Suspicious Inferno: Olivia Matthews

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In the early morning hours of September 3, 2025, a fire tore through an apartment in Smyrna, Georgia. Inside, firefighters made a haunting discovery — the body of 32-year-old award-winning playwright Olivia Matthews. What first appeared to be a tragic accident quickly turned into a chilling mystery when investigators found evidence of foul play — and two nearby security cameras disappeared without explanation. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Detective Wachowiak at 678-631-5264 or [e-mail]. 

This is the story of Olivia Matthews. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that happened in the early hours of
September third, twenty twenty five, a fire ripped through an

(00:22):
apartment in Smyrna, Georgia. When firefighters entered, they made a
chilling discovery the body of a thirty two year old
award winning playwright. At first, it looked like a tragic accident,
but investigators soon confirmed the fire had been set on purpose.

(00:47):
That was just the beginning. The woman had sustained injuries
unrelated to the flames, and two security cameras near the
scene disappeared the same day, everything pointing to something deliberate,
something sinister. Friends described her as loving, kind and creative,

(01:11):
so why would anyone want to harm her? This is
the story of Mary Olivia Matthews. Mary Olivia Matthews, known
to love ones as Olivia or Live, was thirty two

(01:32):
years old in the fall of twenty twenty five. She
lived at the Bella eight ten apartment complex on Windy
Hill Road in Smyrna, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Originally
from Claremont, Florida, Olivia built an impressive career as a playwright.

(01:55):
Her short play Homegoing was produced by Playwrights Round Table
in Orlando and published in the Ten Best Minute Plays
of twenty fifteen by Smith and Kraus. Her works were
performed in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Vancouver, and even New York City,

(02:18):
but it was her full length play Absentia that truly
put her on the map. In twenty twenty, it received
the Jane Chambers Student Playwriting Award, one of America's most
prestigious theater honors. The same year, she participated in the
Sesame Workshop Writers Room Fellowship, developing an original children's television

(02:43):
pilot called Kate and Hallie. In twenty twenty two, she
was named a Fellow of the Order of the Good Death,
an organization dedicated to changing the culture around death and dying.
Olivia was much more than her accolades. Her aunt, Zan

(03:03):
McBride Spence, remembered her as very creative. She loved theater.
She was always at a play or theatrical event. That
was her passion. She said her favorite color was purple.
She was sweet, humble, and according to friends, she loved

(03:25):
people for who they were. Wednesday, September third, twenty twenty five,
around four o'clock am, firefighters rushed to the Bella eight
ten apartment complex. Flames lit the sky, originating from one
unit inside, they found Olivia's body, but something didn't add up.

(03:51):
This wasn't an accident, at least it didn't appear so
the fire had been set on purpose, and that was
just the beginning of the horror that investigators would uncover.
But the fire wasn't the only shocking detail. Investigators discovered
injuries on Olivia's body that did not come from the flames.

(04:17):
She had been harmed before the fire ever started. The
smurn Of Police department immediately classified her death as a homicide.
Then there were the cameras. Two security cameras near the
crime scene disappeared on the same day as the fire.

(04:38):
While authorities have not confirmed why, the timing raises chilling questions.
What did someone not want investigators to see? Police asked
neighbors and businesses to check their own footage for any
suspicious activity. Every moment could hold clues. Five days later,

(05:03):
on Sunday, September eighth, family and friends gathered outside the
apartment where Olivia had lost her life. Holding purple candles
and balloons, Olivia's favorite color, They tried to make sense
of the senseless. Tears streamed and stories of her kindness

(05:24):
and passion filled the air. She was so sweet, humble.
This was very frustrating for us, said Alex Saint, a
close friend of Olivia's. Her aunt Zan voiced the heartbreak
of the family. We just want justice for Olivia. We

(05:45):
don't understand how anyone could do this to her. Daisy Bentley,
another friend, simply said Olivia was perfect. I can't imagine
why anyone would harm her. Olivia's death sent shockwaves through
the theater community. Director Tamra Jackson, who worked with Olivia

(06:09):
on The Nativity starring Keisha Taylor, recalls that during a
major conference, the Nativity was the only show to receive
a standing ovation. Jackson said that Olivia called it one
of her proudest professional achievements. A managing director at Great

(06:31):
Plains Theater Commons named Quinn Corbin highlighted her talent and
compassion as well. She left a lasting impression on everyone
who knew her work and everyone who knew her in
the days after her death, friends urged others to honor

(06:52):
Olivia's memory by channeling their grief into creativity, just as
Olivia would have won. So now, the biggest question still
remains who killed Olivia Matthews and why. Police have not

(07:14):
named any suspects or made any arrests, but they have
confirmed one thing. This was a homicide. The fire was
deliberately set, and Olivia had injuries completely unrelated to the flames.
This was a woman devoted to storytelling, compassion, and creativity.

(07:41):
What could have driven someone to want to end her life? Initially,
investigators offered a five thousand dollars reward for information leading
to an arrest. That reward has since doubled to ten
thousand dollars. Police department urges anyone with information to come forward.

(08:05):
Residents and businesses in the area are asked to check
their security footage from the early morning hours of September three.
You can find their contact information in the description below.
Every tip, every piece of evidence, or footage could be

(08:25):
crucial to this investigation. Olivia's story is one of immense
talent cut short. She gave voice to complex characters, tough subjects,
and the human experience someone took that away and as
of now, that person has not been held accountable. My

(08:50):
thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of Olivia Matthews,
her family, friends, and the entire community which she's taught
deserve answers and Olivia deserves justice. As we close out
this episode, remember that sharing Olivia's story not only brings awareness,

(09:14):
it could help lead her family and authorities to the
answers that they need to solve this case and to
bring justice for Olivia. Don't forget to click the follow
button to stay updated on her story and others like it.
Subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube and follow us

(09:37):
on Instagram and TikTok from our true crime content and
case updates. And if you're watching us on YouTube, share
your thoughts on this case and the comments below. Thank
you so much for joining us on another episode. Until
next time. Hunting for Answers is a production of the

(10:10):
Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black
Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
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