The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead

Hosted by Courtney Liso, The Book of the Dead is a true crime podcast that focuses on the victims of lesser-known crimes. Each episode presents a deep dive into a case from around the world, dissecting the details to tell the whole story of who each victim was, in addition to what happened to them. Formerly hosted by a mother-daughter team, the podcast has evolved with one host, taking the care necessary to ensure each victim is honored as they should be. Join Courtney every Wednesday at 12am EST for a new chapter in The Book of the Dead.

Episodes

Chapter 112: In Cold Blood-The Death of Dr. Eric Garcia w/ Chris Connelly

August 13, 2025 • 58 mins
In March 2017, the quiet Alaskan town of Ketchikan was rocked by the sudden death of beloved surgeon Dr. Eric Garcia. Found in his home under suspicious circumstances, his death would devolve into a mystery that was truly stranger than fiction.
 Journalist Chris Connelly, host of Cold Blooded: Mystery in Alaska, joined me to discuss his investigation and shared what it was like to walk the streets of Ketchikan, speak with Dr. Garcia...
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Chapter 111: Something Wicked-The Murder of Joshua Bennett

July 30, 2025 • 31 mins
In August 2005, 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier Joshua Bennett returned home to Illinois, grieving the unexpected loss of his father. Ne reconnects with his mother, who invited him to stay the night at her home, but within hours, Joshua would be murdered in his mother’s home by a group of people who believed they were under the influence of a witch’s curse. The murder of Joshua Bennett is a senseless killing fueled by occult paranoia...
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Chapter 110: A Hidden Crisis-American Infanticide & The Emile Weaver Case with Clara S. Lewis

July 23, 2025 • 69 mins
Today I sat down with Clara S. Lewis, author of American Infanticide: Sexism, Science, and the Politics of Sympathy, to examine the deeply unsettling and complex case of Emile Weaver, a college student convicted of killing her newborn in 2015. Clara walked me through how the legal system, media, and public perception often fail to grasp the complex realities behind neonaticide and infanticide in America. From the influence of a lon...
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Chapter 109: The Devil Made Me Do It-The Beasts of Satan Murders

July 16, 2025 • 37 mins
In the late 1990s, Italy was worried that Satanism was on the rise. There were whispers of cults and worshippers performing dark rituals to appease the devil and citizens were flocking to their churches worried about their immortal souls and the safety of their loved ones. This fear was not completely unfounded. In the outskirts of Milan, in Busto Arsizio, was a heavy metal band that had taken the idea of Satanic worship and twiste...
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Chapter 108: Secrets in Spanish Fork-The Disappearance of Kiplyn Davis

June 25, 2025 • 41 mins
In 1995, 15-year-old Kiplyn Davis disappeared in broad daylight from her high school in Spanish Fork, Utah. Her belongings were abandoned in her locker, and she never made it to her afternoon classes. No one has seen her since. Thirty years later, the mystery of what happened to Kiplyn has endured in a community that refuses to forget her. However, as the years have passed, the ties that have bound family and friends together have ...
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Novela 9: The Highs Ice Cream Store Murders w/ Rainbow Crimes

June 18, 2025 • 25 mins
Join CJ from Rainbow Crimes as she tells the story of the Highs Ice Cream Store Murders. 
On April 11, 1967, in Staunton, Virginia, Sisters-in-law Constance Smootz Hevener and Carolyn Hevener Perry were shot and killed while working at the Highs Ice Cream Store. While a prime suspect was arrested, charged, and tried, he was ultimately acquitted, and the mystery of who killed these young women went unsoled for over 4 decades. Finally...
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Chapter 107: The Good Die Young-The Murder of Mia Zapata

June 11, 2025 • 31 mins
Among the legendary singers of the 27 Club who captivated the world with their music and lyrics, is a woman who is not as well known—one whose powerful voice and thought-provoking lyrics set her apart from the men dominating the industry. Mia Zapata and her band, The Gits, were on the verge of becoming a household name in Seattle's grunge and punk rock scene when everything was ripped away one night in July of 1993. Mia Zapata's vi...
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Chapter 106: Without A Trace-The Disappearance of Suzanne Lyall

June 4, 2025 • 25 mins
On March 2, 1998, 19-year-old college student Suzanne Lyall vanished just steps from her dorm at SUNY Albany. Despite a seemingly normal night and a confirmed sighting as she stepped off a city bus, Suzanne was never seen again. Today, I walk you through one of New York’s most haunting missing persons cases.I'll retrace her final known movements, go over the limited amount of suspects, and explain just how her parents’ fight for ju...
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Chapter 105: Summer's Almost Gone-The Bricca Family Murders w/ JT Townsend & Brian Santana

May 28, 2025 • 72 mins
As summer drew to a close in September of 1966 in Cincinnati, Ohio, something terrible was happening at 3381 Greenway Avenue amid another killer's reign of terror attacking women. The Bricca family, Jerry, Linda, and their little girl, Debbie, were brutally murdered in their own home as their neighbors gathered in their homes, settling in to watch TV on that rainy evening. Decades later, the mystery of who committed this heinous cr...
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Chapter 104: Stalked and Silenced-The Murder of Shana Grice

May 14, 2025 • 30 mins
When 19-year-old Shana Grice reported her stalker to the police, they didn’t just dismiss her—they fined her. Months later, she was found murdered in her bedroom, her throat slashed, and her home set on fire. The man responsible had a documented history of harassment, and Shana had done everything she could to be heard. In this episode, I tell the devastating story of Shana Grice—a young woman who was failed at every turn by the ve...
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Chapter 103: The Crime That Appalachia Forgot-The Nancy Morgan Murder w/ Mark Pinsky

May 7, 2025 • 44 mins
In Today's episode, I am joined by veteran investigative journalist Mark Pinsky to unpack the decades-old mystery of Nancy Morgan, a young VISTA volunteer found brutally murdered in Madison County, North Carolina in 1970. Mark walks me through the corrupt local politics, suppressed leads, and the lingering questions that keep this cold case unsolved more than 50 years later. He also reflects on his storied career in crime reporting...
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Chapter 102: Vanished in the Redwoods-The Disappearance of Theresa Bier

April 30, 2025 • 20 mins
In Today's episode, I dive into the mysterious 1987 disappearance of 16-year-old Theresa Bier in the remote Sierra Nevada mountains near Fresno, California. Accompanied by 43-year-old Russell Welch, a self-proclaimed Bigfoot hunter, Theresa vanished without a trace during an expedition in the wilderness. Welch was later arrested but never charged due to lack of evidence. What happened deep in those woods? Join me as I explore the s...
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Chapter 101: Voices From The Inside-The Dublin Prison Scandal w/ Tess Korth

April 23, 2025 • 70 mins
Today, I sit down with Tess Korth, the whistleblower who exposed rampant abuse and systemic corruption at FCI Dublin, a federal women’s prison in California once dubbed “the rape club” by those who lived and worked within its walls. Tess shares her firsthand experiences working inside a prison where the power dynamics turned predatory and silence was enforced through fear. Throughout her 25-year career, she witnessed not only the a...
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Chapter 100: A Colonel, Crash, and Trail of Blood-The Mysterious Death of Colonel Philip Shue

April 18, 2025 • 37 mins
On April 16, 2003, Air Force Colonel Philip Shue was found dead in his car after it veered off a Texas highway and slammed into a tree. But this wasn’t an ordinary crash. Shue's body showed signs of brutal mutilation—his chest was mutilated and his finger amputated in an act of twisted, surgical, precision, and duct tape dangled from his wrists.

Officially ruled a suicide, the case left behind more questions than answers.In this epi...
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Chapter 99: A Missing Woman, Two Murders, and a Confession Ignored-What happened to Keeshae Jacobs?

April 9, 2025 • 31 mins
In 2016, 21-year-old Keeshae Jacobs disappeared after telling her mom she would return the next day. Nearly a decade later, she’s still missing—but someone has admitted to knowing what happened.

In this episode, I expose the disturbing connections between Keeshae’s disappearance and the 2022 killing of Ashley Fowler—whose alleged killer also claimed responsibility for Keeshae’s disappearance. I also cover the tragedy that befell the...
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Chapter 98: Shadows of the City- Homicide, Mystery, & The Murder of Henryk Siwiak w/ Vic Ferrari

April 2, 2025 • 52 mins
In this Chapter of the Book of the Dead, we sit down, with retired NYPD detective and author Vic Ferrari who has joined us, again, to delve into his experiences with homicides and death in New York City. From the grim realities of crime scenes to being present for autopsies, Ferrari shares his insights on what it's really like to work for the NYPD from, Rookie, to Detective. We also revisited the haunting case of Henryk Siwiak—the ...
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Chapter 97: NYPD Unplugged-Stories of A Former Detective w/ Vic Ferrari

March 26, 2025 • 43 mins
In today's chapter of The Book of the Dead, we sit down with retired NYPD detective and author Vic Ferrari to uncover the fascinating world of law enforcement in New York City. With over 20 years of experience on the force, Vic shares firsthand stories from his time working on major cases, the challenges of policing in one of the busiest cities in the world, and the moments that shaped his career. We also explore his journey from d...
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Chapter 96: Searching for Justice- The Murder of Kristina Hickey and The Abernathy Exoneration

March 19, 2025 • 37 mins
In this gripping chapter of The Book of the Dead, we dive deep into one of the most haunting true crime cases: the murder of Kristina Hickey. Join us as we explore the chilling details of the crime that shook a community and the subsequent investigation that led to a wrongful conviction.

We’ll examine the evidence that pointed to Christopher Abernathy, who spent years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, and the journey toward...
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Chapter 95: What Happened at Peachtree Landing?-The Heather Elvis Mystery

March 12, 2025 • 47 mins
In today's chapter, I delve into the mysterious disappearance of Heather Elvis, a 20-year-old woman from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, who went missing on December 18, 2013. Her abandoned car was found at Peachtree Landing, but Heather was never seen again. The investigation led to Tammy and Sidney Moorer, a married couple whose tumultuous relationship with Heather would become the focus of multiple high-profile trials. Were the Mo...
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Chapter 94: Failed by the System: The Death of Crystal McCrory Jones

February 26, 2025 • 46 mins
On February 9th, 2023, Crystal Jones was found dead in her home from a gunshot wound to the head. Despite a minimal investigation, authorities ruled her death a suicide—leaving her family devastated and searching for answers. Her sister, Jana, refused to accept this ruling, uncovering shocking inconsistencies in the evidence and contradictions in her husband Tony Jones' account of that day. Was Crystal’s death truly suicide, or was...
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