LOVE MURDER

In this Current Affairs update, the hosts revisit the shocking Catfish Conspiracy case with its final outcome now decided. After years of investigation and weeks of testimony, a Virginia jury has found Brendan Banfield guilty of murdering his wife Christine and an innocent stranger lured to their home through a fetish website. This episode walks through the verdict, the evidence that ultimately broke the case open, the role of the au pair turned key witness, and the chilling details revealed at trial that transformed a bizarre story into a devastating portrait of betrayal, manipulation, and calculated violence.

Current Affairs is Love Murder’s shorter show about the cases of love gone fatally wrong that are in the news right now.

Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/02/02/brendan-banfield-verdict-catfish-fetlife/

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-catfish-fetlife-au-pair-murder-verdict-0c9c9f7e4b5f4c6b8f3a9c2c6e1a4d9a

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brendan-banfield-guilty-wife-murder-au-pair-catfish-plot-rcna136245

https://www.wtop.com/fairfax-county/2026/02/brendan-banfield-convicted-wife-stranger-fetlife-scheme/

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/brendan-banfield-verdict-herndon-wife-au-pair-catfish-case

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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When a thrice-married father is found shot to death while seemingly changing his tire in a remote location, police find they have several suspects and a myriad of motives.

Sources:

• 1. Perger, Tracey. When Your Back Is Turned. 2022.
• Dziemianowicz, Joe. “Robyn Davis And Best Friend Sissy Saltzman Kill Her Husband.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 20 Feb. 2021, https://www.oxygen.com/killer-motive/crime-news/robyn-davis-and-best-friend-sissy-saltzman-kill-her-husband.
• “The Murder of Brian Davis.” CBS News | Breaking News, Top Stories & Today’s Latest Headlines, https://www.facebook.com/48hours/, 13 Apr. 2013, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-murder-of-brian-davis/7/.
• Tygard, Judy. 48 Hours. 1988.
• “William Brian ‘Brian’ Davis (1969-2009) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39011144/william_brian-davis. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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We thought you might also like THE CONSULT!

We begin our analysis of one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history—the Black Dahlia case. In this episode, we focus on the crime scene and autopsy of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short, whose body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. She had been bisected at the waist and subjected to extensive post-mortem mutilation.

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In the wake of World War I, a French conman lures desperate woman to their deaths with lonely hearts letters. Eventually known as the Bluebeard of Gambais, Henri Landru is known to have murdered at least 11 people.

Sources:

• Seeking Hearts - Ryan Green
• https://archive.org/details/landru0000land
• https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001744450
• https://read.dukeupress.edu/french-historical-studies/article/47/2/319/387225/Dead-but-Not-BuriedSerial-Murderer-Henri-Desire
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Désiré_Landru
• https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2013/11/29/henri-desire-landru-the-french-bluebeard-found-guilty-of-eleven-murders-on-1-december-1921/

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Find LOVE MURDER online:

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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

Three disturbing cases headline this week’s Love Murder Current Affairs: a Los Angeles firefighter accused of killing his wife after allegedly reading her diary, a tangled custody dispute in San Diego that prosecutors say ended with two adults shot dead while toddlers sat nearby, and a UK case where a woman stabbed her estranged husband after learning he had euthanized their dogs without telling her. From alleged crimes of rage to calculated violence, these stories trace how intimate relationships can unravel with devastating speed.

Sources:

• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-21/woman-found-dead-in-north-hollywood-home-domestic-violence-suspected (Los Angeles Times)
• https://abc7.com/post/mayra-jimenez-death-murder-charges-filed-glendale-firefighter-andrew-connection-wife-death-north-hollywood/18457612/ (ABC7 Los Angeles)
• https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/couple-arrested-for-double-murder-in-grant-hill-where-3-kids-were-found-nearby/3963988/ (NBC 7 San Diego)
• https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2026/01/20/police-arrest-man-woman-grant-hill-shooting-deaths-another-couple/ (timesofsandiego.com)
• https://people.com/wife-stabs-estranged-husband-euthanized-rescue-dogs-11891390 (people.com)
• https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/british-woman-stabs-estranged-husband-who-euthanised-her-rescue-dogs-10806231 (ndtv.com)

Find LOVE MURDER online:

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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

When a loving businesswoman and grandmother is murdered in a horrific car bomb incident in 1980, the finger is finally pointed in the direction of a serial killing dentist who was motivated by lust, money and the thrill of the kill.

Sources:

1. Bakos, Susan Crain. Appointment for Murder. Putnam Adult, 1988.

2. “Dr Glennon Edward Engleman (1927-1999) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91569328/glennon_edward-engleman#:~:text=Methods used to kill his,of his victims is unknown.&text=According to numerous primary sources,of his victims is unknown.&text=------,According to numerous primary sources%2C his last name was Engleman,The tombstone is misspelled. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

3. The Associated Press. “Illinois Woman Guilty in Husband’s Death out of Prison | News | Columbiamissourian.Com.” Columbia Missourian, https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaMissourian/, 19 Oct. 2009, https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/illinois-woman-guilty-in-husbands-death-out-of-prison/article_bd493a8c-a9a6-5205-9d33-b78d4903a3c1.html.

4. The F.B.I. Files. 1998.

5. Saint Louis Post Dispatch, 2 Mar. 1980.

6. Fox 2 Now, https://fox2now.com/news/true-crime/st-louis-serial-murderer-used-charm-for-insurance-fraud-over-22-years/. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

7. Gasconade County Republican, 4 Feb. 1981.

8. The Edwardsville Intelligencer, https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Boyle-hopes-to-be-released-from-jail-10553232.php. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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

This update examines the rapidly evolving case surrounding the murders of Monique and Spencer Tepi following the arrest of Michael David McKee. Prosecutors have upgraded the charges to premeditated aggravated murder as family members describe years of emotional abuse and repeated threats that allegedly continued long after the couple’s divorce. The episode reviews the surveillance trail, ballistic evidence, McKee’s arrest in Illinois, and the professional and legal issues that surfaced in the months before the killings. As authorities prepare to transfer McKee to Ohio to face charges that carry the possibility of life without parole or the death penalty, key questions about motive, access, and long-term planning remain unanswered.

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When a wealthy socialite falls into a coma, suspicion is cast upon her husband. Secrets are revealed, battle lines are drawn, the media goes crazy and the case leads to not one but two trials of the century and multiple books and movies. But did they do it?

Sources:

1. Wright, William. The Von Bülow Affair. Open Road Media, 2014.

2. Claus von Bülow Acquitted in Second Trial (June 10, 1985). YouTube, 13 May 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftFCBZTzpSI.

3. “Cosima von Bulow Says Stepsiblings’ Suit Is Greedy - UPI Archives.” UPI, UPI, 15 Oct. 1986, https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/10/15/Cosima-von-Bulow-says-stepsiblings-suit-is-greedy/3022529732800/.

4. Dunne, Dominick. “FATAL CHARM: The Social Web of Claus von Bülow | Vanity Fair | August 1985.” Vanity Fair | The Complete Archive, Vanity Fair, 1 Aug. 1985, https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/b49c7929-876a-4b5d-9082-2511edf9082e.

5. “Maria Schrallhammer, the Frontstairs Maid Who Is out to... - UPI Archives.” UPI, UPI, 6 Feb. 1982, https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/02/06/Maria-Schrallhammer-the-frontstairs-maid-who-is-out-to/6220381819600/.

6. Power, Privilege, and Justice. 2007.

7. Kingsport Times-News, 30 Dec. 1981.

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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An Ohio dentist and his wife were found shot to death inside their Columbus home just weeks before their fifth wedding anniversary, with their two young children left unharmed. This Current Affairs episode walks through who Spencer and Monique Tepe were, the eerie timeline leading up to their murders, unanswered questions around entry and motive, and the surveillance footage that became a critical lead. The episode concludes with a late-breaking update as police announce the arrest of Monique’s ex-husband, Michael McKee, now charged with two counts of murder, as investigators continue to withhold key details about the evidence and motive in a case that has shaken the community.

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Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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

When two fatal accidents befall the same family over a 17-year span, authorities take a closer look at just how unlucky one person could be.

Sources:

• Jones, Aphrodite. Levi’s Eyes. 2023.
• “Christina Ann Alexander Karlsen (1960-1991) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95118366/christina_ann-karlsen. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
• Dateline NBC. 1992.
• “Levi Holger Karlsen (1985-2008) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95118367/levi_holger-karlsen. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
• Smith, Jenner, and Sean Dooley. “Daughters on Losing Their Mother and Brother to Dad Who Killed for Insurance Payouts - ABC News.” ABC News, ABC News, 4 June 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/US/daughters-losing-mother-brother-dad-killed-insurance-payouts/story?id=71029005.

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Find LOVE MURDER online:

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Patreon: /LoveMurderPod

Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman

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