Forensic Tales

Latest Episodes:

Rachel Nickell Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

It was a July morning on Wimbledon Common when Rachel Nickell took her usual walk with her two-year-old son. What happened next would send shockwaves through the UK and spark one of the most controversial investigations in modern British history. A young woman brutally murdered in broad daylight. A toddler left clinging to her lifeless body. And a police force so desperate for answers that they focused on the wrong man… while the real killer remained free for over a decade.

This weekend, I’ll be at CrimeCon UK in London, so I wanted to cover a case that left a lasting mark on the British criminal justice system. This is not just the story of a murder—it’s the story of a forensic failure, a media firestorm, and a long-overdue breakthrough that finally delivered justice.

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.

Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales

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

Rachel Nickell Jun 02, 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

Donna Macho May 26, 2025

Show notes

February 26, 1984. East Windsor, New Jersey. Nineteen-year-old Donna Macho disappears from her family home without a trace. Her car is found abandoned near a sewer plant, and her skeletal remains are discovered 11 years later in a wooded area near a farm.

At the time of her disappearance, the police had a promising suspect, but given the limitations of forensic testing in 1984, the case went unresolved for decades.

This is the story of a young woman's life cut short, a family's decades-long quest for answers, and the relentless pursuit of justice that finally brought closure to a nearly 40-year-old mystery.

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

Donna Macho May 26, 2025

Show notes

At the time of her disappearance, the police had a promising suspect, but given the limitations of forensic testing in 1984, the case went unresolved for decades.

This is the story of a young woman's life cut short, a family's decades-long quest for answers, and the relentless pursuit of justice that finally brought closure to a nearly 40-year-old mystery.

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

Barry and Honey Sherman May 19, 2025

Show notes

#281 - In December 2017, first responders arrived at a sprawling mansion in one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighborhoods. What they found inside would shock the nation. Barry Sherman, a billionaire pharmaceutical tycoon, and his wife, Honey, were found dead at the edge of their indoor pool.

No signs of forced entry. No note. Just two lifeless bodies and a scene that felt… staged.

At first, the authorities suspected a murder-suicide. But the Shermans’ family pushed back on these rumors, claiming the couple had powerful enemies, and the truth was far darker than anyone wanted to believe. Who wanted Barry and Honey Sherman dead? Was it a personal vendetta? A bad business deal or rival? Or something else far more sinister?

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

Barry and Honey Sherman May 19, 2025

Show notes

No signs of forced entry. No note. Just two lifeless bodies and a scene that felt… staged.

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

Holly Bobo Revisited: Case Updates with ABC News Senior Correspondent Eva Pilgrim May 12, 2025

Show notes

#280 - This week, we're revisiting a case that captured national attention and shattered a small Tennessee community—the abduction and murder of 20-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo.

It’s been over a decade since Holly disappeared from her home, sparking the largest search effort in state history. And while her remains were eventually found and a conviction secured, questions have lingered, and new developments continue to emerge.

Joining me for this week’s episode is ABC News Senior National Correspondent and co-anchor of Good Morning America, Eva Pilgrim.

Eva’s covered the Holly Bobo case extensively, and she brings critical insight into the latest updates and what they could mean for the case—and for Holly’s family

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

Holly Bobo Revisited: Case Updates with ABC News Senior Correspondent Eva Pilgrim May 12, 2025

Show notes

#280 - This week, we're revisiting a case that captured national attention and shattered a small Tennessee community—the abduction and murder of 20-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo.

Joining me for this week’s episode is ABC News Senior National Correspondent and co-anchor of Good Morning America, Eva Pilgrim.

Eva’s covered the Holly Bobo case extensively, and she brings critical insight into the latest updates and what they could mean for the case—and for Holly’s family

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

Angela Samota May 05, 2025

Show notes

#279 - She was young, bright, and full of promise. Angela Samota was a 20-year-old college student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She had a tight-knit circle of friends, a good boyfriend, and a future that seemed limitless. But on one October night in 1984, everything changed.

After a night out with friends, Angela returned to her apartment, and by morning, she was gone. Brutally raped and murdered, stabbed multiple times in what appeared to be a crime of unthinkable violence. But the case quickly went cold.

For decades, there were no arrests, no answers, just silence and a haunting sense that justice might never come. But Angela had one friend who refused to let her be forgotten. And years later, armed with nothing but determination and a relentless need for the truth, that friend would help crack a case that sat frozen in time.

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

Angela Samota May 05, 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