True Crime Brewery

Please listen to this re-release of a 2021 members-only episode about sudden infant infant deaths which were determined to be homicide. We will be covering another SIDS v. Homicide case in May and I think listening to this episode is a good prequel!

In 1985, authorities in New York State arrested a father who they believed had murdered his three children. In the course of the investigation, they became aware of a mother who claimed to have lost five children to SIDS. Thinking this was highly unlikely, they opened an investigation into the family. First, the family needed to be identified. Once this was done, the investigation of Waneta Hoyt moved right along, culminating in her trial for murder in 1995.

Join us at the quiet end for Not Again! Waneta Hoyt’s Babies. This story of SIDS or infanticide or Munchausen by Proxy took many twists and turns before justice was done. At the heart of this story is the tragic and unnecessary end of five young lives and the question of how it took five suspicious deaths before Waneta Hoyt was stopped.

In May of 2005, a quiet part of rural Ohio woke up to something no one was prepared for. By the time most people finished their morning coffee, six people were dead, one teenage girl was barely alive, and a town that thought it understood itself was now living inside a nightmare. Answers came fast. Too fast. And once they did, people were told the story was over—it was solved, wrapped up, and explained. But that is not how it felt then. And for a lot of people, it still does not feel that way now.

Join us for One Night, Too Many Questions. This is not just a story about a violent night on a farm. It is about what happens after—when a community wants peace so badly it is willing to grab onto the first explanation that lets everyone breathe again. It is about the questions that never really went away, even when the official story said they should have. So we are slowing things down— taking a closer look at what happened, what was said, and the questions that still haven’t gone away.

Sources

Former detective sentenced for endangering teenage witness, The Columbus Dispatch, 5/29/2008.

Massacre’s survivor yet to receive inheritance, The Columbus Dispatch, 2/5/2009.

Saving Stacy by Rob St. Clair

Teen suspected in slayings of 5, NBCnews.com, 5/29/2005.

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It was during a snowstorm, on a snow day in Philadelphia, when a young teacher was found dead in her apartment under very bizarre circumstances. Her name was Ellen Greenberg. She was 27 years old. She was engaged and she lived with her fiancé. Ellen’s fiancé called 911, and almost right away, investigators said they knew what happened. But then the story changed. And then it changed again.

Join us today as we talk about what should have been a straightforward investigation that, over time. turned into something far more complicated. For years now, Ellen’s parents have been asking the same thing everyone else eventually starts asking when they look closely at this case: Does any of this make sense?  We’re starting with who Ellen was, who the people in her life were, what is known about the day she died, and what has never been adequately explained. Because, more than a decade later, the core question is still hanging in the air: What Really Happened to Ellen Greenberg?

Sources

Ellen Rae Greenberg, https://gavinfish.com/cases/ellen-greenberg/

Family of teacher who died from 20 stab wounds sues Philadelphia medical examiner to have suicide ruling changed, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stephanie Farr, 10/16/2019. Retrieved 3/15/2026.

Medical Examiner’s Office Investigation Report, Ellen Greenberg Case Docs, 3/18/2022. Retrieved 2/20/2026.

Suicide or homicide? Parents’ anguished search for answers lasts years after daughter dies of 20 stab wounds, PennLive.com, Steve Marroni, 5/13/2019.

What Happened to Ellen? by Nancy Grace & Benee Knauer.

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Please enjoy this classic premium episode from 2017!

On a cold, sunny morning in January 1957, Leonard Prescott, a 39-year old construction worker, was driving into the town of Willow Springs, Illinois, when he noticed two strange-looking objects underneath a bridge railing. He stopped to get a better look and told himself they must be department store mannequins. He drove off, but his mind kept returning to the flesh-colored figures.

Were they naked, dead girls? He wasn’t entirely convinced, so he drove home and got his wife Marie. They returned to the bridge and got out of the car. The two bodies had a blue hue against the whiteness of the snow. One of the girls was on her side with her legs drawn up in a fetal position. The other girl was on her back, apparently tossed on top of her.

Joseph Grimes’ daughters Barbara,15, and Patricia, 13, had been missing for nearly a month. They were big Elvis Presley Fans and had gone together to see his film “Love Me Tender” on the night they disappeared, 3 days after Christmas.

Joseph was called to the station and escorted to the scene where he had the heartbreaking task of identifying his murdered daughters.The heartbreaking disappearance and unexplained deaths of Barbara and Patricia Grimes shattered the innocence of the Chicago area forever. Things like this just hadn’t happened before. The case launched one of the biggest investigations in history. Over the years, there have been numerous leads but the case remains unsolved.

Join us today for End to Innocence: The Abduction and Murders of the Grimes Sisters

In the fall of 2003, a life ended in a way no one saw coming—and for years, the truth stayed buried beneath rumor, silence, and unanswered questions. Florence “Flo” Unger was someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, someone who mattered. Yet when she was killed, the story of what really happened to her was fragmented, distorted, and, in many ways, forgotten.

Join us at the quiet end for Pushed: Florence Unger. In this episode, we take a closer look at Flo’s murder: the last known moments of her life, the people who crossed her path, and the investigation that followed. We’ll examine what was known, what was assumed, and what may have been deliberately ignored. This story teaches us about how fear, secrecy, and power can shape the narrative of a murder case long after the violence is over.

Sources

Afraid of the Dark by Tom Henderson

Florence Unger: The Last Resort, Forensic Files, https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2021/09/30/drowning-sorrows/

Lady of the Lake, Dark Waters: Murder in the Deep, S2E6, 8/21/2019.

Lady in the Lake, NBCNews.com, 1/2/2007.

Michigan man who pushed wife off roof, dragged her into lake, loses bid for new trial, MLive, 7/18/2018, https://www.mlive.com/news/2018/07/michigan_man_who_pushed_wife_o.html

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In the early hours of a quiet morning, a kind man named Kevin Spann was killed. It was a tragic event, but along with his death came a story that overflowed with stupidity and lacked any semblance of critical thinking or empathy. What should have been a straightforward search for the truth unraveled a maze of misconceptions and missteps. Official accounts left gaps in simple logic and suspects seemed surprised by their own decisions. But somewhere between incompetence and intention, the truth was clear.

Join us for A Conspiracy of Dunces. This is not just a story about a murder. It’s about how people are manipulated and the truth is deliberately distorted. Today we’re examining the people, decisions, and failures that led to Kevin Spann’s death—asking not only who is responsible, but how confusion, greed, and error can collectively create evil.  In a case where everyone seemed sure and no one was right, we dig into the uncomfortable reality that humans are capable of doing horrendous things for the most ridiculous reasons.

Sources

Judge rejects plea to reduce woman’s life sentence, The Augusta Chronicle, 2/17/1998.

Kelly v. State, Supreme Court of Georgia, 10/2/2000.

The Mother’s Day Murder: The Startling True Story of a Seductive, Murdering Wife and Her Three Teenage Pawns by Wensley Clarkson.

Murder-for-hire motive often insurance, The Augusta Chronicle, 5/18/1997.

Spann gets life sentence, The Augusta Chronicle, 11/22/1997.

Three others say wife tried to hire them to kill Fort Gordon soldier, The Augusta Chronicle, 5/24/1997.

There are some stories that stay with us—not because of how they end, but because of who is lost. Grace Millane was a young woman with a future, a plan, and a warm spirit that took her across the world. She was exploring new places and doing what so many young people dream of doing—exploring life on her own terms. But Grace’s journey took a devastating and unimaginable turn.

Join us for CCTV, Lies, & Murder: Grace Millane. What should have been a celebration of Grace’s 22nd birthday became a tragedy. This podcast isn’t just about a crime but about the life behind the headlines. It’s about Grace: her kindness, her courage, her hopes, and the world she was eager to explore. Together, we’ll examine her final days, the investigation that followed, and reflect on the impact her loss left on all who knew her. Because Grace deserves to be remembered not for what happened to her, but for who she was.

Sources

The complete evidence in the Grace Millane murder trial: Inside the case that gripped a nation, Stuff, Edward Gay, 2/20/2020, retrieved 1/29/2026.

Grace Millane murder: Details of alleged killer revealed, Anna Leask, 12/8/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

The Lie:The Murder of Grace Millane, 2023 Documentary, retrieved on Tubi 1/29/2026.

Missing backpacker Grace Millane: From Disappearance to Murder Charge, Stuff, Natalie Crockett, 12/9/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

Suspect to be charged with murder of missing British backpacker Grace Millane, TVNZ, 12/8/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

Timeline: The trials and conviction of Jesse Kempson, the man who murdered Grace Millane, RNZ.com, 12/22/2020, retrieved 1/29/2026.

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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.

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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