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The Murder of Steven Beard

Steven Beard grew up poor in Dallas, Texas. He had ambitions to go to medical school, but he joined the Navy during World War II. After the war, Steven took a job at a department store. He met his first wife, Elise, while working at the store. They had three children together. Hard working, smart, and good with people, Steven worked his way up to become an executive and co-found Austin’s first independent TV station. Steven and his wife, Elise, were a rags to riches success story. But then, Elise died of cancer. After 42-years of being happily married, Steven was lost and despondent.

Join us at the quiet end for Trophy Wife. As a wealthy widow, Steven began spending much of his time at the exclusive Austin Country Club. A 31-year-old waitress there, Celeste Martinez, caught Steve’s eye. He hired Celeste to be his housekeeper. But within a year, the two were married. Unfortunately, Steve was not aware of Celeste’s checkered past or that she was only marrying him for his money. Within months, Celeste was cheating on Steve and stealing from him. But nothing was ever enough for Celeste, who wouldn’t be satisfied until Steve was out of the picture.

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The Story of Debra & Christopher Milke

Debra Milke was a cute 24-year-old single mother in 1989. She and her 4-year-old son, Christopher, were living with a friend while Debra prepared to move into her own apartment and start a new job. She was excited for what she saw as a fresh start, saving up new clothing and household items for her and Christopher’s new life. But, on December 2nd, Christopher disappeared.

Join us at the quiet end for Dead Woman Walking. When Debra’s son went missing on a trip to see Santa Claus, she was frantic. Trying to do everything possible to find her son and bring him home safely, Debra readily spoke to the police. But when one detective finished interviewing Debra, he claimed to have a confession. Debra, he said, had had her son murdered to collect on a small life insurance policy. Put on trial for murder and abandoned by most of her family and friends, Debra found herself living a 20-year nightmare which was likely to end with her execution by lethal injection.

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The Murder of Alan Helmick

On the morning of June 10, 2008, a robbery was staged in the Colorado home of businessman Alan Helmick. His wife, Miriam, came home to find Alan on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Because Alan had been shot in the back of his head, investigators believed that he had been taken by surprise and executed. But who was Alan’s killer and what was the motive?

Join us at the quiet end for In the Cold Light of Day. After two years of marriage, Miriam and Alan were known to be a happy couple. Miriam had financial issues in her past, but she and Alan had worked out an arrangement where his property was kept in his name and Miriam was given spending money as she needed it. It wasn’t until after his death when it came out that Alan had his own financial issues and that there had likely been previous attempts on his life.

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On May 20, 1988, 30-year-old Laurie Dann left poisoned snacks and juice boxes at several houses, started a fire that nearly killed a mother and her two children, and sprayed bullets inside of an elementary school classroom. After years of living with a serious mental illness, she had made a plan to hurt everyone she believed had slighted her as well as others who were completely innocent. There had been signs that Laurie a danger to herself and society. In fact, in hindsight, her rampage was entirely predictable.

Join us at the quiet end for A Ticking Time Bomb: Laurie Dann. Laurie grew up as an awkward child whose parents made perfunctory and misguided efforts at helping her. As an adult, her so-called “quirks” progressed into full-blown psychotic episodes. But for a variety of reasons, Laurie never received the intensive psychiatric treatment she needed, leaving the lives of everyone in her path at risk.

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On November 10, 2010, in broad daylight, a man broke into the home of Tina Herrmann and her two young children. The attacks, murders, and kidnapping that followed were some of the worst crimes in the history of the state of Ohio.

Matthew Hoffman was known by his neighbors as a bit of an oddball, but this didn’t necessarily mean that he was dangerous. He did have a history of breaking and entering that put him in prison once, but he didn’t appear to be a violent person. Then, in 2010, Hoffman’s odd behavior began to escalate.

Join us at the quiet end for House of Leaves. Tina was a working mother, determined to give her son and daughter a stable, safe, and loving home. Despite not having much money, she had been successful. But Tina had no way of knowing that her home had become the target of the increasingly disturbed Hoffman. When Tina didn’t show up for work on November 11, the scene inside her house pointed to unspeakable violence. And, when the police entered Hoffman’s home, what they saw inside was unlike anything they’d seen before.


Sources

Father, stepmother charged with assaulting Knox County kidnap victim, The Columbus Dispatch, by Allison Manning, 5/21/2013

The Girl in the Leaves by Robert Scott

Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves, Kept Kidnapped Girl on Bed of Leaves, ABCNews.com by Jessica Hopper, 2/10/2011, ret. 7/5/2022

The Leaf Killer, Twisted Killers, S1 E5, Oxygen

Man Charged in Deaths of Victims Found in Ohio Tree, BBC News 1/4/2011, ret. 7/7/2022

What was in the home (and mind) of Matthew Hoffman? The Columbus Dispatch 2/9/2011, ret. 7/5/2022

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In September 1985, two Muncie, Indiana, teenagers were shot and killed in their car while parked in the popular Westside Park. The murders stunned Muncie families because the victims were well-liked students at Muncie Northside High School. Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon were found late at night by the police officer who was clearing out the park at closing time. Their car was still running, with one window down and the other shattered by gunfire.

Join us at the quiet end for The Westside Park Murders. From the very beginning, investigators were inundated with possible suspects, from family members to serial killers. Suggested motives ranged from a random killing, to a family dispute, to a drug deal gone wrong. Although many leads have been investigated over the years, this remains a cold case and an enduring mystery.


Sources

Muncie crime: 150 years of murders, mysteries, Star Press, by Douglas Walker, 3/20/2015

Probe Centers on Two Cars, Muncie Star, by Diana Newlin, 10/03/1985

Sketch of suspect by an uncredited police department sketch artist, Muncie Evening Press, 10/07/1985

Star Press articles, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2010-2015

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie’s Most Notorious Cold Case, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2021

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie’s Most Notorious Cold Case, Virtual Talk with Keith Roysdon, Muncie Public Library, Interview by Sara McKinley, Local History & Genealogy Supervisor, 3/25/2021



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-brewery--4126935/support.

Record your voicemail at tiegrabber.com for our feedback segment or send us an email to [email protected]

We love receiving your feedback and most of our case choices come from listener suggestions!

In September 1985, two Muncie, Indiana, teenagers were shot and killed in their car while parked in the popular Westside Park. The murders stunned Muncie families because the victims were well-liked students at Muncie Northside High School. Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon were found late at night by the police officer who was clearing out the park at closing time. Their car was still running, with one window down and the other shattered by gunfire.

Join us at the quiet end for The Westside Park Murders. From the very beginning, investigators were inundated with possible suspects, from family members to serial killers. Suggested motives ranged from a random killing, to a family dispute, to a drug deal gone wrong. Although many leads have been investigated over the years, this remains a cold case and an enduring mystery.

Sources

Muncie crime: 150 years of murders, mysteries, Star Press, by Douglas Walker, 3/20/2015

Probe Centers on Two Cars, Muncie Star, by Diana Newlin, 10/03/1985

Sketch of suspect by an uncredited police department sketch artist, Muncie Evening Press, 10/07/1985

Star Press articles, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2010-2015

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie's Most Notorious Cold Case, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2021

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie's Most Notorious Cold Case, Virtual Talk with Keith Roysdon, Muncie Public Library, Interview by Sara McKinley, Local History & Genealogy Supervisor, 3/25/2021

Sandra Renee Cantu vanished from her Tracy, California, mobile home park in March of 2009, just weeks after her 8th birthday. It was a Friday afternoon. Sandra left home at around 4 p.m. to play at a friend’s house. She was expected home for dinner, but her mother called the police and reported her missing at 7:53 p.m. Police did not find Sandra that day, but they did locate surveillance camera footage showing the little girl skipping happily toward her home before something caught her eye and she walked off screen.

Join us at the quiet end for The Abduction of Sandra Cantu. The FBI became involved in the search for Sandra early on. Their Behavioral Analysis Unit’s profile for Sandra’s abductor pointed to an adult male between 25 and 45 years old, who knew Sandra, lived in the trailer park, and had a history with sexual assault or child pornography. But the profile was based on statistics alone. With no crime scene, investigators had to rely on Sandra’s family and neighbors for clues. And there was one neighbor who caught their attention, a neighbor who did not fit the profile, but who would soon become the primary suspect in Sandra’s disappearance.

Sources

"Inside Story: Clues to Why Melissa Huckaby Murdered an 8-year-old Girl," People Magazine, by Howard Brewer, 6/27/2010. Ret. 6/12/2022.

KTLA News Archives 2009-2010

Searching for Sandra by Stacy Dittrich

"Sunday School Teacher Charged with Kidnapping, Murder" Los Angeles Times, by Vives, Ruben, & Rong-Gong II. Ret. 6/5/2022

"Woman, 28, Jailed in Sandra Cantu Slaying," San Francisco Chronicle, by Kevin Fagan. Ret. 6/8/2022.

"Woman Accused of Raping, Killing Sandra Cantu May Have Drugged Other Girl and a Man," NYDailyNews.com, 5/22/2009. Ret. 6/8/2022.

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Introducing the true crime podcast Persona: The French Deception— the story of Gilbert Chikli, one of the greatest con artists of all time. What does it feel like to pick up the phone and scam someone out of $50 million? Host and award-winning journalist, Evan Ratliff, investigates how Chikli successfully duped some of the world’s most powerful people into handing over their fortunes. He explores how Chikli evaded the law for years and became a Robin Hood-like hero. More than just a tale of criminal genius, this is a show about the moment we’re living in right now — the golden age of scammers — and the power of seduction. But what happens when the fantasy we’ve been lured into finally crumbles away? For all that and more, follow “Persona: The French Deception” wherever you get your podcasts. Or you can listen early on Amazon Music or early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app:

wondery.fm/TCBrew_Persona

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1998 was a shocking and disturbing year for the residents of Port Angeles, Washington. First, a three-day old infant died at the hands of beloved pediatrician Dr. Eugene Turner. Then, the wife of ER physician Bruce Rowen was found hacked to death inside of her car. But were these two deaths connected?
Join us at the quiet end for A Very Bad Year in Port Angeles. Dr. Eugene Turner was considered saint-like by Port Angeles families. He had delivered at least one-third of the babies born at the Olympic Peninsula Hospital over the past 30-years. He donated to Habitat for Humanity, cut wood for disadvantaged families, and could even be seen picking up trash on the side of Highway 101. Dr. Bruce Rowen was a respected emergency medicine physician with a nice home and a young family. So, what happened in 1998 to turn these two formerly irreproachable men into murder suspects?

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