In July 2013, 53-year-old Marie-Josée Benitez and her 19-year-old daughter Allison vanished without a trace from their home in Southern France. The last person to see them alive was Francisco Benitez — Marie-Josée’s estranged husband and Allison’s father. He claimed they’d left for a trip to Toulouse. They never came back. 

What followed was a chilling chain of revelations. Francisco was already linked to the disappearance of another woman in 2004. Just weeks after his wife and daughter vanished, he took his own life. Then, investigators discovered traces of Allison’s blood in a freezer at the military barracks where Francisco worked. 

Marie-Josée and Allison were never found. But the evidence pointed to one clear theory – that they had been killed by father and estranged husband Francisco.  

This is the story of Allison and Marie-Josee Benitez. 

Information and support  

• Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans  
• Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA 
• Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid 
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247 
• Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America 
• Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline  

References  

MISSING: Allison and Marie-Josee Benitez | Crime Junkie Podcast 

Allison and Marie-José Benitez: What Happened to Missing Mom & Daughter? 

A missing beauty queen's father with a dark past 

Disappearance of Allison and Marie-Josee Benitez: Crime Junkie investigates suspicious behavior of Francisco Benitez 

Special Envoy: "The Benitez Affair, the Legionnaire's Enigma" 

The father's freezer at the center of all attention - Disparues de Perpignan 

Disappeared from Perpignan: Benitez took his freezer to the Legion 

France gripped by disappearance of missing beauty queen and her mother following suicide of former legionnaire father | The Independent | The Independent 

Chief Warrant Officer Benitez left a bloody trail - Bluestar Forensic 

Credits  

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton  

Produced by: Clare Laxton   

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com) 

Music from Pixabay.  

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In July 2010, just days after returning from a family holiday, 31-year-old Vicki Case and her two baby daughters — 2-year-old Phoebe and 1-year-old Nereya — were brutally murdered in their own home. The man who killed them was the person who should have loved and protected them the most: husband and father, Andrew Case.

After taking their lives, Case then took his own life. He left behind devastation and unanswered questions. While reports suggested he was under financial pressure, the police struggled to comprehend what could drive a man to kill his entire family. In a never heard before twist, some sections of the media sought to excuse his actions — attributing the murders to an anti-smoking medication Case was taking, as though anything could justify the deliberate, calculated killing of his wife and children. 

This is the story of the Case Family. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Fordingbridge father 'killed wife and two daughters' - BBC News

Funeral for mother and daughters 'killed by suicidal father' | London Evening Standard | The Standard

Father who murdered his family 'was quitting smoking and on medication that caused depression' | Daily Mail Online

Hampshire Family 'Killer' Had Debt Worries | Scoop News | Sky News

Tributes paid to 'popular' family - BBC News

Father Andrew Case who murdered wife and daughters before hanging himself 'had money worries' | Daily Mail Online

Tributes paid to 'popular' family - BBC News

Man who murdered wife and daughters ‘had money worries’ | London Evening Standard | The Standard

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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In March 2004, in a quiet suburb of Melbourne, Australia, Anna Kemp and her 20-month-old daughter Gracie were brutally murdered by the very person who should have loved and protected them the most — husband and father, John Sharpe. Armed with a speargun, he shot Anna and Gracie multiple times, killing them in cold blood. Anna was also pregnant with their second child who she had named Francis. 

After killing his whole family, Sharpe appeared in the media, tearfully pleading for their return and spinning the lie that Anna had left him, taking Gracie with her. But behind the cameras was a killer, hiding in plain sight. His deception didn’t last and Sharpe was sentenced to 33 years in prison for the calculated, monstrous slaughter of his own family.

This is the story of the Kemp Family. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Sharpe family murders - Wikipedia

Australian News- john myles sharpe

The Sharpe Family Murders • Morbidology

Our True Crime Podcast: 75. The Mornington Monster: Family Annihilator John Sharpe

Speargun killer jailed for 33 years - ABC News

Mornington Monster: John Sharpe killed Anna Kemp.

Murderer a child molester, says paper - NZ Herald

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a text

In February 1995, the quiet town of Springfield, Missouri was devastated by a brutal familicide. Cheryl Feeney and her two young children — 6-year-old Tyler and 18-month-old Jennifer — were found savagely murdered in their own home. The crime scene was bizarre, chilling, and left more questions than answers.

Husband and father Jon Feeney was away at a teacher’s conference when the murders took place. But it wasn’t long before suspicion fell squarely on him. Despite a trial that captivated the nation and a verdict of not guilty, many remain convinced that Feeney got away with murdering his family.

This is the story of the Feeney Family.

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Ozarks True Crime Season 2: The Feeney Family Murders — Anne Roderique-Jones

MURDERED: The Feeney Family | Crime Junkie Podcast

The Feeney Family murders: A complete timeline of events

Cheryl Lynne Feeney (1959-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial

The Feeney Family murders: A complete timeline of events

Crime Traveler: The story of Jon Feeney and his family's murder TRUE CRIME

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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In December 1987, over the course of a single week, Ronald Gene Simmons brutally killed 14 members of his own family. They included wife Becky, his children Gene Jr, Loretta, Eddy, Marianne, Becky, Billy, and Sheila, his grandchildren Barbara, Trae, Sylvia, and Michael, his daughter-in-law Renate, and his son-in-law Dennis. 

Not content with slaughtering his family, Simmons then murdered a former co-worker, Kathy Kendrick, and an innocent bystander, Jim Chaffin and wounded many other people in the process.  

It remains one of the deadliest familicides in American history. Simmons was executed by lethal injection in 1990. 

This is the story of the Simmons Family.  

Information and support  

References  

Ronald Gene Simmons–True Crime All The Time – Apple Podcasts 

Simmons, Ronald Gene - Encyclopedia of Arkansas 

Ronald Gene Simmons - Wikipedia 

Something snapped in Ronald Gene Simmons in December 1987.... - UPI Archives 

Mass Slayer Abused Wife, Got Daughter Pregnant, In-Laws Say - Los Angeles Times 

Credits  

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton  

Produced by: Clare Laxton   

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com) 

Music from Pixabay.  

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a text

In February 2018, in the quiet town of Derrylin, Northern Ireland, a fire tore through a remote bungalow. Inside were the bodies of four family members — Denise Gossett, 45, her children Sabrina, 19, and Roman, 16, and Sabrina’s baby daughter, 15-month-old Morgana. The only survivor was Denise’s partner, 33-year-old Daniel Allen — the man responsible for their murders.

Allen was a violent, coercive, and controlling man who forced the family to live under different names, isolated them from the outside world, and moved them from place to place to maintain his grip on them. His campaign of terror ended in a deliberate act of unspeakable violence. Today, Allen is serving a 29-year life sentence — one of the longest ever handed down in Northern Ireland — for the brutal, calculated murder of an entire family.

This is the story of the Gossett Family. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Derrylin fire: 'Strange' story of Daniel Allen who killed family - BBC News

Man jailed for 29 years over house fire that killed three generations of same family

Man who killed three generations of family has ‘disturbing part of make-up’ | The Standard

PPS statement following sentencing of Daniel Allen | Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

Derrylin: Children's murders 'could not have been anticipated' - BBC News

‘Horrific and cruel’: Man jailed for deaths of four family members in Fermanagh fire – The Irish Times

Court judgement The King v Daniel Sebastian Allen.pdf

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

K

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Kim Davis co-hosts the Slaycation podcast alongside husband Adam Davis and friend Jerry Kolber. The podcast – which I absolutely love – explores cases of murder, mysterious deaths and disappearances while on vacation – or holiday as well call it in the UK. I highly recommend that you check it out and add it to your podcast list. 

Kim is a trained social worker specialising in domestic abuse and has worked in domestic abuse shelters in her career. She has expert insight into the impact of domestic abuse and the behaviours of domestic abuse perpetrators. 

She is also a fan of true crime and does the majority of the research for Slaycation – trying to find an answer to why people commit such horrific crimes. 

This is our interview with Kim Davis from Slaycation podcast. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       National Domestic Violence Helpline UK 0808 2000 247 

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

About Slaycation: The Team Behind the True Crime Podcast

Slaycation: True Crimes, Murders, and Twisted Vacations | Podcast on Spotify

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a text

On the first day of school at Wild Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland in September 2017, beloved social studies teacher Laura Wallen didn’t turn up and had vanished without a trace. Just days later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave — shot dead. Laura was four months pregnant which a wanted child called Reid. The man accused of killing her was her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, Tyler Tessier. He was arrested for her murder but would never face justice, taking his own life in prison a year later.

This is the story of Laura Wallen and Reid.

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Laura Wallen: Pregnant high school teacher was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Tyler Tessier

Laura Wallen: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?

MURDERED: Laura Wallen | Crime Junkie Podcast

Father of slain Montgomery Co. teacher says student tribute comforted family - WTOP News

 Murdered mother's family speaks out

Who Is Tyler Tessier? 9 Things To Know In Columbia Teacher's Murder | Columbia, MD Patch

Homicide leading cause of death for pregnant women in U.S. | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Governor Hogan signs Laura and Reid's Law

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a text

In January 1993, a house fire tore through the Romand family home in Prévessin-Moëns, near the French-Swiss border. Inside, Florence Romand and her two young children, Antoine and Caroline, were dead. Jean-Claude Romand — husband, father, and apparent survivor — was clinging to life. But what first looked like a devastating accident quickly unravelled into something far darker: the calculated murder of an entire family and the exposure of a man who had spent his life living a lie. Jean-Claude Romand wasn’t just a killer — he was a master deceiver who had faked his career, manipulated those closest to him, and, in a final act of horror, murdered his wife, children, and parents to stop the truth from coming out. He survived, was convicted, and in 2019, after 26 years behind bars, walked free.

This is the story of the Romand Family. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       National Domestic Violence Helpline UK 0808 2000 247 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

The Adversary: Amazon.co.uk: Carrere, Emmanuel, Coverdale, Linda: 9780747551898: Books 

Jean-Claude Romand | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Frenchman who killed his entire family after fraudulently posing as a doctor released from jail | Daily Mail Online

Jean-Claude Romand: Fake French doctor who killed family is free - BBC News

Jean-Claude Romand: The fake doctor turned family annihilator | by Ominous Nights | Medium

Deadly fantasist | | The Guardian

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a text

In 2005 25 year old Janet Abaroa was found dead by her husband Raven – she was pregnant at the time and also had a six month old son who was unharmed. Although Janet’s murder is still technically unsolved her family always suspected that it was Raven who killed her and his unborn child. In 2014 he entered an Alford Plea acknowledging that there was enough evidence to convict him but didn’t technically admit guilt for the murders. 

This is the story of Janet Abaroa and her unborn child.

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       National Domestic Violence Helpline UK 0808 2000 247 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

Video Janet Abaroa's family remembers the slain 25-year-old mother - ABC News

Where Are Janet Abaroa's Sisters and Brother Today?

How contact lenses blew a 2005 murder case wide open and led to a husband serving prison time - ABC News

MURDERED: Janet Abaroa | Crime Junkie Podcast

Janet Abaroa Murder: Who Was Behind Her Tragic End?

Where Is Raven Abaroa Now and Why Was He Released?

Woman 'Lucky' to Get Away from Husband Accused of Murdering 1st Wife - ABC News

Alford plea - Wikipedia

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

Killer in the family podcast is a total labour of love. If you'd like to support me please buy me a coffee or tea!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clarelaxton

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.