On a quiet dirt road in Brackney, Pennsylvania, two best friends went skeet shooting in the woods. One would walk away but the other would not. Martin “Marty” Dillon was a respected attorney, a father, and a husband. That day, after he was shot dead, the tragedy was ruled an accident. But the truth was darker. Marty’s best friend, Dr. Stephen Scher, told the authorities that Marty tripped while chasing a porcupine and his gun went off. And for two decades, they believed him.

Join us today for The Doctor, the Wife, & the Set-Up. Secrets don’t always stay buried forever, in fact, they seem to have a way of coming out eventually. This is especially true when a killer marries his victim’s widow and raises her children as his own. This is a twisted story of betrayal, obsession, and cold-blooded murder hidden in plain sight.

Sources

SCHER’S WIFE PLEADS GUILTY, GETS PROBATION, The Morning Call, 10/4/2021.

Secrets from the Grave, Maria Eftimiades.

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Late on the night of November 17, 1978, Speedway, Indiana teenager Brian Kring stopped by his workplace, the Burger Chef fast food restaurant, to visit with his friends and offer them help closing up for the night. But when he arrived, he found the restaurant empty. The four employees working that night, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Daniel Davis, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 17-year-old Ruth Shelton were all gone, but the door was unlocked and all of the lights were still on. Unable to reach the assistant manager, Jayne, by phone, Brian finally called the police.  But when the police arrived, they were surprisingly cavalier.  In their opinion, a group of irresponsible teens had taken the cash from the till and gone off for a night of fun.

Join us at the quiet end for our discussion of the 1978 Burger Chef Murders.  The next day, the police would realize that they had made a big mistake.  None of the employees arrived home and their parents were frantic, but the police had not bothered to treat the abandoned restaurant as a crime scene.  Two days later, four dead bodies were discovered about 20 miles south of the scene.  The young Burger Chef employees had been stabbed, shot, and bludgeoned to death. Now, forty-three years later, no one has been arrested for these murders.

Sources:

American Crime Journal, “Forrester Confession”

https://www.insider.com/burger-chef-murders-unsolved-speedway-indiana

Indianapolis Monthly, “Next in Line: The Burger Chef Murders”

The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana, by Julie Young

In the quiet mountain town of Keddie, California, a brutal crime shattered the peace of a spring night back in 1981. Four lives were taken in a cabin tucked deep in the woods—three victims were found in a scene of unimaginable violence, and one victim was missing for years. Despite decades of investigation, the case remains unsolved, draped in mystery and fear. Who committed the murders? Why were key pieces of evidence ignored? And why did this small-town tragedy become one of the most haunting cold cases in American history?

Join us for Keddie Cabin 28 Murders. The murders of Susan Sharp, John Sharp, Tina Sharp, and Dana Wingate were all the things that make a horror movie. But this is real life and real people were devastated by these murders. All that is left of Cabin 28 is the land, and that’s where dark secrets linger while justice remains just out of reach.

Sources

Cabin 28 Behind the Scenes of the Keddie Murders by Brian Lee Tucker

A Daughter’s 35-Year Fight For Justice, People Magazine, 11/28/2016, retrieved 8/30/2025.

Keddie murder revisited, Plumas County News, Victoria Metcalf, 4/15/2018, retrieved 8/28/2015.

Plumas County Sheriff seeks pair in Keddie triple slaying, Lassen County Times, 5/27/1981, retrieved 8/30/2025.

Solving Keddie: A News Report About the Northern California Cold Case Homicides by David Keller

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On a quiet January morning in Atlanta, Georgia, Lita McClinton opened her front door to accept a delivery of pink roses and was quickly shot dead. The shocking murder of this vibrant young socialite sent shockwaves through the community and started a decades-long pursuit for justice.

Join us today for The Final Arrangement. Lita McClinton’s story is a haunting example of love turned lethal, lies and betrayal masked by wealth, and a mother’s unshakable fight to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s murder. Today we are unlacing the tangled web of lies spun by Lita’s estranged husband, James Sullivan. The investigation spanned years and Lita’s family suffered, but they persisted in their relentless efforts to get justice for more than 20 years after the crime.

Sources

Hitman Freed 31 Years After Shooting Millionaire’s Estranged Wife in Her Doorway in Murder-for-Hire, People.com, Adam Carlson, 5/28/2018, https://people.com/crime/hitman-atlanta-socialite-murder-for-hire-released-prison/.

Lita McClinton, Black Socialite is Murdered, African-American Registry, 2/1/1987, https://aaregistry.org/story/african-american-socialite-murdered/

The Palm Beach Murder by Marion Collins.

Social Disgraces, Atlanta Magazine, Debra Miller, 10/2004.

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In the quiet hills of Springville, California, a cold-blooded murder shattered the illusion of a perfect world. The lives of a wealthy rancher, a beautiful woman, and a charming stranger with a dark past collided, resulting in a twisted series of disquieting incidents. This is more than a true crime story. It’s a story of manipulation, survival, and the power of persuasion.

Join us today for Twisted Affection. We’re delving into the chilling case of Hope Masters and G. Daniel Walker—a man who posed as a charismatic friend but was a psychopathic sexual predator, a fugitive, and a remorseless killer. We’re peeling back the layers of deception, exploring the psychology of criminal and victim, and asking ourselves: how much can one person control the actions and feelings of another?

Sources

A Death in California by Joan Barthel

The Case of the Lady and the Killer, The New York Times Magazine, Joan Barthel, 9/27/1981. Retrieved 7/15/2025.

Man, 86, denied parole for 1973 murder, Fox26News, Sarah Roebuck, 1/17/2018. Retrieved 7/22/2025.

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When former state trooper and serial philanderer David Camm’s family was shot to death in their garage, he was the most likely suspect.  Evidence at the scene and opinions of family and friends prompted detectives to perform lengthy interrogations.  Prosecutors were convinced of his guilt based on forensic evidence, including bloodstain pattern analysis.Camm was convicted in his first trial, but the conviction was overturned on the basis of prejudicial testimony about his infidelity.  Then, a reevaluation of crime scene evidence identified the modus operandi and DNA evidence of a career criminal.  Did one of these men act alone or did David Camm hire this man to kill his family?

Join us at the quiet end for Most Likely Suspect.  We’re starting at the beginning with the early relationship of David and Kim Camm, learning about their marriage and family, and examining testimony and evidence from Camm’s three separate murder trials.

In the quiet Australian town of Leongatha, a family lunch turned into a shocking crime that has fascinated the world. And at the center of it all was a modified gourmet recipe: Beef Wellington made with one of the world’s most lethal fungi: the death cap mushroom.

Join us for Fatal Foraging. Today we are going to unravel the chilling case of Erin Patterson, a woman accused of orchestrating one of Australia’s most unusual and cruel murder plots. Over the next hour or so, we’ll dive into the evidence, the trial, and, best of all, the tangled web of family secrets and sentiments behind this case that has captivated us.

Sources

Australian mushroom poisoning: Texts detail Erin Patterson’s ‘horrible’ upbringing, details of past revealed, The New Zealand Herald. 11/24/2023. Retrieved 8/1/2025.

Death cap mushroom site found on Patterson’s computer, 1News, 5/21/2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears, The Guardian. 5/12/2025. Retrieved 7/30/ 2025.

Forensic expert explains analysis of deadly mushroom lunch-as it happened. ABC News, Silva, Kristina; Callanan, Tim; Boaz, Judd; Brown, Melissa 5/16/2025. Retrieved 7/25/2025.

The Mushroom Murder Trial Podcast, https://www.mushroommurdertrial.com/, 4/27/2025-7/30/2025. 

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Once Christopher was in college, he created a false image of himself as a trust fund kid, buying rounds of drinks for his friends, designer clothes, and a customized jeep.  He financed this lifestyle with thefts and forged student loans. But Christopher was failing his classes and his lies were catching up with him.  Once Peter and Joan learned that Christopher had forged his father’s name on a $30,000 loan, they were shocked and angered.  Both parents attempted to reason with him, but things had already gone too far.  When Peter failed to show up for work one Monday in November, he was found dead of massive head injuries inside his home. Joan was still alive, but barely.

The case against Christopher Porco was circumstantial but strong.  Today at the quiet end, we’re talking about a brutal murder and attempted murder planned and perpetrated by a most unlikely suspect. At the heart of this case is the love of a mother for her son and the power of denial.

Mary Jane Fonder was a 65-year-old woman living in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. She was known to be a bit of a loner—socially awkward, emotionally fragile, and very involved in her local church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran. But behind her reserved demeanor simmered a potent mix of envy and resentment, a hidden inner turmoil that would ultimately erupt into a shocking and tragic act of violence.

Join us for Between the Pews: Faith, Envy & Murder. In early 2008, a new face appeared at the church: Rhonda Smith, a 42-year-old woman looking for comfort and a supportive community after a difficult life. She quickly became a beloved member of the congregation, receiving support and attention from the pastor and others—attention that Mary Jane would grow to resent.

Sources

A life in prison, Bucks County Courier Times, Amanda Cregan, 1/17/2010., retrieved 6/23/2025.

Guilty: Jury says Mary Jane Fonder killed Hellertown resident Rhonda Smith, lehighvalleylive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.

Love Me or Else by By Colin McEvoy and Lynn Olanoff

Murder suspect noted church killing on calendar, police say. PennLive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.

Pastor says he asked Fonder to leave church, Unnerved: Testifies suspect’s behavior upset him, even before shooting. tribunedigital-mcall, retrieved 6/20/2025.

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In the early morning hours of July 22, 1987, a motorist came across a black Cadillac that had crashed into a telephone pole on a secluded road in Santa Clarita, California. When police were called to the scene, they found two unresponsive young women inside the car. The driver, who was later identified as 45-year-old Claire Peernock, had severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. Claire’s 18-year-old daughter, Natasha, who was in the passenger seat, also suffered severe head trauma, but she miraculously was still alive.

Join us for A Dangerous Mind: Robert Peernock. When Claire filed for a divorce that was still pending, she sought custody of Natasha and her younger sister. Claire had also asked the court for an order of protection from Robert, citing multiple instances of threats and abuse. So Claire had known that Robert could be a dangerous man, but not even she could have predicted his twisted plot to eliminate the people he was supposed to love and protect.

Sources

A Checklist for Murder by Anthony Flacco

Family Secrets LA Forensics, 2/19/2014. Retrieved 6/25/2025.

Man Charged with Soliciting Murders, Daily News of Los Angeles, 12/11/1987. Retrieved 6/20/2025.

Man Tried to Kill Wife and Daughter by Staging a Fatal Car Wreck, Oxygen, Becca Van Sambeck, 1/24/2023. Retrieved 6/29/2025.

Missing Man is Accused of Murdering Wife, Los Angeles Times, Gabe Fuentes, 8/23/1987. Retrieved 6/30/2025.

Prosecutors: Short Fuse, S1 E11, 2000. https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/319989/s01-e11-short-fuse. Retrieved 6/30/2025.

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