Forensic Tales

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Trial Recap: Donna Adelson Sep 15, 2025

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In 2014, Florida State law professor Dan Markel was shot in his driveway in what prosecutors called a calculated murder-for-hire plot. Over the years, three people—including Donna Adelson’s son, Charlie—were convicted for their roles. But investigators always believed the real mastermind was Donna herself.

In September 2025, after nearly a decade of speculation, Donna Adelson finally stood trial. Prosecutors leaned on phone records, wiretaps, financial transfers, digital breadcrumbs, and even testimony from jailhouse informants to argue she orchestrated the killing. The defense insisted the evidence was circumstantial and that Donna was nothing more than a grieving grandmother.

On September 4, 2025, a jury found Donna Adelson guilty on all counts. She now faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.

This special episode of Forensic Tales breaks down the forensic evidence, courtroom drama, and the final verdict that brought the Adelson matriarch to justice.

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Trial Recap: Donna Adelson Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

On September 4, 2025, a jury found Donna Adelson guilty on all counts. She now faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.

This special episode of Forensic Tales breaks down the forensic evidence, courtroom drama, and the final verdict that brought the Adelson matriarch to justice.

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Jasmine Porter Sep 08, 2025

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In February 1996, 36-year-old Jasmine “Jazzie” Porter was found dead in her Bronx apartment while her five-year-old son was left to survive alone for days. For more than two decades, her case went unsolved—until a cold case detective uncovered long-preserved evidence that changed everything. A DNA match pointed to a man with a violent past, already convicted of killing another woman years earlier. The case is still pending, with no clear motive identified, but after 25 years, Jasmine’s family may finally be closer to justice.

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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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Jasmine Porter Sep 08, 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.

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Katie Hamlin Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

In July 2002, the body of 15-year-old Katie Hamlin was discovered in a remote area of Cherokee County, Georgia. She had been brutally murdered, and her killer attempted to erase every trace of evidence by setting her on fire.

What followed was a years-long investigation that left a quiet community shaken. Police quickly focused on two suspects who pointed fingers at each other, but with crucial forensic evidence destroyed, the case stalled. It wasn’t until a determined mother, new forensic findings, and unexpected jailhouse confessions that prosecutors finally had enough to bring Katie’s killer to justice.

This is the story of Katie Hamlin, the search for truth, and the fight to bring her killer down.

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Katie Hamlin Sep 01, 2025

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This is the story of Katie Hamlin, the search for truth, and the fight to bring her killer down.

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Christmas Doe Aug 25, 2025

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#295 - In December 1988, a road crew in rural Ware County, Georgia, discovered an abandoned television console on the side of Duncan Bridge Road. Inside was a black suitcase. Inside that suitcase, a duffel bag. And inside the bag — the body of a little girl.

For decades, no one knew her name. She was remembered only as “Christmas Doe.”

Thirty-four years later, advances in forensic genealogy finally gave her identity back. Now, investigators say they know who is responsible for her death.

This episode follows the heartbreaking story of Christmas Doe, the decades-long mystery of who she was, and how modern forensic science finally brought her 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.

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.

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

Christmas Doe Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

For decades, no one knew her name. She was remembered only as “Christmas Doe.”

Thirty-four years later, advances in forensic genealogy finally gave her identity back. Now, investigators say they know who is responsible for her death.

This episode follows the heartbreaking story of Christmas Doe, the decades-long mystery of who she was, and how modern forensic science finally brought her 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.

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

Patricia Meehan Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

#294 - In 1989, 37-year-old Patricia Meehan crashed head-on into another car on a Montana highway. She calmly stepped out, stared at the other driver—and walked away into the night. She was never seen again… or was she?

Over the years, thousands claimed to spot her across the country, yet not a single sighting was confirmed. Was it amnesia, a planned disappearance, death in the wilderness, or something darker? Decades later, her fate remains one of America’s strangest mysteries.

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

Patricia Meehan Aug 18, 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