The Fall Line: True Crime

Latest Episodes:

Everything They Missed: The Wrongful Conviction of Andrew Hayes Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Danny Harris, a 55-year-old Air National Guard veteran, was murdered in his Tennessee apartment in 2007. Andrew Wayne Hayes, a man with an intellectual disability, confessed after a 27-hour interrogation and was sentenced to life in prison.

But podcaster Stephanie Tinsley believes the wrong person is in prison. Her investigation "Everything They Missed" has uncovered confession contradictions, untested DNA evidence, and investigative failures pointing to other suspects. Stephanie discusses her real-time investigation and her theory about who really killed Danny Harris, her introduction to the Tennessee Innocence Project, and the world of wrongful convictions.

The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Check out Everything They Missed wherever you get podcasts: https://www.everythingtheymissed.com/

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

The Disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little - A New Investigation Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Mary Shotwell Little vanished from Lenox Square mall in Atlanta on October 14, 1965. The 25-year-old newlywed's car was found the next day with blood evidence and unexplained mileage, launching one of the city's most intensive searches.

Now, a decade-long investigation by civilian researchers has uncovered previously unseen FBI files and identified new leads in Mary's cold case. The new documentary THE VANISHING: The 60-Year Unsolved Disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little reveals their discoveries and explores fresh theories about what happened to the Atlanta bank secretary.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have information about Mary Shotwell Little's disappearance or the murder of Diane Shields: Contact Atlanta Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (404) 546-4236 or Atlanta CrimeStoppers at (404) 577-TIPS (8477).

The Vanishing: https://www.scadshow.com/events/vanishing-60-year-unsolved-disappearance-mary-shotwell-little-2025-11-12

Jessica Noll's Five Roses: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/gone-cold-5-roses-2-womens-twist-of-fate-and-their-eternal-connection-to-a-citys-innocence-lost-forever/85-1654ea38-52b3-4d95-9f0b-32e5060b0bd2

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

In Memoriam: The Murder of Eric Nelams Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

We continue our coverage of the cold case of Eric Nelams, and his family's fight for justice. Army veteran Eric Nelams was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home in 2003, just days after refusing to take blame for an embezzlement scheme. His family believes the timing was no coincidence—and 22 years later, his homicide case remains cold.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have information about Eric Nelams' murder: Call Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at 334-215-STOP (7867). There is a $15,000 reward.

The Petition in Eric's Case: https://www.change.org/topic/nelams-en-us

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

Phenix City: The Murder of Eric Nelams Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Army veteran and father Eric Nelams, 32, was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home on September 26, 2003. Multiple suspects ambushed Eric in his carport while he was leaving for work in what police believe was a planned attack.

Twenty-two years later, Eric's murder remains unsolved. His family believes someone in the interconnected communities of Phenix City, Columbus, and Atlanta knows what happened that morning and why Eric was targeted for killing—and they've worked for decades to finally get justice for Eric.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have information about Eric Nelams' murder: Call Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at 334-215-STOP (7867). There is a $15,000 reward.

The Petition in Eric's Case: https://www.change.org/topic/nelams-en-us

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

System Stall: The Death of Shawna Toya Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

The Toya family continues seeking answers after discovering evidence they believe was overlooked—including another woman's ID found in Shawna's car and missing rent money.

MMIWR/MMIP advocate Darlene Gomez discusses systemic issues in Indigenous victim investigations and cold case challenges. The family shares how they honor Shawna's memory while continuing their fight for justice in this unsolved death investigation.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have any information that you feel could aid in a reinvestigation of Shawna Toya's death and the circumstances surrounding it: reach out to Darlene Gomez at the Law Offices of Darlene Gomez https://dargomezlaw.com or the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-843-STOP.

Darlene Gomez's non profit: https://www.mmiwr.org/

MMIWR Indian Country: https://mmiwrindiancountry.com/

Medicine Will Ride: https://www.medicinewillride.com/

Mother Nation: https://www.mothernation.org/

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

Lonely Morning Hours: The Death of Shawna Toya Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Jemez Pueblo artist Shawna Toya was found unresponsive in her car at an Albuquerque, New Mexico park on August 1, 2021, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family discovered evidence—another person's ID in Shawna's vehicle, missing rent money, and undocumented trauma on her body—that they believe warrants further investigation.

Our coverage features interviews with Shawna's mother, renowned traditional potter Geraldine Toya, and MMIWR/MMIP advocate and lawyer Darlene Gomez as the family continues seeking answers about her death.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

Darlene Gomez's non profit: https://www.mmiwr.org/

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

Missing Twice: No Body Homicides Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Forensic anthropologists Dr. Amy Michael and Dr. Jen Bengtson reveal a critical gap in missing-persons databases and unidentified-remains cases. No-body homicide victims—those identified as murdered, but without recovered remains—may not appear in forensic identification databases, creating problems for cold-case investigations and forensic anthropology work.

Their research examines how missing persons cases, forensic databases, and unidentified human-remains investigations may be disconnected, which can in turn affect victim identification efforts nationwide.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

Help SEMO solve cold cases (specify gift to anthropology program): https://semo.edu/giving/

Help FAIR Lab solve cold cases: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/34914/donations/new?designation=forensicanthropologylab

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

Killer Data: Serial Killers in the Modern Age, Part 2 Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Part 2 of our re-release of our interview with Enzo Yaksic. Atypical Homicide researcher Enzo Yaksic shares his perspective on cultural myths regarding the "average" serial killer, what—and who—has skewed our perceptions of serial killers, and why it's so important that experts, law enforcement, and consumers begin to understand what serial murder is, and how serial murderers operate in the modern age.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Buy Enzo Yaksic's Killer Data from any retailer or directly from the publisher: https://www.routledge.com/Killer-Data-Modern-Perspectives-on-Serial-Murder/Yaksic/p/book/9780367672706

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST:

https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Submit a case to The Fall Line: Submit a case here

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

Listen Now: Scamfluencers "Pharmacist Femme Fatale" Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

You never really know someone…especially online. In today's world, the power of influence can be the quickest path to money and fame, and it often ends in ruin. These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. On Wondery's new weekly series, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? From Black Swan Murder to a fake social media influencer to an audacious Hollywood Ponzi schemer, each season will take the listener along the twists and turns, the impact on victims, and what's left when the facade falls away.

Listen to Scamfluencers:

The Fall Line: https://Wondery.fm/Scam_TFL

Killer Data: Serial Killers in the Modern Age Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

A re-release of our classic interview with Enzo Yaksic. Part two will be out tomorrow. Atypical Homicide researcher Enzo Yaksic shares his perspective on cultural myths regarding the "average" serial killer, what—and who—has skewed our perceptions of serial killers, and why it's so important that experts, law enforcement, and consumers begin to understand what serial murder is, and how serial murderers operate in the modern age.

Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide

Buy Enzo Yaksic's Killer Data from any retailer or directly from the publisher: https://www.routledge.com/Killer-Data-Modern-Perspectives-on-Serial-Murder/Yaksic/p/book/9780367672706

Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions

Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST:

https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/

Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources

Submit a case to The Fall Line: Submit a case here

Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast

We have partnered with Libsyn to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email ad-sales@libsyn.com

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