Stay ConnectedJoin Joseph Scott Morgan every week as he explores a world that not many have had a chance to visit, the realm of death. Jo Scott will lead listeners on a journey through the blood soaked death scenes of America and then into the autopsy room to fully understand the science behind each case. Jo Scott is one America’s leading experts on applied forensics and is regularly featured on ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’, ‘The Piketon Massacre’, Court TV and more.
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On December 22, 1978, a school bus driver about 11 miles east of Billings, Montana, spotted what looked to be trash dumped close to the road close to the I-90/Pryor Creek Interchange. The bus drivers stops to take a closer look when he notices a shoe and what appears to be a body. He just discovered the body of 16-year-old Corina Contreraz, and the beginning of a case that would not be solved for 48 years. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take an up-close look at the investigation into the murder of Corina and the incredible scientific work done by investigators in Montana and the team at Othram Labs. This is the first time in history where a murderer has been caught with an innocuous finger print sitting in an arrest file for 44 years. If the investigation was a numbers game, the equation that led to the suspect would look like this: 1978 + 16 + 2026 + 1982 = Angelo Stallsmith Sr.
Highlights:
00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Forensic Mystery
00:10.850 The Power of Friction Ridges
02:08.450 A Cold Case from 1978
10:21.309 The Discovery of the Body
21:56.840 Investigating the Crime Scene
22:54.570 A Mysterious Discovery
23:12.340 Investigating the Crime Scene
28:45.960 The Hunt for Clues
37:12.050 A Breakthrough in Forensic Science
37:19.680 The Breakthrough in Forensic Technology
42:42.600 Solving a 44-Year-Old Mystery
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The trial of accused killer Matthew Farwell, 40, is underway. Farwell stands accused of murdering pregnant Sandra Birchmore, and staging the scene to look like Sandra took her own life. Farwell had known Sandra since she was 12 and a member of the Stoughton, Mass, Police Explorers Youth Program. Farwell was one of the active cops who volunteered their time to teach young people about law enforcement, and it was at these group meetings where Farwell is accused of grooming Sandra. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack explore some of the evidence to determine why Sandra's death was initially ruled a suicide, and how the ruling was changed, and how the Feds stepped in to charge Farwell in the death of Sandra Birchmore.
Highlights:
00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Federal Homicide Case
01:54.280 The Sandra Birchmore Case Unfolds
02:52.660 The Explorer Post and Grooming Process
06:18.580 A Pregnant Woman's Tragic Fate
28:53.630 The Investigation and Initial Ruling
32:22.230 Challenging the Suicide Verdict
33:22.980 Dr. Michael Baden's Expert Opinion
34:25.640 The Nuances of Hanging and Strangulation
39:13.489 Lividity and Asphyxial Death Indicators
41:19.590 The Trial and New Evidence
45:23.250 Federal Charges and Their Implications
48:20.350 Closing Thoughts on a Tragic Case
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On September 21 in Oxford, Mississippi, two young men were found dead on and near the campus of Ole Miss. Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, was found unresponsive in his dorm room at Stewart Hall, and was taken to a local hospital where he died. Robert Strang, 20, was found dead in an off-campus residence. Investigators reported finding packaging associated with Kratom-related products at both locations. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about the cases and how Kratom is linked to the deaths even though toxicology results haven't been made public yet.
Highlights:
00:01.420 Setting the Stage for a Deadly Convenience
01:46.260 The Allure of Kratom: A Mysterious
02:32.919 A Tragic Double Death at Ole Miss
06:24.300 Kratom's Dual Nature: Sedative and Stimulant
14:38.930 The Wild West of Unregulated Substances
17:15.550 Investigating the Deaths: A Forensic
32:13.920 The Aftermath: Arrests and Legal Implications
43:48.090 Closing Thoughts on Kratom's Impact
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Teen sisters Maggie and Mary Jenkins took a bus from their home in New Jersey to St Petersburg, Florida, in April of 1973. Maggie, 18, and Mary, 16, then hitchhiked from St. Petersburg to Key West and stayed with friends for a few weeks. On May 2, 1973, the Jenkins sisters had bus fare wired from their father but opted to hitchhike instead, as the teens were last seen alive on Stock Island, Florida, hitchhiking. On May 3, 1973, the bodies of Maggie and Mary Jenkins were found in Key Largo, about 100 miles from where they were last seen alive. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack open up the file and examine the investigation done by law enforcement at the time to try and determine why it took more than 50 years to identify a suspect! Another case involving great work by the original investigators and the new techniques created by Othram!
Highlights:
00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Chilling Case
00:10.590 The Joy of Road Trips with Jimmy Buffett
01:55.710 A Fateful Journey to Key West
05:20.440 The Brutal Discovery
08:10.060 The Extensive Search and Investigation
10:02.590 The Geographical Landscape of the Keys
12:29.429 The Nature of the Crime Scene
15:56.920 The Motivation Behind the Trip
32:36.080 The Investigation's Dead End
33:18.360 DNA Breakthrough and Resolution
42:27.219 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action
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Following a botched lethal injection attempt, death row inmate Christa Pike was revived by medical staff and is now awake, walking around, and reportedly confused and angry. Rather than a divine intervention, legal maneuvering and systematic operational breakdowns in Tennessee’s execution protocol led to her survival. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the forensic, procedural, and legal failures of Christa Pike's botched execution.
Highlights:
00:10.330 - Miracle in Nashville
01:18.160 - The Controversial Nature of "Miracles"
02:10.010 - The Execution Gone Wrong
12:47.080 - The Aftermath and Legal Implications
19:30.770 - The IV Fiasco and Medical Protocol
26:53.580 - The Future of Capital Punishment in Tennessee
27:47.140 - The Failed Execution of Christa Pike
29:54.650 - The Mechanics of Lethal Injection
37:34.260 - Legal and Political Implications
47:46.050 - Wrapping Up and Future Developments
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Many people following "True Crime" know the name "Texas Equusearch" and its founder, Tim Miller. Not everyone knows that Tim Miller is the father of Laura Miller, a 16-year-old who vanished September 10th, 1984, in the Texas coastal town of League City. For 17 months, Tim Miller worked with law enforcement and volunteers to find his daughter without success. On February 2nd, 1986, two boys riding their bikes through a field now known as the Texas Killing Fields, discovered the remains of Laura Miller and another woman who would not be identified for 33 years, Audrey Lee Cook. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the "Texas Killing Fields" in general and focus in on the murders of Laura Miller and Audrey Lee Cook.
Highlights:
00:10.289 Death Investigation and PTSD
01:26.040 The Texas Killing Fields
02:45.660 Tim Miller and Texas EquuSearch
11:12.740 The Discovery of Laura Miller and Audrey Lee
14:24.710 Investigating Crime Scenes and Evidence
20:24.900 The Isolated Location and Evidence Challenges
29:13.990 The Importance of Tim Miller's Quest
38:52.890 The Confession and Justice Served
40:12.130 A Father's Decades-Long Search for Truth
40:54.469 The Confession and Legal Pursuit
42:31.050 Justice Served, But at What Cost?
43:47.890 The Brutal Truth Behind Laura's Death
44:27.610 The Elusive Truth in Unsolved Cases
46:22.210 Accountability in the Texas Killing Fields
50:18.550 Reflections on Justice and Loss
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James Vlassakis was part of a group of men who preyed on the physically and mentally weak in their community, gaining banking and welfare information that created a waterfall of money that kept coming even after the victims were dead. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the case that became the subject of books, articles, and movies related to the deaths of at least 11 people, 8 of whom were found dismembered and dissolved in barrels filled with hydrochloric acid. James Vlassakis took part in the murders of at least 4 of the victims but turned rat for the state prosecution of the rest, negotiating a deal that allowed him to walk out of jail this month!
Highlights:
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The execution of Christa Pike did not go off as planned and she is currently on a ventilator in ICU as her attorneys file motion to preserve evidence. The Head of Tennessee's Prison System resigns after the failed execution. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack review the case and the botched execution attempt and look to the future of what happens next.
Highlights:
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Four days after Christmas on December 29, 1977, skeletal remains and clothing were discovered near the Firestone Tire plant in Wilson, North Carolina. After state and local police found the remains, a medical examiner said they belonged “to a white female, approximately 16 to 23 years old, who had likely been there for six months to two years." That was as far as the case seemed to go before it went cold. The case might have been cold but was never forgotten. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the investigation and how "Wilson County Jane Doe" was finally identified as a 15-year-old girl from Monkton, Maryland, Cindy Marcell Blizzard.
You can help! If you have any information regarding this case, please call North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Tip Line at 919-582-TIPS or email coldcases@ncsbi.gov or call Wilson County Sheriff’s Office at 252-237-2118.
Highlights:
00:01.420 Nostalgia for 1977
00:46.440 A Different Era of Parenting
01:29.430 The Case of the Vanished Teenager
03:00.480 Musical and Cultural Context of 1977
03:41.570 The Changing Landscape of Missing Persons
07:48.800 Forensic Challenges of 1977
12:13.420 The Firestone Plant and Highway Connections
22:05.080 Identifying Skeletal Remains
36:05.200 The Power of DNA in Solving Cold Cases
37:13.410 Closing Remarks and Call to Action
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The death of Hayden Panettiere has shocked millions of fans who watched her grow up in movies and on TV. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss her life and what led to her death as well as how her body was found face down sitting "crisscross applesauce" as well as the details surrounding her official cause of death and the newly released coroner investigation providing a much clearer picture of the scene.
Highlights:
00:01.400 — Welcome to Body Bags
00:10.490 — South Carolina Connections
02:27.690 — Hayden Panettiere's Troubled Past
03:51.180 — The Fateful Trip to Greenville
14:34.830 — The Deadly Arrival
17: 07.990 — Narcan and the Signs of Overdose
27:46.740 — The Autopsy and Toxicology Report
35:10.700 — The Fentanyl Connection
45:11.940 — Closing Thoughts on the Investigation
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