Renee shares stories of romantic relationships that turned deadly from the show's catalogue, including a Charlotte woman who embarked on a relationship with a man she met online, a bizarre love triangle from Salisbury, a demure southern woman who treated her partners to arsenic poisoning, and more.

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep. 7-Nikki McPhatter

Ep. 35-A Murder in Salisbury and a N.C. Expat Becomes a Killer in Panama

Ep. 37-North Carolina Women Who Poisoned

Ep. 71-Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls from the EBCI

Ep. 87-Missing and Murdered in Columbia, S.C.

Renee interviews independent researcher and author Helen St. Clair, whose new book "The Killing Trails" chronicles the first comprehensive record of more than two centuries of violence against women in a county-by-county, case-by-case documentation of Western North Carolina. Helen discusses what prompted her to begin this research, the numerous serial killers who have terrorized victims, murders in the national forests, the rise of intimate-partner homicides, and more.

Order "The Killing Trails" here.

Listeners can enjoy a recap of the most popular episodes this past year, an updated look at listener demographics, what was new in the podcast in 2025, and more.

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In 2008, tragedy struck just after the holidays at the popular Hudler Christmas tree farm on the border of North Carolina and Virginia. Also, a North Carolina true crime story from 1929 that inspired a murder ballad.

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WOW! Women on Writing-Check out the online classes and workshops available for purchase.

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In December of 1970, 13-year-old Peg Cuttino went missing in the middle of the afternoon in Sumter County. Police wondered if her father's job as a state senator made her a target for kidnapping and ransom. Peg was found murdered a few weeks later, and while a man was convicted of the crime and sent to prison, many in the area wonder if he was really responsible for Peg's death.

Co-Writer: Mia Roberson

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While Tennessee native Stephanie Tinsley has always been a fan of true crime, she never expected to make the career pivot into podcaster. After her family became part of a national murder trial in South Carolina, she wondered how she could make a difference in the justice system. Her podcast, "Everything They Missed," explores a case from Memphis, where an innocent man may be sitting in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Check out "Everything They Missed."

If the name Dick Harpootlian sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because he was involved one of the most high-profile murder cases in the past 20 years. He was one of Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorneys in South Carolina, and represented Alex during his trial in 2023. One of the most notorious criminals Harpootlian ever crossed paths with was a man named Pee Wee Gaskins, a South Carolina man who was known to have murdered over a dozen people, and didn't let incarceration temper his homicidal tendencies. The attorney turned author shares his thoughts on what made Pee Wee tick, how his views on the death penalty have changed, and why he decided to write his own true crime book now.

Learn about "Dig Me a Grave" here.

Renee shares stories of people who went missing in North Carolina during the month of November from the show catalogue. Jeffrey Mays, Ted Wall, Bill Hollingsworth, and Joseph Johnson all are presumed to be lost at sea. Young Chang walked away from a nursing home more than 20 years ago. Theresa Fetter disappeared from Wilmington after falling in with the wrong crowd. And Horry County officials have identified a man whose identity was unknown after he drowned in a hotel pool in 2016.

Episodes Mentioned:

Episode 55-Missing in the Water

Episode 58-Missing and Murdered in Wilmington

Ep. 73-Missing Senior Citizens From the Carolinas

Ep. 120-Jeffrey Mays, Ted Wall, Bill Hollingsworth, and the Missing in America Program for Veterans

When a South Carolina couple went missing in the fall of 2016, their friends and family knew something was wrong. Using cell phone data, investigators tracked the pair to an isolated piece of property in Woodruff, and what they found there was shocking. The discovery would also provide answers to an unsolved quadruple homicide from 2003.

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Teens Gary Locklear and Kristina Porco both went unexpectedly missing from two South Carolina towns in the 70s and 80s. Although rumors have swirled with theories, they have never been found. Three-year-old Paul Baker went missing from his home in 1987, and although law enforcement believes there is a family connection, it has never been proven. We also have an update on the identity of New Hope Jane Doe from North Carolina.

This episode originally aired on Sept. 29, 2023.

Research Coordinator: Renee Roberson

Co-Writers: Erin Settlemier and Nicole Pyles