Criminology

In one of the most unbelievable identity theft cases ever uncovered, William Woods lost far more than his credit score — he lost his freedom, his name, and nearly his sanity after authorities mistakenly believed he was the imposter. This week, Mike and Morf examine the shocking decades-long deception carried out by Matthew David Keirans, a man who stole another person's identity in 1988 and successfully lived as "William Woods" for more than 30 years. What began with a stolen wallet at a hot dog stand in Albuquerque eventually spiraled into fraudulent loans, wrongful imprisonment, psychiatric institutionalization, and one of th...

In the summer of 1982, Father Reynaldo John Rivera was lured out to a location by a male caller who said they needed last rites performed. Father Rivera's body was found days later; he had been bound and strangled. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murders and disappearances of priests in the 1980s. There are some eerie connections between a number of priests who were either murdered or disappeared under suspicious circumstances. These connections have led many online to speculate about conspiracy theories involving a person or persons who wanted revenge. You...

In 1989, Rebecca Shaeffer was just hitting her stride as an actress. She was coming off a three-year stint on a television show, My Sister Sam, opposite Pam Dawber. Robert John Barbo had been stalking Rebecca, though she was unaware of it. His obsession would end in tragedy. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Rebecca Shaeffer and other instances of stalkers targeting celebrities. Stalking is a scary thing and often involves a person who knows their victim personally. But in the case of celebrities, stalkers don't really know their target but often believe they do. <...

Dating back to 2022, at least 11 scientists or people with high security clearance levels have gone missing or been murdered. This has caused speculation to run rampant and has fueled many different conspiracy theories online. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the missing and murdered scientists. But it's not just the online community that has fueled speculation regarding these cases. The White House, top lawmakers, and even the President have commented on the cases. It's been announced that the FBI will officially begin looking into it. You can help support the show through...

In May 2004, suitcases filled with body parts were discovered around the Chesapeake Bay area. It took the police some time to identify that the remains belonged to Bill McGuire. This was in large part because Bill had not been reported missing, so the authorities turned their attention to his wife, Melanie. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what the media has dubbed "The Suitcase Murder." Melanie told the police that Bill was violent towards her and had a gambling addiction. She did file for a restraining order against Bill, which gave her story more credibility. But...

Just before 11 PM on August 11th, 2009, Ryan Widmer called 911, requesting help at his home in Hamilton Township, Ohio. According to Ryan, His wife, twenty-four-year-old Sarah Widmer, had fallen asleep while she was taking a bath and accidentally drowned. Police quickly became suspicious of his story. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the death of Sarah Widmer. Ryan's story was picked apart, and discrepancies emerged. Also, the crime scene didn't seem to make sense. But the state's case was primarily circumstantial. And although Ryan has been convicted multiple times of Sarah's murder, there are many who believe...

On October 26th, 2015, 18-year-old Ebby Jane Steppach was reported missing. She was last seen leaving her grandparents' home in West Little Rock, Arkansas, around 8 PM on the 24th. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Ebby Steppach. Three years, Ebby's body was found less than 20 yards from where her car was found after she disappeared. Before she went missing, Ebby dropped a bombshell on her stepfather. Many people have pointed to deficiencies in the police work early on. You can help support the show through Patreon. We'd love to connect with...

On the night of August 8th, 2018, Thomas Perez Jr. of Fontana, CA called the Fontana Police Department to report that his father, Thomas Perez Sr., had been missing for about seventeen hours. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Thomas Perez Jr. Thomas caught the attention of the police by the way he was acting when they arrived. They also discovered that bleach had been used inside the house, blood in the house, and his father's mattress had been removed, as had some of his clothing. You can help support the show through...

Brendan and Christine Banfield had been together for nineteen years. They dated for many years, got married, and had a daughter named Valerie. The family was living in Herndon, Virginia, and because of their busy schedules they decided to hire a nanny. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what has been called "The Au Pair Murders" by the press. On the morning of February 24th, 2023, Juliana Magalhaes, the au pair, and Brendan Banfield called 911. They claimed they found Brendan's wife, Christine, and that she had been attacked by an intruder who turned out to be a...

The Oakland County child killer was responsible for the murders of at least 4 children in Oakland County, MI, in 1976 and 1977. Technically, we don't know whether it's a single killer or multiple killers. What we do know is that these murders shocked that area of Michigan and forever changed the lives of the people there, not just the families of the victims, but the entire community. Join Mike and Morf for the second and last part of a discussion on the Oakland County child killer. In this episode we focus more on the known evidence in the case...

The Oakland County child killer was responsible for the murders of at least 4 children in Oakland County, MI, in 1976 and 1977. Technically, we don't know whether it's a single killer or multiple killers. What we do know is that these murders shocked that area of Michigan and forever changed the lives of the people there, not just the families of the victims, but the entire community. Join Mike and Morf for the first part of a discussion on the Oakland County child killer. The perpetrator selected both male and female victims and dumped their bodies where they would...

In 2015, 22-year-old Asia Brown and her 2-year-old son Ashton Brown disappeared. On February 22nd, a friend of Asia called 911 to report her missing after she failed to show up to work for two days. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance and murder of Asia and Ashton Brown. On February 20th, Asia was active on her social media accounts and was seen on surveillance video at an Autozone store. But the police had few clues to go on, and virtually no tips came in after the bodies of both Asia and Ashton were found. <...

Valentine's Day is traditionally a special day filled with love and happy memories - but not all the time, and in this episode we are talking about the murders of Jodi Serrin and Carolyn Eaton. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murders of Jodi Serrin and Carolyn Eaton. Jodi was murdered on Valentine's Day in 2007, and the mysteries surrounding her murder took over a decade to solve. Carolyn Eaton's body was found on Valentine's Day in 1982, 10 days after she was seen with an unknown trucker. You can help support the show...

Nancy Guthrie was seen by anyone in her family just before ten PM on January 31st, when a family member dropped her off at her home. Police now believe that she was abducted from her home by an unknown assailant. This case has made headlines for weeks now, with new details coming out daily. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance and alleged abduction of Nancy Guthrie. Nancy's daughter, Savannah, is known to millions of people as a host on the popular Today show. That may have been one of the causes initially...

We're excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you'd enjoy: Mind Games. What if you could hypnotize yourself into a better you? Or…. secretly hypnotize others into giving you anything you want? That's the promise of NLP. Mind Games is an investigation into the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology that has quietly shaped industries, institutions, and belief systems around the world. Part science experiment, part investigation, part true crime thriller, Mind Games tells the story of NLP and its crazy cast of disciples, in...

On May 12th, 2022, eighteen-year-olds Hadlie Monroe and Kane Fairbank went on their second date. The first date went great, and Hadlie was excited. But this date went differently, with Kane attacking Hadlie with a knife. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Kane Fairbank. Thankfully, Hadlie was able to get away and survive. But, that same night, Kane went on to attack another woman. Law enforcement officials called Kane a budding serial killer once all of his plans were revealed. And Kane himself said if were out on the street he would continue his rampage. <...

Several shocking crimes took place within one specific area, Livingston County, MI. For years, investigators wondered if these crimes were connected and if there was some sort of deranged serial killer on the loose there. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Livingston County murders. Understandably, residents there were uneasy and they wondered if their friend, neighbor, coworker, or someone right next to them in a store might be responsible. You can help support the show through Patreon. We'd love to connect with listeners on social media. We are available...

James and Angela Craig were married in the year 2000. Over the next twenty years, they built a beautiful life together. They had six children — five daughters and one son. But sadly, and quite suddenly, in March of 2023, Angela began to experience serious health issues. She didn't know it then, but she had just days to live. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the death of Angela Craig. At forty-three, Angela lived a pretty active life and regularly exercised. She didn't have any kind of documented health issues, so this sudden turn in her health was unexpected. As...

Three-year-old Diamond and ten-year-old Tionda Bradley were reported missing on the evening of July 6th, 2001. That day, their mother, Tracey, had left them home alone while she went to work. She left at about 6:30 a.m., and she returned home to find the house empty just before noon. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearances of Diamond and Tionda Bradley. This is a case mired in suspicion and controversy. Much of that suspicion has been cast on Tracey and her boyfriend George for the inconsistent statements they've made over the years. ...

In this episode we are talking about the Weaver family. Ward Weaver Jr., Ward Weaver III, and Francis Weaver are three generations of Weavers who displayed vicious criminality. All experienced violence during childhood and went on to repeat the cycle of violence. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Weaver family. Ward Weaver Jr committed murder and sexual assault. His son Ward Weaver III abducted and murdered Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. His son Francis was ultimately involved in a murder as well. Nature vs. nurture is a question that comes up often in true crime...