True Crime Recaps

Deputies thought they were responding to a routine welfare check at a shared house in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Instead, they discovered three roommates dead and one of the people who lived there, 23-year-old Alyssa Venable, was nowhere to be found.

Investigators say Venable had moved into the house only weeks earlier. By the time police arrived, she had cut her hair, left Virginia and was heading north in a silver Honda Civic.

What followed was a multi-state search, stolen license plates and a high-speed police chase stretching more than 40 miles before Venable was finally taken into custody.

But it was what investigators learned afterwards about the days leading up to the deaths, and what Venable allegedly told another inmate, that revealed just how disturbing the case really was.

This is True Crime Recaps. Let’s recap the case of Alyssa Venable.

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In May 2003, Deanna Laney’s quiet Texas family was shattered after she attacked her three young sons during the night. Two of her children died, while her 14 month old son survived with permanent brain injuries. Deanna then called 911 herself and told the dispatcher what had happened.

Investigators soon learned that Deanna believed she was receiving messages from God. She interpreted ordinary events as religious signs and became convinced that she was being tested in the same way as Abraham in the Bible. Prosecutors later focused heavily on the fact that she had hidden a large rock beneath her baby’s crib and appeared to understand that what she was doing was illegal.

The case ultimately became a major question of mental illness and legal responsibility. At trial, both defense and prosecution experts agreed that Deanna was suffering from severe delusional illness. The jury ultimately found her not guilty by reason of insanity, and she was committed to psychiatric treatment rather than sent to prison.

After years of treatment, Deanna was eventually released under strict court supervision. Her case remains deeply unsettling because it forces a difficult question about where mental illness ends and criminal responsibility begins.

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In November 1991, Cindy Wanner disappeared from her sister’s home in Granite Bay, California, leaving behind her 11 month old daughter, her shoes, her coat, and her car. Her missing purse and a later ATM transaction were among the few clues investigators had to work with.

Nineteen days later, Cindy was found in a remote area of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Investigators determined she had been held for nearly two weeks before her death, turning the disappearance into a murder investigation that would remain unsolved for decades.

For 35 years, detectives revisited the evidence without finding a suspect. Then in 2026, new DNA testing pointed investigators toward James Lawhead Jr., a man with a prior violent criminal history who had spent years living under different identities. Investigators eventually located him in Arizona and arrested him in April 2026.

Lawhead now faces a murder charge with additional special circumstances connected to the case. The arrest marks a major breakthrough, but for Cindy’s family, the search for justice after more than three decades is not over.

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For more than ten years, Jean Stevens kept the remains of her husband at her Pennsylvania home. After her twin sister died in 2009, Jean brought her remains inside too. What makes the story even stranger is that several people around her reportedly knew what was happening.

James Stevens had died in 1999, but Jean eventually had his remains exhumed and brought back to her property. She kept him in the garage, while her sister June was placed inside the house. Jean dressed and cared for them and continued spending time with them, explaining that she could not accept the finality of losing the people she loved.

When social workers discovered the remains in 2010, police became involved. Investigators learned that other people had reportedly helped Jean move the remains, while neighbors and relatives had apparently been aware of the situation for years. Jean herself was never charged, although one neighbor faced misdemeanor charges related to moving June's remains.

But the strangest question came years later. Jean died in 2012, and her family was reportedly placed in an above ground vault. Later, questions emerged over whether the remains were actually inside the vault, leaving the final resting place of Jean, James, and June uncertain.

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For years, Lewis Lent lived and worked in communities across New York and Massachusetts while investigators remained unaware of the full extent of his actions.

His name would eventually become connected to several investigations involving young people, including Sara Anne Wood, Becky Savarese and Jamie Lusher. But decades later, significant questions remain, particularly surrounding cases in which families are still waiting for answers.

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we examine the investigation into Lewis Lent, the evidence that connected him to known cases, his changing accounts to investigators, and the questions authorities have continued to examine over the years.

We also look at the disappearance of Sara Anne Wood, whose remains have never been recovered, and why investigators have explored whether Lent could be connected to additional cases.

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Eighteen-year-old Kelsey Smith stopped at a Target store in Overland Park, Kansas, before meeting her boyfriend for a date. When she didn't return, investigators began trying to piece together what had happened.

Surveillance footage from inside the store and its parking lot became a crucial part of the investigation. By reconstructing Kelsey's movements, detectives were able to establish a detailed timeline and identify a man who appeared repeatedly in the footage.

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we examine Kelsey's final trip to the store, the surveillance evidence investigators relied upon, how Edwin Hall was identified, and the investigation that followed.

We also look at the lasting impact of Kelsey's case and how her family's advocacy helped inspire Kelsey's Law, aimed at helping law enforcement obtain mobile phone location information more quickly during emergencies.

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Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home in a case investigators believe involved a planned kidnapping.

In the days that followed, her family received ransom emails demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin. Investigators have since released the messages publicly, hoping someone may recognise the language, phrasing or writing style.

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we examine Nancy's disappearance, the ransom communications, the evidence investigators have made public and where the case currently stands.

This remains an active investigation. Anyone with information should contact the FBI.

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In January 1947, Elizabeth Short was found murdered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. The brutality of the crime shocked America, and the young woman would forever become known as The Black Dahlia. More than 75 years later, her murder remains one of the most infamous unsolved cases in criminal history.

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we explore Elizabeth Short's final days, the evidence surrounding the investigation, and the enduring theories that have kept this case alive for decades. From the mysterious Sowden House to the allegations surrounding Dr. George Hodel, we examine why the Black Dahlia case continues to fascinate investigators, historians, and true crime enthusiasts alike.

This episode discusses theories that have been proposed over the years. Many claims surrounding the Black Dahlia case remain disputed, and no one has ever been convicted of Elizabeth Short's murder.

This episode was originally recorded on October 18, 2025, and first released as a members-only bonus episode on October 31, 2025. It is now available to all listeners as part of our updated membership programme.

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In 1992, Lisa Ziegert disappeared while working alone at a card shop in Agawam, Massachusetts. When coworkers arrived the next morning, they found the store abandoned, her purse still behind the counter, and clear signs of a violent struggle. Four days later, Lisa's body was discovered, but despite recovering DNA, investigators had no way to identify her killer.

For more than two decades, detectives pursued thousands of leads while one suspect repeatedly drew their attention. As forensic science advanced, the evidence pointed back to the same man investigators had questioned for years.

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we examine the disappearance of Lisa Ziegert, the decades-long investigation, and how DNA technology, persistence, and a confession finally solved one of Massachusetts' most haunting cold cases.

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Years before Ted Bundy's confirmed murders shocked the United States, several unsolved cases were already leaving investigators with unsettling questions. Could some of these cold cases have been connected to one of history's most notorious serial killers, or are the similarities purely coincidental?

In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we explore three cases that have long been discussed in connection with Bundy: the disappearance of Ann Marie Burr in 1961, the brutal 1966 attack on two flight attendants in Seattle, and the unsolved Garden State Parkway murders of 1969. We examine the evidence, the timelines, and the theories that continue to divide investigators and true crime enthusiasts decades later.

This episode explores theories and publicly discussed investigative possibilities. No definitive evidence has established Ted Bundy's involvement in these cases.

This episode was originally recorded on April 5, 2026, and first released as a members-only bonus episode on April 28, 2026. It is now available to all listeners as part of our updated membership programme.

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