Nothing seemed wrong—until someone opened the garage.

In a quiet East Texas town, an elderly woman vanished without explanation. Months passed. Her home sat undisturbed, her absence explained away—until a routine welfare check uncovered something chilling inside a taped-shut garage freezer. This episode unpacks the unsettling mystery that followed, the town’s unusual reaction, and the chain of events that would eventually capture national attention and inspire a Hollywood film. A story of isolation, control, and a community forced to confront what lay beneath the surface.

Keywords: Texas true crime, freezer mystery, small town disappearance, unsolved at first, true crime podcast, East Texas case, hidden body, shocking discovery, crime and psychology, real story behind the Bernie movie

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She claimed God sent her to kill pedophiles. Two men ended up dead. This episode investigates the disturbing case of Sheila LaBarre — and the chilling belief system she used to justify murder.

A quiet New Hampshire farm. A woman claiming to be an avenging angel. And a series of gruesome crimes that stunned a small town and the nation.

This episode unpacks the case of Sheila LaBarre — how she targeted vulnerable men, lured them with promises of care, and subjected them to escalating abuse and psychological torment before taking their lives.

Through police reports, courtroom records, and survivor testimony, we trace the stories of Kenneth Countie and Michael Deloge — two men whose disappearances led to one of the most disturbing murder cases in recent memory.

We examine how LaBarre used a self-righteous facade to mask cruelty, and how she maintained control through fear, isolation, and delusion — and why questions still remain about whether she had more victims.

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What happens when teenage loyalty turns into something else?

When 16-year-old Skylar Neese vanished from her West Virginia home in July 2012, police first suspected she had run away. But as days passed and her closest friends offered matching stories—and inconsistent timelines—investigators began to suspect something far darker. This episode unpacks the unraveling of a friendship, the mounting lies, and the shocking confession that revealed everything.

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He charmed, lied, and vanished into plain sight. Long before his face made front pages, there were warning signs—disturbing, violent, and ignored. This is the story of what was missed, and the darkness that followed.

In this episode we examine the disturbing early years of serial predator Christopher Wilder, known as the "Beauty Queen Killer." Before his deadly 1984 cross-country spree, Wilder left a trail of warning signs—allegations of abuse, sexual violence, and manipulation spanning from Australia to Florida. We explore his volatile marriage, suspicious attempts on his wife's life, and his early use of modeling scams to exploit young women. With insight into his carefully constructed façade and failed business dealings, this episode traces the roots of a man who used charm and deception to mask a violent, escalating pathology.

Keywords: Christopher Wilder, Beauty Queen Killer, true crime podcast, Nightwatch Files, serial killer, 1980s, modeling scams, Florida crime, Australian true crime, abusive marriage, early signs of violence, criminal psychology, cold cases.

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Her fans thought she was taking a break. Her friends thought she was busy. But behind the silence, something had gone terribly wrong.

When Russian influencer Anastasia Grishman—known online as “grshmn”—suddenly went silent on TikTok and OnlyFans, her absence raised few alarms. But behind her carefully curated posts and growing digital presence, something was deeply wrong.

Anastasia had been living in St. Petersburg, balancing work as a tattoo artist with an increasingly public life in adult content creation. At her side was her boyfriend, a man who managed her bookings, her income, and much of her life. As tensions in the relationship grew, so did signs of control, jealousy, and isolation.

In this episode, we follow the final weeks of Anastasia’s life in the public eye—and the hidden events that led to a disturbing discovery. We also examine a broader pattern of exploitation and violence affecting online creators worldwide, and the systemic factors that allow it to continue, largely unchecked.

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Five lives lost in the dead of night. What looked like a targeted act was only the beginning of the real horror.

In August 2020, a fire tore through a home on Truckee Street in Denver’s Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, killing five members of a Senegalese-American family, including two young children. Investigators quickly suspected arson—and soon, disturbing evidence began to surface: surveillance footage of masked figures fleeing the scene, a gas can, and signs of a fire set with intent.

But as detectives pieced together the timeline and evidence, a deeper question emerged: why this house?

This episode examines the early stages of the investigation into one of Denver’s most tragic and complex arson cases, following the work of homicide detectives Neil Baker and Ernest Sandoval as they confront a crime that shocked a city—and may not have been what it first appeared to be.

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An unidentified Grateful Dead fan. A fatal crash. A mystery that took 20 years to solve.

In June 1995, a fatal car crash on a quiet Virginia highway left behind two unidentified victims. One of them—a young man with ticket stubs to a Grateful Dead concert and a note signed by two women named Caroline—remained nameless for two decades. Known only as Grateful Doe, his case became one of the most widely discussed mysteries in the online true crime community.

This episode traces the long road to uncovering Grateful Doe’s identity, from the early police sketches and national appeals, to the emotional impact of the 2012 forensic facial reconstruction that brought renewed attention to the case. We explore the nomadic world of Grateful Dead fans in the 1990s, the circumstances that led Grateful Doe to vanish, and the dedicated amateur investigators who refused to let him be forgotten.

Through verified records, forensic advancements, and community-driven efforts, we piece together how Grateful Doe was finally named—and why his story still resonates.

Keywords: Grateful Doe, Jason Callahan, unidentified persons, true crime, forensic reconstruction, Grateful Dead fan, 1995 car crash, missing person, Doe Network, Websleuths, NCMEC, solved cold case, Casefile style podcast

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Quick message from show host Harper Finley

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In pitch black, the eerie red beam of a flashlight meant one thing: he was already inside.

In this episode, we examine the true story of João Acácio Pereira da Costa — the man who would become known across Brazil as the Red Light Bandit. Set against the backdrop of 1960s São Paulo and Baixada Santista, this episode explores how social inequality, urban migration, and post-coup authoritarianism shaped both the city and the criminals it produced. João Acácio didn’t emerge in a vacuum. His actions — a string of high-profile robberies that terrified the public and embarrassed the police — reflected deeper fractures in Brazilian society. 

We trace João Acácio’s early years, his crimes, and the media storm that followed. What made him stand out wasn’t just the volume of his robberies, but the way the press mythologized him in a Brazil gripped by fear and fascination. 

Whether you're a true crime fan or someone interested in the social history of Brazil, this episode offers a detailed, fact-based look at one of the country's most talked-about criminals. 

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True Crime Brazil, João Acácio, Red Light Bandit, 1960s São Paulo Crime, Brazilian Criminal History, Crime Podcast Brazil, Infamous Brazilian Robbers, João Acácio Pereira da Costa, São Paulo True Crime, Red Light Bandit Case, Brazilian Urban Crime, True Crime Episode Brazil, Brazilian History Podcast, true crime, murder, crime, serial killer, cold case, unsolved, criminal, missing persons, investigative journalism, real crime, crime podcast, mystery, forensic files, solved case, true story, court case, police investigation, crime documentary, wrongful conviction, psychopath

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Dive into a harrowing tale of digital deception and hidden danger in this gripping true crime episode. When two strangers connect in an anonymous online chatroom, their seemingly harmless friendship takes a sinister turn, unraveling a chilling web of lies, manipulation, and fatal consequences. Explore how investigators untangled a labyrinth of encrypted messages, fabricated identities, and cryptic clues to expose a shocking truth lurking behind the screen.  


This episode unpacks the psychological twists, forensic breakthroughs, and haunting questions surrounding one of the internet’s most unsettling cold cases. Perfect for fans of cyber mysteries, unsolved crimes, and stories that blur the line between reality and illusion.  

🔍 Keywords: True crime podcast, digital deception, anonymous chatrooms, cold case mystery, cyber investigation, online predators, forensic psychology, unsolved crimes, internet mysteries, hidden identities.  


**Content Warning**: Contains discussions of sensitive topics, including violence and psychological manipulation. Listener discretion advised.


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