Crimelines® True Crime

As we know, a motive is not necessary to prove a crime in court. But when the state struggles to come up with one, does it impact the jury’s ability to come to an agreement? 

This case is *solved*

Book recommendation: https://neweraincj.org/book-now-available-1 

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When a young mother was found dead in her home in 2006, her family suspected a police coverup but the police were narrowed in on a person of interest. Unfortunately, a decade later, police misconduct was uncovered and even if it wasn’t directly connected to the investigation, it made it only that much harder to find justice for Candace Hiltz.

This case is *unsolved*

If you know anything, you can call the Fremont Coun...

Kayla Kelley thought she found the love of her life on a dating app. But red flags started popping up and right as she uncovered his secrets, she disappeared. Modern investigative methods seemingly solved the case, but her boyfriend had one final bizarre story about what really happened. 

This case is *solved*

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Stephen Douglas was a passionate advocate and nurse working in mental health services. After he was killed by one of his clients, the Coroners Court of New South Wales took a hard look at the case to see if gaps in the system needed to be filled to prevent another tragedy. 

This case is *solved*

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In 2013, a young man was the last person to visit his grandfather before his grandfather was murdered in bed. In 2016, that same young man was the last person to see his mother alive. Though some say the evidence clearly points to his guilt, others say not so fast. 

If you have any information on the murder of John Chakalos, you can call (860) 688-5273

This case is *unsolved*

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When Bobby and Tricia Sexton decided to reconcile in early 1998, many thought it was the start of the family finding peace again. But according to the authorities, it was just a plot to set someone up to be murdered. 

This case is *solved*

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Multiple eyewitnesses identified the murderer of Wanda Lopez and his alibi story didn’t quite check out. Twenty years later, a team from Columbia University reinvestigated the case and showed the terrifying truth: the state of Texas very likely executed an innocent man. 

This case is *disputed*

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When two men were killed in their home, there was no forensic evidence… just a lot of suspicion. But after a key witness made a deal with the state, the case went to trial to see if the jury would believe a single somewhat incentivized witness. 

This case is *solved*

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In 2014, a social worker attempted to make contact with a doctor in a homeless shelter where a little girl named Relisha Rudd lived with her family. The doctor claimed to be treating Relisha for an unspecified neurological condition that caused her to miss a lot of school. But when the social worker arrived at the homeless shelter, he learned this “doctor” was actually a janitor at the shelter and Relisha’s mother couldn’t...

After the murder of a doctor in Michigan, her husband offered a reward for information leading to the perpetrators. And then he increased the reward. And then, against the advice of the police, he increased it again. Would it be enough for a tip to come in?

This case is *solved*

 If you know anything about the murder of Verna Brown, you can call the Novi Police at 248-348-7100.

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In 2002, a home invasion left two people dead but the plot quickly unraveled. The only question–one that would last beyond the deaths of two of the co-conspirators–is who was the mastermind. 

This case is solved. 

(Episode correction: Matthew Shallenberger's name is mispronounced as Shallenberg twice in the episode. I am out of town and cannot re-record to correct it.)

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Episode 1: The United States vs. Sean Combs

Opening statements rock the courtroom as federal prosecutors accuse Sean “Diddy” Combs of running a decades-long criminal enterprise built on violence, sex trafficking, and power. The defense hits back hard, painting it all as a toxic relationship, not a RICO case. Then Cassie Ventura takes the stand, and everything changes. Her voice may be quiet. Her story is not.

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Sylvia Browne made a name for herself in the true crime world on talk shows, giving psychic readings to the families of the missing and the murdered. But an evaluation of her success rate shows that she was probably just guessing and she wasn’t that good of a guesser. 

Skeptical Inquirer articles:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/03/psychic-defective-sylvia-brownes-history-of-failure/

https://skepticalinquirer.org/...

When a woman’s body was found in a field, the police found a potential piece of evidence in the grass. But they decided to hold that information back, leading some to wonder if that is what stalled the investigation. 

If you have any information, call the Burton Police Department at (810) 742-2542 or the Crimestoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL. 

This case is unsolved. 

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When a confrontation between a husband and the man his wife was having an affair with erupted in violence, two families were left to grapple with what led to that moment and how to move forward. 

Read Ashlee’s book: Silence Breaks: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22873779-silence-breaks

See me at the True Crime Podcast Festival! https://www.truecrimepodcastfestival.com/

This case is solved.

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Becky Bliefnick was ready to have her divorce settled so she could move on. She and her estranged husband fought almost every issue but none more than whether his father should be around their children unsupervised. Were any of those conflicts enough to end in murder?

Becky Bliefnick Memorial Fund: https://gofund.me/cf34b08e

This case is solved.

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Karina Holmer knew within two months that being an au pair was not the job for her. She began to make plans to go home to Sweden, but she was killed after a night out with friends. With conflicting witness statements and no clear answers, the police are still waiting on the one tip that could bring this case together. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Boston Police Department Homicide Unit at 617-343-44...

On February 13, 1993, Lynn Dejac called 911 to tell the police that her boyfriend was in her home and refused to leave. He left before the police arrived and then so did Lynn, leaving her two children home alone overnight. What happened that night would take 13 years to untangle though the official answer remains in dispute. 

This case is unsolved.

Thank you to today’s sponsor Spot & Tango! 

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In 1998, a young man committed a random attack in a Houston wig shop. A suspect was identified and while the victims and their families say they have the right person, he has maintained his innocence for over 25 years. 

This case is solved.

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