Just a few hours after the longest day of the year in 1990, hikers find 21-year-old UCLA student Ron Baker’s body in a Los Angeles area train tunnel. As detectives investigate, they begin to wonder if Ron’s interest in an alternative religion is connected to the murder, but soon discover the suspects are much closer to home. Keith Morrison reports.

Night of the Summer Solstice

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.


Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

True crime

Josh Mankiewicz and Keith Morrison sit down to talk about Keith’s most recent episode, “If These Walls Could Talk.” In November 2016, Susann Sills was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in the home she shared with her husband and their two children in San Clemente, California. Susann’s death appeared to have been a terrible accident, but investigators soon discovered evidence that led them to believe it was something more sinister. Keith tells Josh about the puzzling circumstances surrounding Susann’s death and shares behind-the-scenes details of filming the episode.  
Keith also plays a podcast-exclusive clip from his interview with one of Susann’s brothers and Dateline producer Michelle Madigan joins in to answer viewer questions. 

Listen to the full episode of “If These Walls Could Talk” here: https://link.chtbl.com/dl_ifthesewallscouldtalk

Listen to “Poison,” the episode Josh mentions that also took place in San Clemente here: https://link.chtbl.com/dl_poison

Talking Dateline: If These Walls Could Talk

A Southern California woman's fall down the stairs initially appears to be a fatal accident, but when deputies arrest her husband, his story unravels. Keith Morrison reports.

If These Walls Could Talk

Josh Mankiewicz sits down with Andrea Canning to talk about her latest episode, “Chameleon.”  When Fran Gladden Smith went missing from her New Jersey home in 1991, police had their eyes on her husband, John Smith. Over the course of their investigation, they discovered that Fran wasn’t the first of John’s wives to go missing. Suddenly, one case became two, and a decades-long search for justice ensued. Josh and Andrea discuss the dedication of Fran’s family in trying to solve both cases, and Andrea shares a podcast-exclusive clip from a taped phone call with John Smith. Plus, Andrea answers viewer and listener questions about the episode.

Talking Dateline: Chameleon

When a New Jersey woman goes missing, investigators uncover her husband’s chilling history, including dark secrets about another missing wife. Andrea Canning reports.

Chameleon

Andrea Canning interviews Josh Mankiewicz about his newest episode, “Evil Walked Through the Door.”  The 1983 murders of Toronto women Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice four months apart left police stumped for nearly four decades. Finally, a breakthrough in investigative techniques led detectives to a freezing town in northern Canada in search of their killer. Josh and Andrea discuss the different ways of handling grief highlighted in the episode, and Josh plays a podcast-exclusive clip from his interview with Erin Gilmour’s brother. Josh describes his chilly journey to Moosonee, Ontario, and Andrea explains how, as a native of Canada, she no longer has a Canadian accent. Then, Josh answers viewer and listener questions about the episode.
Watch Josh’s travelogue of his journey to get the story here: https://x.com/DatelineNBC/status/1781106464355938813

Night of the Summer Solstice

Download our free app to listen on your phone