Podcast

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Aud

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Episodes

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Christine Banfield & Joseph Ryan

This Crime Junkie episode examines the deaths of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan in Herndon, Virginia. What initially appeared to be a home invasion turned deadly reveals itself to be something far more sinister. Christine's husband Brendan, a federal IRS agent, claims he shot an intruder who was attacking his wife, but the intruder, Joseph Ryan, appears to have been lured to the home through messages on FetLife, a BDSM social networking site. Someone using Christine's identity as 'Anastasia9' arranged a violent sexual roleplay encounter, providing specific instructions that led Ryan to arrive at exactly the time when Christine would be vulnerable. As investigators dig deeper, the seemingly straightforward home defense case unravels into a complex murder plot. Joseph Ryan was not a violent criminal but a compassionate man who cared for his aging grandparents and participated responsibly in BDSM communities. The evidence suggests he was set up and executed as part of the same plan that killed Christine. The au pair, Juliana Perez Magalhanes, who lived with the family and claimed to fire one of the shots, becomes a key figure in understanding what really happened. Prosecutors ultimately determined this was a premeditated double murder, with two people now serving time for orchestrating one of the most twisted plots the hosts have encountered.

67 min•murder investigation · BDSM community

Crime Junkie

MISSING: Brittany Wallace Shank

This Crime Junkie episode investigates the disappearance of 23-year-old Brittany Wallace Shank, who vanished on November 30, 2018, near Sturgis, Michigan. Brittany showed up barefoot and bleeding at a stranger's door on a freezing November night, claiming her boyfriend had wrecked their car and abandoned her. When help was on the way, she mysteriously fled into the darkness and has never been seen since. The episode explores the confusing circumstances surrounding her disappearance, including conflicting accounts about who she was with that night. Her boyfriend Sheldon claimed he wasn't with her and that she had borrowed his car alone, but witnesses at her grandmother's house saw her doing laundry with an unidentified man matching some of Sheldon's physical characteristics. The investigation reveals Brittany was struggling with substance abuse, had recently lost custody of her four children, and had a warrant out for her arrest. The case is complicated by questions about her relationships, potential drug connections, and why she would flee just before help arrived.

75 min•Missing Person · Michigan Crime

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Alberta O. Jones

This episode investigates the 1965 unsolved murder of Alberta O. Jones, a groundbreaking African American attorney and prosecutor in Louisville, Kentucky. On August 4, 1965, Jones was lured out late at night by her friend Gladys Wyckoff to pick up a wig and discuss legal matters. Despite her recent fears due to her civil rights work, she left Gladys's house around 1:30-2:00 AM and was found dead hours later, floating face-down in the Ohio River. She had been beaten and drowned, with her body discovered by boys walking along the riverbank. The investigation revealed a trail of evidence including her scattered shoes found near the Sherman Minton Bridge, her rental car (a white Ford Fairlane) abandoned two miles from where her body was found, and blood throughout the vehicle's backseat. Witnesses reported hearing screams around 2:15 AM and saw a woman being dragged into a light-colored Ford by multiple men. Despite numerous fingerprints, hair samples, and blood evidence found in the car, the case remains unsolved after 60 years. The episode explores various theories including robbery gone wrong, civil rights-related violence, and potential police misconduct or evidence tampering that may have contributed to the case going cold.

56 min•unsolved murder · civil rights era

Crime Junkie

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Tripp Brazeale

In November 2024, 15-year-old Tripp Brazeale was found hanging from a tree in the middle of the woods of Forrest City, Arkansas. His death was quickly ruled a suicide, but in the weeks and months that followed, details of the case began to emerge that led Tripp's family, friends, and a private investigator to realize things might not be as clear-cut as they were led to believe.

77 min•

Crime Junkie

WARNING: AI Voice Cloning and Virtual Kidnappings

This Crime Junkie episode explores the terrifying reality of AI-powered virtual kidnapping scams through the story of Jennifer DeStefano. In January 2023, Jennifer received a phone call where she heard what she believed was her 15-year-old daughter Brianna crying and begging for help, with a man demanding $50,000 ransom. The four-minute ordeal was completely fabricated using AI voice cloning technology, as Brianna was safely at home with her father the entire time. The incident highlights how scammers can now replicate someone's voice, including their unique emotional characteristics, using as little as three seconds of audio from social media or other sources. The episode reveals that these deepfake voice scams are exploding in frequency, with AI voice cloning software costing as little as $5 per month and requiring minimal technical expertise. Virtual kidnapping scams operate like call centers, often from outside the U.S., particularly Mexico, targeting families in the southwestern United States. Law enforcement struggles to investigate these crimes because they often originate internationally and many victims never report them out of embarrassment or because police dismiss them as pranks with no actual crime committed. Jennifer's case gained national attention and led to her testifying before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on AI regulation, though comprehensive federal legislation remains elusive.

24 min•AI voice cloning · virtual kidnapping scams

Crime Junkie

SERIAL KILLER: David Meirhofer

This episode tells the story of David Meirhofer, one of the earliest serial killers caught using FBI criminal profiling. In 1973, seven-year-old Susie Yeager was kidnapped from her family's tent at a Montana campground. Her sister Heidi woke to find a hole sliced in their tent and Susie missing. The case drew parallels to an unsolved 1968 stabbing at the same campground. As FBI agents and local authorities searched desperately for Susie, a mysterious caller began making ransom demands, demonstrating knowledge only the kidnapper would have. The calls came from various locations, tormenting the family with vague promises of contact. Marietta Yeager, Susie's mother, refused to give up despite the family having to return to Michigan without their daughter. She maintained constant vigilance by the phone, recording any incoming calls. The case represented a turning point in criminal investigation as the FBI applied their newly developing criminal profiling techniques. The episode also mentions the disappearance of 20-year-old nurse Donna Lemon in the same area around the same time, raising questions about whether the cases were connected. The investigation stretched from Montana to Wyoming and Colorado as authorities pursued leads and the kidnapper continued his psychological torture of the family.

50 min•serial killers · criminal profiling

Crime Junkie

INTRODUCING: CounterClock Season 8

In this promotional episode, Ashley Flowers introduces Counter Clock Season 8, which investigates the 2008 Lane Bryant murders in Tinley Park, Illinois. On a Saturday morning, a gunman held six women at gunpoint in the clothing store, ultimately killing five of them. Despite having a surviving witness, a detailed composite sketch, and the suspect's voice on a 911 call, the case remains unsolved nearly two decades later. Ashley initially researched this case for Crime Junkie and received overwhelming tips from listeners, leading to more questions than answers. Host Delia D'Ambra takes over the investigation for Counter Clock Season 8, promising to dig deep into the evidence, timeline, and inconsistencies that have plagued this case. The preview suggests the investigation will explore unexpected angles including a church in crisis, a mental health center, gang connections, and the possibility of an inside job. The season promises to examine why this crime, which appeared straightforward at first, may actually be something much more complex and far-reaching than initially believed.

4 min•true crime · unsolved murder

Crime Junkie

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: The Jamison Family

This episode explores the mysterious disappearance and deaths of the Jamison family—Bobby, Sherilyn, and their six-year-old daughter Madison—who vanished on October 8, 2009, while looking at land to purchase on Panola Mountain in Oklahoma. Their truck was found abandoned on October 17th with their malnourished dog inside, along with $32,000 in cash, their phones, IDs, and a disturbing seven-page letter from Sherilyn detailing abuse and fear for Bobby's soul. Despite massive searches, no trace of the family was found initially, leaving investigators puzzled about what happened after they took a photo of Madison at 2:51 PM and returned to their truck. The case becomes increasingly complex as investigators delve into the Jamisons' troubled past. Both Bobby and Sherilyn struggled with prescription painkiller addiction, financial difficulties, and were involved in multiple lawsuits, including Bobby suing his own father and obtaining a protective order against him. Sherilyn had recently gone off her psychiatric medications, attempted suicide, and lost custody of her older son. In the months before their disappearance, the family reported their house was haunted by spirits, reached out to a pastor for help with demons, and had begun spray-painting strange messages about witches on their property. The episode presents a case filled with contradictions—domestic abuse allegations, supernatural beliefs, family conflict, and financial stress—all of which muddy the waters around what actually happened to this family seeking a fresh start by living off-grid in a shipping container.

52 min•unsolved disappearance · missing family

Crime Junkie

MISSING: Christopher “Cole” Thomas

On Black Friday 2016, 22-year-old Christopher “Cole” Thomas was driving through rural North Carolina with two coworkers. Hours later, the coworkers approached police and said Cole had suddenly panicked, pulled over, and ran into the dark, never to be seen again.

42 min•

Crime Junkie

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Spencer Irwin

In this episode, Crime Junkie investigates the mysterious death of 30-year-old Spencer Irwin, who was found naked and covered in dirt at the bottom of a loading dock in Fresno, California in August 2024. Police initially assumed he was homeless and died of a drug overdose, conducting no investigation and refusing to perform an autopsy. However, Spencer's mother Kelly Irwin refused to accept this narrative and began her own investigation, uncovering numerous inconsistencies and unanswered questions about her son's final days. Kelly discovered that Spencer had been trying to detox from alcohol and was planning to check into rehab when he disappeared. Despite police claims of an overdose, toxicology results showed only minimal alcohol (.03) and non-lethal levels of two prescription drugs. The coroner ultimately ruled the death as "natural causes" due to probable sudden cardiac death, despite Spencer being found naked in an unexplained location. Kelly meticulously traced Spencer's last known movements, including his walk to a Verizon store to fix his phone, but he vanished somewhere along the route and wasn't found until days later, with significant questions about the timeline and circumstances of his death remaining unanswered.

50 min•unexplained death · police negligence

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Brittany McGlone

In this Crime Junkie episode, Ashley Flowers explores the 2007 murder of 19-year-old Brittany McGlone in Winsboro, Texas. Brittany was found beaten to death in her boyfriend Jeff Stogner's bed after working an overnight shift. The case presents multiple suspects within a tight circle of people who knew she would be there that day, including Jeff and his family, a drug dealer named Cody, and a man Brittany had previously been intimate with. The investigation took a disturbing turn when Brittany's sister Hope revealed at the funeral that their grandfather, James McGlone, had been sexually abusing Brittany for years—a secret Brittany had only recently begun sharing with family members. The forensic evidence complicates the case significantly. While the scene initially appeared to be sexually motivated due to Brittany being found naked with her underwear missing, the autopsy revealed no sexual assault had occurred. Jeff's alibi checked out through surveillance footage of a trip to pick up his grandmother, though questions remain about the exact timeline that morning. The killer had showered at the scene, suggesting someone comfortable in the home. With James McGlone living nearby and potentially aware of Brittany's whereabouts, combined with his history of abuse and Brittany beginning to disclose his crimes, he emerges as a compelling suspect in this unsolved murder.

54 min•true crime · unsolved murder

Crime Junkie

UPDATE: Melissa Casias

The Melissa Casias case keeps unraveling, and the more we learn, the less anything makes sense. New details have emerged about the strange woman who showed up at Sierra's job to deliver $50 in graduation money, and the trail leads to a confusing tangle of mismatched names. Meanwhile, the family fracture has only widened, with a private investigator turning up the heat and the FBI now stepping in. Was Mark's theory about a subcontractor closer to the truth than anyone realized? Or is this just an

15 min•

Crime Junkie

MISSING: Melissa Casias

This episode follows the disappearance of Melissa Casias from Taos County, New Mexico in June 2025. When Melissa failed to show up for work at Los Alamos National Laboratory, her husband Mark and daughter Sierra discovered she had vanished, leaving behind her phones (which had been factory reset), wallet, keys, and work badge. The case immediately splits the family into two camps: Mark and his daughters believe Melissa left voluntarily, while Melissa's parents and extended family suspect foul play and grow increasingly suspicious of Mark's behavior and contradictory statements. The investigation reveals troubling inconsistencies. Mark initially told police he and Melissa had a normal morning, but later revealed they'd had a heated argument about her vaping. A witness reported seeing a woman matching Melissa's description stumbling along Highway 518, but police declined to investigate after Mark dismissed it. The family is divided on whether Melissa walked away from her close relationship with her daughter Sierra, who was about to start beauty school, or whether something more sinister occurred. The case remains unsolved with both theories actively debated.

91 min•Missing Person · Family Conflict

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Melanie Howell

This episode of Crime Junkie tells the story of 22-year-old Melanie Howell, who was brutally murdered in her Los Angeles apartment in 1976. Days before her death, Melanie had reported seeing a man watching her through her window, prompting her to stay with her boyfriend Dale. When she returned to her apartment to finish packing for a move, she was attacked by an intruder who stabbed her 47 times. Despite having a bloody fingerprint from the crime scene, the case went cold for nearly 40 years. In 2014, new fingerprint technology finally identified the killer as Paul Bustamante, who had died in 2006. The investigation revealed that Bustamante had also killed another woman, 27-year-old Elizabeth Wolfe, in Davis, California in 1977. Both women were in the process of moving and were attacked in similar ways. Strangely, the detective who solved the case never publicly revealed the killer's identity or documented it properly in the case files. The podcast team conducted their own investigation to uncover and share Paul Bustamante's identity, believing he may have been a serial killer responsible for additional unsolved murders.

23 min•cold case · serial killer

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Stephanie Casberg

This episode examines the unsolved 1969 murder of Stephanie Casberg, an 18-year-old waitress from Milwaukee whose dismembered remains were discovered along Wisconsin's Root River just one day before her birthday. The methodical dismemberment suggested someone with anatomical knowledge, while evidence scattered across multiple locations indicated the killer moved between Milwaukee and Racine County. Despite numerous leads over the decades—including suspicious coworkers, a mysterious man seen near the dump site, and various theories about motive—the case remains unsolved. Investigators have pursued multiple angles, from rumors about her father's disapproval of her interracial relationship to suspicious behavior by restaurant staff where she worked. Key persons of interest included restaurant manager R.S., who made odd comments about psychic predictions matching his initials, and cook Michael Bartelt, a Vietnam veteran who abruptly quit and left for Hawaii shortly after the murder. The case has recently gained renewed attention from Crime Junkie listeners, and detectives continue to follow new leads that emerge from the podcast's coverage.

50 min•unsolved murder · cold case

Crime Junkie

UPDATE: Laura Sweetman

On the heels of our investigation into Laura Sweetman’s death, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office fulfilled our FOIA request, providing new audio files—including recordings of Laura arguing with her estranged husband, Dave, and deputies’ interview with him. Laura was found dead in her Gilbert, Arizona bathtub in December 2013, and despite early red flags, her case was ruled undetermined and quietly closed. Now, these newly obtained materials raise fresh questions. Listen to our update on Laura

104 min•

Crime Junkie

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Laura Sweetman

This Crime Junkie episode investigates the mysterious 2013 death of Dr. Laura Sweetman, a pediatric neurologist who died seven years before her husband Dave Sweetman's business partner Nick Cordova was murdered. The episode reveals a deeply troubling pattern: Laura had recently discovered Dave's secret affair and child, filed for divorce, and obtained an order of protection after he allegedly held her hostage and threatened her. Friends and colleagues describe a controlling, abusive relationship where Dave belittled Laura and created a climate of fear. Laura was stressed about money despite her successful medical career, discovering Dave had started businesses she didn't know about and that people were calling her demanding money over Dave's bad deals. The episode explores why Laura's death remains largely unknown and uninvestigated—people are afraid to talk about it, specifically afraid of Dave Sweetman. Multiple sources describe Dave as manipulative and frightening, with Laura expressing fear for her safety in the months before her death. The case draws disturbing parallels to Nick Cordova's 2020 execution-style murder, where Dave stood to gain $8 million in life insurance. The hosts present a pattern of financial impropriety, alleged abuse, and suspicious circumstances surrounding deaths connected to Dave Sweetman, though they emphasize not all evidence points to him.

70 min•domestic violence · mysterious death

Crime Junkie

MURDERED: Nick Cordova

This Crime Junkie episode investigates the 2020 murder of Nick Cordova, a 40-year-old HVAC business owner in Gilbert, Arizona. On May 27, 2020, Nick's young children were FaceTiming with their father when they witnessed what appeared to be an attack. His wife Alicia heard screams and a bang before Nick stopped responding, prompting a frantic 911 call. When police arrived at Gilbert Air, Nick's HVAC company, they found him shot dead in his office, with his business partner Dave Sweetman present at the scene. Dave's account of events immediately raised red flags with investigators. He claimed two Hispanic men in green shirts entered the office to sell Freon, robbed him, knocked him unconscious, and fled—but his story contained multiple inconsistencies. Despite saying he gave the suspects "everything he had," police found over $1,000 cash still in his pocket. The crime scene showed signs of a struggle near Nick's desk but Dave's desk appeared undisturbed. Dave's handgun was the weapon involved, and surveillance footage that should have captured everything became a crucial piece of evidence. Six years later, despite mounting circumstantial evidence collected by Alicia, no arrests have been made in Nick Cordova's murder, leaving his family still fighting for justice.

52 min•unsolved murder · true crime

Crime Junkie

ARREST MADE: Lovers' Lane Murders

This Crime Junkie episode provides an urgent update on the 1990 Lovers' Lane murders case that was originally covered in March 2025. The episode recounts the horrific double homicide of 22-year-old Cheryl Henry and her 21-year-old boyfriend Andy Atkinson, who were found murdered on August 23, 1990, near a Houston location known as Lover's Lane. Cheryl was found naked with her throat slashed and evidence of sexual assault, while Andy was found tied to a tree, nearly decapitated. The episode details how the investigation unfolded from the moment Cheryl's sister Shane discovered she was missing, through the discovery of Andy's abandoned car with blood inside, to the eventual discovery of both bodies by search teams. The investigation yielded DNA evidence from semen found in Cheryl's body, which was groundbreaking for 1990, though there was no database to compare it against at the time. Detective Billy Belk led the investigation, interviewing numerous suspects including Cheryl's ex-boyfriend Erin, who notably refused to provide a DNA sample despite being one of many questioned. The episode promises an update at the end announcing that an arrest has finally been made in this cold case after more than three decades, highlighting the persistence of investigators and the power of DNA technology in solving long-dormant cases.

36 min•true crime · cold case

Crime Junkie

MISSING: Darrel “Bubba” Johnson Sr.

This Crime Junkie episode covers the mysterious disappearance of 67-year-old Daryl 'Bubba' Johnson Sr., who vanished from a crowded campsite at Conja's Lake State Park in New Mexico on June 29, 2024. Bubba traveled from Phoenix, Arizona with a family friend named Vanessa to celebrate a birthday party with 30+ people. After checking in on him around midnight, friends discovered him missing by 7 a.m., though his belongings remained in the car. Despite searches by authorities using drones, boats, and ATVs, no trace of Bubba has been found except for a phone ping near the campsite at 2:23 p.m. the day after he disappeared. The case is complicated by conflicting accounts about Bubba's relationship with Allie Diaz, at whose home he had been living. While Bubba's son Daryl Jr. and best friend Tony believed Bubba and Allie were in a romantic relationship, Allie insists they were only friends and that her actual boyfriend of 13 years, Ernie, was also at the camping trip. Witnesses saw Bubba borrowing a flashlight from neighbors around 12:30 a.m. and walking along the lake shore, though he appeared to turn back toward camp. Over a year and a half later, Bubba remains missing with no physical evidence, no recovered wallet, phone, or belongings, and no clear explanation for why he would have walked away.

29 min•Missing Persons · Cold Case