Going West: True Crime

Description: In October of 1989, an 11-year-old boy rode his bike to pick up a movie rental in rural Minnesota with his younger brother and a friend. But on their way home, the three boys were stopped by a masked man with a gun. Two of them were ordered to run, but one was kept behind, disappearing into the darkness of that autumn night with the stranger. What followed was a tireless quest for justice at the hands of his family that spanned nearly three decades. This is the murder of Jacob Wetterling.

A 23-year-old Colorado nurse left work and headed out to see someone from her past, hoping to talk over one last dispute before putting it behind her. But when she didn’t return, and her abandoned car was found blocks away, suspicions mounted that she may have been met with foul play. This is A Grave-Digging Peeping Tom… the murder of Tina Tournai

A California girl apparently began exhibiting strange behavior that required an exorcism from demonic possession. This is the death of Arely Proctor.

In the fall of 1995, a community was shattered when two members of the same family were found brutally murdered inside their home. These are the murders of Marilyn and Terry Brooks.

In October of 1996, a 42-year-old software executive stayed late at her Bay Area office before seemingly vanishing without a trace. This is the disappearance of Ylva Hagner, Into the Bay’s Fog.

A nine-year-old Missouri girl left home to visit a neighborhood friend and never returned. This is the murder of Elizabeth Olten.

On our first episode, we meet Mary Toups, the mysterious “Witch Queen of New Orleans” whose life, occult shop, and unexplained death have made her a legend of the city. Daphne, Charlotte, and guest, Emma Roberts, dive into the spooky true story behind Mary, Emma’s own experiences in New Orleans, and what it was like playing the iconic Madison Montgomery on American Horror Story.

A 21-year-old expectant mother spent the morning at home, preparing to welcome her child in a few weeks. This is the murder of Reagan Simmons-Hancock: The Final Trimester.

A 43-year-old actress vanished from her yacht off the coast of Southern California during what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday weekend away. This is the story of Natalie Wood: Hollywood’s Mystery at Sea. Check out Petticoat Revolution, a new podcast hosted by Daphne and her twin sister Charlotte, where history meets girl talk, every Wednesday starting September 23.

A 22-year-old man finished his shift in New York factory and walked outside toward his truck. Minutes later, he was dead. his is Talhotblond: The Murder of Brian Barrett.

A 21-year-old Texas woman boarded a train bound for her second semester of college, carrying little more than her luggage and her plans for the future. And after arriving in Denton, Texas, she was seen outside her dormitory before disappearing into the night... This is the disappearance of Virginia Carpenter: After the Moonlight Murders.

A 17-year-old college freshman disappeared after leaving her dorm, sending her family and the city of Richmond, Virginia into a frenzied search. This is the murder of Taylor Behl: A Virginia Campus Mystery.

An eight-year-old girl left her Pennsylvania home and began the short walk to her final day of bible camp… but she never made it. This is the story of Gretchen Harrington: The Bible Camp Murder.

A 25-year-old woman died after a life-long battle with Cystic Fibrois. But hours after her memorial service, her body was stolen from her casket and taken out of the funeral home. This is the Funeral Home Body Snatcher: The Death of Julie Mott.

A 59-year-old woman sent her daughter a Venmo payment accompanied by a cryptic message before disappearing from a strip mall about an hour away from her Georgia home. This is the puzzling death of Debbie Collier: “They Won’t Let Me Go”

a 23-year-old Illinois woman vanished from her car without a trace after landing an exciting modeling job. This is the story of Karyn Slover: The Murdered Model in Lake Shelbyville

A high school girl, as well as many of her peers, began receiving cruel and even threatening messages from an anonymous source. This is the story of Lauryn Licari, and her High School Cyberstalker.

A 49-year-old journalist left his life in Chicago behind to start over in a tiny mountain town in Colorado, and began working on a novel about another man’s disappearance from that very same town. But before he could finish it, he too vanished without a trace. This is the disappearance of Keith Reinhard.

a New York woman’s husband died suddenly after what appeared to be a mysterious illness. These are the deaths of Mike Wallace and David Castor... and the case of Stacey Castor.

a 34-year-old Florida hairstylist finished her shift at work and seemingly vanished into thin air. This is the murder of Joleen Cummings.

A seven-year-old boy attended his elementary school’s science fair in Portland, Oregon, and then seemed to vanish without a trace while walking toward his classroom. This is the disappearance of Kyron Horman.

In 2014, two abandoned suitcases were discovered along a rural Wisconsin road. These are the murders of Jenny Gamez and Laura Simonson… and the crimes of the Wisconsin Suitcase Murderer, otherwise known as Steven Zelich

A 19-year-old woman left a Denver nightclub after a night out with friends, only to vanish into the night. This is the murder of Kenia Monge: The Woman in the White Van.

A 29-year-old woman headed out for a sunrise hike at one of the most intense peaks in the country, only to "fall" to her death. A youth pastor in her life is revealed to be a groomer..and murderer.

Two young bible camp counselors set out on a peaceful trip along California’s northern coastline. These are the murders of Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen.

A 42-year-old father running a successful farm in Iowa was found dead inside his home in what initially appeared to be a break-in gone wrong. This is the murder of Ryan Cooper.

A 40-year-old woman boarded an Alaskan cruise alone in Seattle, yet no one could explain where she had gone or when she had even disappeared...

A 30-year-old Amish woman was found dead in her bed inside a quiet Ohio farming community. This is the murder of Barbara Weaver, and the story of the internet persona of the Amish Stud.

a law professor was shot in broad daylight outside his home in Tallahassee, Florida. This is the murder of Dan Markel, and the story of the Adelson’s: Monster-in-Laws

a 34-year-old woman set off on the waters of Lake Sammamish, Washington with her husband for their anniversary. But she wouldn’t make it back to shore alive...This is the murder of Cynthia Baumgartner Roth

A Hollywood makeup artist was attacked in her home with a knife, suffering injuries so severe she was declared clinically dead twice. This is the incredible story of Allie Shehorn.

In April 2026, a 55-year-old woman disappeared during a yacht trip to the Bahamas, and investigators say her husband's GPS data contradicted his account of her being swept from their dinghy in a storm

We tell four near-miss true crime stories from our listeners!

In June of 2021, a 24-year-old Geologist headed out to a job site in Arizona, only to vanish shortly after arriving.

What started as a missing persons case would quickly become one of Alaska’s most shocking recent murders, which began as a simple catfishing scheme.

In June of 1996, a 30-year-old woman in Delaware politics disappeared after a mysterious dinner in Philadelphia. But when loved ones found a secret diary in her apartment, police began to uncover a murder mystery that was plagued by secret affairs, scandalous cover ups, and jealous manipulation fueled by control and power. This is the murder of Anne Marie Fahey.

In May of 2008, an 18-year-old man vanished without a trace near his Colorado home. For years, his disappearance remained a mystery, until a grim discovery inside an abandoned cabin nearby changed everything. After his body was found under heavily suspicious circumstances, lodged upside down and inside a chimney, there were rumors of foul play, hushed accusations involving a violent local man, and questions that investigators still cannot fully answer. This is the story of Joshua Maddux.

In June of 2023, a 20-year-old Tennessee woman vanished after leaving a hotel, looking disoriented, headed towards a walking path by a major highway. As detectives attempt to untangle a web of toxic relationships, rumors, and conflicting accounts, her devastated family is left wondering who’s telling the truth and who isn’t. This is the disappearance of Layla Santanello.

On a summer night in June of 1995, a young Arkansas girl was catching fireflies with a few friends when she vanished suddenly. Her friends reported seeing a mysterious man in a pickup nearby just moments before she disappeared, a tip which launched one of the largest searches in the state’s history. And eventually, a suspect with a disturbing history emerged in her case… This is the story of Morgan Nick.

In May of 2006, a 32-year-old writer in Baltimore rushed out of his home suddenly after receiving a mysterious phone call, and never returned. Six days later, his car was found abandoned, and two days after that, his body was discovered under baffling circumstances at a historic downtown hotel. This is the story of Rey Rivera.

In 2010, a 30-year-old Vegas showgirl was preparing for the final rehearsal of her first major production on the Strip when she vanished without a trace. Police reviewed surveillance footage and spotted her getting into her car and driving away, never to be seen again. But soon, tips would come in from terrified locals, some claiming she had an unknown stalker, and others bringing forth one particular suspect. This is the murder of Debbie Flores.

In May of 2020, a 52-year-old woman headed around Westerville, Ohio to celebrate her birthday. The next morning, her husband says he awoke to find her missing, with no sign of her anywhere. When her remains were eventually found at a honeysuckle tree in the woods she loved to forage in, investigators were sent on a confounding journey to figure out what had happened to her. This is the story of Emily Noble.

In June of 1992, three women vanished without a trace from a quiet home in Springfield, Missouri. Suzie Streeter, her friend Stacy McCall, and Suzie’s mother, Sherrill Levitt, had returned home after a graduation celebration, never to be seen again. Their purses were left behind, the house showed no signs of struggle, and a cryptic, unsettling message on the answering machine was erased before police could hear it. What should have been a safe, ordinary night became one of the most haunting mysteries in American true crime, and what really happened inside that house may be far darker than anyone expected. This is the disappearance of the Springfield Three.

In May of 2019, a 15-year-old girl vanished from her West Virginia home one night after sending a string of chilling text messages to her boyfriend. With the name of a potential culprit in one of the texts, investigators knew exactly where to begin looking. But what they would find would be more disturbing than her shocked family could have imagined. This is the murder of Riley Crossman.

In May of 1996, a 19-year-old college freshman vanished from her San Luis Obispo university in the middle of the night. When she never returned to her dorm room, what began as a missing-person case quickly gripped California and sparked decades of questions, rumors, and nationwide attention. With recent arrests in the case, investigators would uncover a slew of evidence: from stained soil to horrific video footage taken by the main suspect. This is the murder of Kristin Smart.

In April of 2023, a missing Minnesota woman was last spotted on surveillance footage being forced back into her apartment building after trying to flee. And afterwards, she was never seen again. With suspicious texts, a disturbing storage facility find, and a foul odor coming from a different apartment, one particular person quickly emerged as a frontrunner among the pool of suspects, and it turned out that this woman hadn’t been his only victim… These are the murders of Mani Starren and Fanta Xayavong.

In April of 2026, an arrest was made in the disturbing, unfolding murder case of a 14-year-old girl who had been found in the trunk of a Tesla last September in Los Angeles. And since that arrest was made, countless horrific details have been released by prosecutors as they make their case to prove that she was intentionally killed, and by one particular person. This is the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and the case against David Burke, also known as D4vd.

In May of 1968, an 18-year-old college student's body was found brutally murdered in some bushes on the camps of her Wisconsin college. She had eaten breakfast and gotten ready for church that morning, never making it off campus before she was attacked. But this sudden and disturbing discovery led to a shocking twist: that a middle-aged medical resident who was obsessed with her may have been behind it… This is the murder of Christine Rothschild.

In March of 2023, a 26-year-old woman was seen on surveillance at a convenience store in the small town of Reddick, Florida, before accepting a ride from two men she referred to as “cowboys.” Later that night, she left a nearby home with one of these men, and was never seen again. Since that early morning, Sara has been missing. But shockingly, alongside the man she was last seen with, someone completely uninvolved with her evening plans is believed to have been involved… This is the disappearance of Sara Ebersole.

In May of 2011, a boy and his mom headed out on what seemed like a spontaneous vacation; making stops at attractions across the Midwest. But the trip would take a dark and heartbreaking turn when, a few days later, his mother was found dead in a hotel room, but her son was missing. And eerily, laid near her body was a note claiming he would never be found. With mysterious gaps of time, strange shopPitzenrips, and surveillance footage, police would be left to figure out: What happened to him? This is the disappearance of Timmothy Pitzen.