Never Light Up A Room Podcast

On a quiet October afternoon in 1961, 31-year-old Joan Risch vanished from her home in Lincoln, leaving behind a scene that investigators still can’t fully explain. Blood was found smeared across the kitchen, the phone had been ripped from the wall, and strange sightings of a disoriented woman nearby only deepened the mystery. More than 60 years later, the disappearance of Joan Risch remains one of the most chilling unsolved cases in Massachusetts history. 

Sources: 

Kabra, Prathamesh, “What Really Happened to Joan Risch, the Massachusetts Housewife Who Vanished Without a Trace in 1961?”, Thar Tribune, August 15th, 2025, https://thartribune.com/what-really-happened-to-joan-risch-the-massachusetts-housewife-who-vanished-without-a-trace-in-1961/, Accessed May 18th, 2026  

“Joan Carolyn Risch” The Charlie Project, Last updated December 5, 2018, https://charleyproject.org/case/joan-carolyn-risch, Accessed May 18th, 2026  

City Towner, “The Disappearance of Joan Risch in Lincoln Massachusetts” City Towner, September 26, 2024, https://citytowner.com/lincoln-ma-joan-risch-disappearance/, Accessed May 18th, 2026  

In September 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking cyanide-laced Extra Strength Tylenol capsules, sparking one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history. The victims ranged from a 12-year-old girl to parents and working professionals, all unknowingly poisoned after using a trusted over-the-counter medication. As panic spread, Johnson & Johnson issued a nationwide recall and introduced tamper-proof packaging that permanently changed the pharmaceutical industry. Investigators pursued multiple suspects over the years, but no one has ever been charged with the murders. In this episode, we examine the victims, the investigation, the leading theories, and the lasting impact of the Tylenol murders. 

Sources: 

Ganger, Brigitte; “Remembering the Victims of the Chicago Tylenol Murders”; Beyond the Dash; Sept 29, 2021; https://beyondthedash.com/blog/remembering/remembering-the-victims-chicago-tylenol-murders/7360; accessed May 9, 2026. 

Petros, Michael; “People, politics and poison: the Tylenol® murders revisited forty years later”; The University of Illinois Chicago; May 31, 2022; https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/people-politics-and-poison-the-tylenol-murders-revisited-forty-years-later/; accessed May 9, 2026.  

Simpson, Michael Lee;  “POISONED PILL My cop dad’s deathbed confession to the 7 unsolved Tylenol murders tore me apart – he left key evidence for me to find”; The U.S. Sun; Sept 28, 2025; https://www.the-sun.com/news/15253060/tylenol-murders-chicago-cops-deathbed-confession/; accessed May 9, 2026.  

Waxman, Olivia B.;  Netflix's Tylenol Murders Doc Dives Into a Chilling Unsolved Crime; Time; May 26, 2025; https://time.com/7287680/tylenol-murders-documentary-netflix/; accessed May 10, 2026.  

“Who Committed the Tylenol Murders? After More Than 40 Years, the Case Remains Unsolved.”; WTTW; https://www.wttw.com/chicago-stories/inside-the-tylenol-murders/who-committed-the-tylenol-murders; accessed May 10, 2026. 

Clark, Josh; Dove, Laurie L.; “10 Notable Copycat Killers”; How Stuff Works; June 7, 2024; https://people.howstuffworks.com/5-copycat-killers.htm; accessed May 10, 2026. 

“Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol Crisis: A Lesson in Ethical Crisis Management”;  Journalism.University; Jan 24, 2026; https://journalism.university/media-ethics-and-laws/tylenol-crisis-ethical-management-lessons/; accessed May 10, 2026. 

We're back with our twenty sixth Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!

References: 

Acevedo, Nicole;  “DNA testing confirms Ted Bundy killed Utah teen in 1974 cold case”; NBC News; April 1, 2026; https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dna-testing-confirms-utah-teen-was-killed-ted-bundy-1974-rcna266279; access April 28, 2026. 

Sheehan, Kevin; Cruz, Brandon; Propper, David; Fitz-Gibbon, Jorge; “Smirking Gilgo serial killer reveals how he murdered 8 victims as their horrified relatives gasp in court during guilty plea”; New York Post; April 8, 2026; https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/us-news/gilgo-beach-slayings-expected-to-end-with-accused-serial-killer-rex-heuermanns-guilty-plea/; accessed April 28, 2026. 

 After taking a coworker to the hospital one night in 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott stepped into a parking lot and vanished without a trace. In the weeks before she disappeared, she had been receiving unsettling calls from someone who seemed to know her every move, calls that didn’t stop after she was gone. As the mystery deepens, one question lingers: who was watching Dorothy, and why did they never let her go?

Sources: 

Vanapalli, Viswa “Dorothy Scott Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?”, The Cinemaholic, October 17, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/dorothy-scott-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/, Accessed April 23, 2026 

Kettler, Sara, “A Single Mom Was Captured from a Hospital Parking Lot After Receiving Calls from a Stalker”, A&E, January 27, 2026, https://www.aetv.com/articles/dorothy-jane-scott-killed-stalker-cold-case, Accessed April 23, 2026 

Nucleus, “#0220 Dorothy Scott Orange County Murder Mystery”, True Crime Database, November 7,2020, https://www.thetruecrimedatabase.com/case_file/dorothy-scott/, Accessed April 23,2026  

 The making of Twilight Zone: The Movie became overshadowed by a tragic accident that killed actor Vic Morrow and two young children, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. They were filming a climactic rescue scene involving explosions and a low-flying helicopter during a nighttime shoot when a catastrophic crash claimed all three lives. The deaths of Vic, Myca, and Renee made it one of Hollywood’s most infamous tragedies and prompted lasting concerns about on-set safety and accountability.

Sources: 

Rubio Hancock, Víctor; “‘Keep Rolling’: The Decision That Resulted in the Tragic Deaths of Two Children and a Hollywood Actor”; EL PAÍS English; Aug 29. 2023; https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-08-29/keep-rolling-the-decision-that-resulted-in-the-tragic-deaths-of-two-children-and-a-hollywood-actor.html; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“The Heartbreaking Truth About the Twilight Zone Disaster”; Factinate; https://www.factinate.com/things/outrageous-facts-about-twilight-zone-disaster-hollywoods-wake-call; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“My‑ca Dinh Le (1975–1982)”; Find a Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7288675/my-ca_dinh-le; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Renee Shin‑Yi Chen (1976–1982)”; Find a Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19758/renee_shin-yi-chen; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Vic Morrow – Biography”; IMDb; https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607558/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Gruesome Final Moments of Hollywood Legend and Child Star Decapitated in On‑Set Horror”; Irish Mirror; 23 May 2019; https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/world-news/gruesome-final-moments-hollywood-legend-36838392; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Child Actor Laws in California: Permits, Hours & Earnings”; LegalClarity; https://legalclarity.org/what-are-the-child-actor-laws-in-california; accessed April 20, 2026. 

National Transportation Safety Board; “Aircraft Accident Report”; Oct 30, 1984 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8414.pdf; accessed April 20, 2026. 

Robinson, Gregory; “Actor Vic Morrow had chilling last words before dying in a helicopter accident on set of Twilight Zone”; Unilad; Aug 8, 2023; https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/news/vic-morrow-death-twilight-zone-helicopter-crash-120468-20230808; accessed April 20, 2026. 

Hammer, Alex; “Why an A-list director was blamed for horrific decapitation of star actor and deaths of two children on Twilight Zone: The Movie set”; Daily Mail; June 15, 2024; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13522227/twilight-zone-movie-accident-helicopter-director-death.html; accessed April 4, 2026. 

Margaritoff, Marco; “Inside The Horrific Twilight Zone Movie Accident And The Manslaughter Trial That Followed”; All That’s Interesting; Aug 15, 2024; https://allthatsinteresting.com/twilight-zone-movie-accident; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Twilight Zone: The Movie”; Center for Progressive Reform; https://progressivereform.org/incidents/twilight-zone; accessed April 20, 2026. 

“Twilight Zone Accident”; Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident; accessed April 20, 2026. 

A quiet suburban night in Rowlett turns into a nightmare when a frantic 911 call claims an intruder has attacked a young family; but the story quickly begins to unravel. As investigators dig deeper into the case of Darlie Routier, troubling inconsistencies and unexpected evidence raise more questions than answers. What really happened inside that home may not be what anyone first believed. 

Lamoureux, Aimee, “What Really Happened The Night Darlie Routier’s Two Sons Were Murdered?”, All Thats Interesting, April 2, 2026, https://allthatsinteresting.com/darlie-routier, Accessed April 13, 2026  

“Darlie Routier killed her two young boys”, Crime Library, https://crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/routier/, Accessed April 13, 2026 

Mcnally, Cynthis, “38 Facts About Darlie Routier”, Facts, September 30, 2024, https://facts.net/history/people/38-facts-about-darlie-routier/, Accessed April 13, 2026  

Mehrotra, Kriti, “Where is Darlie Routier Now?”, The Cinemaholic, May 27, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-darlie-routier-now/, Accessed April 13, 2026  

Mehrotra, Kriti, “Where is Darin Routier Now?”, The Cinemaholic, May 27, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-darin-routier-now/, Accessed April 13, 2026  

 On January 25, 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergan set out on a dream scuba diving trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but it ended in tragedy when they were left behind in the open ocean. Stranded miles from shore; the couple endured days alone at sea before anyone realized they were missing. This episode explores the chilling timeline, unanswered questions, including a haunting message later discovered, and the devastating consequences of human error. 

Sources: 

Currell, Rob; “Horrifying final moments of couple left behind in shark-infested water after trip forgot about them”; The Mirror; May 20, 2025; https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/horrifying-final-moments-couple-left-1140809; accessed April 2, 2026.  

“The Mysterious Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The Couple Left Behind at Sea”; Nolazine; https://www.nolazine.com/post/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-tom-and-eileen-lonergan-the-couple-left-behind-at-sea#google_vignette; accessed April 2, 2026.  

Goldfarb, Kara;  “Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The Young American Couple Who Disappeared In The Great Barrier Reef”; All Thats Interesting; Feb 2, 2026; https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan; accessed April 2, 2026.  

Boyle, Darren; “ABANDONED AT SEA: THE COUPLE LEFT TO DIE ON A DREAM SCUBA TRIP”; DailyMail; Jan 25, 2026; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15174667/lonergan-disappearance-shark-waters-scuba-timeline.html; accessed April 2, 2026.  

Adam, David; “The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan”; Harrison Biography; Oct 22, 2025; https://harrisonbiography.com/the-disappearance-of-tom-and-eileen-lonergan/; accessed April 2, 2026.  

In 1978, beloved TV star Bob Crane was found dead inside his Scottsdale apartment, leaving behind a crime scene as shocking as it was confusing. What initially seemed like a straightforward case quickly unraveled into a web of fame, secrets, and questionable relationships. As investigators dug deeper, inconsistencies and missing pieces made it difficult to determine exactly what happened that night. This episode explores the rise and fall of a television icon and the mystery that still surrounds his death. 

Sources: 

Margaritoff, Marco, “Inside The Gruesome Murder Of Bob Crane, The ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ Star Who Was Beat To Death In 1978”, All Thats Interesting, April 2, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/bob-crane-death, Accessed March 30th, 2026 

Staff Contributor, “The Final Truth Behind Bob Crane’s Murder: The Hollywood Scandal That Refused to Stay Buried” The Eyota, November 25, 2025, https://www.theeyota.com/2025/11/the-final-truth-behind-bob-cranes-murder-the-hollywood-scandal-that-refused-to-stay-buried.html, Accessed March 30th, 2026 

Gross, Ed, “Bob Crane’s Son Opens Up About the Star’s Tragic Death, Hidden Life and What Made Him a Great Dad (EXCLUSIVE)”, Woman’s World, August 7, 2025, https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/classic-tv/bob-crane-son-reveals-what-happened-to-dad, Accessed March 30th, 2026 

We're back with our twenty fifth Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!

References: 

Deliso, Meredith; “Jury finds Utah mom Kouri Richins guilty of fatally poisoning husband with fentanyl”; ABC News; March 16, 2026; https://abcnews.com/US/closing-arguments-murder-trial-kouri-richins-utah-mom/story?id=131117904; accessed March 30, 2026.  

Hobson, Amelia; “‘It’s been a long time coming’: Family of Eric Richins speak on Kouri’s guilty verdict”; KTVX Salt Lake City; March 16, 2026; https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/long-time-coming-family-eric-021711210.html; accessed March 30, 2026.  

Hoyle, Craig; “Family of slain teen Anna Kepner confirms her stepbrother is now charged with murder”; The Independent; February 24, 2026; https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/anna-kepner-cruise-murder-stepbrother-charged-b2926392.html; accessed March 30, 2026.  

Lantz, Doug; Margolin, Josh; “Stepbrother arrested, charged after teen girl's death on Carnival Cruise: Stepfather”; ABC News; February 6, 2026; https://abcnews.com/US/stepbrother-arrested-charged-after-teen-girls-death-carnival/story?id=129935644; accessed March 30, 2026.  

With Megs and Wally being a little busy this week they didn't want to rush an episode. That being said we are rereleasing Episode 034 which has to do with the disappearance of Maura Murray. So enjoy!

On the evening of February 9th 2004, 21 year old college student Maura Murray would be involved in a car accident when her car came off the road and crashed into a tree in Haverhill New Hampshire. Police were called and arrived within 10 minutes but Maura was no where to be found. Tune in this week to learn more about what may have happened to Maura Murray.

Sources  

The Charlie Project, “Maura Murray”, The Charlie Project, Published October 12 2004, https://charleyproject.org/case/maura-murray, Accessed  11-02-2024 

Jessica Trufant, “What happened to Maura Murray? Family still seeks answers 20 years after her disappearance”, Patriot Ledger, Published February 3 2024, https://www.yahoo.com/news/happened-maura-murray-family-still-094608529.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC4o0p5JlsTjBF65uhnakfi-0tD_Yu90fsPWkeiKWF6xxP-sNQpJJbsTgW3QHe2UjasgqNd9SvMmgRjhYyEk_kl8Vp5wJkm4bQvPDa8me7JEAVZ2FSVx7JJda2qmkQE0zS06IXKeYfixWUyiLfdAIXOViSfa3mU1aNmcbQ6oiq7Z, Accessed 11-02-2024 

Katie Serena, “The Mysterious Disappearance Of Maura Murray, The Nursing Student Who Vanished Without A Trace”, All things interesting, Published November 24th 2021, https://allthatsinteresting.com/maura-murray, Accessed 11-02-2024 

Corin Cesaric, “It’s Been 20 Years Since Maura Murray Vanished. Will Her Sister's New Podcast Help Find Her?” People.com, Published February 9th 2024, https://people.com/maura-murray-vanished-twenty-years-ago-sister-podcast-media-pressure-8567768, Accessed 11-02-2024