True Crimecast

In 2017, a social media firestorm in Trumbull County, Ohio, turned 18-year-old Austin Burke into the prime suspect in the disappearance and murder of 22-year-old Brandon Sample. What followed was a whirlwind investigation that culminated in a five-day trial where Austin was convicted of both murder and an unrelated pizza shop robbery—despite significant questions surrounding the physical evidence.

In this episode, we sit down with Austin’s mother, Jamie Sell, and author Donna Waters (Wrong Ride Home) to dissect a case they argue is a textbook example of a wrongful conviction. We explore the glaring inconsistencies in the prosecution's narrative, including a robbery suspect description that didn't match Austin, a lack of DNA linking him to the crimes, and a timeline that Jamie says she can personally debunk.

Wrong Ride Home by Donna Waters is a complex investigation.  It takes the reader through the investigation, trial, and where Austin's fight is today. Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Ride-Home-Donna-Waters/dp/B0DZT62SW6

For more information on Austin's case, visit https://trumbullcountyiscorrupt.com/.

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Happy February! In this Patreon exclusive episode, we dive into the murder of Louise Cicelsky. She was found brutally stabbed to death in her home in 1995. Louise was a 69-year-old go getter. She was a strong, independent woman who could handle her own affairs and her property rental business. When police found her murdered, they found themselves chasing leads down a rabbit hole rather than chasing evidence.

To hear the rest of the episode, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/truecrimecast.

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In a bizarre collision of NFL stardom, pop-culture drama, and legal procedure, a quiet Sunday at Travis Kelce’s Kansas home turned into a police matter. This episode of True Crimecast examines the arrest of Justin Lee Fisher, a process server who jumped a fence to hand-deliver a subpoena to Taylor Swift.

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In a legal first that made headlines across the globe, a small town in North Wales became the backdrop for a case that redefined the boundaries of digital harassment. What began as a domestic dispute took a surreal turn when 25-year-old Rhiannon Evans decided to weaponize her phone camera in the most juvenile—yet legally consequential—way possible.

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Ana Montes seemed like the ultimate American patriot. By day, she was the "Queen of Cuba," the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) top analyst at the Pentagon. By night, she was the most dangerous mole in U.S. history, using a Toshiba laptop and a shortwave radio to dismantle American operations from within.

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Cairenn Binder is the Assistant Director of the IGG (Investigative Genetic Genealogy) Center and the Director of the IGG Certificate Program. Cairenn has been at the forefront of IGG since its inception, applying genetic genealogy to identify human remains with the nonprofit organization DNA Doe Project from 2018 through 2023. In 2022, she co-founded Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Services to fulfill the need for additional IGG practitioners to generate leads in violent crimes. She began working at Ramapo in October of 2022, helping to launch the IGG center in December 2022. Her casework has been featured on BBC news, ABC, NBC, Fox, Oxygen, and CourtTV, in addition to podcasts and digital media.

Cairenn joins True Crimecast today to talk about the work of investigative genetic genealogy, give insight to how it helps solve crimes, and share information about how YOU can contribute directly to the great work being done in investigative genetic genealogy.

Support IGG work being done at Ramapo: https://www.ramapo.edu/igg/how-you-can-help/

Follow Cairenn on IG: @cairennoid

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In the scenic hot spring city of Beppu, Japan, a 21-year-old college student noticed a few missing items from her laundromat dryer. What seemed like a minor inconvenience led police to a discovery that left seasoned detectives speechless: 730 pieces of women’s undergarments meticulously stashed in a single apartment.

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In the early morning hours of late December 2025, a quiet residential street on Liberty Road in Lexington, Kentucky, became the scene of a terrifying home invasion. Neighbors watched in horror as a man went door-to-door, eventually forcing his way into a home and launching a violent knife attack on a resident.

This episode of True CrimeCast breaks down the chaotic arrest of Dion Hale, a 35-year-old who now faces a mountain of felony charges—including first-degree burglary, strangulation, and assaulting a police officer.

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Byron Paul Griffy was a pillar to his community in Fowler, Colorado. He owned Griffy Family Funeral Home and brought comfort to countless families during their time of grief. He also served on the Fowler School Board for over 13 years. On October 12th, 2012, one day before his 77th birthday, Bryon was found murdered in his home. When police began the investigation, they uncovered more questions than answers. Bryon's case, and his life, was complicated and made solving his murder difficult.

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In January 2026, Pennsylvania police conducting surveillance at a historic cemetery spotted a man emerging from the shadows with a crowbar and a burlap bag. What was inside that bag launched an investigation into what authorities called "a horror movie come to life."

This episode of True Crime To-Go digs into the macabre case of Jonathan Christian Gerlach. We explore the discovery of over 100 human remains—including skulls, mummified limbs, and even an active pacemaker—hidden in a basement and a storage unit. It’s a story of graveyard desecration on an industrial scale and a man who treated a 200-year-old cemetery like his personal warehouse.

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