Small Town Mysteries

In this episode, Rachael covers a 1800s case in which a woman by the name of Cordelia Botkin is jealous of her lover's wife, Mary, causing her to go to great lengths to have Mary killed.

Sources:
1) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/death-by-chocolate-ab1f379e705c
2) https://billypenn.com/2023/09/17/botkin-dunning-case-murder-by-chocolate-delaware-valley/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordelia_Bot...

At first, when Stacey Castor's husband unexpectedly passes away, no one thinks anything of it, and his death is ruled a suicide. But when police dig deeper and search the Castor's home, what they find shocks them. And as they delve into Stacey's past with her previous husband, they begin to uncover a sinister web of lies...

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Castor
2) https://abcnews.go...

Marlene Warren answered the door to her home and was fatally shot by a mysterious clown, who then calmly walked away to their getaway car. Although there were eyewitnesses, circumstantial evidence, and a prime suspect, it would take over three decades for her killer to face any kind of justice.

Sources: 
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/killer-clown-marlene-warren-sheila-keen-warren-florida-murder/
2) https://ww...

On December 7, 2017, the body of Telma Boinville was discovered inside a North Shore vacation home in Pupukea, Hawaii by a pair of Australian tourists. In addition to the discovery of Telma’s remains, Makana, Telma’s 8-year-old daughter, was also found inside the home, with both her hands and feet bound. 
Throughout this episode, Rachael covers Telma's case and the prosecution of the two individuals responsible for her sen...

During a first date, 24-year-old Erin Marie Gilbert vanishes without a trace. Almost 20 years later, and there are still no answers. Could her date have anything to do with her disappearance? Or was another ill-intentioned player involved?

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Erin_Marie_Gilbert
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girdwood,_Anchorage,_Alaska
3) https://www.alaskasnewssource.co...

Tune in to learn about the heartbreaking and harrowing murder of Warren Barnes by 19-year-old Brian Cohee, and about the treasured life of Warren Barnes--victimized for being homeless, because his life "didn't matter." The way the community has honored Barnes is truly moving.

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Junction,_Colorado
2) https://www.unilad.com/news/brian-cohee-jr-documentary-p...

This week we dive into the bizarre disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Just 20 years old, investigators looked into some questionable relationships she may have had, substance abuse issues, and one particularly odd interaction with her father just before she disappeared. 
An overworked and under-funded police force leads to some devastating missteps within this case, and several...

This week, Rachael covers the shocking murder of Tracy Mondabough, which occurred as a result of a love-triangle gone wrong. Because the murder happened right around the start of Covid, the defense had some pretty interesting arguments for why the perpetrator might have committed the crime...

Sources:
1) https://www.chillingcrimes.com/blogs/news/tracy-mondabough
2) https://www.rfh-ia.com/obituaries/Tracy-Throgmarti...

Despite there being a good amount of circumstantial evidence in the murder of Jan Kruse, a mom of two who is known in town for being extremely kind and friendly, this is sadly a case that is not solved. Though many people believe they know who committed the crime - is it really that simple?

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster,_Minnesota 
2) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/nbcs-dateline-feat...

This week, Rachael dives into two shocking murder cases - both technically still unsolved! 

George Carroll Sources:
1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/12/13/he-was-told-his-father-walked-out-then-he-started-digging-up-basement/
2) https://www.fresherslive.com/latest/articles/george-carroll-disappearance-1961-what-happened-to-george-carroll-was-george-carroll-found-1555224839
3) https://www.findagrave...

When a woman is found in tarp off the side of the highway in 1968, she remains unidentified for over 30 years. This was a case that took decades to get to the bottom of - and even now, there are still so many questions remaining. 

Sources:
1) https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-barbara-ann-hackman-taylo/24013583/ 
2) https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19980423&id=9PEaAAAAIBAJ&...

Thirteen year old Jayme Closs witnesses her mother and father being murdered, and is then abducted by their killer, who had been carefully planning her abduction for a long time. Jayme is held in captivity for 88 days before she bravely escapes. Listen to Rachael cover this heartbreaking story this week on Small Town Mysteries.

Sources: 
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon,_Douglas_County,_Wisconsin
2) https://...

Natalee Holloway is a name that many people within the true crime circle have heard of and are familiar with - but just how much do you know about Natalee and what happened surrounding her disappearance? This is sadly a case that is still not resolved, despite law enforcement and the general public having a very good idea who likely committed the crime.

Sources:
1)https://www.newsweek.com/cracking-holloway-case-93881

This week, Christine highlights the devastating story of Relisha Rudd, an 8-year-old girl who disappeared from a Washington, D.C. homeless shelter in 2014. What did her family know? Why didn't anyone report her missing for 18  DAYS? And most importantly, why was no one taking care of this vulnerable child?

Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Relisha_Rudd
2) https://charleyproject.org/cas...

A group of three young men befriend and then brutally torture 19-year-old Chester Poage, with the only motive seeming to be to rob him. 
This is just one of those cases that make you wonder - how do these horrible people find each other?!

Sources:
1) https://medium.com/@Charlie_OBrien/the-horrifying-kidnap-and-murder-of-chester-poage-d131d77cb1f1
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Chester_Poage
3) h...

In this case, what was thought to be a case of religious fanaticism gone wrong might have actually just been a crime of passion. Hear about the brutal murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter on this episode of Small Town Mysteries. This case inspired the recent series: Under the Banner of Heaven. 

Sources: 
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints#:~:text=The%20Church%2...