Forensic Tales

Latest Episodes:

Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

#293 - In the early 1970s, two young women from Stanford University—Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor—were strangled and left in remote areas just miles apart. Despite extensive investigations, both cases remained unsolved for decades.

Nearly 50 years later, a stunning breakthrough in forensic genealogy revealed their killer: John Getreu, a seemingly ordinary man with a violent past. Hidden behind the mask of a family man and community volunteer was a predator who had escaped justice for far too long.

This episode explores how preserved DNA evidence, advanced technology, and determined investigators finally brought long-overdue answers to two grieving families—and exposed a serial killer hiding in plain sight.

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Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

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Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arlis Perry Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

#292 - In 1974, 19-year-old Arlis Perry was brutally murdered inside Stanford University’s Memorial Church. Her body was discovered posed in a ritualistic manner, surrounded by religious objects—fueling decades of rumors about satanic cults and ritual sacrifice. Despite the collection of physical evidence, the case would remain unsolved for over 40 years.

Arlis’s murder became one of Northern California’s most haunting cold cases. But behind the layers of myth and speculation, forensic science quietly held the answers. Decades later, advancements in DNA and fingerprint analysis would expose the killer—someone who had been involved in the case from the very beginning.

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Arlis Perry Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geetha Angara Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

#291 - In 2005, chemist Geetha Angara vanished during her shift at a New Jersey water treatment plant. A day later, her body was found floating inside one of the facility’s massive water tanks—along with more questions than answers. Was it a tragic accident? Or a calculated murder perfectly concealed by the very environment she worked to protect?

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Geetha Angara Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Chambers Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

#290 - On a cold December night in 2014, first responders in Courtland, Mississippi, arrived at the scene of a car fire—only to discover something far more horrifying. Nineteen-year-old Jessica Chambers was found walking down a rural road, covered in burns and barely clinging to life. Before succumbing to her injuries, she tried to name her attacker. But what exactly did she say? And why has her case remained unsolved for nearly a decade?

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jessica Chambers Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Torrey Pines Beach Murders Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

#289 - Torrey Pines State Beach in California is a place where many come to find peace. But for two young women, it became the backdrop of unspeakable tragedy.

In August 1978, police officers responded to the beach, where they found the body of 15-year-old Barbara Nantais lying on the sand. She had been strangled and beaten to death, and one of her breasts had been severed.

Her boyfriend was also discovered nearby, suffering from a severe head injury that left him with no memory of the attack.

Six years later, 14-year-old Claire Hough was found just yards away from where Barbara had been killed.

Like Barbara, she had been beaten, strangled, and had her breast mutilated. The similarities between the two cases were undeniable.

For decades, these cases remained unsolved. But advancements in forensic science have reopened the investigation, leading to new suspects and questions about the true identity of the killer.

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Torrey Pines Beach Murders Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

#289 - Torrey Pines State Beach in California is a place where many come to find peace. But for two young women, it became the backdrop of unspeakable tragedy.

Her boyfriend was also discovered nearby, suffering from a severe head injury that left him with no memory of the attack.

Six years later, 14-year-old Claire Hough was found just yards away from where Barbara had been killed.

Like Barbara, she had been beaten, strangled, and had her breast mutilated. The similarities between the two cases were undeniable.

For decades, these cases remained unsolved. But advancements in forensic science have reopened the investigation, leading to new suspects and questions about the true identity of the killer.

Support

If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.

Support the show for as low as $3/month.

Credits:

Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell

Rockefeller Audio production

For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices