Episodes

Elisa Lam took a solo trip to Los Angeles, California in late January 2013 and found herself staying at the Cecil Hotel- a historic, yet run down hotel in one of America's roughest neighborhoods. Only days into her trip, she mysteriously disappears and her family reports her missing shortly after. The search for the 21-year-old Canadian tourist results in one of the most captivating missing person's cases in recent history. Theories about what happened to Elisa revolve around a mysterious surve...

Tess Richey went for a night out with friends at a local Toronto drag bar in November 2017. When her friends and family don't hear from her at all the next day, they become increasingly worried and file a missing person's report. This begins a frantic search by her family and a lackluster attempt by local police to find the missing woman- and the police's seemingly uninterested search efforts result in a devastating discovery by Tess' own mother, only days after she was last seen alive. Questio...

Tera Smith was a typical teenager living in Redding, California in 1998. One August night, she went for a short jog before a scheduled shift at the family-run business but she never showed up for her shift, and was never seen again. Instantly, her family and local authorities swung into action in hopes of finding the 16-year-old. The only leads that surface point to Troy Zink- Tera's taekwondo instructor whom it's believed she was having an inappropriate relationship with. As the police (and Te...

Mirna Salihin and her friend Hani Boon made their way to an upscale Jakarta café on January 6, 2016 to meet up with an old college friend. Only seconds into the meeting, Mirna loses consciousness and begins convulsing, with foam coming from her mouth. She tragically dies en route to the hospital and an investigation into her death immediately begins. It's not long before her cause of death is revealed and an unusual suspect emerges. During the course of the investigation, police are led down a ...

*This episode contains audio footage that may be triggering to hear. Please use discretion when listening to this episode* In the early morning hours of August 8, 2014, 26-year-old Warriena Wright falls to her death from a balcony 14 floors above the ground. Immediately, questions about what happened to her abound. Only days later, 28-year-old Gable Tostee is arrested for her murder and as it turns out, the answers to what happened that night lie on a three-hour-long audio tape recorded by Gabl...

* WARNING: This episode contains topics such as sexual assault and violence that may be triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion when listening to this episode* No one joins a cult; everyone joins a good thing, but once you’re in too deep, it can be impossible to tell the difference. Our 4-part cult miniseries concludes with a discussion about one of the most notorious cults in history. Founded by Keith Raniere in the late 1990's, NXIVM began as a series of self-help "Executive Succ...

*WARNING: This episode contains disturbing audio clips and discussions which may be triggering and difficult to listen to. Discretion is strongly advised. * No one joins a cult; everyone joins a good thing, but once you’re in too deep, it can be impossible to tell the difference. A cult conversation wouldn’t be complete without Jonestown, the Peoples Temple, and its monstrous leader Jim Jones. The Peoples Temple was supposed to be a beacon of hope for Jim Jones’ followers. Instead, it developed...

No one joins a cult; everyone joins a good thing, but once you’re in too deep, it can be impossible to tell the difference. In 1958, Charles E. Dietrich Sr set out to do a good thing: create a drug rehabilitation center that was more inclusive, unlike AA which he found to be limiting. What started out as a new-wave addiction treatment movement turned into a violent and dangerous cult that was existing in plain sight and operating very differently on the inside than was being shown to the outsid...

No one joins a cult; everyone joins a good thing, but once you’re in too deep, it can be impossible to tell the difference. Join us for week one of our Cults Miniseries where we dive into the Children of God which masqueraded as a peace-loving, happy community to the outside but had a sinister reality for those on the inside. Riddled with abuse and sex trafficking this international cult ruined many lives and there are still thousands of cults active today praying on anyone they can get their h...

On a high school graduation trip to Aruba with her classmates, 18-year-old Natalee Holloway disappeared. She was last seen leaving a popular bar in a car with three men- but then never showed up at the airport to return home the next day. Upon hearing news of her disappearance, Natalee's parents immediately travelled to Aruba to assist in the search for their daughter but nearly 17 years later, no clear answers (or Natalee) have ever been found. This week, we tell you the full story of the high...

On July 7, 2013, Oklahoma police receive a series of distressing 911 calls from two people stating they were lost in the woods. This sets into motion one of the most bizarre and mysterious missing persons cases we've ever heard of. Molly Miller and Colt Haynes found themselves abandoned and lost in an unfamiliar wooded area after being chased by local police in a car driven by a mutual friend, who may know more than he lets on. An unsuccessful search for the pair results in a years-long mystery...

On January 12, 2022, 37-year-old Elnaz Hajtamiri was abducted from her home after three men dressed as police officers showed up at her doorstep declaring they had a warrant for her arrest. Dragging her from the home and into a getaway car, she was never seen again. Immediately, the police launched an investigation to find Elnaz and bring her home, but so far the case remains unsolved. Since January, news reports have revealed that Elnaz was the victim of another violent attack just a month pri...

*Trigger Warning- This case involves discussions surrounding child sex abuse and child sex-trafficking that may be triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion when listening to this episode* In this two-part episode, we discuss the disappearance of Johnny Gosch- a 12-year-old paperboy from West Des Moines, Iowa who was abducted during his routine paper route in the early morning hours of September 5, 1982. For forty years, this case has perplexed the public due to the lack of police r...

*Trigger Warning- This case involves discussions surrounding child sex abuse and child sex-trafficking that may be triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion when listening to this episode* In this two-part episode, we discuss the disappearance of Johnny Gosch- a 12-year-old paperboy from West Des Moines, Iowa who was abducted during his routine paper route in the early morning hours of September 5, 1982. For forty years, this case has perplexed the public due to the lack of police r...

Alex Rodda was only fifteen when he started an online sexual relationship with Matt Mason, an eighteen-year-old with a girlfriend and a dark secret. Not only was Alex a minor, but Matt was still hiding his true self and did not want anybody in his life to know the details about this secret part of his identity. As their illicit relationship continues, Alex becomes hellbent on telling Matt's girlfriend about the nature of their online encounters. As a result, Matt decides that he's willing to do...

The use of modern technology has both positive and negatives. This week, we discuss two cases that expose the dark side of social media- platforms that allowed monsters to enact their murderous desires. First, Katie tells the story of Jenae Gagnier, better known to her millions of followers as Mercedes Morr- who rose to social media fame due to her provocative posts. In late August 2021, everything changed for her when one "fan" decided to take it much too far and go to her home with murder on ...

In our season 3 premiere, we invite Jia Wertz back to the show to discuss a case covered in her new podcast series, "Speaking Of Crime". Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner were a married couple who were murdered near Moab, Utah in August 2021. The women were last seen shortly after midnight on August 14 after a night out with friends. A few days later, a family friend went looking for them and found them dead at their campsite with multiple gunshot wounds. Sadly, the women mentioned to their frie...

In part I of our season 2 finale, we discuss the high profile Madeleine McCann case- a case which is still highly debated and unsolved to this day. The McCann family was vacationing in Praia Da Luz, Portugal in May 2007 when their three-year-old daughter Madeleine was abducted from her bed while her parents were at a restaurant with friends only feet away from Apartment 5A. Shortly after her abduction, the Portugal police begin an investigation into the missing toddler only to quickly zero on t...

In part 2 of our season finale, our discussion about the high-profile Madeleine McCann case continues! In this episode, we discuss the various strange occurrences that took place in the days immediately preceding and following Madeleine's abduction. This includes a suspicious non-profit orphanage scam that almost had devastating consequences for one mother and her daughter, a strange woman mysteriously looking for someone to deliver her new daughter to her, and multiple reports of strange men l...

In this special bonus episode, we bring you the latest updates on cases we've covered in the past! This time, those updates include: the status of the Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case (S01E01), a follow up on the Turpin children (S01E04), a big Barry & Honey Sherman update (S01E10) and follow-up on former cop Amber Guyger's appeal process (S02E13). FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: @crimefamilypodcast Twitter: @crime familypod1 Facebook: Crime Family Podcast Email: crimefamilypodcast@gmail....

The Muskoka region of Ontario is usually a beautiful summer destination for cottage owners in Canada, but this week we tell you the story of its dark underside: a side of the community that centers around one family whom many suspect to be responsible for a string of murders from the 1990's. After 77-year-old Joan Lawrence went missing in the fall of 1998, the Laan family was at the center of rumors and speculation about what could have happened to her. The police investigation that follows unv...

When Stefano Savioli was murdered on Cortes Island, BC, the RCMP offer up very little detail about what happened that night in 2010. Over a decade later, not even an official cause of death has been released leaving a sense of uneasiness looming over the island. Chantel Gillade was only 28 years old when her life was tragically stolen from her. Her death sparked rumours of connections with a Canadian serial killer, but no suspect has been named in this case, over 2 decades later. FIND US ON SOCI...

Christina Whittaker went missing without a trace on November 13, 2009, from the town of Hannibal, Missouri and for years her disappearance has led to more questions than answers. When filmmaker Christina Fontana vows to crack the case for her documentary 'Relentless', it leads her down a path of twisted secrets, mysterious leads and many many red herrings. To this day, the events surrounding her disappearance are still a total mystery with rumours running rampant about what really happened. This...

In 2014, a touching photo of 12-year-old Devonte Hart went viral- a young black boy hugging a white police officer among protests for racial justice. It was dubbed "the hug felt around the world" and painted a picture of a socially conscious and loving family. However, what has happening behind closed doors was far from loving and it all begins when Jennifer and Sarah Hart adopt six children and begin displaying snapshots of their so-called "perfect" life on social media. The real story is one o...