Criminology

In 1987, Josefina Rivera escaped from Gary Heidnik and led Philadelphia police to his home, where they discovered three women chained and imprisoned in his basement and human remains in the freezer. Heidnik had spent years preying on vulnerable and intellectually disabled women, including a previous victim he kidnapped from a state hospital in 1978. Between November 1986 and March 1987, he abducted seven women and subjected them to horrific abuse, captivity, starvation, and torture. Two victims, Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley, were murdered. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Gary Heidnik. Rivera ultimately escaped and called the police, bringing H...

Eugene Horsch was arrested in June 2026 after authorities found drugs, illegal firearms, fake IDs, and law-enforcement credentials in his vehicle, leading investigators to his Philadelphia home. The investigation uncovered evidence connected to four missing women—Amy McHale, Blair Tonzelli, Maribel Fresses, and Gabrielle Amarando—with digital evidence suggesting Fresses and Amarando may be dead. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Eugene and Raymond Horsch. Eugene’s father, Raymond Horsch, who died in 2025, had a long criminal history and produced disturbing films and photographs depicting sex, violence, and apparent deaths. Investigators are now working through hundreds of thousa...

Today, we’re sharing a special look at a podcast we think you’ll like from our friends at ABC Audio and 20/20. It’s called “Burden of Proof: Luigi Mangione.” In this five-part series, ABC News Legal Analyst Brian Buckmire goes deep into the case of Luigi Mangione and Brian Thompson. He’ll unpack the murder itself, the two men at the heart of the story, and how this case has affected the conversation about healthcare in America.  This is episode one, “Christmastime in Altoona.” In this episode, the manhunt for the alleged shooter of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompso...

In the 1990s, a series of brutal murders and disappearances in Southwest Florida became known as the Hog Trail Murders. Investigators began focusing on Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. after survivor David Payton described being lured into Conahan's car with an offer of beer and money. Payton escaped by stealing the car, while another survivor, Stanley Burden, described being taken into the woods, tied to a tree, and attacked. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Daniel Conahan Jr. Multiple bodies were discovered in remote areas of Charlotte and Sarasota Counties, with several victims displaying similar injuries, rope...

In the 1990s, a series of brutal murders and disappearances in Southwest Florida became known as the Hog Trail Murders. Investigators began focusing on Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. after survivor David Payton described being lured into Conahan’s car with an offer of beer and money. Payton escaped by stealing the car, while another survivor, Stanley Burden, described being taken into the woods, tied to a tree, and attacked. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Daniel Conahan Jr. Multiple bodies were discovered in remote areas of Charlotte and Sarasota Counties, with several victims displaying similar injuries, ro...

On July 29, 2026, 60-year-old Shukur Aikebaer was at his home in Chino Hills, California, with his wife and 13-year-old daughter when the power to their house was intentionally cut. When Shukur went outside to check the electrical panel, two men ambushed him, shot him, and forced him into the trunk of their car. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Chino Hills kidnapping. A neighbor called 911 after hearing gunshots and screams, and deputies quickly located the suspects' silver Nissan Altima. After a brief pursuit, the passenger surrendered, but the driver, 67-year-old Zhengfeng Bo, opened fire into the...

For homicide detectives, their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don't get a lead within the first 48 hours. Adapted from the hit A&E true crime series The First 48, Crime House Studios brings you the podcast that drops you inside that critical window: the interrogations, the dead ends, and the breakthroughs that crack a case wide open. Each week, we revisit a landmark investigation from the franchise, pairing its signature investigative depth with immersive, long-form storytelling built for your ears. Real detectives. Real cases. Real stakes. New episodes every Thursday...

In 1992, 20-year-old Jennifer Judd was murdered in Baxter Springs, Kansas. Jennifer had been married for only nine days when she was brutally stabbed in her home. Her husband, Justin, immediately suspected his friend Jeremy Bryan Jones, but investigators initially lacked enough evidence to arrest him. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Jeremy Bryan Jones. Jones had a long history of violence, sexual assault allegations, drug abuse, and fleeing authorities. He eventually assumed the identity of John Paul Chapman. A fingerprint database error allowed him to avoid identification during multiple arrests in Georgia. ...

Although we aren't covering a new case this week, we wanted to bring you this replay episode from the Criminology vault. It's the Mississippi Burning case which originally aired on episode 49 in 2019. We will be back soon with an all new episode of Criminology. In the summer of 1964, three civil rights workers went missing in Mississippi. They were in the state working to help African Americans get registered to vote. Their station wagon was found burned and then their bodies were found after a 44-day search. The murders sparked a national outcry for justice and led to...

This week, Mike and Morf examine the baffling death of Alyssa Romine Olson, a deeply religious Arizona woman whose body was discovered in a shallow pond at Gilbert's Riparian Preserve in June 2016. Despite an extensive investigation, authorities have never determined whether Alyssa's death was the result of murder, suicide, or a tragic accident. Ten years later, the case remains one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in Arizona. You can help support the show through Patreon. We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available on the following platforms: <...

In June 1992, 35-year-old Samuel "Sammy" Wheeler was found murdered inside his Isuzu Trooper in Virginia's George Washington National Forest. His SUV had been riddled with bullets, wiped clean of fingerprints, and someone had unsuccessfully tried to burn it to destroy evidence. The investigation quickly focused on a bitter custody dispute involving Sammy, his fiancée, her estranged husband, and even Sammy's identical twin brother. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Sammy Wheeler. For years, accusations flew between those closest to him before investigators discovered the shocking truth: none of the prime suspects was r...

On the morning of July 31, 2022, Mackenzie Shirilla's Toyota Camry slammed into a commercial building in Strongsville, Ohio, at approximately 100 mph. Dominic Russo died instantly, while Davion Flanagan succumbed to his injuries shortly afterward. Despite catastrophic injuries, Shirilla survived. Join Mike and Morf as they examine the highly publicized case of Mackenzie Shirilla, the Ohio teenager convicted of intentionally causing a high-speed crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, in July 2022. Initially believed to be an accident, the investigation soon shifted as detectives uncovered evidence suggesting the crash had been intentional. <...

In June 1994, two closely connected deaths occurred in Rapid City, South Dakota. The disappearance of Tina Marcotte and the mysterious death of Tom Kueter fueled decades of speculation before advances in DNA evidence finally led investigators to officially close the case. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance of Tina Marcotte and the death of Tom Kueter. Tina disappeared after getting a ride after work when she found one of her tires had been slashed. She told a friend it was someone she used to work with named Tom. Investigators are sure they know what...

In 1987, Janice Christensen, a 31-year-old Ohio woman, went on a routine morning run that ended in one of Hudson, Ohio's most haunting cold cases. Her husband reported her missing after she failed to come home, and then went searching for her. He was the one who ultimately found her body. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Janice Christensen. Advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy ultimately identified her killer as Thomas Collier Jordan. Investigators connected him to other violent crimes while ruling him out in several infamous Northeast Ohio murders. You can...

In September 2023, authorities in Romeoville, Illinois, discovered one of the most disturbing family murders in recent memory. Inside a home on Concord Avenue, investigators found 32-year-old Zoraida Bartolomei, her partner Alberto Rolon, their sons Adriel and Diego, and the family's three dogs shot to death. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Romeoville Murders. The police investigation uncovered an affair between Zoraida and co-worker Nathaniel Huey Jr. Nathaniel initially cooperated with investigators but refused searches of his phone and vehicle, making detectives increasingly suspicious. What the police discovered next shocked everyone and was more bizarre than...

Although we aren't covering a new case this week, we wanted to bring you this replay episode from the Criminology vault. It's the case of the Pocatello Babysitter Murders which originally aired on episode 54 in 2019. We will be back with all new episode next week. Between 1978 and 1983, four teenage girls disappeared from Pocatello, Idaho. All four were later found deceased. There were similarities between the victims aside from their ages and gender. They all attended the same school. All went missing during the summer months, and three of the girls were either babysitting or due to babysitting...

In 1993, 19-year-old college freshman Tricia Lynn Reitler, an Indiana Wesleyan University freshman, vanished while walking back to her dorm after a quick trip to a supermarket. More than three decades later, investigators believe they know who was responsible, but Tricia's body has never been found, and no one has been charged in her case. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance of Tricia Lynn Reitler. The case eventually became linked to suspected serial killer Larry DeWayne Hall, who repeatedly confessed to and then recanted involvement in numerous murders. Authorities found disturbing notes, maps, and items...

On March 4, 2022, Kouri Richins called 911 after finding her husband unresponsive in their home in Kamas, Utah. Eric was only 39 years old and appeared healthy before his sudden death. An autopsy later revealed Eric died from a fentanyl overdose estimated at roughly five times the lethal dose. Investigators noted there was no known history of opioid abuse. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Eric Richins. Police began to zero in on Kouri, and what they uncovered during their investigation included allegations of financial fraud, poisonings, affairs, and life insurance schemes. ...

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a terrifying series of murders occurred connected to the so-called "Coin Shop Killer," believed to be longtime suspect Charles Thurman Sinclair. Multiple coin shop owners across several states were targeted using a chillingly consistent method: a friendly, knowledgeable customer would gain trust before returning to rob and murder the shop owners. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the "Coin Shop Killer." An interstate investigation linked the crimes at a time when cooperation between agencies was far less common than today. But there are still many unanswered questions involving these cases...

Serial killers. Unsolved murders. Investigations that gripped America. If you think you know these cases, think again. America's Most Infamous Crimes is a Crime House original hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, we go deep on one of the most notorious true-crime cases in American history. Not the quick recap version, but the full story told across multiple episodes every Tuesday through Thursday. From the serial killers who terrorized entire cities to the cold cases that still don't have answers, this is the podcast that takes you beyond the headlines and inside the investigation. <...