Never Light Up A Room Podcast

 Helle Crafts was a Danish-born flight attendant who built a globe-trotting career before settling into family life in Connecticut. When she vanished after returning from an international flight, the explanations given didn’t match the woman her friends and colleagues knew. What followed was an investigation that uncovered unsettling clues and turned a missing person's case into one of the most haunting stories of its time.   

Sources: 

Stories of the Unsolved writers, “The Murder of Helle Crafts”, Stories of the Unsolved, November 14th, 2018, https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2018/11/14/the-murder-of-helle-crafts/, Accessed January 18th, 2026  

McConnell, Kelsey Christine, “The Woodchipper Murder of Helle Crafts Led to Connecticut's First Murder Conviction Without a Body”, The Lineup, December 6th, 2024, https://the-line-up.com/the-murder-of-helle-crafts, Accessed January 18th, 2026  

Gifford, Storm, “Woodchipper murderer Richard Crafts out of prison”, NY Daily News, January 31, 2020, https://www.nydailynews.com/2020/01/31/woodchipper-murderer-richard-crafts-out-of-prison/, Accessed January 18th, 2026 

In the early morning hours of May 25, 2013, Bardstown Police Officer, 33-year-old Jason Ellis had just signed off from his shift and was heading home to his wife and 2 young sons. As Jason exited the Blue Grass Highway on Exit 34, he came to a stop as the ramp was blocked with tree branches. Jason pulled over and got out of his vehicle, but tragically, as he cleared the branches from the road, he was shot multiple times and killed.    

If you have any information about Jason’s case, please contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALLFBI or by contacting your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or contact Kentucky State Police Post 4 at 270-766-5078 or email [email protected]. 

Sources: 

Kramer, Stephen R; “Police Officer Jason S. Ellis| Bardstown (KY) Police Department”; Police Museum; May 26, 2018; https://police-museum.org/line-of-duty/21th-century/police-officer-jason-s-ellis-bardstown-ky-police-department/; Accessed Jan 8, 2026.  

“Amy's Story | Widow of Bardstown Officer Jason Ellis reveals the fear that haunted her most and her life moving forward”; WDRB; May 24, 2018; https://www.wdrb.com/news/amys-story-widow-of-bardstown-officer-jason-ellis-reveals-the-fear-that-haunted-her-most/article_f5f8d7c9-3494-575f-8064-fad9e35bc56c.html; accessed Jan 8, 2026. 

Mitra, Shraman; “How Did Jason Ellis Die? Who Killed Him?”; TheCinemaholic; Mar 2, 2021; https://thecinemaholic.com/how-did-jason-ellis-die-who-killed-him/; accessed Jan 10, 2026. 

Draut, Sam;  “12 years after killing of Bardstown Police officer Jason Ellis, case remains unsolved”; WDRB; May 26, 2025; https://www.wdrb.com/news/12-years-after-killing-of-bardstown-police-officer-jason-ellis-case-remains-unsolved/article_dcb59099-13fa-4906-bc2b-09cfab49a317.html; accessed Jan 10, 2026. 

“Bardstown mourns the loss of Figo, the K-9 dog of fallen officer Jason Ellis”; WDRB; June 9, 2017; https://www.wdrb.com/news/bardstown-mourns-the-loss-of-figo-the-k-9-dog-of-fallen-officer-jason-ellis/article_754ddab1-9f8c-508c-b8fa-d6700565937f.html; accessed Jan 1, 2026. 

“3 years after his death, Jason Ellis' K-9 partner helps family remember fallen officer”; WDRB; May 25, 2016; https://www.wdrb.com/news/3-years-after-his-death-jason-ellis-k-9-partner-helps-family-remember-fallen-officer/article_4420fd10-13b2-5c60-ba4c-6ac988250040.html; accessed Jan 10, 2026. 

On December 27th, 1986, 20-year-old Cara Knott set out on what should have been a routine 40-minute drive home through San Diego County, but she never arrived. By morning, her car was found abandoned off the interstate, launching a search that would uncover unsettling clues and raise disturbing questions about what happened along that stretch of road. 

Sources: 

Moorhouse, Drusilla, “A Cop Who Killed A San Diego College Student In 1986 Gave 'Safety Tips' In A TV News Ride-Along Days Later”, Huffpost, December 27th, 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cara-knott-craig-peyer-murder-san-diego_n_65837f5ce4b04da98425aa68, Accessed January 4th 2026 

Interesting Facts, “The truth behind the murder of Cara Knott”, Weekly Recess, August 19th, 2023, https://weeklyrecess.com/article/murder-of-cara-knott/, Accessed January 4th, 2026  

Zotter, Frank Jr, “Judicial Follies: Murder on the highway”, The Mendocino Beacon, March 27th, 2025, https://www.mendocinobeacon.com/2025/03/27/judicial-follies-murder-on-the-highway/, Accessed January 4th, 2026.  

We're back with our twenty second 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: 

“2025 Bondi Beach Shooting”, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Bondi_Beach_shooting. Accessed December 12th 2025.  

NBC News, “Brown University shooting: Suspect found dead, is also accused of killing MIT professor” NBC News, December 19th, 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/brown-university-suspect-shooting-death-mit-professor-live-updates-rcna249937, Accessed December 29th 2025,  

Nguyen, Thao, Alund, Natalie Neysa, “What we know and don't know about the deadly Brown University shooting”, USA Today, December 18th, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/12/18/brown-university-shooting-what-we-know-updates/87818552007/, Accessed December 29th, 2025.  

On Sept 11, 2014, 46-year-old Tammy Jo Blanton did not show up at work, prompting concern from her co-workers who immediately contacted police requesting a welfare check. That welfare check resulted in officers discovering a crime scene that was later described as worse than a horror movie.   

If you or someone you know if experiencing domestic violence, please consider reaching out for support at the following resources: 

Canadian Domestic Violence Support: Government of Canada: Find Family Violence Resources and Services in Your Area: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence.html    

United States Domestic Violence Support: US National Domestic Violence Hotline:  

• Call: 1-800-799-SAFE(7233)  

• Text: “START” to 88788  

• Website: https://www.thehotline.org/ 

Sources: 

Elliott, Sam; “Monster found guilty of slaying ex with electric saw and ‘eating her body parts’”; Mirror, Sept 20, 2020, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/monster-found-guilty-slaying-ex-22713951, accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

AP; “Indiana man accused of killing and eating girlfriend 'not mentally competent to stand trial'”; Independent; Oct 26, 2017; https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cannibal-murder-trial-accused-joseph-oberhansley-mentally-incompetent-indiana-court-tammy-jo-blanton-death-rape-heart-lungs-eaten-a8020466.html; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

Johnson, Rae; “Court upholds life sentence of Joseph Oberhansley for killing Tammy Joe Blanton”; Courier Journal; May 18, 2023; https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2023/05/18/joseph-oberhansley-accused-of-killing-eating-former-girlfriend-sentence-uph-by-indiana-supreme-court/70230908007/; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

Lambe, Jerry; “Indiana Man Who Dismembered Ex-Girlfriend and Ate Her Brain Appeals Life Sentence for Murder”; Law & Crime; June 9, 2022; https://lawandcrime.com/crime/indiana-man-who-dismembered-ex-girlfriend-and-ate-her-brain-appeals-life-sentence-for-murder/; accessed Dec 30, 2025.  

Karpinski, Izzy;  “Indiana man convicted of killing, eating ex-girlfriend appeals life sentence”; Fox59; Jun 10, 2022; https://fox59.com/indiana-news/indiana-man-convicted-of-killing-eating-ex-girlfriend-appeals-life-sentence/; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

Godbey, Dalton; “Indiana man, 36, who murdered his 46-year-old ex-girlfriend before he ATE parts of her brain, lungs and heart is jailed for life without parole”; Daily Mail; Oct 13, 2020; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8836721/Indiana-man-guilty-killing-cannibalism-gets-life-term.html; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

Baker, KC; “Ind. Man Accused of Killing Ex, Eating Her Organs Is Back on Trial After 2019 Mistrial”; People; Sept 16, 2020; https://people.com/crime/man-accused-killing-ex-eating-organs-mistrial/; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

“Tammy Jo Harbin Blanton”; Find A Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135843818/tammy_jo-blanton; accessed Dec 30, 2025. 

“Butchered and eaten; by her monstrous ex Tammy Jo Blanton underestimated how evil Joseph Oberhansley, her volatile ex, really was.”; The Free Library; https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Butchered+and+eaten%3B+by+her+monstrous+ex+Tammy+Jo+Blanton...-a0643881471; Accessed Dec 30, 2025.  

Its the most wonderful time of the year! We are back with our second annual Christmas special where we dive into the case of Edgar Frostwick and the murder of Morris Shackles. With the 2 being long time business partners when Morris is murdered, Can Edgar find the killer? or is he the suspect in this crime?

On the night of December 30th, 2000 in the Setagaya Ward in Tokyo Japan, the Miyazawa family which included Mikio his wife Yasuko and their 2 children Niina and Rei would be brutally murdered in their home. The killer made some head scratching decisions that to even this day nobody can fully understand.

Sources:

Waters, Tobias, “Setagaya Family Murders: Japan’s Most Infamous Unsolved Case”, Joyn Tokyo, October 30th, 2025, https://joyn.tokyo/about-japan/society/setagaya-family-murders?.com Accessed December 12th, 2025

“The Setagaya Murders”, Unresolved, https://unresolved.me/the-setagaya-murders, Accessed December 12th, 2025

Kennedy, “The Setagaya Family Murders: 10 Facts About The Unsolved Case”, Discover Walks Blog, June 9th, 2023, https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/japan/the-setagaya-family-murders-10-facts-about-the-unsolved-case/, Accessed December 12th, 2025

Towner, City, “The Setagaya Family Murders in Kamisoshigaya Japan”, City Towner, May 28th, 2025, https://citytowner.com/setagaya-family-murders-kamisoshigaya-japan/, Accessed December 12th, 2025

Due to illness, we will be Re-releasing Episode 015: The Murder of Kerrie Ann Brown and we expect to have a new case ready to go for next week!

Sources:

Rachel Bergen, “It's been 36 years, but Kerrie Ann Brown's family won't give up pursuit of justice in teen's death”, CBC News , www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/kerrie-ann-brown-anniversary-rcmp-thompson-manitoba-1.6620761 , Accessed 06-05-2024

Bryce Hoye, “Killer Caller” CBC News, https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/someone-knows-something/, Accessed 06-22-2024

Thompson Citizen, “ Kerrie Ann Brown: Ending the 'conspiracy of silence'”, Thompson Citizen, Kerrie Ann Brown: Ending the 'conspiracy of silence' - Thompson Citizen and Nickel Belt News , Accessed 06-22-2024

SKS Team, “Kerrie Ann Brown (1971-1986)” CBC News, Kerrie Ann Brown (1971-1986) | CBC Radio , Accessed 06-22-2024

Bryce Hoye, “Mysterious killing of Manitoba teen Kerrie Ann Brown explored in CBC podcast” CBC News, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/kerrie-ann-brown-murder-cold-case-1.4859553 , Accessed 06-22-2024

David Ridgen, “Someone Knows Something” , Season 5 , CBC News, October 15th 2018-March 5th 2019 , Accessed 06-22-2024

“Social media blitz in hopes of solving Thompson teen’s 30-year-old murder”, CTV News, https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/social-media-blitz-in-hopes-of-solving-thompson-teen-s-30-year-old-murder-1.3116950 , Accessed 06-23-2024

Shannon Vanraes, “Canada’s worst violent crime problem is in Thompson, Man.”, Maclean’s, https://macleans.ca/society/canadas-worst-violent-crime-problem-is-in-thompson-man/ , Accessed 06-23-2024

Between 1974 and 1975 a serial killer was believed to be targeting members of the LGBTQ community in San Francisco. The suspect was believed to go to bars and diners, and sketch caricature and cartoons on napkins, he would then approach men and strike up a conversation. He would eventually leave with those men, only to end up stabbing and killing them. Since he was known for drawing and sketching before killing his victims, the suspect became known as “The Doodler”. 5 men were found stabbed to death and a 6th was later tied to the case, however to this day, the killer, or the “doodler’s” identity is unknown. 

If you have any information about murders connected to the Doodler, please call the San Francisco PD’s 24-hour tip line at 415-575-4444 or text them at TIP411. You can remain anonymous. There is a $250,000 reward for information leading to the solving of the cases.  

Sources: 

Fagan, Kevin. “The Doodler: Drawing a line to a forgotten serial killer”. San Francisco Chronicle. Mar 16, 2021. https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/doodler-true-crime-podcast/chapter-one. Accessed Nov 28, 2025.   

Fagan, Kevin. “One Man’s American Dream Ends in His Bloody Death.” San Francisco Chronicle. Mar 23, 2021. https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/doodler-true-crime-podcast/chapter-two. accessed Nov 28, 2025.  

Fagan, Kevin. “The Doodler: Killer notches fifth victim — then he gets sloppy”. San Francisco Chronicle. April 6, 2021. https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/doodler-true-crime-podcast/chapter-four. accessed Nov 29, 2021.  

Fagan, Kevin. “The Doodler: Sketch snares suspects, but cases far from solved”. San Francisco Chronicle. April 13, 2021.  https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/doodler-true-crime-podcast/chapter-five. accessed Nov 29, 2025.   

Madani, Doha. “ Possible new victim in 'Doodler' serial killer case announced; San Francisco police raise reward to $200,000”. NBC News. Jan 27, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/san-francisco-police-announce-possible-new-victim-doodler-serial-kille-rcna13836. Accessed Nov 29, 2025.   

Pelisek, Christine. “ Inside the Hunt for San Francisco's Notorious Doodler Serial Killer: 'His Victims Deserve Justice'”. People. Feb 23, 2023. https://people.com/crime/inside-hunt-san-franciscos-notorious-doodler-serial-killer/. Accessed Nov 28, 2025.   

“Doodler”. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doodler. Accessed Nov 28, 2025.   

Watt, Nick. “This serial murder case has been cold for more than 40 years. Now police say they have a suspect”. CNN. June 21, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/us/doodler-cold-case-murders/. Accessed Nov 29, 2025.

We're back with our twenty first 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 peek at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!

References

Pelisek, Christine, “Minnesota Man Allegedly Kills 20-Year-Old Coworker with Sledgehammer Because He 'Didn't Like Her'”, People, November 14th 2025, https://people.com/minnesota-man-allegedly-kills-coworker-20-sledgehammer-didnt-like-her-11849449?utm_source=chatgpt.com, Accessed November 27th 2025.

Treisman, Rachel, “'Just Google' me: Slender Man stabber is recaptured after fleeing her group home”, NPR, Nov 24, 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/11/24/nx-s1-5619148/morgan-geyser-escape-slenderman, accessed Nov 28, 2025.

Pemberton, Pat, “Two killers from shocking 'satanic' teen murder case paroled”, Courthouse News Services, Aug 4, 2025, https://www.courthousenews.com/two-killers-from-shocking-satanic-teen-murder-case-paroled/, accessed Nov 28, 2025.

Morrison, Heather, “‘New things came to light’: Docuseries ‘Fall River’ uncovers new evidence in 1979 satanic cult murders, says director James Buddy Day”, Masslive.com, May 16, 2021, https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2021/05/new-things-came-to-light-docuseries-fall-river-uncovers-new-evidence-in-1979-satanic-cult-murders-says-director-james-buddy-day.html, accessed Nov 28, 2025.