1975 - Concord, New Hampshire.

In May 1975, a rent collector knocked on the door of 22-year-old Judith Lord’s apartment. There was no answer—only the sound of her baby crying. When he went inside, he found Judy dead in her upstairs bedroom.

From the beginning, police had suspects. The case moved quickly. An arrest felt imminent.

But then, a single scientific conclusion shifted the trajectory of the investigation. What should have been a straight path to justice became a decades-long detour.

This is a story about a young mother, a community shaken, and a murder investigation steered off course by flawed forensics—a mistake that cost years, and a resolution that came far too late.

Episode sources and photos:

https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/judy-lord

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1937 - Mexico, Missouri

On the eve of Thanksgiving in 1937, 46-year-old Margaret Mortimer, who went by Peggy, was just steps from her front door when she was attacked and killed by an unknown assailant.

Investigators found few clues and no obvious suspects, despite a city-wide manhunt. And as early leads faded, local police turned to Ira Cooper, the St. Louis Police Department’s first Black lieutenant, hoping his sterling reputation could bring answers to a case already slipping away.

The murder shocked the industrial town of Mexico, Missouri. Peggy was well known and widely liked, with no clear enemies. But on that cold November night, someone was waiting—and the question remains: who?

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/margaret-peggy-mortimer

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1981 - Winchendon, Massachusetts.

On January 30, 1981, 19-year-old Nancy Williams picked up a last-minute shift at the Cumberland Farms in Winchendon, Massachusetts.

Just two hours before closing, an unknown assailant entered the store, robbed it, and brutally stabbed Nancy, leaving her for dead behind the counter.

The crime stunned locals, who struggled to believe something so violent could happen in their quiet town. Even more unsettling was the thought that the person responsible may have simply blended back into the community—never identified, never held accountable.

Now, 45 years later, Nancy’s case is being revived in the hope that renewed attention, advances in forensic technology, and fresh tips can finally bring justice for Nancy.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/nancy-williams

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1963 - Wytopitlock, Maine.

In April of 1963, a violent discovery was made inside a tiny, one-room cabin in the woods off Route 2A in Aroostook County. 68-year-old Emil Andrew Martens was found brutally beaten to death, setting off a brief and fragmented investigation that produced a swirl of suspects, rumors, and unanswered questions.

Today, Emil Martens’ name does not appear on any official unsolved case lists in Maine. His life, his death, and the circumstances surrounding a brutal crime remain largely forgotten—buried in history… until now.

This is the life and death of Emil Martens.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/emil-martens

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This special episode to kick off the New Year brings together fellow true crime podcasters Aaron Habel of Generation Why, and Lucy Fitzgerald from Wine & Crime for a wide-ranging, candid conversation.

We dive into our work as podcasters, the very real flaws of the justice system, debate the possibility of quantifiable alien activity, relive Kristen's hilarious and slightly surreal encounter in Ireland, and unpack what genuinely unnerves us most (spoiler: ghosts).

Learn more about Gen Why and Wine & Crime:

Gen Why: https://genwhypod.com/

Wine & Crime: https://wineandcrimepodcast.com

----

Support the show: ⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tis the season for true crime chaos! Hosts Kristen Seavey from Murder, She Told, Javier Leiva from PRETEND, and Shaun from Sins & Survivors join forces to explore Christmas crimes gone horribly wrong.

From a bath salts-fueled home decorator in suburban Ohio to a serial burglar stealing Robert De Niro's wrapped presents right from under his tree, these real-life Grinches prove that the holidays bring out the worst in some people. The hosts also dive into the disturbing case of postal workers who intercepted letters to Santa meant for underprivileged children...stealing laptops, iPads, and gift cards intended for kids in need.

But the main event is a fresh-off-the-press case from Bangor, Maine. When a couple woke up to find a stranger sleeping on their couch surrounded by their unwrapped Christmas presents. Police body cam footage reveals just how terrifying this "funny" story really was.

Follow Pretend and Sins and Survivors wherever you're listening now.

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Special bonus episode! Kristen is joined by fellow true crime podcasters Javier Leva from Pretend, and Shaun from Sins and Survivors for a special "Podcasters on Podcasters" style crossover conversation where we let our guard down and talk shop.

Follow Pretend and Sins and Survivors wherever you're listening now.

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1990 - Portland, Maine. 

When Portland Police responded to a call of a man lying on the sidewalk in front of Pine Street Variety on a chilly November night in 1990, they initially assumed he’d simply passed out after drinking. But 26-year-old Scott Sampson—a father of two young boys—was already dead, and had been for hours, with no one calling for help.

35 years have passed, yet Scott’s sister remains anchored to the same questions that rose the moment his death was discovered. Imperfect but deeply loved, Scott was a devoted father, friend, brother, and son. And his mother’s dying wish remained heartbreakingly simple: to know who was responsible, and to know why.

If you have information on the murder of Scott Sampson, you can call the Portland Police anonymous crime tip line at 207-874-8584. You may also text keyword “PPDME” and a message to 847411 (TIP411).

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/scott-sampson

Support the show: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1989 - Concord, New Hampshire.

When the bouncer at Take Five Music Hall in Concord, NH saw 21-year-old David Braley darting into the woods after being kicked out, he thought little of it and moved on. But that fleeting glimpse would turn out to be the last time anyone saw David alive.

Months of frantic searching ended on a cool spring day in 1990, when a body appeared along the Merrimack River. David’s discovery answered one question—but raised countless others. What exactly happened on the night of November 10, 1989? And who were the two men last seen with him at the bar?

Were you at Take Five the night David Braley was killed? If you have any information that can help, please submit a tip to the NH Cold Case Unit tip line at 800-525-5555, email [email protected] or submit a tip online at https://business.nh.gov/ColdCaseTips.

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/david-braley

Support the show: ⁠⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2012 - Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On a June evening in 2012, 16-year-old Charlene Holmes, who went by Chay, was exactly where she was supposed to be—walking home with friends in her own neighborhood in Cambridge—when a car crept down Willow Street. Moments later, shots rang out.

She wasn’t the intended target. She was a bright, hopeful teenager caught in someone else’s crossfire.

More than a decade later, police and Chay’s family still search for answers — and for the mysterious dark car seen circling the block that night.

If you have any information on the murder of Charlene Holmes, please contact the Massachusetts State Police at (781) 897-6600, or Cambridge Police Investigations Section at (617) 349-3370. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling (617) 349-3359 or online at https//www.cambridgepolice.org/tips.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/charlene-holmes

Support the show: ⁠https://www.murdershetold.com/support⁠

----

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices