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A quiet Tuesday in Louisiana. A father’s unanswered calls. By Thursday morning, a young mother is found stabbed more than fifty times and her two daughters are missing. From that moment, every detail becomes a lifeline: the black Chrysler 200, the Amber Alert, and a suspect who doesn’t just flee to Jackson, Mississippi—he loops back and forth across state lines, then points police toward the unthinkable.

We unpack the case of Daniel Callahan and the victims who matter most: Callie Brunett, her four‑year‑old daughter Erin, and the surviving six‑year‑old. We trace the on‑off relationship that granted access, the fast-moving manhunt, and the arrest that opened the door to something darker than a single act of violence. Reports of a pit and small animal cages near where the girls were found raise hard questions about human trafficking in Jackson. We explore the conflicting early details, what investigators said on the record, and why those cages may point to a larger pattern that demands public tips and sustained scrutiny.

From the courtroom side, we break down the split jurisdiction—federal implications from crossing state lines and state charges in Mississippi—plus Callahan’s shifting pleas that ended with life without parole in Louisiana. We examine why some families and legal experts prefer a certain life sentence over the slow uncertainty of the death penalty, and what that means for real closure. We also cover the charges against Victoria Cox, her alleged role, bond decisions, and the possibility of a plea deal that could surface new information about trafficking activity.

Finally, we turn to prevention. Crowded stores and theme parks are not neutral ground for unattended kids. We share simple, no‑nonsense ways to keep children within reach and out of danger—because vigilance is not paranoia when seconds matter. If you care about true crime with clarity, accountability, and practical takeaways, press play, share this with a friend, and join the conversation. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: does life without parole deliver more justice than death row?

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The story starts like a neighborhood postcard and ends with a number you can’t forget: 193. We head to Houston to unpack the Blue-Eyed Butcher case, where a young mother, a charismatic husband, and a tidy suburban home collide with bindings, a shallow grave, and a trial that turned into legal theater. What looked perfect from the curb was tearing apart inside—friends described charm and volatility, anxiety and control, late-night fights and a marriage sliding into fear.

We walk through the two clashing versions of the night Jeff Wright died. Susan’s account centers on panic, a struggle, and a survival instinct spun out of years of intimidation. The state’s case argues premeditation: a drugged and bound victim, a relentless attack, and a next-day routine that tried to smooth over horror. Then came the moment that made headlines—prosecutor Kelly Siegler wheeled a bed into court and physically acted out the stabbing sequence, transforming facts on paper into a visceral performance the jury could not unsee.

Toxicology deepened the controversy. Alcohol and cocaine complicated behavior; GHB suggested incapacitation. We dig into how that evidence shaped motive, how trauma affects memory and reporting, and why the defense’s lack of documentation undercut claims of abuse. We also revisit the resentencing that introduced expert testimony on battered woman syndrome and trimmed the original sentence, stoking debate about fairness, failure, and the weight of visual proof in a courtroom.

If you’re drawn to true crime that tests your instincts, this one asks hard questions about power, fear, and the thin line between self-defense and vengeance. Listen, weigh the evidence, and tell us where you land. If the episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—your take might change someone’s mind.

Sources:

ABC13 Houston: “Susan Wright formally released from prison after 16 years behind bars” — https://abc13.com/post/susan-wright-murder-trial-jeff-stabbed-husband-193-times/9184616/ 

Oxygen: “Kelly Siegler Details Trial of ‘Blue‐Eyed Butcher’ Susan Wright” — https://www.oxygen.com/prosecuting-evil-with-kelly-siegler/crime-news/trial-blue-eyed-butcher-susan-jeff-wright-murder-texas 

KIRO7 / Cox Media: “‘Blue-eyed Butcher’: Texas woman who stabbed husband 193 times … released on parole” — https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/blue-eyed-butcher-texas-woman-who-stabbed-husband-193-times-2003-released-parole/GMR2DZYQLVEIBCYYT7DPOB6IW4/ 

Justia: “Susan Lucille Wright v. The State of Texas” (Appeal) — https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/fourteenth-court-of-appeals/2012/14-10-01193-cr.html 

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A beloved former bartender walks back into a Bourbon Street institution during Southern Decadence and never comes home. We follow the final hours of Dan Bettencourt Jr.—from a late-night laundry run to Oz Nightclub, to a crowded room, a reported disturbance, and the moment friends say a headlock left him lifeless on the floor. The police narrative and eyewitness claims don’t line up, the surveillance angles go dark at the worst possible moment, and the long-promised toxicology update never appears. That gap between what should be on camera and what isn’t becomes the fault line we can’t ignore.

We lay out the timeline, compare statements, and unpack the coroner’s early notes: no gross anatomical trauma, a potential cardiac abnormality, and circumstances considered suspicious enough to alert homicide detectives. From there, we ask the questions you would: Where are the missing angles in a bar that handles cash and crowds? Who restrained Dan, for how long, and with what training? If a tooth was allegedly pulled during a fight, where’s the corroboration—medical records, staff logs, or follow-up reports? In a weekend packed with tourists and phones, could unseen photos or clips still surface?

This isn’t about sensationalizing Bourbon Street. It’s about accountability when stories conflict and evidence thins out. We talk practical next steps for anyone who was there: sharing timestamps, videos, or even small details that might anchor the chain of events. We also speak directly to friends, former coworkers, and visitors who remember that night—because a single overlooked detail can revive momentum on a case that’s now cold. Press play for a clear-eyed walk through the facts, the blind spots, and the pressure points that could finally move this forward.

If you have information, contact NOPD Cold Case Division at 504-658-5300. Found a detail we missed or an update we should see? Email us at [email protected]. If this story matters to you, follow, share, and leave a review so more people can help bring answers to Dan’s family.

Source Material:

Moore, Katie, September 17, 2015, Homicide detectives investigating Oz nightclub death, https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/investigations/katie-moore/homicide-detectives-investigating-oz-nightclub-death/289-153471247

Williams, Starlight, September 10, 2015, Foul play suspected surrounding death at Oz, https://loyolamaroon.com/10005083/news/campus/foul-play-suspected-surrounding-death-at-oz/

WWL Staff, September 9, 2015, Friends suspect foul play in Bourbon St. nightclub death, https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/friends-suspect-foul-play-in-bourbon-st-nightclub-death/289-153472027

Uncovered, 2009-2025, Suspicious Death: Dan Bettencourt, Jr., https://uncovered.com/cases/dan-bettencourt-jr-new-orleans-la-2015#sources

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Homes, September 7, 2015, Dan Robert Bettencourt, Jr. Obituary,  https://www.bradfordokeefe.com/obituaries/Dan-Bettencourt

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A quiet Austin street. A beloved choir director asleep in her one-story home. And a neighbor testing a thermal camera that happened to catch a figure slipping into the night. From that eerie image, a web of clues began to surface: cell phone pings at 1 a.m., a dark vehicle identified by headlight silhouette, shoe impressions across a ransacked floor, and a drop of blood in the wrong car. We walk you through how a fragile set of details, layered with patience and forensics, grew strong enough to stand in court.

We share who Kathy Blair was to her students and community, then map the investigative shifts that followed her murder: the thermal clip that set the clock, the canvass that pulled in surveillance and license data, and the connection to the shocking double homicide of Sydney and Billy Sheldon days later. As police looked at patterns—stolen jewelry, forced entry, violent wounds—attention turned to a familiar name from neighborhood odd jobs: Timothy Parlin. From there, the path led to former science teacher Sean Gant-Benalcazarin. What followed were interviews, inconsistencies, a chilling recorded admission, and a legal battle over interrogation tactics and Miranda warnings. We explore how prosecutors argued party liability under Texas law, why circumstantial evidence can be decisive, and what ultimately secured life-without-parole sentences.

This is a case built on small things done right: careful evidence collection, metadata that narrows time and place, and a neighbor’s curiosity that gave detectives a window into the night. It is also a reminder of how predatory burglary can escalate into lethal violence, and why community vigilance, documentation, and simple habits like locking doors still matter. Along the way, we reflect on ethics in interrogation, the line between pressure and coercion, and the enduring legacy of a teacher whose music lives on through scholarships and remembrance.

If this story moved you, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and tell a friend who loves true crime with meticulous detail. Your support helps more listeners find these stories—and the lessons that come with them.

Sources: 

“Was a killer filmed on his way to committing a murder?” — CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kathy-blair-murder-was-a-killer-filmed-on-his-way-to-committing-brutal-austin-texas-murder/ 

“Grand Jury Indicts Man on Capital Murder Charges for 2014 Deaths” — Spectrum Local News (Travis County). https://spectrumlocalnews.com/news/2015/06/2/grand-jury-indicts-man-on-capital-murder-charges-for-2014-murders 

“Cops: Burglar charged in Austin choir director’s murder” — CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-charged-in-murder-of-austin-choir-director/ 

“Timothy Parlin’s capital murder conviction upheld by First Court of Appeals” — FOX 7 Austin. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/timothy-parlins-capital-murder-conviction-upheld-by-first-court-of-appeals 

“Parlin v. State, 591 S.W.3d 214 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2019)” — FindLaw. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/tx-court-of-appeals/2031624.html 

“Neighbor Shooting Thermal Scope Video Helps Solve Murder Of Texas Choir Director” — Investigation Discovery. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/id-shows/see-no-evil/neighbor-shooting-thermal-scope-video-helps-solve-murder-of-texas-choir-director 

“Warrant of Arrest For Shawn Gant-Benalcazar” — Scribd (affidavit document). https://www.scribd.com/doc/252266015/Warrant-of-arrest-for-Shawn-Gant-Benalcazar 

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A warm, funny cold-weather check-in pivots into a gripping true-crime journey that spans courtrooms, forensics labs, and one family’s two-decade fight for answers. We start with October case turns, where evidentiary battles in the Morgan Bauer case show how motive, media, and fairness collide. Then a sharp DNA update in the Chandra May investigation illustrates how modern testing can turn doubt into direction—and why process still matters as much as proof.

From there, we go deep on Jennifer Kesse’s disappearance from Orlando in 2006. We trace her final night of calls, the morning routine left in place, the car found a mile away, and the infamous gatepost that hides the face on grainy security video. We revisit the renovations at her condo, the master key rumors, and the uneasy stares that pushed her to keep someone on the phone during repairs. We also confront the hardest truth: how years of stalled documentation and a fight for access to records left a promising investigation adrift, forcing the family to become their own project managers.

Hope, at last, has a shape. FDLE has retested evidence—including items never examined before—using expanded DNA markers and fresh lab approaches. Agents have narrowed the persons of interest to a few, re-interviewed witnesses, and tapped an AI partner to enhance the old video. The Kesse family’s recent update says it plainly: the case is no longer cold. Progress is real, even if answers aren’t here yet. We close by pushing back on rumors and invented “solves,” and we offer a simple test for responsible sharing: verify before you amplify.

Join us for a clear, human look at what it takes to move a long-stalled case forward, and why persistence from families—and accountability from institutions—can change everything. If this story moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with your theory or question. Your voice helps keep the search alive.

Source Material:

Argueta, Brenda, October 23, 2025, Family of Jennifer Kesse says case 'no longer cold' nearly 20 years after her disappearance in Orlando, https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2025/10/23/family-of-jennifer-kesse-says-case-no-longer-cold-nearly-20-years-after-her-disappearance-in-orlando/

Gurley, Alex, January 23, 2025, What happened to Jennifer Jesse? Inside her mysterious 2006 disappearance, https://people.com/jennifer-kesse-disappearance-missing-case-8774071

Photo Credits: 48 Hours/CBS via above People article

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindJenniferKesse/?ref=share&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=AN9AruiW1bBaWUh7&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fg%2F14GdZBCcX6f%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr

ABC Channel 7, October 23, 2025, Jennifer Jesse Case Update: Interview, DNA evidence, documentary in the works, https://www.mysuncoast.com/video/2025/10/23/jennifer-kesse-case-update-interview-dna-evidence-documentary-works/

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A quiet weekday morning at a family fun center shouldn’t end in gunfire. Yet in 2006, 39-year-old mother and co-owner Doris Worrell was found shot inside John’s Sports Park in Douglas, Georgia—no forced entry, no theft, no witnesses. The scene looked staged, the timeline felt too neat, and the community was left with grief and rumors but few answers. Nearly two decades later, everything changes. We revisit the strained marriage, the live-in nanny working in Tube Town, and the “errands” that put John out of the building just before Doris was killed.

We follow the trail from Coffee County to Florida to Costa Rica, where John eventually lived with the deported nanny, Paula Yarbury. The optics raised eyebrows for years, but hard evidence lagged—until Georgia’s cold case unit pulled the file in 2025 and pushed the investigation across borders. With new cooperation abroad, investigators secured an arrest in Missouri and brought John back to Georgia to face charges of malice murder, felony murder, and conspiracy. Court filings suggest a fear of losing custody, a carefully maintained alibi, and a plan that points to recruitment behind the scenes. The alleged triggerman remains unnamed, but the indictment outlines the bones of a conspiracy.

We share what’s known, what remains sealed, and how a case that once felt frozen found momentum through persistence. Along the way, we talk about staged crime scenes, the pitfalls of early assumptions like “robbery” or “gang retaliation,” and why time can be an ally for truth seekers. For Doris’s children, now grown, the possibility of real accountability is finally within reach. Press play to hear how a small-town homicide stretched across continents, why a cold case unit matters, and what to watch as the legal strategy pivots to venue and jury bias. If you find this kind of deep-dive reporting valuable, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it too.

https://people.com/doris-worrell-husband-charged-decades-after-killing-11741838

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/24/us/cold-case-murder-husband-fled-nanny

https://gbi.georgia.gov/cases/unsolved-homicide/doris-worrell

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Flames once defined October 30 in Detroit, but the city refused to be a cautionary tale. We trace Devil’s Night from its Mischief Night roots to the 1980s arson crisis, then into the grassroots movement that rebranded chaos as Angel’s Night and, eventually, “Halloween in the D.” It’s a story of how neighbors, volunteers, and a determined fire department pulled together to turn fear into civic pride—proof that traditions can bend without breaking.

We also explore how Halloween itself keeps evolving. Many families now favor trunk-or-treats, zoo nights, and community festivals over door-to-door treks. Safety, participation, and changing neighborhood rhythms all play a role. What matters is the communal spark: people still gather in costume for small scares and big laughter. The rituals adapt; the magic stays.

For the final lap of spooky season, we wander Detroit’s most talked-about haunts: the Leland Hotel with its grim history and City Club lore; The Whitney, a 22,000-square-foot mansion echoing with Flora’s sobs, a ghostly attendant, and the weight of its hospice years; and Elmwood Cemetery, where the Battle of Bloody Run left a creek with a name—and a legend—that endures. From phantom gangsters to the veiled monument of Eliza Waterman, these stories are more than jump scares; they’re the city’s memory, stitched into walls, stairwells, and tree-lined paths.

If you love urban legends, true crime adjacency, and real community wins, you’ll feel right at home here. Listen, share with a friend who loves Halloween history and haunted places, then send us your own ghost stories—we might read them on a future show. If you’re new, hit follow and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find us.

Source Material:

Detroit Historical Society, October 25,2021, Haunted History: Devil's Night, https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/blog/haunted-history-devils-night

Beauchamp, Nicole, 2025, Detroit's Most Haunted Locations, https://visitdetroit.com/inside-the-d/haunted-locations/

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A feud between village healers. A peddler who collapses after a muttered curse. A courtroom that believes a child above all. We travel to 1612 Lancashire to unravel how the Pendle witch trials turned folk remedies into felonies and neighbors into enemies. With King James I stoking fear through demonology and law, simple acts like asking for pins or sharing a Good Friday meal at Malkin Tower became “proof” of a pact with the devil. Our conversation follows Old Demdike and Old Chattox, their families, and the Device siblings—Alizon, James, and nine-year-old Jennet—whose words echoed louder than any adult defense.

We walk through the bleak reality of Lancaster Castle, where months in dark cells softened resolve and sharpened confessions, and analyze Thomas Potts’s sensational chronicle that cemented familiars like Tib and Ball in cultural memory. Along the way, we examine the social pressures that made witchcraft a convenient scapegoat: poverty, isolation, Catholic-Protestant tension, and a justice system primed to reward accusation over evidence. Alice Nutter’s presence—respected, silent, condemned—shows how hysteria ignores class lines when fear needs a face.

What lingers is less sorcery than structure: how rumor hardens into record, how authority amplifies anxiety, and how communities trade uncertainty for clean villains. We connect those patterns to modern moral panics, the magnetism of simple narratives, and the cost of letting outrage outrun proof. If you care about history, true crime, or the psychology of crowds, this story of Pendle Hill will stick with you long after the gallows fade from view.

If this hit a nerve, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves history that bites back, and leave a review so more curious minds can find us. What lesson do you think we still haven’t learned?

Sources:

Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18253 — The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster.

Lancashire Archives: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/ — Local records on the 1612 witch trials.

Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk — Context on Pendle Hill and Lancaster Castle.

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A lonely Mississippi road. A vanished church. A mother’s grief that won’t stay buried. We dive into the legend of the Three-Legged Lady of Nash Road in Columbus, where folklore, fear, and late-night dares collide. You’ll hear how one core story splinters into wild variations—hit-and-run near a church, a serial killer’s calling card, a post–Civil War vendetta—and why every version ends with a chase no one forgets. The details morph from tale to tale, but the ritual stays the same: lights off, three honks, three knocks, then a sprint to the end of the road with something pounding on your roof.

We break down what makes this myth stick: the mother at the center, a symbol of grief turned relentless; the way specific addresses along Nash Road give the legend a map; and the eerie power of threes that turns a ghost story into a participatory rite. Reports include shadowy figures in the treeline, handprints on windows, and unexplained dents that keep mechanics busy and drivers nervous. Along the way, we compare church-fire and cult versions, examine how small towns spin ruins into ritual, and weigh the skeptic’s list—bad lighting, fast imaginations, creaking roofs—against the irresistible pull of a midnight test.

If you’ve heard a different version from Columbus or anywhere in Lowndes County, we want it. Drop a comment on YouTube, email [email protected], and tell us whether you’d brave Nash Road with your headlights off. If this story gave you chills or a laugh, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves folklore, and leave a quick review so more curious folks can find us. Stay safe out there—and maybe keep those lights on.

Source Material:

Dirienzo, Daniella, October 6, 2023, Nash Roa in Missippi: See the Three Legged Lady of Legend, Don't Drive on this haunted street in Mississippi or you may regret it, https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/trip-ideas/mississippi/haunted-nash-road-in-ms

Navarro,Hector, January 10, 2025, Three Legged Ladyof Nash Road, Mississippi- Facts-Chology, https://factschology.com/mmm-podcast-articles/three-legged-lady-nash-road

Coombs, CJ, September 25, 2025, The legend of the three-legged lady on Nash Road in Lowndes County, Mississippi, https://www.newsbreak.com/cj-coombs-1589302/4255318818485-the-legend-of-the-three-legged-lady-on-nash-road-in-lowndes-county-mississippi

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A quiet college town, boxes on the curb, roommates laughing over dishes—then the woods rustle. We dive into the true story of Danny Rolling, the drifter who turned Gainesville’s 1990 move-in week into a real-life slasher, and we unpack how an abusive childhood, a craving for control, and a meticulous ritual escalated into five murders that froze an entire city. This isn’t horror trivia. It’s how attention, opportunity, and planning can weaponize the most ordinary parts of daily life.

We walk through Rolling’s early years under a violent father, the failed attempts at marriage, faith, and the military, and the Shreveport murders that revealed a chilling signature: washing and posing victims to preserve power. In Gainesville, the pattern sharpened. Sliding doors, a “kill kit,” and staged scenes turned apartments into crime scenes overnight—Sonia Larson and Christina Powell, then Christina Hoyt, and the night Manny Taboda fought back before Tracy Paules was killed. The aftermath became a case study in mass fear: students huddled in groups, parents rushed kids home, and media chased detectives while the killer stayed steps ahead.

The break came from an unexpected angle—an Ocala arrest and a tent in the woods filled with tapes and tools. On the recordings, Rolling threaded scripture through confessions. DNA stitched Gainesville to Shreveport, and later he claimed an alter called Gemini, echoing a favorite horror film. Courtroom facts spoke louder: the drive for fame fed the violence. A death sentence followed, and years later he sang a hymn before execution, still reaching for attention.

We connect the dots to Scream’s origins without losing sight of the real people behind the headlines. Along the way, we share practical safety takeaways—securing sliding doors, trusting instincts, moving in pairs, and recognizing how patterns of control show up before they explode. Press play to join us for a grounded, empathetic look at the case, the investigation, and the legacy it left in Gainesville and beyond. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us your favorite scary movie—we’re reading listener notes next.