Crystal and David Brame had been married for eleven years when the tension in their home reached a breaking point. As David’s career in law enforcement advanced, Crystal found it harder to seek help and even harder to escape his control. In February 2003, she filed for divorce and moved out of their home, determined to start over. But in the weeks that followed, emotions ran high—and what happened next would leave an entire community reeling.

Today's snack: JoJo's Cookies

Listen to part 2 on Patreon

Sources:

1. LaRosa, Paul. Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life. (2006). Berkeley. Kindle edition. 
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXDVsIB2cOA&t=168s Crystal Judson Family Justice Center
3. https://www.playpartyplan.com/thanksgiving-would-you-rather/
4. https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/the-thin-blue-line-the-brame-family/id1566754620?i=1000659706939
5. https://www.amazon.com/Tacoma-Confidential-Murder-Suicide-Police-ebook/dp/B002DMZ9UE
6. https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/brame-investigation-results-announced
7. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-hathaway-self-appointed-gadfly-of-tacoma-dead-at-69/
8. https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/tacoma-police-chief-s-wife-says-he-pointed-a-gun-1113191.php
9. https://www.newspapers.com/image/741624406/?match=1&terms=%22david%20brame%22
10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2573025/
11. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030509/dv09m0/the-brame-case-when-a-wifes-abuser-is-a-cop-who-can-help

On the evening of May 20, 2015, a frantic 911 call came in from a jewelry store in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The caller, Michael Colucci, told dispatchers that his wife, Sara, had tried to take her own life, and that he was performing CPR. When first responders arrived, they found Sara outside the couple’s business, The Gold Standard, lying near a hose that had been looped over a fence. Michael said she had used it to hang herself. But investigators quickly noticed that parts of his story didn’t add up.

As detectives began to piece together what had really happened that night, a much darker picture emerged — one involving financial troubles, personal turmoil, and a marriage under strain. What began as a call for help soon became a homicide investigation that would divide a community and test the boundaries of reasonable doubt.

Today's snack: Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts and Chocolate Cake Lovers Twinkies

Support us on Patreon

Sources:

• https://www.newspapers.com/image/442744952/?match=1&terms=%22Sara%20Moore-Colucci%22
• https://www.fitsnews.com/2024/05/13/colucci-retrial-what-happened-to-sara-coluccis-first-husband/
• https://www.fitsnews.com/2024/05/01/colucci-retrial-a-family-unraveling/
• https://www.live5news.com/2025/06/17/judge-dismisses-case-against-summerville-jeweler-charged-wifes-death/
• https://www.fitsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2024/04/Colucci-Civil-Filing.pdf
• https://www.counton2.com/news/friend-of-sara-colucci-speaks-out-about-rocky-marriage/
• https://www.jamesadyal.com/obituaries/?filter=colucci 
• https://www.courttv.com/title/sc-v-michael-colucci-the-background/
• https://crimeandcask.com/michael-colucci-retrial-in-2015-murder-of-wife/
• https://apnews.com/general-news-e17e883ed3ee41618feec6f92ac4d36a
• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2HOsbGQN9UEtw87E0R4QzG?si=d6b5cbad1d684f80 
• https://www.berkeleyobserver.com/2024/03/20/retrial-set-for-berkeley-county-jeweler-accused-of-killing-wife/
• https://crimeandcask.com/michael-colucci-retrial-in-2015-murder-of-wife/
• https://www.courttv.com/title/4-sc-v-colucci-law-enforcement-testimony-pt2/
• https://www.fitsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/securepdfs/2024/04/Ivo-Colucci-incident-report-1.pdf 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/1215327543/ 
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cup-of-justice/id1668668400?i=1000714337145
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-sunlight/id1573560247?i=1000653535168

When Linda Edelman vanished after telling friends she planned to leave her powerful husband, suspicion quickly turned toward Robert — a ruthless businessman with everything to lose. As the FBI stepped in, a web of deceit, money, and control began to unravel, revealing just how far Robert would go to keep his secrets.

Today's snack: Cane River Pecan Company Peanut Brittle Popcorn (thanks Teresa!)

Support us on Patreon

Sources

1.  Schutze, Jim. My Husband's Trying to Kill Me!: A True Story of Money, Marriage, and Murderous Intent. (Function). Kindle Edition. 
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRrYZIPByjA Dead Before Dawn movie 1993
3. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/savings-and-loan-crisis?utm_source=chatgpt.com
4. https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1988/may/the-ede-lman-file/
5. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/873/791/432488/
6. https://dycorp.ph/newserx/240900-where-is-robert-edelman-now-2023-did-plot-to-kill-h-wife-d-magazine
7. https://www.newspapers.com/image/778054247/?match=1&terms=robert%20edelman
8. https://www.newspapers.com/image/14018415/?match=1&terms=%22robert%20edelman%22

Dr. Anthony Pignataro was a Buffalo-area plastic surgeon with a taste for luxury and a reputation for confidence (some might say arrogance). He claimed to be an innovator, even creating a bizarre “snap-on hairpiece” that bolted directly to the skull. But beneath the image of success was a trail of questionable surgeries, mounting complaints, and growing chaos at home.

Become a partner in crime

Today's snack: Sponge candy

Dr. Anthony Pignataro was a Buffalo-area plastic surgeon with a taste for luxury and a reputation for confidence (some might say arrogance). He claimed to be an innovator, even creating a bizarre “snap-on hairpiece” that bolted directly to the skull. But beneath the image of success was a trail of questionable surgeries, mounting complaints, and growing chaos at home.

Listen to part 2 now on Patreon

Today's snack: Cinnamon pecan straws (thanks Teresa!)

Sources:

• Rule, Ann. Last dance, last chance and other true cases, Pocket Books, 2003.
• https://www.oxygen.com/license-to-kill/season-2/episode-1/killer-surgeon
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRaiDw8qKn8 
• https://www.wkbw.com/news/dr-pignataro-responds-to-7-eyewitness-news-investigation 
• https://www.deseret.com/1996/11/28/19279332/for-cosmetic-surgeon-replacing-hair-s-a-snap/ 
• 1996.11.25 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1041864329/ 
• 1996.12.03 https://www.newspapers.com/image/985207644/ 
• 1997.09.24 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877138400/ 
• 1997.09.29 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877140876/ 
• 1997.10.08 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1095781241/ 
• 1997.11.13 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1088839216/ 
• 1998.02.03 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1127230351/ 
• 1998.08.08 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1119967772/ 
• 1999.10.14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877769067/ 
• 1999.10.16 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877769953/ 
• 1999.11.27 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877561812/
• 2000.02.04 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878170817/ 
• 2000.03.11 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878193844/ 
• 2000.06.17 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878174256/ 
• 2000.09.14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/879049926/ 
• 2000.11.04 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878516964 
• 2000.11.10 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878517493/ 
• 2000.11.19 https://www.newspapers.com/image/877879494/ 
• 2001.02.10 https://www.newspapers.com/image/878532080/ 

Andrew and Robert Kissel grew up just four years apart in a family where wealth and competition went hand in hand. Their father, Bill, was a relentless businessman who demanded success from his sons, and both carried that drive into adulthood in very different ways. Rob built his career as a prominent investment banker, while Andrew often looked for shortcuts in the world of real estate. In 1989, Rob married Nancy Keeshin, a spirited and impulsive woman whose personality contrasted sharply with his serious, ambitious nature. When Rob’s career took the family to Hong Kong, they appeared to be living the dream among the city’s wealthy expatriates. But behind the polished image, cracks in the marriage were starting to show. By November 2003, those tensions reached a breaking point when Rob vanished after a violent fight with Nancy. Soon, the Kissel family name would become infamous on two continents.

Today's snack: Homemade strawberry milkshake

Support us on Patreon

Andrew and Robert Kissel grew up just four years apart in a family where wealth and competition went hand in hand. Their father, Bill, was a relentless businessman who demanded success from his sons, and both carried that drive into adulthood in very different ways. Rob built his career as a prominent investment banker, while Andrew often looked for shortcuts in the world of real estate. In 1989, Rob married Nancy Keeshin, a spirited and impulsive woman whose personality contrasted sharply with his serious, ambitious nature. When Rob’s career took the family to Hong Kong, they appeared to be living the dream among the city’s wealthy expatriates. But behind the polished image, cracks in the marriage were starting to show. By November 2003, those tensions reached a breaking point when Rob vanished after a violent fight with Nancy. Soon, the Kissel family name would become infamous on two continents.

Today's snack: Apple cinnamon bread 

Listen to Part 2 today.

Sources:

• McGinnis, Joe. (2007). Never Enough. Simon and Schuster.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R6n5ch-CV0 Paul and Prue
• https://archive.org/details/the-two-mr.-kissels Movie
• https://www.iqair.com/us/hong-kong air pollution
• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-09-mn-6170-story.html
• http://zonaeuropa.com/20050611_N.htm
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-pyi8T2Q8M 48 Hours 
• https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/nyregion/recalling-the-failings-of-a-son-lost-in-greenwich.html
• ​​https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/world/asia/12hong.html
• https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Judge-rules-slain-developera-s-estate-is-59465.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3102564/hong-kong-milkshake-murderer-nancy-kissel-loses
• https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/world/asia/26briefs-Milkshake.html?searchResultPosition=3
• https://nypost.com/2006/07/09/widow-kissels-making-my-life-hell/
• https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-andrew-kissel-estate-murder-19725539.php
• https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/mass-man-s-20-year-jail-sentence-closes-kissel-1339368.php
• https://nymag.com/news/features/16861/
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/908640793/?match=1&terms=HANROCK%20Kissel
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/546774307/

When Betty Fran Smith vanished in 1991, her family was desperate for answers. Recovering from a broken hip, it seemed unlikely she could have left home to travel as her new husband claimed. Determined to find the truth, Betty Fran’s sister and daughter began digging into John David Smith III—and uncovered disturbing secrets from his past. What followed was a search for justice that would stretch across decades and state lines.

Today's snack: Peanut butter stuffed brownies

Support us on Patreon

Sources:

• Fleeman, Michael. The Stranger in My Bed: The True Story of Marriage, Murder, and the Body in the Box (St. Martin's True Crime Library). 2003. Kindle Edition. 
• Hilland, Robert. Edward, John. Chasing Evil. (St. Martin’s Essentials). 2025. Kindle Edition. 
• https://archive.org/details/mysisterismissin0000glad/page/26/mode/2up Sherrie Gladden-Davis book
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhbnIQp5tJ4 Dateline episode
• https://people.com/chasing-evil-john-edward-robert-hilland-excerpt-exclusive-11798903 People magazine article about John Edward and Robert Hilland
• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fran-smith-husband-murder-charges-dark-secrets-dateline-exclusive-rcna149097
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/153553431/?match=1&terms=Fran%20Smith
• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=forensic+files+deadly+matrimony
• https://people.com/john-edward-robert-hilland-chasing-evil-interview-exclusive-11798647
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/151547651/
• https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_04-cv-02353/pdf/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_04-cv-02353-1.pdf
• https://people.com/john-edward-robert-hilland-chasing-evil-interview-exclusive-11798647

After the sudden loss of his first wife, Irish widower Jason Corbett hired Molly Martens to help care for his two young children. In time, Molly became more than just an au pair, and Jason eventually brought her and the children with him to North Carolina to start a new life together. But in the middle of a summer night, a desperate 911 call shattered that picture of domestic stability. What unfolded inside the family’s home would lead to years of courtroom drama, international headlines, and lasting rifts between two families an ocean apart.

Today’s snack: Irish chocolate biscuit cake

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

After the sudden loss of his first wife, Irish widower Jason Corbett hired Molly Martens to help care for his two young children. In time, Molly became more than just an au pair, and Jason eventually brought her and the children with him to North Carolina to start a new life together. But in the middle of a summer night, a desperate 911 call shattered that picture of domestic stability. What unfolded inside the family’s home would lead to years of courtroom drama, international headlines, and lasting rifts between two families an ocean apart.

Listen to Part 2 today on Patreon

Today’s snack: Memaw’s Country Kitchen Cheese Tiddies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Lemon Coolers

Sources:

• A Deadly American Marriage, Netflix
• My Brother Jason, by Tracey Corbett-Lynch and Ralph Riegel
• A Time for Truth: My Father Jason and My Search for Justice and Healing, by Sarah Corbett Lynch, March 2025
• Turning this thing around: An Inspirational Self-help memoir, Keith Maginn, 2012
• 48 Hours: In Jason’s Name https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfFfgPwC1EU 
• 911 call audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zf4abfnROw 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/961561485/ 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/946807358/ 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/1089324893/ 
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/1167479266/  
• https://extra.ie/2025/08/16/news/molly-martens-car-jason-corbett?fbclid=IwY2xjawMNyQFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHirC7Lfl0iYwAsOb6uFjNUu9fzgK0TKpkfldY4J5_kM3ylpR7ud1qw0nE3i3_aem_n3wK3OZjFfBE_Fh2y23gXw
• https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2025/08/16/jason-corbett-how-an-anonymous-tip-off-helped-close-the-net-on-the-limerick-mans-killers/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMNyWhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkuTXjV5E9iBJI5j872XJzWN_bwbvzZ0Qh2wDwuCMZSKtYkb8O9Tj-T68OLF_aem_HGP_k7LgtvKb4A3Ztk7Cjg
• https://law.justia.com/cases/north-carolina/court-of-appeals/2020/18-714.html