Matter of Fact: A play on "matter" (physics) and "facts" (news).

In August 2022, a New Zealand couple discovered the decomposing remains of two primary school-aged children inside suitcases won at a storage unit auction, where they had been hidden for approximately four years. The victims' mother, Ji-eun Lee, murdered the children in June 2018 by drugging them with sedatives following her husband's death from cancer and subsequently fled to South Korea under a new identity. Although she claimed insanity during her trial, Lee was found guilty of murder in 2025 after evidence revealed she meticulously planned the killings, including purchasing disposal materials and securing a new driver's license immediately following the crimes.

In March 2020, retirees Russell Hill and Carol Clay disappeared while camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley, where authorities later discovered their campsite had been intentionally destroyed by fire. Police eventually tracked down airline pilot Greg Lynn after identifying his vehicle on surveillance footage, which led to his arrest and the discovery of the victims' remains that he had attempted to incinerate. Although Lynn claimed the deaths were accidental results of a confrontation over a drone and a struggle for a shotgun, a jury found him guilty of Carol Clay's murder in 2024.

On February 28, 2021, Oliver Karaffa and his socialite girlfriend Lucy Li lured Pratt Tyler and his pregnant fiancée, Jordan Romano, to a Hamilton industrial area under the pretense of a business meeting regarding a warehouse rental. Karaffa fatally shot Tyler and seriously wounded Romano as part of a plot to cover up a fraudulent investment scheme that had swindled the victims out of nearly $500,000. After fleeing to Europe and being apprehended by special forces in Hungary, both Li and Karaffa were convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder in 2024, resulting in life sentences for the pair.

Megan Boswell was convicted of first-degree murder after her 15-month-old daughter, Evelyn, went missing in late 2019 and was later found deceased, hidden inside a trash can in a playhouse on the family's property. Throughout the investigation, Megan lied repeatedly to authorities, concocting various stories to blame others for the disappearance while forensic evidence ultimately proved she had asphyxiated the child and concealed the body. In 2025, she was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 33 years for her numerous deceptions, a consecutive term that ensures she will not be eligible for release until the age of 102.

Ana Walshe, a 39-year-old real estate executive, was reported missing in January 2023 after her husband, Brian Walshe, provided a false timeline of her departure for a supposed work emergency. Police investigations revealed that Brian had conducted gruesome internet searches regarding body disposal and was captured on surveillance footage discarding heavy trash bags at various apartment complexes. Following the discovery of blood in their basement and Ana’s DNA on items at a trash site, Brian was charged and convicted of first-degree murder.

In April 2018, Keith Johanson murdered his wife, Brandy, in Florida and initially tried to frame the incident as a suicide or accident while claiming he was in the shower at the time. His narrative shifted multiple times to include blaming Brandy's six-year-old son for the shooting, but physical evidence such as blood spatters on his jeans and scratches on his body pointed directly to his involvement. Surveillance footage from Keith’s own home security system eventually exposed his history of premeditated abuse and the murder, resulting in a first-degree murder conviction and a life sentence without parole.

Biannca Edmunds orchestrated a plot to have her new husband, Glen, murder her former partner, Michael, following a bitter legal battle over the custody of their young son. Glen carried out the attack in March 2016, which resulted in the deaths of both men, but forensic evidence and recorded phone conversations eventually revealed Biannca's role as the manipulative mastermind. Despite her repeated claims of innocence, Biannca was convicted of murder in 2022 and sentenced to 26 years in prison for her involvement in the fatal conspiracy.

Ali Abulaban, a famous TikTok influencer known as JKid, maintained a highly controlling and abusive relationship with his wife, Ana, which was exacerbated by his history of domestic violence and frequent drug use. After Ana attempted to separate from him, Ali clandestinely installed a listening device on their daughter's iPad to spy on her and subsequently overheard her with a man named Ray. Driven by jealousy and cocaine-induced paranoia, Ali rushed to their San Diego apartment and fatally shot both Ana and Ray, resulting in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

In April 2023, a suspect used a falsified seafood airway bill and a five-ton truck to steal 6,600 gold bars and $2.5 million in cash from an Air Canada cargo facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Law enforcement’s "Project 24K" investigation discovered that the heist was an inside job facilitated by Air Canada staff and that the proceeds were used to fund a cross-border firearms trafficking operation. Although several individuals have been arrested, the stolen gold was likely melted down, and the security firm Brinks is currently suing Air Canada for over $20 million in damages.

In April 2012, Wu Ying and Qu Ming, two 23-year-old Chinese graduate students at the University of Southern California, were tragically shot and killed during a robbery while sitting in their car near the campus. Police eventually linked suspects Bryan Barnes and Javier Bolden to the murders through ballistics from a previous shooting and the tracking of Wu Ying's stolen cell phone to Barnes's residence. Both men were ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, though the case sparked significant outrage due to misleading media reports regarding the victims' financial status and concerns about campus safety.