LOVE MURDER

On New Year’s Day 1998, Ben Smart and Olivia Hope disappeared from a Marlborough Sounds boat party and were never seen again. Scott Watson was convicted of their murders despite no bodies ever being found, and the case has remained deeply controversial. This episode revisits how the investigation unfolded, the key points of dispute over evidence and witness accounts, and the ongoing debate over whether justice was served.

Sources:

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/doubt-the-scott-watson-case

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/doubt-the-scott-watson-case-2016

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/murder-on-the-blade-2003

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Olivia-What-Really-Happened-ebook/dp/B00MCYTOGI

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Silent-evidence-Inside-police-search/dp/1869413865

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Marlborough_Mystery.html?id=TNkqAAAACAAJ

https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21724557

https://books.google.com/books/about/Trial_by_Trickery.html?id=jhCJtgAACAAJ

https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Explosive-Watson-Disappearance-Olivia/dp/0994106467

https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-2-0-Unreleased-Police-Evidence/dp/0994106475

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572644/scott-watson-loses-bid-to-quash-convictions-as-court-rules-he-had-a-fair-trial

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519245/scott-watson-appeal-forensic-scientist-s-technique-personal-preferences-questioned

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519697/decision-on-scott-watson-appeal-could-take-months-judge

https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/14/crown-says-watson-is-the-only-one-who-could-have-killed-pair/

https://tvnz-1-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/2024/06/13/scott-watson-appeal-photo-influenced-witness-lawyer-says/

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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 Christmas Eve, Love Murder takes a break from the darkest cases for a festive tour of holiday crimes gone spectacularly wrong—from snowman hit-and-runs and chimney burglars to rogue Santas, porch-pirate revenge, a Christmas parade police chase, and a man who spread holiday cheer by handing out free weed at Buffalo Wild Wings. One death, a lot of instant karma, and proof that even the holidays can get weird.

Sources:

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/petersburg-kentucky-vandals-try-to-plow-down-giant-snowman-hit-tree-stump/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jesse-berube-criminal-santa-stuck-chimney-during-burglary-attempt-police/
• https://www.columbian.com/news/2010/feb/23/man-who-got-stuck-in-chimney-is-charged/
• https://abcnews.go.com/US/ChristmasCountdown/story?id=4016199&page=1
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bank-robber-tosses-cash-in-the-air-saying-merry-christmas/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-fakes-heart-attack-so-friend-can-steal-toys-at-florida-wal-mart/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/pennsylvania-man-dupes-christmas-package-thieves-with-boxes-filled-with-cat-poop/
• https://www.wistv.com/story/5767894/bond-set-for-driver-in-anderson-christmas-parade-charged-with-dui/
• https://abc13.com/deer-poacher-ordered-to-repeatedly-watch-bambi/4917544/
• https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/man-claiming-to-be-santa-claus-arrested-for/1994982/

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When one member of a military couple is found murdered in their own bed, police discover the average seeming couple had a shocking secret sex life.

Sources:

1. Dateline NBC. 1992.

2. “Killer to Testify Against Her Mother - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2004, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-13-na-slaying13-story.html.

3. Lathem, Niles. “WILD-CHILD TEEN NABBED IN DAD’S FORT MURDER.” New York Post, New York Post, 4 Aug. 2002, https://nypost.com/2002/08/04/wild-child-teen-nabbed-in-dads-fort-murder/.

4. “MAJ David Ray Shannon (1962-2002) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240087670/david-ray-shannon. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

5. Married with Secrets. 2016.

6. Morgan, Ella-Brooke. “Too Close To Home: Joan & Elizabeth Shannon – Fayetteville – The Zephyr.” The Zephyr, https://wfhszephyr.com/5385/features/too-close-to-home-joan-elizabeth-shannon-fayetteville/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

7. Smith, Benjamin H. “Joan And Elizabeth Shannon: Mother-Daughter Duo Kill Husband.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 29 Aug. 2018, https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-time/daughter-kills-stepfather-with-mom-affair-man-swingers-club.

8. Stoogenke, Jason, Michael Joyner, et al. “Both Sides Present Closing Arguments In Shannon Murder Trial.” WRAL.Com, WRAL, 3 Aug. 2006, https://www.wral.com/story/119585/.

9. Stoogenke, Jason, Chad Flowers, et al. “Soldier Offers Scandalous Testimony In Shannon Murder Trial.” WRAL.Com, WRAL, 29 Aug. 2005, https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/119548/.

10. “Teen Sentenced; Says Mom Made Her Kill Own Dad.” Wilmington Star-News, Wilmington StarNews, 15 Oct. 2005, https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2005/10/15/teen-sentenced-says-mom-made-her-kill-own-dad/30245333007/.

11. The News and Observer, 1 Aug. 2002.

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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 week on Love Murder Current Affairs, the episode begins with an update in the killing of former Miss Switzerland finalist Kristina Joksimovic, as Swiss prosecutors formally charge her husband with murder and detail evidence of strangulation and prior abuse. The focus then shifts to Colorado, where Thomas Perales has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Annette Marie Valdez, a mother of three whose body was found in a trash can after repeated domestic violence calls to her apartment. The episode also examines a UK case in which Andrew Georgiou has pleaded guilty to murdering his wife by drowning her in their backyard hot tub.

Sources:

• https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/suspect-released-from-jail-a-week-before-woman-went-missing/73-ee2a78a5-ebe9-4c5a-9dee-87d3c884d8b9 9News
• https://people.com/colo-woman-body-found-trash-kids-dad-charged-11866436 People.com
• https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-repeat-offender-freed-from-jail-less-than-two-weeks-before-allegedly-killing-mother-three-report Fox News
• https://www.thedailybeast.com/husband-of-former-miss-switzerland-finalist-kristina-joksimovic-charged-in-her-gruesome-murder The Daily Beast
• https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/family-says-westminster-mother-endured-domestic-violence-before-her-killing/73-e38a7cef-c5b9-4fef-b913-282d589abf48

Find LOVE MURDER online:

Website: lovemurder.love

Instagram: @lovemurderpod

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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.

When a beloved Indy 500 team chef goes missing, her best friends work tirelessly to bring her killer to justice.

Sources:

Race to Justice by Larry Sells and Margie Porter

On the Case with Paula Zahn S13E5

Ture Conviction S2E6

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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.

In a stunning legal maneuver, Brian Walshe’s defense has admitted he dismembered his missing wife, Ana, but insists he did not kill her. They argue Walshe panicked after finding her unresponsive from natural causes, fearing his prior federal fraud conviction would immediately implicate him. While prosecutors cite a $2.7 million insurance motive and chilling Google searches on body disposal as proof of intent, the defense claims these were the frantic actions of a desperate man. With no body recovered, the jury must decide: was this calculated murder or a "catastrophic" cover-up?

Sources:

• https://apnews.com/article/brian-walshe-trial-wife-3d290aed2d1a0f1999b7f52601f30bf3
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/12/03/brian-walshe-ana-internet-history-murder-charges-trial/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/brian-walshe-trial-live-stream-jury-selection/
• https://www.biography.com/crime/a69594031/brian-walshe-murder-trial-ana-walshe
• https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/watch-live-brian-walshe-trial-testimony-day-2/

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

When a gentle World War II veteran vanishes without a trace, investigators discover a chilling trail of fraud, manipulation, and betrayal spanning decades. This week, Jessie and Andie uncover the shocking story of Nancy Siegel—a woman whose addiction-fueled schemes devastated everyone who crossed her path, and whose final victim never saw her coming. What began as a chance meeting at the door would end in a horrifying discovery along a quiet Virginia roadside. Join us as we unravel the tragic, twisted case of Jack Watkins, the man detectives came to call “Jack in the Box.”

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Sources:

• In the Arms of Evil - By Carlton Smith
• Snapped — “Nancy Siegel” (Season 28, Episode 9).
• https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/season-28/episode-9/nancy-siegel Oxygen
• Snapped — “The Murder of Jack Watkins” video segment.
• https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/season-28/episode-9/videos/the-case-of-nancy-siegel Oxygen+1
• “World War II Veteran Murdered And Stuffed In Trunk By Gambling Addict Grifter”
• https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/jack-watkins-murder-nancy-siegel-convicted-in-vets-death Oxygen
• “Woman Accused of Killing Man, 76, Continuing to Bilk Him”
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/01/17/woman-accused-of-killing-man-76-continuing-to-bilk-him/9fa4eb82-148d-4a4b-a887-fa757239a6a4/ The Washington Post
• “Woman Gets 33 Years in Bilking, Killing of Widower”
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2009/04/24/woman-gets-33-years-in-bilking-killing-of-widower/081123f6-ab4b-4f97-9bc7-e8de1e00535d/ The Washington Post
• Court decision — UNITED STATES v. SIEGEL (2008).
• https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-4th-circuit/1238203.html CaseLaw
• “Maryland Woman Sentenced to over 33 Years for Murder and Fraud in Decades-long Identity Theft Scheme”
• https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/md/news/archive/MarylandWomanSentencedtoover33YearsforMurderandFraudinDecades-longIdentityTheftScheme.html Department of Justice
• “What Happened To Nancy Siegel?”
• https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/season-28/episode-9/videos/what-happened-to-nancy-siegel Oxygen
• “Nancy Siegel: American Black Widow”
• https://medium.com/@jennafranzese/nancy-siegel-american-black-widow-d1ecaa7b4e52

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.

When a talented and beautiful young woman is murdered in her Upper East Side apartment the week after Thanksgiving 2005, the police take a close look at her complicated love life.

Sources:

1. LaRosa, Paul, and Erin Moriarty. Death of a Dream. Simon and Schuster, 2008.

2. “Catherine Elizabeth Woods (1984-2005) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19349287/catherine_elizabeth-woods. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

3. “Jon Woods Obituary - Columbus, OH.” Dignity Memorial, https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbus-oh/jon-woods-10675839. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

4. “Paul Cortez — New Yorkers for Clemency.” New Yorkers for Clemency, https://newyorkersforclemency.com/paul-cortez. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

5. Smith, Benjamin H. “Paul Cortez Kills Aspiring Dancer Catherine Woods In NYC.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 6 Feb. 2022, https://www.oxygen.com/new-york-homicide/crime-news/paul-cortez-kills-aspiring-dancer-catherine-woods-in-nyc.

6. Tygard, Judy. 48 Hours. 1988.

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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.

This Love Murder Current Affairs episode breaks down two significant developments in cases previously covered on the show: Brian Walshe’s unexpected guilty pleas on charges related to misleading police and disposing of his wife Ana Walshe’s remains, even as he maintains a not-guilty plea on first-degree murder; and the troubling update in the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered body was found in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd, now described by law-enforcement sources as a suspect in the ongoing investigation.

Sources:

https://www.masslive.com/news/2025/11/without-a-body-brian-walshe-murder-trial-hinges-on-circumstantial-evidence-experts-say.html

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/us/brian-walshe-trial-case-charges

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/celeste-rivas-d4vd-tesla-body-refrigerated-1235471062/

Find LOVE MURDER online:

Website: lovemurder.love

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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.

A marriage that begins with a chance encounter in the 1960s spans two decades of ambition, volatility, and mounting strain, before a sudden death in a hotel room during a work trip is ruled an accident and quietly put to rest—until inconsistencies, private fears, and unresolved conflicts begin to surface, forcing a reckoning with what was really happening inside a relationship that looked perfect from the outside.

Sources:

1. McLellan, Bill. Evidence of Murder. 1993.

2. Dowling, Paul. Forensic Files. 1996.

3. “Julie Eileen Thigpen Post (1946-1986) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75827566/julie_eileen-post. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

4. American Justice. 1992.

5. The State of Missouri vs. Edward Post. https://law.justia.com/cases/missouri/court-of-appeals/1995/61971-1.html. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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