In October 1999, 48-year-old librarian Gail Fulton was shot and killed outside the Lake Orion, Michigan library where she worked. What initially appeared to be a cold-blooded, random attack soon revealed itself as something far more personal—and far more calculated.

At the center of the case: a crumbling marriage, a secret affair, and a woman named Donna Trapani who refused to be cast aside. The investigation uncovered a disturbing murder-for-hire plot involving a fake pregnancy, a forged suicide note, and three willing accomplices, all wrapped up in obsession, manipulation, and delusion.

The story spans two years of emotional unraveling, culminating in a fatal encounter that shattered a family. This case raises complex questions about accountability, denial, and the consequences of ignoring red flags.

Today's snack: Michigan Awesome Dark Chocolate Cherries and Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (thanks Sarah!)

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In October 1999, 48-year-old librarian Gail Fulton was shot and killed outside the Lake Orion, Michigan library where she worked. What initially appeared to be a cold-blooded, random attack soon revealed itself as something far more personal—and far more calculated.

At the center of the case: a crumbling marriage, a secret affair, and a woman named Donna Trapani who refused to be cast aside. The investigation uncovered a disturbing murder-for-hire plot involving a fake pregnancy, a forged suicide note, and three willing accomplices, all wrapped up in obsession, manipulation, and delusion.

The story spans two years of emotional unraveling, culminating in a fatal encounter that shattered a family. This case raises complex questions about accountability, denial, and the consequences of ignoring red flags.

Today's snacks: Buc-ee's Sea Salted Caramel Beaver Nuggets, Pocky Almond Crush, Buc-ee's Peanut Brittle, Buc-ee's Pecan Brittle (thanks Sam and Julia!)

Happy birthday Emma!

Listen to part 2 today on Patreon

Sources:

• Phelps, M. William. Kiss of the She-devil. 2013, Pinnacle Books. 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/760067552/
• Snapped, S28 E17, Donna Trapani.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/223376204/dora-garza
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228199152/noe-chapa-garza

In January 1999, Miriam Illes was gunned down in her kitchen while on the phone with a friend. There were no witnesses. No fingerprints. And the few pieces of physical evidence—an oversized shoe print, a cigarette butt, and a homemade silencer—seemed to point nowhere.

Her estranged husband, Dr. Richard Illes, was a respected heart surgeon with a thriving career, a new girlfriend, and a bitter custody battle underway. He also had an airtight alibi—until investigators started pulling at the seams.It was a murder that some called “almost perfect,” but ultimately it unraveled under the weight of its own misdirection. Anonymous letters, planted evidence, and a chilling unfinished manuscript brought one man’s elaborate plan crashing down.

Was it a brilliant cover-up? Or a case of ego gone wrong?

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Today's snack: Albanese Candy assortment (thanks Lana!)

Sources:

• https://www.lycolaw.org/uploads/opinions/2005-Illes070805br.pdf 
• The Perfect Murder, S1 E1, The Heart Shot.
• Kinney, David. “Reward offered in woman’s slaying.” The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), 04 Sep. 1999.
• Shellem, Pete. “Doctor objects to grand jury writ.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 19 Jan. 2000.
• Beauge, John. “‘We’re looking for justice’.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 09 Dec. 2001.
• Lewerenz, Dan. “Police: Silencer ties husband to wife’s killing.” Centre Daily Times, 19 Dec. 2002.
• Lewerenz, Dan. “Surgeon sniper shot wife: Police.” National Post, 20 Dec. 2002.
• Dale, Maryclaire. “Physician arrested in Spokane for 1999 Pennsylvania slaying.” The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), 23 Dec. 2002.
• Beauge, John. “Doctor wished wife dead, nurse testifies.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 20 Feb. 2003.
• Lewerenz, Dan. “Nurse says doc wanted wife dead.” Press Enterprise (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania), 21 Feb. 2003.
• Beauge, John. “Heart surgeon’s trial opens.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 21 Jan. 2004.
• Beauge, John. “Suicide try lengthens mental hospital stay.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 04 Mar. 2004.
• “Surgeon denies killing wife.” The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 30 Mar. 2004.

Jennair and Mark Gerardot had been married for 24 years and together for 28, with a relationship marked by its share of highs and lows. Mark, often passive, contrasted sharply with Jennair, who could be more assertive, even aggressive at times. The couple, without children or much family nearby, were content to focus on their pets, which they both adored. However, when Jennair lost her job and struggled to find a new one, her self-esteem began to take a hit. The couple’s dynamic shifted as Jennair’s sense of identity eroded.

When Mark landed a new job in Delaware, Jennair stayed behind in South Carolina to pack up their life and handle the logistics of their move. This gave Mark six weeks of bachelor-like freedom. During this time, he and his 33-year-old boss, Meredith Sullivan Chapman, began developing a “work crush” on each other, igniting an affair that would change everything. As we left off, Jennair, ever perceptive, had begun to sense that something was off with her husband, though she couldn’t yet put her finger on it. What began as quiet suspicions soon spiraled into an all-consuming obsession. Jennair’s fixation on Meredith would lead to a devastating conclusion — one that no one could have predicted.

Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lovemarrykill 

Today's snacks: Cranberry Pecan bread from Stonemill Bread and wild walnut honey (thanks Ashley!) and Kizito cookies (thanks Emma!)

This is the story of a single mother, a twisted teenage romance, and a crime so brutal—and so personal—it left a community stunned and a family shattered. Susan Bailey, 43, a hardworking single mother in Roanoke, Texas, was brutally murdered in her own home on September 25, 2008. The crime was shocking not just for its brutality, but for the identity of the perpetrators—her teenage children,  Jennifer and David along with Jennifer’s boyfriend, Paul Henson. The investigation uncovered a chilling level of planning, a fascination with dark and violent themes, and a trail of alarming behavior leading up to the murder.

Today's snack: Levain Bakery Lemon Cookies

Listen ad-free on Patreon

Sources:

• https://www.oxygen.com/snapped-killer-couples/crime-news/jennifer-bailey-murders-mother-susan--paul-henson-teen-brother
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/648426660/?match=1&terms=%22Jennifer%20Bailey%22
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/652208948/?match=1&terms=%22Jennifer%20Bailey%22

Jennair and Mark Gerardot had been married for 24 years and together for 28, with a relationship marked by its share of highs and lows. Mark, often passive, contrasted sharply with Jennair, who could be more assertive, even aggressive at times. The couple, without children or much family nearby, were content to focus on their pets, which they both adored. However, when Jennair lost her job and struggled to find a new one, her self-esteem began to take a hit. The couple’s dynamic shifted as Jennair’s sense of identity eroded.

When Mark landed a new job in Delaware, Jennair stayed behind in South Carolina to pack up their life and handle the logistics of their move. This gave Mark six weeks of bachelor-like freedom. During this time, he and his 33-year-old boss, Meredith Sullivan Chapman, began developing a “work crush” on each other, igniting an affair that would change everything. As we left off, Jennair, ever perceptive, had begun to sense that something was off with her husband, though she couldn’t yet put her finger on it. What began as quiet suspicions soon spiraled into an all-consuming obsession. Jennair’s fixation on Meredith would lead to a devastating conclusion — one that no one could have predicted.

Listen to part 2 today on Patreon

Today's snack: Brownies from Greyston Bakery (thanks Anne!)

Sources

• 20/20 episode
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbCY0mzb1DM&ab_channel=ABCNews
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_DloWsfpug&ab_channel=ABCNews
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXn4al0z-8A&t=354s&ab_channel=ABCNews
• Season 1 of the Bad Bad Thing Podcast
• Irreparable
• https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/husbands-affair-leads-to-murder-suicide-involving-mistress-and-wife-in-pennsylvania-home/507-545703243
• https://www.wyff4.com/article/former-upstate-mans-affair-leads-to-ambush-killing-of-lover-wifes-suicide-police-say/20065002
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43899187
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/422251929/?terms=Jennair%20Gerardot

Ben Novack, Jr. was the heir to a fortune built on an iconic American institution – The Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. Benji was an eccentric and abrasive millionaire who managed to alienate nearly everyone he met. With a drug habit, multiple mistresses, and a jaw-dropping collection of jewelry and pop culture memorabilia, he lived a life of excess. There was a long list of people who might have wanted him dead. At the top of that list was his wife, Narcy Novack. When Ben Novack Jr. was found brutally murdered in July 2009, people couldn’t help wondering - had Narcy finally had enough of his running around?

Today's snack: Mochinut

Episode researched and written by Owen Wesorick.

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Ben Novack, Jr. was the heir to a fortune built on an iconic American institution – The Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. Benji was an eccentric and abrasive millionaire who managed to alienate nearly everyone he met. With a drug habit, multiple mistresses, and a jaw-dropping collection of jewelry and pop culture memorabilia, he lived a life of excess. There was a long list of people who might have wanted him dead. At the top of that list was his wife, Narcy Novack. When Ben Novack Jr. was found brutally murdered in July 2009, people couldn’t help wondering - had Narcy finally had enough of his running around?

Listen to both parts on Patreon

Today's snacks: Cheetos Crunchy Buffalo and Peeps Party Cake

Episode researched and written by Owen Wesorick.

Sources:

• Glatt, John. The Prince of Paradise. St. Martin’s Press, 2013.
• Dateline, S21E03, Family Affair.
• https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/December12/NovackVelizVerdictPR.php
• https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/state/2012/03/31/from-drifter-to-millionaire-troubled/7869228007/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AluxQag1DU&ab_channel=Oxygen

Amy and Stephen Allwine were a happy, devout Christian couple living in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Amy was a successful dog trainer; Stephen, a church elder and IT specialist. Shockingly, in 2016 the FBI came to Amy and warned her that someone had tried to hire a hitman to kill her through a dark web site called Besa Mafia. Who could possibly wish this wonderful, kind woman dead? Months later when Amy was found dead in the couple’s home from a single gunshot wound, it appeared to be a suicide. But the crime scene raised questions.As investigators dug deeper, troubling details emerged—betrayal, secrets, a double life and a twisted version of faith.

Support us on Patreon

Today's snacks: Entenmann's Fudge Iced Golden Cake and Mini Crumb Cake (thanks Anne!), also Pop'ums

Sources:

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-disrupts-alleged-dark-web-hitmen-in-potential-murder-for-hire-plots/
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5312457/Man-trial-killing-wife-staging-like-suicide.html
• https://www.fox9.com/news/stephen-allwine-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-wifes-murder
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/383606874/
• https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-iba-3&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-3&hspart=iba&p=Besa+Mafia&vm=r&type=dkff_9317_FFW_ZZ#id=2&vid=6fbc51b0d98560a0bf5e23089b4de999&action=click
• https://www.fox9.com/news/convicted-dark-net-killer-claims-innocence-i-couldnt-have-done-it
• https://www.wired.com/story/dark-web-bitcoin-murder-cottage-grove/

The Marshall family seemed to have it all—wealth, status, and a picture-perfect life in Toms River, New Jersey. But on Thursday, September 7, 1984, tragedy struck when Maria Marshall, a beloved 42-year-old mother of three, was murdered in a parking area off the Garden State Parkway.

What first appeared to be a random robbery quickly unraveled into something far more sinister. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a troubled marriage, financial troubles, a torrid love affair, and a murder plot that crossed state lines. The case became one of the most notorious crimes in New Jersey, later documented in Joe McGinniss’s best-selling book and movie Blind Faith.

Today's snack: Butterscotch bars

Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lovemarrykill

Sources:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OzZyF2PUrk&t=597s “Blind Faith” 1990 movie
• McGinniss, Joe (2012). Blind Faith. Berkley (originally published 1989). 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/174522914/?match=1&terms=Woman%20slain%20at%20rest%20area%20in%20NJ%20Parkway%20
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/517503220/?match=1&terms=Woman%20slain%20at%20rest%20area%20in%20NJ%20Parkway%20
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/145993996/?match=1&terms=Maria%20Marshall
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23088/maria-marshall
• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/nyregion/robert-o-marshall-dies-at-75-convicted-in-blind-faith-case.html
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143002814/robert_oakley-marshall
• https://www.nydailynews.com/2017/09/09/perfect-marriage-masked-husbands-gambling-debt-affair-and-plot-to-have-his-wife-murdered/
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/30/sons-fight-keep-blind-faith-killer-in-prison/22577249
• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/nyregion/robert-o-marshall-dies-at-75-convicted-in-blind-faith-case.html?searchResultPosition=1
• https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/nyregion/murder-statement-held-too-devastating-to-reveal.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/13/nyregion/jersey-man-going-on-trial-on-charges-he-paid-to-have-wife-slain.html
• https://apnews.com/article/toms-river-ciba-geigy-childhood-cancer-pollution-42b1c56028b70e09ae530567011f34ed