A father vanishes after a family dinner. The mother reports him missing. The son helps with the search. The case goes cold for two years. Then a new detective reviews the file and notices something the original investigators missed. The mother and son had taken a camping trip the weekend after the disappearance. They had no camping gear in their car.

In this three-part series, I examine one of the most disturbing murder conspiracies in recent history: a mother and son who killed the family patriarch together. Part one introduces the crime, the suspects, and the evidence that would eventually unravel their lies. The mother had a secret boyfriend. The son was facing prison for financial fraud. The father had threatened to cut them both off. The murder was discussed over dinner. The son did the killing. The mother cleaned the scene. They thought no one would ever know.

The investigation stalled because the family closed ranks. No one spoke to police. No one accepted interviews. The mother controlled the narrative, telling relatives that the father had abandoned them. The son moved into the father's office and began using his credit cards. For two years, they lived off the proceeds of their crime. Then a tip from a disgruntled family friend led detectives to the camping trip. The truth was buried in a national park.

Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because the family that kills together stays together until the day they don't.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/red-tree-crime--6847553/support.