Carol Kennedy was a therapist, an artist, and a devoted mother of two. In July 2008, just five weeks after her divorce was finalized, she was brutally bludgeoned to death in her Prescott, Arizona home. Suspicion quickly turned to her ex-husband, Steve DeMocker — a charismatic but financially troubled stockbroker who was deep in debt. With no eyewitnesses, no murder weapon, and a complex trail of circumstantial evidence, prosecutors faced an uphill battle. What followed was a years-long legal saga filled with delays, courtroom drama, and emotional testimony. Through it all, Steve and Carol’s daughters stood by their father, convinced of his innocence — even as the state pushed for conviction.

Today's snacks: Buc-ee's Steakhouse Beef Jerky and Buc-ee's Praline Pecans (thanks Carla!)

Listen to part 2 today!

Sources:

• Rother, Caitlin. “Then No One Can Have Her”, Pinnacle Books 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/carol-kennedy-her-life-and-art/19/
• Dateline, S22 E27, The Mystery on Bridle Path
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwoX79f-4Cw 
• https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/court-of-appeals-division-one-unpublished/2021/1-ca-cr-20-0456-prpc.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOrJjbuIJw
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/324359553/ 
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcFHkKbd_jTIwjryCNgXOfjTk0FzMX_Ka
• https://www.cbsnews.com/video/end-of-the-trail-2/

In July 2008, in the quiet suburb of Cary, North Carolina, Nancy and Brad Cooper appeared to have it all: two beautiful daughters, a picture-perfect life, and a circle of close-knit friends. But behind closed doors, their marriage was unraveling. When Nancy vanished after a routine morning run, the investigation revealed cracks in their carefully constructed world—and left a trail of questions that still linger.

Support us on Patreon.

Today's snack: White Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

In July 2008, in the quiet suburb of Cary, North Carolina, Nancy and Brad Cooper appeared to have it all: two beautiful daughters, a picture-perfect life, and a circle of close-knit friends. But behind closed doors, their marriage was unraveling. When Nancy vanished after a routine morning run, the investigation revealed cracks in their carefully constructed world—and left a trail of questions that still linger.

Listen to part 2 today

Today's snack: Dewey's Bakery cookies

Sources:

• Lamb, Amanda. Love Lies: A True Story of Marriage and Murder in the Suburbs. Diversion Books (2015). Kindle Edition. 
• Blanchard, Lynne. Framed: An Examination of the Nancy Cooper Murder Case. Self-published (2015). Kindle Edition 
• https://www.wral.com/story/911-calls-in-nancy-cooper-s-death-released/3248238/ 911 call
• https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25723445
• https://globalnews.ca/news/7479909/brad-cooper-north-carolina-murder-prison-release/
• https://nancycooper.blogspot.com/
• https://justiceforbradcooper.wordpress.com/
• https://www.mensjournal.com/sex-relationships/most-embarrassing-google-searches-state Most embarrassing Google searches by state

In July 2023, the small, rural town of Leongatha in Victoria, Australia was thrust into the spotlight after a family lunch ended in unthinkable tragedy. Erin Patterson, a quiet, separated mother of two, prepared a homemade meal for her in-laws, but within days, three were dead and one was left clinging to life. Was it a heartbreaking accident or something far more sinister? In this episode, we discuss complicated family dynamics, growing suspicion, and lingering questions surrounding a lunch that devastated a family and shocked not just Australia, but the world.

Today's snack: Mushroom tart

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

Sources:

• The Mushroom Cook Podcast
• The Mushroom Trial
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFRwU47pKic 60 Minutes Australia
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/world/australia/mushroom-poisoning-trial-verdict.html?searchResultPosition=1
• https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/science/herbarium/death-cap/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77n2yykzrjo
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx554n1x0wo
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx5e9dldqwo
• https://people.com/woman-accused-killing-three-with-poisonous-meal-says-exotic-mushrooms-have-more-flavor-court-11747054
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8zr16y21o
• https://apnews.com/article/australia-poisonous-mushroom-murder-c0e545567d6bdccc266f342a2ee7b192
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8zr16y21o
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx554n1x0wo
• https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/black-tarp-installed-around-mushroom-cook-erin-pattersons-home-before-guilty-verdict-reached/news-story/efb14aaa35823669e8690be9bc6cfa72
• https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/erin-patterson-trial-exhibits-and-pictures-shown-to-the-jury-released-by-victorian-supreme-court/news-story/1aaee1b5445fa0f69740beccd207004d
• https://theqldr.com.au/crime-law-and-justice/2025/05/22/patterson-22/
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14231137/The-deadly-poison-bodies-three-women-killed-horror-Christmas-dinner-police-set-dig-months-dead-husband-woman-prepared-food-poisoned.html
• https://www.kpbs.org/news/international/2025/05/02/an-australian-woman-is-on-trial-for-murder-by-toxic-mushrooms-heres-what-to-know?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14888065/Details-emerge-PARTY-Erin-Patterson-threw-night-arrest-mysterious-break-ins-Leongatha-home-handcuffed.html
• https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/shroom-service_fewer-mushroom-identification-centres-more-poisonings/45228910
• https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/health/mushrooms-poisoning-foraging/index.html
• https://7news.com.au/news/inmate-claims-she-fell-ill-after-eating-meal-prepared-by-mushroom-murderer-erin-patterson--c-19283609
• https://thenightly.com.au/australia/victoria/erin-patterson-dr-chris-webster-reveals-why-he-faces-losing-his-job-after-speaking-out-about-mushroom-killer-c-19306978

When 29-year-old Michelle Young was found dead in her Raleigh, North Carolina home, the discovery sent shockwaves through her family, her circle of friends, and the community. Michelle was married, the mother of a toddler, and expecting her second child. She was beautiful, bright, and driven; by all accounts, a woman with so much ahead of her. Michelle’s brutal murder baffled the quiet suburban neighborhood and prompted a frustrating investigation that would grow increasingly complicated by the lack of cooperation from Michelle’s husband. Her marriage to 32-year-old Jason Young had been troubled from the beginning, but at the time of her death, he was reportedly hundreds of miles away on a business trip. As detectives began piecing together the timeline, unsettling questions began to surface. Who would do this to a young mother in her own home? Could it have been a random act of violence, or was the truth far closer to home? The investigation uncovered complicated relationships, emotional wounds, and evidence that raised more questions than answers. In this episode, we explore the case that shook Raleigh and pushed the justice system to its limits before any sense of resolution was found.

Support us on Patreon

Today's snack: Lemon bliss balls

100 best movies list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls599119586/copy/

100 best books list: https://bookriot.com/best-books-of-the-21st-century-nyt/

When 29-year-old Michelle Young was found dead in her Raleigh, North Carolina home, the discovery sent shockwaves through her family, her circle of friends, and the community. Michelle was married, the mother of a toddler, and expecting her second child. She was beautiful, bright, and driven; by all accounts, a woman with so much ahead of her. Michelle’s brutal murder baffled the quiet suburban neighborhood and prompted a frustrating investigation that would grow increasingly complicated by the lack of cooperation from Michelle’s husband. Her marriage to 32-year-old Jason Young had been troubled from the beginning, but at the time of her death, he was reportedly hundreds of miles away on a business trip. As detectives began piecing together the timeline, unsettling questions began to surface. Who would do this to a young mother in her own home? Could it have been a random act of violence, or was the truth far closer to home? The investigation uncovered complicated relationships, emotional wounds, and evidence that raised more questions than answers. In this episode, we explore the case that shook Raleigh and pushed the justice system to its limits before any sense of resolution was found.

Listen to part 2 today by joining us on Patreon

Today's snacks: Greek yogurt with granola, honey, cinnamon and chocolate chips, and Reese's Peanut Butter Pie miniature cups

Sources:

• Epstein, Steven (2019) . Murder on Birchleaf Drive. Black Lyon Publishing. 
• Blanchard, Lynne (2016). Absence of Evidence: An Examination of the Michelle Young Murder Case
• https://www.redfin.com/NC/Raleigh/5108-Birchleaf-Dr-27606/home/41167194
• https://www.wral.com/story/9725672/
• https://www.drugs.com/sfx/pancof-pd-side-effects.html
• https://www.wral.com/story/michelle-young-murder-case-timeline-of-events/9662412/
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/659721997/?match=1&terms=Jason%20Young%20Michelle%20Young\https://www.newspapers.com/image/657981908/?match=1&terms=%22Michelle%20Young%22
• https://nrlc.org/federal/unbornvictims/statehomicidelaws092302/
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/657995236/?terms=%22Michelle%20Young%22
• https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/playback/vod/GMO_00000000410634_01/bdc6741f-c7e7-3a5a-96ad-bfd733d43477

The Dolly Oesterreich case is one of the most bizarre and sensational true crime stories of the early 20th century. Walburga “Dolly” Oesterreich was a Milwaukee housewife married to a wealthy textile manufacturer, Fred Oesterreich. On the surface, she appeared to live a conventional life, but behind closed doors, her world was anything but ordinary. Dolly had a complicated personal life that eventually led to a shocking crime. The investigation that followed revealed a tangled web of secrets, deception, and relationships that defied social norms and legal boundaries. What began as a puzzling death soon unraveled into a story so strange that even seasoned detectives struggled to believe it.

Support us on Patreon

Today's snack: Golden Graham S'mores

Sources:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez31LGkrvG0&t=2729s
• https://www.thevintagenews.com/2022/11/14/dolly-oesterreich/
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116235401/walburga_barbara-hedrick
• https://murderpedia.org/female.O/o/oesterreich-walburga.htm
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/622315868/?terms=%22dolly%20oesterreich%22
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/608475845/?match=1&terms=%22dolly%20oesterreich%22
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/dolly-oesterreich
• https://thecinemaholic.com/fred-oesterreich-murder-what-happened-to-walburga-dolly-oesterreich-and-otto-sanhuber/

When Susan Kuhnhausen came home from work on a September evening in 2006, she noticed something felt…off. Minutes later, a man charged at her from the shadows with a hammer in hand. What followed was a shocking and harrowing fight for survival—and an investigation that uncovered a dark and twisted plot involving betrayal, manipulation, and a hitman with a violent past. This week, we tell the story of Susan and Michael Kuhnhausen, a case that forces us to ask: how well can you ever really know the person you married?

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

Today’s snack: Loaded totchos

Sources:

• https://www.wweek.com/news/2016/08/17/a-hit-man-came-to-kill-susan-kuhnhausen-she-survived-he-didnt/
• Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? S2 E14, “No Bigger Gamble”
• https://blurredbylines.com/articles/susan-kuhnhausen-walters-survivor-hitman-portland/
• https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2014/06/portlander_who_hired_hitman_to.html
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/intruder-killed-by-nurse-was-hit-man/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1f7i45a/surviving_the_unthinkable_the_susan_kuhnhausen/ 
• https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2014/04/woman_who_fatally_strangled_hi.html 
• https://www.facebook.com/Susan.WaltersRN 
• Martinis, Cheryl. “Lincoln City woman’s threats allegedly led to her rape, death.” The Oregonian, Jan. 25, 1994, p. B10.
• Bernstein, Maxine. “Intruder strangled by nurse: A hitman?” The Oregonian, Sep. 15, 2006, p. A1.
• Peterson, Anne M. “Police say nurse killed ‘hit man’”. The Huntsville Times, Sep. 17, 2006, p. A16.
• Associated Press. “Portland man accused of murder-for-hire plot denied release on bail.” The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), Dec. 30, 2006, p. C3.
• Saker, Anne. “Man admits plot to kill his wife.” The Oregonian, Aug. 30, 2007, p. B1. 
• Saker, Anne. “‘I am damaged. But I am not destroyed.” The Oregonian, Sep. 8, 2007, p. A1. 
• Green, Aimee. “Jury grants $1 million to wife in murder plot.” The Oregonian, Mar. 7, 2008, p. B4.
• Tara the hero cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEa6jZv-Khc 

On the night of November 8, 1983, David Hendricks returned home from a business trip to find his wife, Susan, and their three young children brutally murdered in their beds. They had been killed with an axe and a butcher knife—both from the family home. Investigators quickly turned their focus to David. There were no signs of forced entry, the burglary attempt seemed staged, and there were no other viable suspects. It was called the “cleanest bloody crime scene”. David’s unemotional demeanor, strange midnight business trip, and seemingly rehearsed account raised suspicions, and the coroner’s estimate of the time of death—based on the children’s stomach contents—suggested the murders occurred before David left for his trip. Prosecutors theorized he was growing restless in his strict religious life and may have killed his family to escape it. Did David Hendricks kill his family or was it an intruder?

Support us on Patreon

Today's snack: Buc-ee’s Copycat Beaver Nuggets

On the night of November 8, 1983, David Hendricks returned home from a business trip to find his wife, Susan, and their three young children brutally murdered in their beds. They had been killed with an axe and a butcher knife—both from the family home. Investigators quickly turned their focus to David. There were no signs of forced entry, the burglary attempt seemed staged, and there were no other viable suspects. It was called the “cleanest bloody crime scene”. David’s unemotional demeanor, strange midnight business trip, and seemingly rehearsed account raised suspicions, and the coroner’s estimate of the time of death—based on the children’s stomach contents—suggested the murders occurred before David left for his trip. Prosecutors theorized he was growing restless in his strict religious life and may have killed his family to escape it. Did David Hendricks kill his family or was it an intruder?

Listen to both parts on Patreon today: https://patreon.com/LoveMarryKill

Today's snacks: Modjeskas and Purity Assorted Kisses (thanks Lisa and Tammy)

Sources:

• https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/313-Carl-Dr-Bloomington-IL-61704/76978912_zpid/ Hendrick’s house
• https://play.howstuffworks.com/quiz/true-crime-quiz true crime quiz
• https://www.hoopladigital.com/ebook/reasonable-doubt-steve-vogel/12113558
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/72563136/?match=1&terms=David%20Hendricks%20Jon%20Lewis
• https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/09/14/murdered-family-follows-him-for-life/
• https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?date-end=2025&date-start=1989&keyword=David+Hendricks+Jon+Lewis&publication-ids=3152®ion=us-il&sort=paper-date-asc
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/75603388/?match=1&terms=David%20Hendricks%20Jon%20Lewis
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/72939480/?match=1&terms=David%20Hendricks%20Jon%20Lewis
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/504445477/?terms=%22David%20Hendricks%22
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/461418367/?match=1&terms=%22David%20Hendricks%22
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/73348247/?match=1&terms=Hendricks%20flunked%20polygraph
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/72539351/?match=1&terms=Testimony%20on%20Hendricks%E2%80%99%20ex-brother-in-law%20barred.