A novel technique has been solving cold cases all over the country - all without a single drop of DNA. What's genius about this crime-solving method is that it only costs $2, and is paid by the criminals themselves. Join investigative journalist and true crime author of 46 books M. William Phelps as he explores how "the deck" of cold case playing cards inmates use in prison has led to the resolution of murder and missing person cases nationwide.* *This episode includes producer Cristina Everett, who no longer works on the show.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How a $2 Investigative Tool--A Deck of Cards"--is Helping Solve Cold Cases

Crossing the Line is a true crime podcast revealing cases of the missing and murdered, told start-to-finish each week. Using the campfire storytelling style that made Paper Ghosts a #1 hit on the charts, host M. William Phelps connects deeply with families touched by violent crime - he understands them, because he is one of them. Having gone through the murder of his own pregnant sister-in-law, Phelps brings not only his personal experience, but also 20-plus years of investigative journalism into the worlds of these stories. Follow and subscribe to Crossing the Line for a weekly dose of murder, mayhem and madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True crime

Wife, mother, school teacher, Nancy Seaman seems to be living the dream life in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Her husband, Robert Seaman, is an exec at Ford Motors before becoming the vice president of a local automotive manufacturer. When Bob is fired, however, and the couple’s secrets are exposed, that “dream life” shatters, and the results turn deadly. In the first part of this two-part Crossing the Line, you’ll hear from Nancy Seaman as she describes what led up to a bloody confrontation with someone she says was trying to kill her. If you're interested in learning more about the Rhine River Boat Cruise starting in Amsterdam with Phelps, where he'll be doing several "live" Crossing the Line podcasts, visit Sail Away Group Travel now.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction  books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications, including the Providence Journal,  Connecticut Magazine and  Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson,  DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

The Hatchet Murder - Part 1

A teenager heads out to the local mall to buy a blouse. When she fails to come home, a search begins. As police and the girl’s family comb through the neighborhood and nearby woods, the girl’s father makes a grisly discovery. But 50 years goes by without an answer–that is, until a noted serial killer steps forward and claims responsibility. But is he telling the truth, or wanting one last media moment before his death? If you're interested in learning more about the Rhine River Boat Cruise starting in Amsterdam with Phelps, where he'll be doing several "live" Crossing the Line podcasts, visit Sail Away Group Travel now before the trip sells out.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction  books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications, including the Providence Journal,  Connecticut Magazine and  Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson,  DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

The Body Behind the Mall: Lisa Thomas

A young Connecticut college student goes missing. The last person to see her is her longtime boyfriend. Weeks go by without any substantial leads, before computer forensics sends law enforcement into the woods in search of human remains. What they find, and what happens in the years to come, are an unthinkable set of crimes straight out of a horror film.  National Domestic Violence Hotline phone number: 1.800.799.7233 If you're interested in learning more about the Rhine River Boat Cruise starting in Amsterdam with Phelps, where he'll be doing several "live" Crossing the Line podcasts, visit Sail Away Group Travel now before the trip sells out.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction  books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications, including the Providence Journal,  Connecticut Magazine and  Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson,  DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

Alyssiah ‘LeLe’ Wiley: The Student and the Two Psychopaths

It’s late February 2024 in Billings, Montana. A 12-year-old child is reported missing. Friends and family claim to have not seen him in days. The police fear he has run away. But when a friend is backed into a corner and faces a few hard facts about what is found inside his house, is what he tells the police the truth, or just a convenient explanation to cover for a more sinister answer to a death ultimately dividing a community and sparking controversy between police and the victim’s family.  If you're interested in learning more about the Rhine River Boat Cruise starting in Amsterdam with Phelps, where he'll be doing several "live" Crossing the Line podcasts, visit Sail Away Group Travel now before the trip sells out.  Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction  books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications, including the Providence Journal,  Connecticut Magazine and  Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson,  DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

The Death of Andy ‘Beartusk’ Martinez: Accident or Murder?

Surgical nurse Marayna Rodgers, from the state of Washington, heads off to Las Vegas with a few friends to party for a few days. Unbeknownst to her, an old friend in Vegas is harboring a resentment about a watch and a secret she’s told Marayna, but specifically warned her not to share with anyone. When Marayna goes missing on December 6, 2023, the Las Vegas PD wonders if Marayna’s old friend has allowed that resentment to turn into rage, or if there is something more sinister at play. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction  books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications, including the Providence Journal,  Connecticut Magazine and  Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson,  DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer.  

How a $2 Investigative Tool--A Deck of Cards"--is Helping Solve Cold Cases

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