Hot Justice Podcast

Sara Anne Wood was only 12 years old when she disappeared while riding her bike home from church in Sauquoit, New York. Convicted child killer Lewis Lent later admitted to murdering Sara, but he has never revealed where her body is.

In this episode, we center Sara’s story while also examining the other known victims connected to Lent, including James “Jimmy” Bernardo and James “Jamie” Lusher, along with the attempted abduction of Rebecca Savarese that helped lead investigators to him.

Lewis Lent’s crimes stretched across New York and Massachusetts, leaving families with grief, unanswered questions, and in Sara’s case, the painful reality that the truth is still being withheld.

This is the story of Sara Anne Wood, the other victims of Lewis Lent, and the secret he still refuses to give up.

⏰Timestamps
00:00:00 Sarah Wood Case Introduction
00:01:20 Podcast Updates and Recommendations
00:05:31 Sarah Goes Missing
00:08:22 Becky Savory Escapes
00:10:58 Lewis Lent’s Dark Plan
00:11:47 Jimmy Bernardo Confession
00:13:42 Lent Confesses to Sarah
00:15:17 Trials, Pleas, and Sentencing
00:17:03 Sarah’s Body Remains Missing
00:19:36 Jamie Lusher Confession
00:20:20 Searches Continue Decades Later
00:21:53 Sarah’s Family Builds Legacy
00:24:03 Reflections on Child Abduction
00:25:00 Safety Lessons for Children
00:28:04 Final Thoughts and Outro

Julie Rea was convicted for the murder of her 10-year-old son, Joel Kirkpatrick, after a horrifying attack inside their Lawrenceville, Illinois home. But Julie always said an intruder killed her son — and years later, serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells confessed to the crime.

Was Julie Rea failed by the justice system? This is one of the most heartbreaking wrongful conviction cases we’ve covered.

Watch now and tell us: how does a mother lose her child, then get blamed for it?

#JulieRea #JoelKirkpatrick #TommyLynnSells #WrongfulConviction #TrueCrimeShorts #TrueCrimeCommunity #JusticeForJoel #HotJusticePodcast #TheMinuteFile #TrueCrime #InnocentBehindBars #SerialKillerConfession

Two days. That's how long it took. Makayla Settles had just moved in with her biological father, Steven Vincent Chavez, in Moorpark, California — and within two days, he allegedly raped her. She spoke up. She gave her statements. DNA evidence was collected. And then, five months later, Makayla ended her life.

April 21, 2026 — there is a hearing. The case must go forward. Makayla is not here to testify, but her words and the DNA don't disappear with her.

Email the Ventura County DA today: mailto:[email protected] — tell them to pursue this case with everything they have.

Donate to support her family's fight for justice: https://gofund.me/5c3e33dcd

#JusticeForMakayla #MakaylaSettles #SpeakUp #SAsurvivors #TrueCrime #VenturaCounty #JusticeForVictims

Part 2 of our Arthur Shawcross series explores the making of the Genesee River Killer.

We examine Shawcross’s childhood, early life, and the nature vs. nurture question at the center of his story. This episode also covers his first murders, including Jack Blake and Karen Hill, as we look at the early violence that foreshadowed the crimes that would later make him infamous.

Apple Podcasts Hashtags
#TrueCrime #ArthurShawcross #GeneseeRiverKiller #SerialKiller #CrimePodcast #NatureVsNurture

It was supposed to be a normal night out. On April 1, 2006, Ohio State medical student Brian Shaffer joined friends for drinks at the Ugly Tuna Saloona in Columbus, Ohio — and then vanished without a trace. Surveillance footage shows him entering the bar. It never shows him leaving. No remains were ever found. No suspect was ever named. Nearly two decades later, the case has never been solved.

In this episode of The Minute Files, we break down the chilling timeline, the blind spots in the investigation, and the questions that still haunt Brian's family to this day.

🔎 Cold cases. Unsolved mysteries. The truth in 2 minutes.

New episodes every week. Follow The Minute Files wherever you listen to podcasts.

#BrianShaffer #TrueCrime #ColdCase #UnsolvedMystery #MissingPerson #OhioState #ColumbusOhio #UglyTunaSaloona #Disappeared #TrueCrimeCommunity #TheMinuteFiles #TrueCrimeShorts #MissingPersons #UnsolvedCases #CrimePodcast #TrueCrimePodcast #MysteryCase #ColdCaseFiles #WhatHappened #NeverForget

He Was Just As Evil As Bundy & Dahmer. So Why Don't You Know His Name? Gacy. Dahmer. Bundy: Three names everyone knows but Arthur Shawcross, the Genesee River Killer from Rochester, NY was every bit as horrifying. Full episode Monday April 5th. Don't sleep on this one. 🎙️ #TrueCrime #ArthurShawcross #GeneseeRiverKiller #TrueCrimePodcast #SerialKiller

The killing of Jerry Smith shocked Blacksburg and put former Virginia Tech football player Isimemen Etute at the center of a case that quickly sparked national attention. In this Short, we break down what happened, why Etute was charged with second-degree murder, and how a self-defense argument led to his acquittal. This case still raises tough questions about fear, violence, and justice

#JerrySmith #IsimemenEtute #VirginiaTech #TrueCrime #MurderCase #CourtCase #CrimeNews #JusticeForJerry #Blacksburg #TrueCrimeShorts #HotJusticePodcast

This week on Hot Justice Podcast, we examine the murder of 5-year-old Nefertiti “Neffy” Harris and the sentencing of her mother, Latasha Mott. We walk through the reported timeline, from Neffy’s death and the alleged concealment of her body to the investigation, plea, and final sentence.

We also discuss the disturbing gaps that allowed this case to go unchecked for weeks, the allegations involving Corrice Parks, and the powerful victim impact statements that brought Neffy’s story back to the center of the courtroom.
#HotJusticePodcast #TrueCrime #LatashaMott #NeffyHarris #SyracuseCrime #ChildHomicide #JusticeForNeffy #CrimePodcast

In this Minute Files episode, we cover the disappearance and reappearance of Michele Hundley Smith. After going missing in 2001, she was found alive in 2026, closing one mystery while opening up many more. We examine the timeline, the family’s reaction, and the unresolved questions still hanging over this extraordinary case.
#MicheleHundleySmith #MichelleHundleySmith #MissingPerson #TrueCrime #SolvedMystery #FoundAlive #TrueCrimePodcast

Justice served — again. 🚫 Lamon McKoy, convicted of the murders of Ashley Vincent and Monique McKoy in Geneva, NY, has been denied parole. A community fought. Families showed up. And the parole board listened. Ashley and Monique are not forgotten. 🕯️

#TrueCrime #ParoleDenied #NewYorkTrueCrime #Fingerlakes #TrueCrimePodcast