True Crimecast

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Au Pair Murders - Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

In the affluent suburbs of Fairfax County, Virginia, IRS Special Agent Brendan Banfield seemed to have the perfect life. But on the morning of February 24, 2023, when police arrived at his home, they walked into a horrific scene of a double homicide. Brendan claimed he had walked in on a handyman, Joseph Ryan, attacking his wife, Christine Banfield, and acted in self-defense.

But as the "Au Pair Murders" investigation unfolded, the story of a heroic husband crumbled. In this episode of True Crimecast, we dive into a twisted web of a secret affair between Brendan and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, and a chilling plot involving a fake fetish profile used to lure an innocent man to his death. We examine how a man trained to catch criminals thought he could use his expertise to stage the perfect crime—only to have his partner in crime turn into the prosecution's star witness.

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Courtroom Hail Mary - NCAA Athlete Lawsuits Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

In the high-stakes world of college football, a single season can be the difference between a multi-million dollar NFL contract and a life of "what ifs." But for many athletes, the NCAA’s strict eligibility clock is a barrier they are no longer willing to accept. From the "stolen" seasons of the COVID-19 pandemic to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) wealth, players are increasingly trading their cleats for courtrooms.

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Modern Abe Lincoln - Larry West Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

In 2021, a fatal confrontation in Morgan County, Tennessee, left one man dead and another behind bars. But as the case wound through the legal system over the next four years, it became one of the strangest files in the state’s history. The reason? The defendant repeatedly and adamantly claimed in open court that he was the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

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The Math Teacher’s Daughter - Carly Gregg Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

On a Tuesday afternoon in March 2024, Ashley Smylie—a beloved high school mathematics teacher—returned home with her 14-year-old daughter, Carly. Minutes later, the quiet of their Brandon, Mississippi, home was shattered by three gunshots. What followed was a chilling sequence of events captured on home security footage: a teenager calmly texting on her mother’s phone, a lure set for a stepfather, and a friend invited over to see a "dead body."

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The Volvo Heist - North Korea Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

In 1974, Sweden delivered 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans to North Korea, hoping to spark a new era of trade. The cars arrived, but the payment never did. Five decades later, the debt has ballooned into the billions, and the vintage Volvos are still being spotted on the streets of Pyongyang. This episode of True Crime To Go breaks down the largest "car theft" in history—a state-sponsored swindle that remains on Sweden's books to this day.

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Rampage - Shawn Timothy Nelson Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

On May 17, 1995, a quiet evening in San Diego turned into a scene out of a war movie. Shawn Timothy Nelson, a struggling Army veteran and plumber, breached a National Guard armory, hot-wired an M60A3 tank, and began a 25-minute path of destruction through suburban streets.

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Murder on the High Seas - Carman Family Deaths Feb 10, 2026

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In 2016, Nathan Carman was found drifting in a life raft eight days after his boat, the Chicken Pox, sank during a fishing trip. He was a survivor—but to the FBI, he was a cold-blooded killer.

This episode of True Crimecast explores the disturbing history of the Chakalos-Carman family. From the unsolved 2013 murder of Nathan’s multimillionaire grandfather to the "suspicious" modifications Nathan made to his own vessel, we examine the government’s theory that Nathan orchestrated multiple deaths for a massive inheritance. We also cover the shocking 2023 conclusion that left both families without a final verdict.

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Buried Bodies and Books about Mothers - Interview with Jarrett Ferentino Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

In this fascinating bonus episode of True CrimeCast, we are joined by homicide prosecutor and author Jarrett Ferentino to dissect one of the most polarizing ethical dilemmas in legal history: The "Buried Bodies" Case.

When serial killer Robert Garrow confessed to his attorneys, Frank Armani and Francis Belge, that he had murdered two missing women and hidden their remains, the lawyers did the unthinkable. They used Garrow’s hand-drawn maps to find the bodies, photographed the remains, and then… they stayed silent. For six months, while the victims' families pleaded for answers and searched the woods, the lawyers kept the secret to protect attorney-client privilege.

We sit down with Jarrett to discuss his new book, Mothers, Murders, and Motivation, and dive into the "prosecutor’s perspective" on a case that is still required reading in every law school in America.

Pre-Order: Mothers, Murders, and Motivation: A Journey Through the Mind and Heart of a Prosecutor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FVMGB3TS?tag=simonsayscom

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mothers-murders-and-motivation-jarrett-ferentino/1148497486;jsessionid=BDDF2BE4CAAEBEBDB49BDD6625C961A7.prodny_store01-atgap01?ean=9798895654620

Follow Jarrett on IG: @jarrettferentino

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Little Houdini - Christopher Daniel Gay Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Most fugitives run to escape the law, but Christopher Daniel Gay ran to find his way home. Known by the nickname "Little Houdini," Gay didn't commit violent sprees or masterminded conspiracies; instead, he became a national folk hero and a law enforcement nightmare through a series of daring escapes and one of the most bizarre vehicle thefts in history.

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Crime Scene - Nancy Guthrie Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

A quiet Sunday morning in Tucson, Arizona, turned into a national nightmare when Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, failed to show up for church. By Monday morning, what began as a frantic search for a missing grandmother escalated into a full-scale criminal investigation, with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declaring her home a "crime scene."

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