True Crime Creepers

When 23-year-old Taunja Bennett disappeared from Portland, Oregon, her family feared the worst. Days later, her body was discovered in the Columbia River Gorge, brutally murdered and left hidden along an isolated road.

Then investigators received a tip naming a suspect.

What followed was a disturbing investigation filled with accusations and eventually confessions that led to two convictions. Even so, questions about what really happened to Taunja refused to disappear.

Were the right people brought to justice, or had everyone been looking in the wrong direction?

Sometimes the most plausible explanation is also the wrong one.

Sponsors:

Litter-Robot by Whisker: Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at Whisker.com/CREEPERS.

Sources:

A Question of Guilt - Los Angeles Times

Laverne Pavlinac | National Registry of Exonerations

Trucker Writing Letters About Serial Killings

'Happy Face Killer' case tapes reveal the lengths woman went to frame boyfriend - ABC News

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In the early hours of New Year’s morning, Morgan Metzer was attacked in her own home by a masked intruder.

She was beaten, bound, and left terrified that she would not survive the night.

As detectives investigate, disturbing clues begin to emerge. The closer they get to the truth, the more questions they uncover.

Who was the masked attacker?
Why was Morgan targeted?
And how did the intruder know so much about her life?

This is a chilling true story of deception, betrayal, and a terrifying crime that was anything but random.

Sponsors:

WHISKER

Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at ⁠⁠whisker.com/CREEPERS⁠⁠. That’s 10% off at ⁠⁠whisker.com/CREEPERS⁠⁠.

QUINCE

Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers.

PROGRESSIVE

Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visit Progressive.com and find a rate that works for you with the Name Your Price® tool.

Sources:

CBS News — 48 Hours: Morgan Metzer

48 Hours — Morgan Metzer Case

Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office — Rodney Metzer

FOX 5 Atlanta — He Ex-Husband Found Her Bound and Beaten

A&E — Morgan Metzer True Story

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In 2010, a silent 911 call from Monica Schmeyer’s Pennsylvania home led police to a shocking discovery: Monica had been murdered.

At first, investigators focused on her ex-husband, but the case fell apart.

Regrouping, the detectives uncovered a chilling connection between a circle of friends, seemingly harmless conversations, and private details about Monica’s life.

The investigation that followed exposed the killer, and revealed how words that seemed insignificant could have devastating consequences.

Sponsors:

WHISKER

Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at ⁠whisker.com/CREEPERS⁠. That’s 10% off at ⁠whisker.com/CREEPERS⁠.

QUINCE

Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers.

PROGRESSIVE

Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visit Progressive.com and find a rate that works for you with the Name Your Price® tool.

Sources:

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA v. TIMOTHY MATTHEW JACOBY (2017) | FindLaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtAmmHmpyNM

Timothy Jacoby, who murdered Monica Schmeyer, on 'Unexpected Killer'

Timothy Jacoby Kills Friend’s Ex-Wife Monica Schmeyer As She Calls 911

Forensic Files II 02x07 - The Orange Shorts

Commonwealth v. Jacoby Concurring Opinion

Commonwealth v Jacoby Majority Opinion

Commonwealth v. Jacoby, T., Aplt. :: 2017 :: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Decisions

Monica Schmeyer Obituary (2010) - Legacy Remembers

Pennsylvania 2014 – Death Sentences Today

Execution Warrants Issued by Governor (1985 to Present)

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Twenty-five-year-old Shanquella Robinson traveled to Cabo with friends for a birthday celebration. She never made it home.

Her family was told she died from alcohol poisoning, until an autopsy raised questions and a disturbing video surfaced.

Two countries. Conflicting autopsies. An arrest warrant. A federal investigation. Years without answers.

For Shanquella’s family, this isn’t about headlines. It’s about their daughter, the truth, and the questions her death raises about trust, accountability, and the safety of traveling with those we trust.

What really happened inside that villa in Cabo?

Sponsors:

WHISKER
Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at whisker.com/CREEPERS. That’s 10% off at whisker.com/CREEPERS.

QUINCE
Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers.

PROGRESSIVE
Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visit Progressive.com and find a rate that works for you with the Name Your Price® tool.

Sources:

What is in Shanquella Robinson’s autopsy? Document describes violent death

What the U.S. autopsy of Shanquella Robinson says about alcohol, her injuries

Shanquella Robinson | FBI Vault

Shanquella Robinson: Concierge police interview, autopsy | Charlotte Observer

Doctor tried to revive Shanquella Robinson before her death, police report excerpt shows

How did Shanquella Robinson die? Death certificate vs. police report breakdown.

Western District of North Carolina | Federal Officials Meet With The Family Of Shanquella Robinson

Shanquella Robinson death: Arrest warrant issued for femicide, prosecutor says - ABC News

Mexican prosecutors seek to extradite U.S. suspect in killing of North Carolina woman in San Jose del Cabo

Shanquella Robinson’s friends say she ‘hit her head on toilet’ before mysterious death, FBI report shows

Shanquella Robinson died in Mexico a month ago. Her family still seeks answers.

Mom of Shanquella Robinson who died in Mexico says she didn't believe it was alcohol poisoning

Robinson v Jackson

Appeal filed in Shanquella Robinson wrongful death lawsuit

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David and Shawna Scott had built a happy life in a close-knit Kentucky community, surrounded by family and the grandchildren they adored.

Then Frances Zaayer moved across the street.

What began as a simple act of kindness became a nightmare of harassment, accusations, and relentless police calls. Slowly, Frances began taking away their sense of safety, and tearing their family apart.

The Scotts tried everything to make it stop.

They never imagined just how far she would go.

Sponsors:

WHISKER / LITTER-ROBOT
Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at whisker.com/CREEPERS. That’s 10% off at whisker.com/CREEPERS.

QUINCE
Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers.

PROGRESSIVE
Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Find a rate that works for you with Progressive’s Name Your Price® tool at Progressive.com.

Sources:

Services | Warren County DD

David Scott Murder: Where is Frances Zaayer Now?

Netflix series 'Worst Neighbor Ever' covers fatal Kentucky feud

Where is Frances Zaayer now? An update on the murderous ‘Worst Neighbor Ever’

Netflix: Worst Neighbor Ever, S1 E1 - She Finally Snapped 

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On a stormy Mother’s Day morning in 2019, a 911 call sends first responders to a secluded property in Milledgeville, Georgia. What they expect to find is a drowning victim in a hot tub. What they actually discover is a scene so bizarre that almost nothing about it makes sense.

Dr. Marianne Shockley, a beloved University of Georgia professor, pioneering entomologist, and passionate advocate for the future of eating insects, is found unconscious beside a dangerously hot hot tub. Two men are with her: her boyfriend, Marcus Lillard, and their friend, Dr. Clark Heindel. Both men have a story about what happened. Neither story seems to explain the evidence.

There are bloody towels, unexplained injuries, strange spiritual rituals, drugs, a delayed 911 call, and a medical examiner who ultimately determines that Marianne didn't drown at all.

Then, before investigators can get all the answers, one of the two men is dead.

As detectives begin piecing together the final hours of Marianne's life, Marcus's story keeps changing. Was this a tragic accident? A drug fueled night gone horribly wrong? A bizarre spiritual ritual? Or was someone hiding what really happened in that hot tub?

And when the case finally reaches a courtroom, the question becomes even more complicated: can a murder be proven when almost every piece of the puzzle raises more questions than answers?

This is the strange and unsettling death of Dr. Marianne Shockley.

Sponsors:

WHISKER
Get the litter box off your mind today with 10% off a Whisker Litter-Robot at whisker.com/CREEPERS. That’s 10% off at whisker.com/CREEPERS.

QUINCE
Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/creepers. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. That’s Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/creepers.

PROGRESSIVE
Insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visit Progressive.com and find a rate that works for you with the Name Your Price® tool.

Sources:

Podcast: Blood Town Season 1

The Strange Death of Professor Shockley | 48 Hours 

What really happened the night Marianne Shockley died? "Evil came to play," says boyfriend acquitted of her murder

Marcus Lillard acquitted in strangulation death of University of Georgia professor

Medical examiner ruled Shockley died from ‘manual strangulation’ | The Union-Recorder

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Originally released 1/18/2024, but for the first time here are parts 1 and 2 together in one episode!

December 20, 2019 is when the world became aware of Lori Vallow after police in Rexberg, Idaho sent out a news release reporting two missing siblings: 7 year old JJ Vallow and 17 year old Tylee Ryan. The story quickly made national news when it was revealed that their mother, Lori, had fled to Hawaii, all the while insisting the kids were safe and happy, and refusing to answer any questions about their whereabouts. It left us all wondering: was it true and she was hiding them somewhere for some unknown reason? Had she had something to do with their disappearance? Did this have anything to do with her new husband, Chad Daybell? The answers to these questions would turn out to be far more baffling than anyone realized.

Sources:

Sins of our Mother - Netflix

Daybell, Vallow complete timeline in alleged murders

Joseph Smith 1805-1844

What to Know About Lori Vallow Daybell, the Mother Found Guilty of Murdering 3 in Doomsday Plot.

Murders of Tylee Ryan and J. J. Vallow - Wikipedia

Lori Vallow's third husband's body was found decomposed on bed | Daily Mail Online

Lori Vallow’s brother stun-gunned her third husband & threatened to murder him years before he killed her fourth husband

Charles confronted Lori about affair before he was killed: Vallow Daybell murder trial day 9

Lori's sister-in-law talks of demon possession and burning: Day 10 of Lori Vallow Daybell murder trial

Discrepancies in Charles' death: Day 12 Vallow Daybell murder trial

'She's lost her mind': Estranged husband warned Gilbert Police about Lori Vallow months before his death, kids' disappearance

​​Before J.J. Vallow Vanished, Mom Lori Said He Had 'Evil Spirit' in Him, Was 'Difficult': Friend

The 7 most damning pieces of evidence presented during the first week of 'cult mom' Lori Vallow's murder trial

Coroner: Tammy Daybell's initial cause of death was a cardiac event

Moroni (Book of Mormon prophet) - Wikipedia

Documents sent by Chad Daybell reveal so-called 'past lives' of Lori Vallow

Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell exchanged loving texts 24 hours after they allegedly killed his wife

What an Amazon order reveals about Lori Daybell's wedding ring - East Idaho News

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Originally published on our Patreon on 6/22/26. We usually wouldn't release episodes so recent from the vault, but this was a very special one!

This week, Mogab is telling the story! We're heading to the heart of Kentucky horse country for a case involving wealth, power, and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Whitaker seemed to have it all. The daughter of one of the most prominent families in the Derby world, Jessica was known as a rising equestrian star with a bright future ahead of her. But after attending the Whitakers' annual Spring Soirée, she was found dead near the family pool, the victim of blunt force trauma.

Police quickly focused on Daniel Preed, a worker at the Whitaker estate who was seen near the barn on the night of the murder. With an arrest made and the community eager for answers, the case appeared to be closed.

But not everyone was convinced.

Jessica's friend Emma believes investigators arrested the wrong person. Even her mother—a prosecutor who worked on the case—had serious doubts about Daniel's guilt. When she pushed back against the official narrative, it cost her everything.

Determined to uncover the truth, Emma launches her own investigation into the secrets hidden behind the gates of one of Kentucky's most powerful families.

What really happened to Jessica Whitaker?

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Originally posted on our Patreon 12/16/2024

Alison Botha is an incredible survivor from South Africa whose story is nothing short of unbelievable. In 1994, she endured a brutal attack

Alison Botha is an incredible survivor from South Africa whose story is nothing short of unbelievable. In 1994, she endured a brutal attack where she was kidnapped, assaulted, and left for dead by two men. Against all odds, Alison not only survived but went on to inspire millions with her resilience and determination. She’s become a sought-after motivational speaker and the author of I Have Life, where she shares her journey of survival and triumph over unimaginable adversity. Alison’s story is a testament to the power of courage and hope in the face of darkness.

Sources:

Book: I Have Life by Alison Botha

Documentary: Alison

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We're on our break, so we're busting some episodes out of the vault! Originally posted on our Patreon 4/21/2026.

When Nikki agreed to help a neighbor with a simple favor - a late-night drive to pick up some family members - she never imagined it would e

When Nikki agreed to help a neighbor with a simple favor - a late-night drive to pick up some family members - she never imagined it would end with her in handcuffs on the side of a West Texas road. But that’s exactly what happened.

In this episode, we’re telling a listener story, one filled with manipulation, betrayal, an elaborate web of lies, and the price Nikki paid for believing a friend.

What do you do when someone you trusted turns out to be a con artist? How far can a lie go before it costs someone their freedom?

This is the story of how Nikki's kindness was weaponized against her, and how she’s trying to rebuild her life in the aftermath.

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