Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence against humans and animals.

Between May 2005 and August 2006, Phoenix, Arizona lived in fear as two men in a silver Toyota Camry hunted victims at random. They killed eight people and countless animals in what they called "Random Recreational Violence"—shooting pedestrians, bicyclists, homeless men, dogs, and horses across the metropolitan area.

The breakthrough came from an unlikely source: Detective Cliff Jewell, known as the "pet detective," matched .22-caliber shell casings from a dog shooting to those found at human murder scenes, proving the animal attacks and homicides were connected. His discovery launched an investigation complicated by the simultaneous hunt for another serial killer, the Baseline Rapist, draining resources and creating unprecedented panic.

The case broke when two informants came forward with crucial information. Surveillance captured the suspects prowling Phoenix in the early morning hours, circling pedestrians like prey. Inside their apartment, police found an arsenal of weapons, a map marking their crimes, and a note reading "homicidal maniac, drug taking God among mortals."

This episode examines the 15-month reign of terror, the forensic detective work that connected dozens of seemingly random attacks, and the trial where one suspect maintained his innocence while the other confessed, stating he deserved to die for what they'd done.

Victims remembered: Tony Mendez, Reginald Remillard, David Estrada, Nathaniel Shoffner, Marco Carillo, Jose Ortiz, Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz, James Hodge, Robin Blasnek, and over twenty survivors.

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In 1987, Marie Grossman was the embodiment of the American dream: a trailblazing attorney, a devoted mother, and a woman who had meticulously built a life of stability and purpose. But on a foggy December evening, a routine stop for fast food on her way to her son's wrestling match placed her directly in the path of two men with a loaded revolver and a terrifying history of "asset card" abductions.

This episode explores the intersection of two vastly different lives—a high-achieving professional and a nineteen-year-old former basketball star who believed the rules no longer applied to him. When Richard Thompson stepped between the menu board and Marie’s car, he triggered a sequence of events that would force Marie to make a split-second, life-altering gamble based on a trauma she had buried for decades.

What happens when a victim refuses to follow the script of compliance? How does a community react when a pattern of systemic negligence at a major corporation is finally brought to light? This is a story of incredible resilience, the high cost of corporate indifference, and an unconventional quest for a type of justice that the legal system wasn't designed to provide.

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When her daughter was kidnapped by the notorious Zeta cartel, Mexican mother Miriam Rodríguez embarked on a relentless quest for justice. Armed with disguises, determination, and unwavering courage, she tracked down those responsible, confronting one of Mexico's most dangerous criminal organizations.

This episode delves into Miriam's extraordinary journey, following her transformation from caring mother to fearless vigilante.

Join us as we explore the true story of Miriam Rodríguez, a tale of love, loss, and the indomitable spirit of a mother who refused to back down.

For more information on this case, we recommend "Fear Is Just a Word" by Azam Ahmed, which heavily informed this episode.

This case was originally covered on episode 10. This is a remake of that episode, the only instance in which we we’ll do such a thing as we believe each episode is a document of that time period, flaws and all. This one is an exception because it was one that fell short of the research that was done at the time and it deserved an expansion and a polish to do this incredible story justice.

Enjoy

We'll be back with a new season January 23.

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A quick note from the host with some news about the show. 

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In the depths of the Great Depression, two young people from the West Dallas slums began a crime spree that would captivate a desperate nation. Bonnie Parker was a nineteen-year-old waitress with dreams of becoming a poet. Clyde Barrow was a twenty-one-year-old car thief who had just emerged from one of Texas's most brutal prison farms.

What started as petty theft in 1930 escalated into a two-year rampage of bank robberies, kidnappings, and violence that spanned five states. As bodies accumulated and law enforcement agencies struggled to coordinate across jurisdictions, the couple became front-page news. The media transformed them into symbols—antiestablishment heroes to some, bloodthirsty killers to others.

But the reality behind the headlines was far more complicated. Bonnie never wanted to be a criminal. Clyde's hatred of the law was forged in a prison where brutality was routine. And as their gang's membership constantly shifted—some captured, some killed, some simply walking away—the couple's fate became increasingly inevitable.

By early 1934, the manhunt had reached a fever pitch. Texas authorities brought in Frank Hamer, a legendary former Ranger, to end it. His methodology was patient and methodical. He studied their patterns. He tracked their movements. And he waited for the right moment.

On a humid Louisiana morning in May 1934, six lawmen crouched in the brush beside Highway 154. They had been there all night. Down the road sat a disabled truck, positioned deliberately to slow approaching traffic. The trap was set.

This is the true story of Bonnie and Clyde.




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On May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a twelve-year-old girl was found lying on a trail, bleeding from nineteen stab wounds. She told the cyclist who discovered her that her two best friends had lured her into the woods and attacked her. When asked why, the girls gave an explanation that seemed impossible: they said they had done it for Slenderman—a fictional character created on an internet forum years earlier.

This is the story of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, two children who became convinced that a creepypasta legend was real. It's the story of how online fiction can blur into belief, how untreated mental illness can fester in silence, and how a friendship built on shared delusions can lead to unthinkable violence.

What happened in the woods that morning would raise questions nobody could adequately answer—about where childhood ends and psychosis begins, about culpability and justice, and about what happens when the internet's darkest corners reach into the lives of vulnerable children.

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On Halloween morning in 1975, fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley was found dead beneath a tree in her family's yard in Belle Haven, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Greenwich, Connecticut. She had been beaten to death with a golf club the night before, just hours after participating in harmless Mischief Night pranks with friends.

The murder weapon was traced to a set of clubs belonging to a wealthy neighboring family with connections to American political royalty. Multiple witnesses placed Martha with members of that family on the night she died. But as detectives began their investigation, they encountered resistance that would define the case for decades to come.

What followed was a fifty-year saga involving changed alibis, failed polygraphs, leaked private investigations, legal maneuvering, and a justice system tested by the intersection of privilege and accountability. The case would consume the lives of everyone it touched—from Martha's mother Dorthy, who spent the rest of her life seeking answers, to the suspects whose stories shifted with each retelling.

This is the story of a murder that should have been solved in days but instead became one of America's most notorious cold cases. It's a story about wealth, power, and the questions that emerge when the pursuit of justice collides with families who have the resources to build walls around the truth.

What really happened on Mischief Night in Belle Haven? And when the investigation finally ended, had justice been served—or had it slipped away in the shadows of privilege and time?





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On a cold January night in 1931, William Herbert Wallace returned to his Liverpool home to find his wife Julia brutally murdered in their parlor. The investigation seemed straightforward at first—a mysterious phone call had lured Wallace across town while the killer struck. But as police dug deeper, they uncovered a web of contradictions that would make this case one of the most controversial in British legal history.

Was Wallace a devoted husband caught in an elaborate trap, or a calculating killer who orchestrated the perfect alibi? The evidence pointed in both directions. Witnesses saw Julia alive when Wallace claimed to be miles away. Medical experts disagreed on the time of death. And the mysterious caller who set everything in motion vanished without a trace.

The trial captivated a nation and ended with a verdict that shocked everyone—including the judge. But the courtroom drama was only the beginning.

Fifty years later, a man in a hospital bed would finally break his silence about what he witnessed the night of the murder. His testimony revealed a truth that had been hiding in plain sight all along—if only someone had been willing to listen.


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On Christmas Eve morning, 2010, a family in East Texas makes a devastating discovery in their driveway. But the tragedy is only the beginning.

When relatives search the deceased woman's home days later, they find a locked strongbox hidden at the bottom of a craft supplies container. Inside are documents, photographs, and cryptic scraps of paper.

What follows is a years-long investigation involving a determined federal agent, cutting-edge forensic science, and thousands of amateur detectives on the internet, all trying to answer a seemingly simple question: Who was she?

The trail leads through stolen identities, falsified documents, and a woman who went to extraordinary lengths to erase every trace of her past. But the deeper question remains: Why would someone work so hard to become a ghost?

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On September 28, 1994, eighteen-year-old Bonnie Craig disappeared while walking to catch the bus to her classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage. That afternoon, her body was discovered floating in the water at McHugh Creek. Alaska State Troopers initially ruled her death a hiking accident, but her mother Karen knew immediately—this was murder.

When Karen received the devastating phone call at 3 AM while on a boat in Florida, more than 3,000 miles from home, she demanded answers. Despite evidence of sexual assault, defensive wounds, and eleven blunt force trauma injuries to Bonnie's head, the case went cold. For seventeen years, Karen fought for justice, transforming from a reserve police officer into a relentless advocate who would change DNA legislation across the United States.

In 2007, a breakthrough finally came. A DNA match through the CODIS database.

This is the story of Bonnie Craig—a dedicated student, loyal girlfriend, and protective older sister who carried pepper spray on her keychain. It's also the story of her mother's extraordinary mission to ensure no other family would wait as long for justice.

Keywords: Bonnie Craig murder, Alaska cold case, CODIS DNA database, McHugh Creek, Karen Foster advocacy, DNA on arrest legislation, Alaska State Troopers cold case, 1994 unsolved murder solved, true crime podcast, cold case solved by DNA

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, violence, and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know has been affected by similar crimes, support is available through RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) at 1-800-656-4673 or online at rainn.org

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