Phoenix, Arizona, was rocked by a gruesome and baffling crime. Yarmila Falater, a devoted wife and mother, was found stabbed over 40 times and drowned in her own backyard pool. The suspect? Her husband, Scott Falater—a devout Mormon with no history of violence, who claimed he had no memory of the attack. His defense? He was sleepwalking.

Could someone really commit such a brutal murder while unconscious? Or was this a calculated cover-up cloaked in pseudoscience?

This is the story of Yarmila Falater. A case that would challenge the limits of forensic psychology and force a jury to decide whether sleepwalking can be deadly.

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.