In 1988, Russell Stager was shot and killed in Durham, North Carolina. His wife Barbara claimed that Russ kept a gun under his pillow for safety and what resulted was a tragic accident. As investigators dug deeper though, Barbara’s past came back to haunt her.

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Today’s snacks: Christmas swig cookies and holiday chocolate chip cookies

Sources:

• Before He Wakes, by Jerry Bledsoe
• https://loriajohnston.medium.com/barbara-stager-shots-in-the-dark-41969347674b 
• https://murderpedia.org/female.S/s/stager-barbara.htm
• https://law.justia.com/cases/north-carolina/supreme-court/1991/212a89-0.html 
• Forensic Files - Season 5, Episode 14: "Broken Promises"
• https://webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffender.do?method=view&offenderID=0386206&searchOffenderId=0386206&searchDOBRange=0&listurl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

Sarah Widmer was found dead in the bathtub of her Ohio home just 114 days after marrying her husband, Ryan. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident quickly turned into a complicated legal battle involving disputed forensic evidence, questionable investigative decisions, and three separate trials. This case raises enduring questions about science in the courtroom, jury conduct, and whether the justice system ultimately got it right.

Today's snacks: Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, North Pole Nutty Buddies, Christmas Tree Donuts

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Kelley Clayton, a 35-year-old mother of two, was brutally murdered in her Caton, New York home on September 28, 2015. The attack appeared staged as a home invasion, but nothing was stolen and there was no forced entry. One of Kelley’s children witnessed part of the horrific scene, helping lead investigators toward the truth. As evidence mounted, a murder-for-hire plot emerged involving her husband, Thomas Clayton, and a disgruntled former employee. The case revealed secret affairs, financial motives, shifting confessions, and a community devastated by the betrayal.

Today's snack: Brown butter pecan bars

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Sources:

1. https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/playback/vod/GMO_00000000370107_01/729fee5a-798c-3471-94a0-53c2123df084 Dateline
2. https://www.hulu.com/watch/8edeed6a-3d99-4170-8758-7ba222c2af90 20/20
3. https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/131716630/?match=1&terms=%22Kelley%20Clayton%22
4. https://www.hulu.com/watch/8edeed6a-3d99-4170-8758-7ba222c2af90
5. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/star-gazette/name/kelley-clayton-obituary?id=21677715
6. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/public-safety/2017/01/20/clayton-trial-questions-over-poker-game-phone-call/96798910/
7. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/public-safety/2017/01/19/clayton-trial-alleged-accomplices-were-co-workers/96743388/
8. https://www.newyorkupstate.com/sports/2017/04/upstate_ny_hockey_pro_gets_life_without_parole_for_killing_wife_murder_for_hire.html
9. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4447978/Former-hockey-pro-sentenced-life-prison.html
10. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/public-safety/2017/04/17/blandford-get-3-6-years-role-clayton-murder/100565918/
11. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/public-safety/2018/11/01/thomas-clayton-kelley-clayton-murder-hire-motive-michael-beard/1836311002/
12. https://www.newspapers.com/image/132584642/?match=1&terms=%22Kelley%20Clayton%22
13. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2025/09/25/murder-of-kelley-clayton-still-stirs-strong-emotions-a-decade-later/85816556007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z119691p118050c118050d00----v119691d--57--b--57--&gca-ft=190&gca-ds=sophi
14. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2025/09/25/murder-of-kelley-clayton-still-stirs-strong-emotions-a-decade-later/85816556007/
15. https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2025/09/25/kelly-stage-clayton-murder-case-timeline-of-events-trial-verdicts/86167110007/
16. https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/2024/12/04/largest-study-of-cte-in-male-ice-hockey-players-finds-odds-increased-34-with-each-year-played/

Newlyweds Anni Hindocha and Shrien Dewani jetted off to South Africa for their honeymoon after their traditional Indian wedding when disaster struck. After dining in one of the more dangerous outlying townships, the taxi they were in was carjacked. Shrien and the taxi driver escaped unharmed but Anni was shot and killed. But as investigators began to untangle what happened that night, nothing about the carjacking made sense — and attention quickly shifted to the people closest to Anni. Rumors, contradictions, shifting testimony, and international headlines soon turned a tragic murder into one of South Africa’s most controversial cases. 

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Sources

• https://play.hbomax.com/video/watch/0b588375-8e51-4cd1-9b8e-332c45bb20a2/ce577af7-7850-443f-8c0f-e8913067bf8a HBO Anni: The Honeymoon Murder
• Newling, Dan. Bitter Dawn: The Truth about the Murder of Anni Dewani (2014). Johathan Ball Publishers. 
• Bhatia, Shekar. Hindocha, Vinod. Anni Dewani: A Father’s Story (2015). Penguin Random House South Africa.
• https://magazine.atavist.com/2013/the-honeymoon-murder
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-13226067
• https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/230644/Why-I-believe-Shrien-Dewani-is-innocent
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29676084
• https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/230644/Why-I-believe-Shrien-Dewani-is-innocent
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-29707082
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1l8DnAj-FU
• https://casefilepodcast.com/case-153-anni-hindocha/
• https://play.hbomax.com/video/watch/0b588375-8e51-4cd1-9b8e-332c45bb20a2/ce577af7-7850-443f-8c0f-e8913067bf8a
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-11937170
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-10203623/Moment-man-arranged-Anni-Dewanis-murder-honeymoon-Cape-Town-breaks-tears.html
• https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/shrien-dewani-finds-love-with-new-boyfriend-years-after-being-cleared-of-wifes-murder-a3903541.html

On a rainy evening in 2014, firefighters responded to a blaze at Carmela Knight’s home in the quiet suburb of Pickering. As neighbors watched in disbelief, Carmela’s family rushed to the scene, only to learn that David Knight and their two sons were safe at hockey practice, but a body had been found inside the garage.In the days that followed, loved ones feared the worst. And as investigators began piecing together the events of that night, early clues raised troubling questions. David insisted he had nothing to do with what happened. He had an alibi. But suspicion grew, leading detectives into a long, complex search for the truth behind Carmela’s death.

Today’s snacks: Reese’s Filled Pretzels and Sanders Sugar Cookie White Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels

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Sources:

• 2014.09.18 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221698725/ 
• 2015.03.04 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221961772/ 
• 2015.09.17 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223615585/ 
• 2015.10.01 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221947109/ 
• 2018.01.25 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223734635/ 
• 2018.02.08 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221766379/
• 2018.02.10 https://www.newspapers.com/image/951333672/ 
• 2018.02.15 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221945294/ 
• 2018.02.21 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222349449/ 
• 2018.10.18 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222164602/ 
• 2018.10.25 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221962308/ 
• 2018.11.01 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221962107/ 
• 2018.11.07 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222056286/ 
• 2018.11.14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223523035/ 
• 2018.11.22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222165105/ 
• 2018.12.12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223521209/ 
• 2018.12.19 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223525386/ 
• 2018.12.20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223521535/ 
• 2019.01.10 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223734774/ 
• 2019.01.16 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223688855/ 
• 2019.01.23 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223612113/ 
• 2019.01.24 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1221647442/ 
• 2019.01.30 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222164925/ 
• 2019.02.13 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1223612222/ 
• 2019.03.27 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1222163953/ 
• Dateline S31E7, Fire & Ice 
• https://thecinemaholic.com/carmela-knight-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/
• https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-david-knights-mistress-jill-hartman-now/

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: Freckles

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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

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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!)

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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.

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Today's snack: Sponge candy