Maria Cruz was a perfect example of the American dream fulfilled.  Growing up in the Philippines, she moved to New York in 1992, received her M.B.A. from Fordham University, and took a job as a senior credit analyst.

On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003, Maria attended mass at St. Malachy’s Church.  She stopped by her office that afternoon, excited about an appointment she had later that day for a cosmetic laser procedure.

When Maria didn’t show up for work that Monday or Tuesday, everyone agreed that it was not like her to miss work without calling.  On Wednesday, the police were called to her apartment, but there was no sign of Maria.  It would take months before detectives searched her emails and ran a check on her laser specialist, Dean Faiello, uncovering his lengthy criminal history.

Join us at the quiet end for The Pretender.  Dean Faiello had looks, intelligence, and charm, but Maria’s disappearance would reveal that he lacked a conscience.

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Dale Ewell worked hard to give his children all of the advantages he didn’t have as a child.  His wife, Glee, provided a loving home, staying home with their daughter Tiffany and son Dana, showering them with attention as well as possessions.

Growing up with every advantage, Dana Ewell didn’t appreciate what he was given. He always wanted more.  He didn’t inherit his parents’ strong work ethic, but wanted everything handed to him, all the while acting like he was a successful businessman in his own right.

On April 19th, 1992, the Ewell’s home was robbed. Two days later, the housekeeper found the house torn apart, with three dead bodies sprawled across the floors.  Join us at the quiet end for Eight Million Reasons to Kill. We all want to give our children the best things in life, but this may have backfired for Glee and Dale Ewell.

When things didn’t go the way Raynella Leath wanted, she could be calculating and vicious.  But she could also be quite charming.  After attempting to kill a man who considered her a friend, and after two husbands died suspicious deaths, the people where she lived in Solway, Tennessee wondered about Raynella.  Many feared her and even warned others not to cross her.

Raynella is a grandmother, formally married to a state prosecutor.  She is well-off, well-educated, and a former director of nursing.  It took years for her to go to trial for murder but, despite a conviction, she is now a free woman.

Join us at the quiet end for Until Death, a complex story of a justice system influenced by money and privilege and a woman who may had gotten away with murder twice.

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Read Her Deadly Web by Dianne Fanning

With little medical training and no scientific basis for her treatments, Dr. Linda Hazzard was able to attract many wealthy clients to her Institute of Natural Therapeutics in Olalla, Washington.  Dorothea and Claire Williamson, wealthy sisters from England, read Dr. Hazzard’s book “Fasting for the Cure of Disease” and believed it was their path to true health.

Two months after starting treatment, Dorothea and Claire each weighed about 70 pounds.  By the time family members were summoned to the institute, Claire was dead and Dorothea weighed 50 pounds.  She was unable to care for herself as she endured starvation, daily enemas and beatings.  In addition, Dr. Hazzard had been appointed the executor of Claire’s estate and the legal guardian of Dorothea.  Investigations revealed that Dr. Hazzard was responsible for the deaths of many of her patients.

Join us at the quiet end for a story of greed and sadism in a time when pseudoscience and questionable medical practices thrived.  In today’s episode, Hunger, we will try to understand the mentality that led otherwise sensible people to believe in Dr. Hazzard, even as she slowly killed them.

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Read Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen

Kim Barry loved to dance and she had plans to train as a nurse.  Living with her parents in a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, she cared for disabled children in preparation for her future career.

On Friday night, February 6, 1981, Kim’s parents left town overnight, leaving her in charge of her little brother. Kim was usually very responsible, but she also wanted to enjoy her freedom that night. After going to a movie with a girlfriend, the two girls headed to the local disco. Her friend left early, but Kim stayed on to dance and drink some wine.  She was last seen chatting with a man named Graham Potter.

Join us at the quiet end for The Girl Who Loved to Dance. Kim was a kind girl with simple dreams of a nursing career and a family of her own, until one night of freedom put her into the hands of a killer.

Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Graham Gene Potter is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au

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Amy St. Laurent went out on a Saturday night and seemed to vanish into thin air.  As parents, this is our worst nightmare.  Amy was a sensible, smart young woman who knew how to take care of herself, but one bad choice put her into the path of a violent predator.

In the search for Amy, detectives had to deal with uncooperative witnesses, inaccurate stories, and a suspect who wove a complex web of lies.  As time passed with no sign of Amy, her family had to accept a terrible fact: Amy was never coming home.

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Amy St. Laurent.  What happened to Amy is, tragically, something that happens all too often.  Sometimes, a monster presents himself as a charming and fun guy while out in the public eye.  Then, when he isolates his victim and his violent and murderous true self emerges, it is too late to escape.

Brandon Teena was a female to male transgender person born into a homophobic culture.  As we discuss Brandon’s life growing up in rural Nebraska in the 1970s and 80s, it’s difficult to conceive of the difficulties he faced.  As we discuss Brandon’s story, we can see how his life spiraled out of control as he attempted to navigate relationships and he endured judgment and disapproval.

Join us at the quiet end today for what we hope will be an insightful look at the struggles of a young transgender person and the hate crime that took his life, in Boys Do Cry: The Brandon Teena Story.

Kurt Sonnenfeld has been in the news for nearly 18 years, both for the death of his wife Nancy and for being an outspoken 9/11 “truther.”  As a videographer for FEMA, Kurt put together footage of the 9/11 disaster for media outlets around the world. On CNN, he spoke of the heroics of the recovery workers at Ground Zero.  But, back at home, Kurt was a very troubled man.

Nancy Sonnenfeld died on January 1, 2002 under suspicious circumstances.  When it looked like Kurt might be prosecuted for her murder, he fled the country.  Since then, he has remarried and developed a new narrative about his work and Nancy’s death.

Join us at the quiet end today for Justice Denied.  The death of Nancy Sonnenfeld has been determined, by scientists and investigators, to be a murder.  But will her loved ones ever get a chance for justice for Nancy?

It’s been nearly 40 years since young wife and mother Lynette Dawson disappeared from her New South Wales home. Lynette’s last known conversation was with her mother. On the morning of January 8, 1982, her mother called to plan an outing to a local beach. Lynette agreed, but she was nowhere to be found when her mother arrived.

Over the years, as Lynette remained missing, suspicions landed on her husband, Chris Dawson.  His behavior leading up to and following his wife’s disappearance was improper and offensive.  Lynette was not reported missing for six weeks and she was quickly replaced by his teen-aged lover.  Still, the investigation did not lead to any arrests.

Finally, the case was reopened in 2015. Investigators gathered evidence for a case against Lynette’s husband and a true crime podcast, “Teacher’s Pet,” put together the case with witness interviews and well-supported theories.

Join us at the quiet end today for A Lovely Drink. This is a cold case, surrounded by years of deception and speculation, that may finally be approaching a conclusion.

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