Special bonus episode! Kristen is joined by fellow true crime podcasters Charlie Worroll from Crimelines, and Lucy Fitzgerald from Wine & Crime.

Their conversation covers case updates, festival recaps, the perks and pitfalls of podcasting, entomology, Forensic Files, eye drop poisoning, and a whole lot more.

Tune in for a special "Podcasters on Podcasters" style crossover episode we’re calling Murder, She Wine & Crimelines!

Find more info about Crimelines and Wine and Crime here:

https://wineandcrimepodcast.com/

https://www.basementfortproductions.com/

https://www.murdershetold.com/connect

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1946 - Brockton, Massachusetts.

On the morning of December 28, 1946, the Brockton, Massachusetts police arrived at a crime scene that would soon captivate the region. The press called it the Christmas Tree Murder-the brutal killing of 35-year-old Rene Cote.

Rene had no shortage of enemies. Among them was a so-called friend now sitting in jail, charged with his murder.

Yet, investigators felt they were missing key pieces of the story. Rene's wife, Bertha Surprise Cote, whose beauty had captured the attention of the public, kept changing her account of what happened that night.

Was she protecting a man she secretly loved from the death penalty? Or was she hiding something far more sinister?

This is part two of the “Christmas Tree” murder of Rene Cote, a case that led to one of the most sensational trials in Massachusetts history.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/bertha-cote-2

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1946 - Brockton, Massachusetts.

In the early morning hours of December 28, 1946, Brockton Police were called to a grisly scene at the Cote family apartment:

Beside an overturned Christmas tree, amid shattered ornaments and tinsel, lay the bloodied body of 35-year-old Rene Cote. His wife, Bertha Surprise Cote, claimed that two men had broken in and brutally beaten her husband to death.

The police couldn’t overlook the couple’s turbulent history—marked by infidelity, crime, and violent disputes—but Rene’s reputation had earned him no shortage of enemies. The list of potential suspects seemed endless.

Just when investigators believed they’d identified the perpetrator, a cold-blooded killer surfaced—hidden in plain sight.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/bertha-cote-1

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1987 - Saline County, Arkansas.

This is a preview of The Trail Went Cold’s coverage of the murders of Don Henry and Kevin Ives, also known as The Boys on the Tracks.

The Trail Went Cold, created and hosted by Robin Warder, released a two-part episode about this convoluted case (that was featured on the original Unsolved Mysteries) for their five-year anniversary show in 2021. You can find the rest of the story at episode 213 and 214.

Subscribe to The Trail Went Cold wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting their website at https://www.trailwentcold.com.

August 23, 1987. Saline County Arkansas. 16-year old Don Henry and 17-year old Kevin Ives head into the woods to do some late-night hunting, but never return. Hours later, the two boys are seen lying on some railroad tracks before they are run over by a cargo train and the medical examiner concludes they had fallen asleep after smoking marijuana and their deaths were accidental. However, Don and Kevin’s families push for a new investigation, which uncovers evidence that they were violently attacked before their bodies were placed on the tracks.

Throughout the years, a number of conspiracy theories emerge to suggest the boys were murdered as part of a cover-up involving drug trafficking, but no one is ever charged with the crime.

The Boys on the Tracks, Part 1: https://www.trailwentcold.com/e/the-trail-went-cold-episode-213-the-boys-on-the-track-part-1/

The Boys on the Tracks, Part 2: https://www.trailwentcold.com/e/the-trail-went-cold-episode-214-the-boys-on-the-track-part-2/

Kim Benoit and Cynthia 'Rocky' Krizack: https://www.trailwentcold.com/e/the-trail-went-cold-episode-401-kim-benoit-and-cynthia-rocky-krizack/

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1975 - Washington, Maine.

On a chilly November morning, just two days before Thanksgiving in 1975, 25-year-old Ludger Belanger kissed his wife, Linda, goodbye, and ventured into the snowy woods of rural Maine in search of a buck. He never returned. A devoted father of three young children, Ludger wasn’t the kind of man to abandon his family—Linda knew that much for certain.

Though on the surface it seemed like he vanished without a trace, tracks in the snow led investigators to a crucial piece of evidence and into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with two men who might know exactly where to find him.

This holiday season marks 49 years since Ludger’s disappearance, yet his family has never stopped searching. This is the story of the disappearance of Ludger Belanger.

If you have information on the disappearance of Ludger Belanger, please contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central at (207) 624-7143 or toll free at 1800-452-4664. You can also leave a tip here.

Read the book Open Season: https://amzn.to/4ftL8EO

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/ludger-belanger

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For the past few years, Cairenn Binder and her team of students at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s IGG Center have been using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) to identify human remains, solve violent crimes, and help exonerate the wrongfully convicted.

In this exclusive episode of Murder, She Told, Cairenn gives a behind-the-scenes look at the process of cracking the toughest of unsolved cases with IGG, shares what her students are currently working on, what it takes to become a genetic genealogist, and so much more.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/investigative-genetic-genealogy

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1982 - Florida, Massachusetts.

On a rainy Saturday evening in April 1982, 18-year-old Lynn Burdick was working alone at the Barefoot Peddlar, a small country store in the Berkshires. By the end of her shift, she had vanished—along with the cash in the register. Known for her reliability, Lynn’s disappearance immediately raised alarms.

Less than an hour before she went missing, just over 10 miles away at Williams College, a man attempted to kidnap a student in his car. Investigators couldn't help but question whether the two events were connected. 

Though decades have passed without answers, there is renewed hope that someone will finally come forward with the key to bringing Lynn home.

If you have information on the disappearance of Lynn Burdick, please contact the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit at 413-499-1112 or submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/lynn-burdick

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2020 - Manchester, New Hampshire.

On February 19, 2020, 22-year-old Chandler Innarelli was shot while sitting in a car in an alley in Manchester, NH. Chandler was waiting for his girlfriend and their newborn baby to come meet him to go visit his sister. Four years later, his murder remains unsolved.

Since that day, Chandler’s mother, Amy, has worked tirelessly to pursue justice for her son. 

Although their relationship had its flaws, she hopes that by sharing her story, others facing similar struggles will realize they aren't alone, and that hearing Chandler’s story will compel the right person will come forward with the information police need to crack this case. 

If you have any information about the murder of Chandler Innarelli, please contact the Manchester Police PD Detective Sergeant Ryan Brandreth at 603-792-5545 or Detective Timothy Carter at 603-668-8711. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact the Manchester CrimeLine at 603-624-4040, which offers cash rewards.

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/chandler-innarelli

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1983 - Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On a cold night in February 1983, Barry Pinto, 26, and his wife, Dena, 24, were brutally shot in their own home, while their infant son sat helpless in a nearby playpen. The crime scene hinted that the couple might have known their killer, yet investigators struggled to uncover a clear motive. 

Forty years later, the Pinto family is still haunted by unanswered questions, unable to shake the feeling that someone in the small coastal community is holding back the truth.

If you have any information about the murder of Barry and Dena Pinto, please call the Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit at 1-855-627-6583 (855-MA-SOLVE).

Episode sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/barry-and-dena-pinto

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Revisit the case of Tracy Gilpin: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/tracy-gilpin

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1951 - Brunswick, Maine.

Police heard the woman’s screams before they even reached the door. 

They were responding to a late night break-in at the apartment of 56-year-old Lancelot Cooper, a prominent figure in the community. When they stepped inside, they found his wife, 45-year-old Eva Cooper, nude on the living room floor with a scarf over her head and her hands bound behind her back. Inside the bedroom, they found a bloody and violent scene. 

It was clear from the attack that somebody wanted Lance dead, and as the details of that frigid January night became clearer to police, an obvious suspect emerged into focus. 

Episode sources and photos: https://murdershetold.com/episodes/lancelot-cooper

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