Just outside of Columbus, Ohio, in the early summer of 1929, two teenage boys set out to settle a friendly argument over who was the better shot. The sky was clear after a night of rain—and the world was only months away from the Great Depression. But that morning, in a field known to locals as “Shirt‑Tail Alley,” the boys discovered something that would ignite one of the most scandalous murder investigations in history.

Join us for Shirt-Tail Alley: The Murder of Theora Hix. The body of Theora was there in the tall grass, brutally beaten and unrecognizable. Within hours she would be identified as a twenty-four‑year‑old medical student at Ohio State University. As police scrambled for answers, a shocking truth emerged, exposing a web of secret relationships, illicit rendezvous, and a killer no one would ever have suspected.

Sources

The Murder of Theora Hix, The Ohio Project, https://theohioproject.net/history/the-murder-of-theora-hix/

The Mystery of the Thirteenth Key, https://archive.org/details/TrueDetectiveJan1930/page/n11/mode/2up

The Professor & the Coed: Scandal & Murder at the Ohio State University, Mark Gribben, 2010.

The Trial of Dr. James Howard Snook, Short North Gazette, Nancy Patzer, 9/1999.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Please enjoy this TCB premium episode from 2022! 

From the outside looking in, Shele Covlin seemed like a woman who had everything figured out. She had a handsome husband, two beautiful children, and a high-paying job that she loved. Her marriage, however, was a disaster. Her husband Rod could not, or would not, hold down a job. He was convinced he could earn a living off of his passion: playing backgammon! Rod also had a weakness for other women. Over the years, he had too many affairs to count. As if that isn’t bad enough, this apparently charming husband and father had become mentally and physically abusive.

Join us at the quiet end for Something’s Wrong with Mommy. When Shele finally reached her breaking point, she and Rod separated. Shele prepared for a divorce and made plans to move forward in life. Unfortunately, before the divorce was finalized, Shele was found dead in her own bath tub. Was it an accident? Was it murder? There would be much speculation and some fascinating details would be brought to the surface before everything was said and done.

Sources

At Any Cost: A Father’s Betrayal, a Wife’s Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice, by Rebecca Rosenberg, 2021

Endgame, Dateline NBC, S27 E24

People v Covlin, Supreme Court, New York County, 1/22/2018

The Search for Becky Godden-Edwards & Sian O’ Callaghan 

Please enjoy this re-release of a premium episode from 2022—to get all of our premium, ad-free shows, subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe

Becky Godden-Edwards went missing in early 2003, but her remains weren’t recovered until 2011. The main reason for this delay was Becky’s lifestyle. She was a heroin addict and a sex worker, given to long absences from her home. The last time her mother saw her alive, Becky told her, “I’ll come home when I’m clean.”

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Becky. Becky was not found until her killer confessed to the murder of another young woman, Sian O’Callaghan. After he confessed to killing Becky, a legal loophole prevented his confession from being presented as evidence. It took five years, but with the persistent efforts of Becky’s grieving mother, the confession was ultimately admitted in a trial and her killer was brought to justice.  Still, the suspicions of more unidentified victims linger to this day.

Sources

A Killer’s Confession by Karen Edwards

A Confession, TV limited series on ITV

Judiciary of England and Wales v. Christopher Halliwell

Murderpedia, Christopher Halliwell

On a summer night in 1985, the small town of Nixa, Missouri was shaken by a crime that would haunt them for decades to come. Jackie Johns, a vibrant 20-year-old with her whole life ahead of her, vanished without a trace.

Join us for Into the Fog: The Case of Jackie Johns. Her case set off community wide fear, outrage, and a pursuit of justice that went on for years. In this episode, we will dive into the chilling details of Jackie’s final hours, the investigation that followed, and the shocking twists that kept this story alive long after that horrible night.

Sources

Murder On a Lonely Road by Beth Hundsdorfer & George Pawlaczyk

Queen of the Ozarks, Cold Case Files, S2 E21, 4/1/2022

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

On May 4, 2003, just as the sun was rising over Western Kentucky University, one dorm room was especially dark. Katie Autry, a bright and beautiful student, was lying dead in that room. She had been raped, stabbed, drenched in an accelerant, and burned alive.

Join us for Behind the Dorm Room Door. Two men emerged as suspects once the investigation onto Katie’s death began: Stephen Soules, a poor drifter, and Lucas Goodrum, a man with a history of violence. One confessed while the other denied everything. The truth behind Katie’s murder seemed lost forever. What happened in that room? Who was responsible for this act of cruelty and horror? The echoes of that terrible night continue to resonate in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Sources

Bluegrass by William Van Meter

Death in the Dorms, S1 E6, 1/5/2023

Murder She Wrote, On the Case with Paula Zahn, S4 E30, 11/28/2010

Stephen Lee Soules Appeal, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 3/20/2009

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Anthony Garcia seemed to have made it. He had overcome a severe learning disability to earn a medical degree from the University of Utah. Afterwards, he was admitted into the Pathology program at Creighton University. However, he washed out of that program and the two that followed. Garcia seemed to have weathered these setbacks, but then four murders were committed five years apart. And all four of the victims had ties to Creighton University’s Pathology Program. Were the murders somehow connected? It was difficult to believe that someone could have held a deadly grudge for so long.

Join us at the quiet end for The Grudge. As we dissect this fascinating case, we’ll tell you about Anthony Garcia’s childhood, his difficulties in medical school and residencies, and the unhinged life Garcia was living when these murders were committed.

Sources

Anthony Garcia’s Attorneys Want Him Evaluated for Mental Illness Before Death Penalty Hearing, World-Herald, Todd Cooper, 3/13/2027

Haunting, Dateline, S25 E24 Pathological: The Murderous Rage of Dr. Anthony Garcia by Henry J. Cordes and Todd Cooper

Resident Evil, 48 Hours, S30 E27

Trial Day 16-In Anthony Garcia Trial, Defense and Prosecution go at it One Last Time Before Handing Case to Jury, World Herald, Christopher Burbach

She was a vibrant young woman with a close-knit family and a promising life ahead. Then Claudia Lawrence vanished without a trace. No signs of struggle, no clear suspects—just a multitude of unanswered questions.

Join us for Vanished on Heworth Road. Today we dive deep into the mystery that has haunted York for over a decade. Despite extensive investigations, searches, and media coverage, no trace of Claudia has ever been found. The case remains unsolved, and it continues to raise questions about trust, secrets, and the people closest to her.

Sources

Answers for Claudia Podcast, Wondery

Claudia Lawrence: Timeline of her disappearance and suspected murder, The Press, Dan Bean, 12/22/2020. Retreived 6/12/2025.

Gone: The Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence and Her Father’s Desperate Search for the Truth, Neil Root, 3/14/2013.

No Leads from Claudia Lawrence searches in York, BBC News, 3/26/2010. Retreived 6/20/2025.

What Happened to Claudia? Alex Moss, 3/15/2019. Retreived 7/15/2025.

On a quiet morning in rural Michigan, a beloved television personality was gunned down in her own driveway. At first, it seemed like a stalker’s obsession had finally turned deadly. But as investigators dug deeper, the truth was much more sinister. The man she trusted most—the man she had vowed to love forever—was hiding his true character behind a mask of lies. Diane Newton King—mother, wife, and rising tv news personality—never made it to the inside of her home that day. Her children never had another moment with their mother.

Join us for Behind the Veil: Diane Newton King. Behind the wedding vows, the smiles, and the years of building and sustaining a family, there lurked a dark truth which threatened to destroy everything. This is not just a story about murder—it’s a story about trust shattered, love twisted, and the frightening question: How well do we really know the person we share our life with?

Sources

The Diane King Case, Suburban Secrets, S2, E2

Eye of the Beholder by Lowell Cauffiel

Killer Relationship, Oxygen Network, S3, E12

Mi v Bradford King, Court TV, https://www.courttv.com/?s=bradford+King, retreived 11/02/2025

News at 11, Forensic Files, S9, E5

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch

Michelle Herndon seemed to have it all. She was nearing completion of her degree and had a bright future ahead of her. She was engaged to a wonderful man. She had a lot of plans for her future. The only negatives for Michelle were her migraine headaches, which were excruciating.

She had tried many medications and remedies, including alternative medications, without much success. Then she met Oliver O’Quinn, a new roommate of her best friend. Oliver was an ICU nurse at Shands Teaching Hospital, and he had a medication that could benefit Michelle: Propofol. This medication worked wonders for Michelle. The only problem was that Oliver was infatuated with Michelle, and when his affection was not reciprocated, it led to deadly consequences. Join us at the quiet end for Murder by Injection, a discussion about the tragic death of Michelle Herndon.

On a cool October morning in Richmond, Virginia, gunshots shattered the silence of the quiet suburban street where Fred Jablin lived with his two children. Fred, a respected professor and devoted father, had just stepped outside to grab his morning newspaper—something he did every day. But this day would be his last. Oblivious to the danger, he was ambushed in his own front yard as his children slept upstairs.

Join us for Murder in the Suburbs. As investigators searched for suspects and motivations for Fred’s murder, the name Piper Rountree came up again and again. Piper was Fred’s ex-wife. Their bitter divorce and custody battle had ended years earlier, but her resentment and hatred endured. Did Piper, a mother of three and former attorney, travel across state lines to execute her ex-husband. Today, we unravel this story of love turned lethal—the murder of Fred Jablin.

Sources

Die, My Love by Katherine Casey

Piper Ann Rountree v. Commonwealth of Virginia, Court of Appeals, 7/24/2007.

Piper Rountree gets life: She will be eligible for release after she turns 60, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/7/2005.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Contact Us

Shop TCB Merch