Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

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Millionaire businesswoman Pam Hargan and her youngest daughter Helen are found dead in their family home in McLean, Virginia. The strange and haunting crime scene puzzled investigators – was it a murder suicide or was it staged to look like one? There was conflicting evidence all around. 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant examines the suspenseful case in this 6-episode series, Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings. Detectives try to untangle mixed motives from mother-daughter discord, to sibling rivalry, jealousy and a family fortune. Find out if blood is really thicker when it comes to the Hargan family.

CBS News


    • Jun 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 19 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

    Presenting Up and Vanished Weekly: Peter Van Sant discusses Mark Stover

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 56:12


    When celebrity dog trainer Mark Stover mysteriously vanished, authorities were left with many unanswered questions. Soon into their investigation, they unearthed a dark love triangle, with Mark placed squarely in the middle. So what transpired on the morning of October 28, 2009, that left one man dead and another claiming self-defense? And more importantly, was Mark Stover the hunter or the hunted? Listen in as Peter Van Sant sits down with journalist Maggie Freleng and the two go behind the scenes of "Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, The Heiress and the Bodyguard," a culmination of Peter's years-long investigation into this twisty case. From Tenderfoot TV - new episodes of "Up and Vanished Weekly" with Maggie Freleng and Payne Lindsey release every Wednesday on all listening platforms. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Time Will Tell

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 38:02


    Mark Stover's body was still missing when the trial over his death began. Michiel Oakes said the body would prove his innocence, and that he would reveal everything when he took the stand. Get ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Put Up or Shut Up

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 35:49


    Detectives compare how the evidence found at Mark Stover's house measures up to Michiel Oakes' version of events. They discovered cell phone records, witnesses, and surveillance video that painted a more premeditated picture. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The Bundle in the Back

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 32:23


    Michiel Oakes said he tried to negotiate with Mark Stover to end the vicious back and forth. But the way he told the story, everything went wrong during their final meeting, on October 28th, 2009. The day Mark disappeared and the day Michiel was pulled over by police. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Secret Meetings

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 32:35


    After police got an anonymous tip that Mark Stover was transporting drugs, he became paranoid that Linda Opdycke was out to get him. In a battle between exes, each side claimed the other was escalating the situation to a deadly point of no return. That's when Linda's new boyfriend Michiel Oakes said Mark found a new target. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The Hunter

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 35:48


    Linda Opdycke fled her family's property and lived on the run, determined to separate from her husband Mark Stover. In her efforts to defend herself against what she called his relentless stalking and harassment, Linda met a former security expert who thought he could help her deal with her ex. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Puppy Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 34:08


    Mark Stover trained the dogs of the rich and famous. When Linda Opdycke, the daughter of a multi-millionaire, hired him to train her new attack dog, they started combining business and pleasure. Their partnership lasted for more than a decade before disputes between the two ripped their lives apart. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts. Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Trained to Kill - Coming April 9

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 2:39


    When celebrity dog trainer Mark Stover disappeared from his home in Washington State, leaving behind a scene covered in blood, no one knew if Mark was the victim or the perpetrator. As detectives unraveled the clues, they discovered a twisted story fueled by a love triangle between Mark, his heiress ex-wife, and her new boyfriend. Was Mark the hunter, or the hunted? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Where is Erin? | Presenting "48 Hours: NCIS": 8

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 9:54


    Marine wife Erin Corwin was just 19 years old when she disappeared in California's Joshua Tree National Park. Nearly two months later, her body was found in an abandoned mine in the unforgiving desert, and suspicions quickly fell on a fellow Marine. Here's a preview of the new podcast, “48 Hours: NCIS”, which merges the award-winning journalism of one of the most celebrated true crime news programs with the world's #1 TV franchise, to bring you the real-life cases that NCIS agents will never forget. This 6-episode premiere season of “48 Hours: NCIS”, hosted by CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales, untangles this twisted story of infidelity and betrayal that led to Erin's tragic end. Listen to the series now by searching for "48 Hours: NCIS" wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Listen Now: Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 2:41


    Ruthie Mae McCoy's frantic 911 call stated, “They want to come through the bathroom.” Nearly three days later, police found her shot to death, her apartment breached through her bathroom medicine cabinet. In the new "48 Hours" podcast, Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, Chicago native and journalist Dometi Pongo uncovers the terrifying reality of McCoy's murder, which was one of the inspirations for the “Candyman” horror franchise.Listen to "Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder" now wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Moonless Night | Murder in the Orange Grove from 48 Hours: 7

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 34:15


    On a moonless night, a terrifying tale unfolded involving an alleged kidnapping and a murder, all within a timeline that didn't quite add up. 19-year-old Kim Hallock found herself at the center of a traumatic event – one that would forever change the trajectory of her life, that of her ex-boyfriend Charles "Chip" Flynn, and a man named Crosley Green.Listen to new episodes of Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green every Wednesday on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Is Crosley Green Innocent? | Murder in the Orange Grove from 48 Hours

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 3:31


    In 1990, Crosley Green, a Black man, was convicted of shooting Chip Flynn and was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. Green claimed innocence, but, despite inconsistencies in the case, his pleas were left unheard. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty has followed Green's case for 25 years, examining the missing pieces throughout his trial and the aftermath. Out of all the cases Erin has covered, this is the one that troubles her the most. Now, Erin is shining a new light on the case that may bring Green's freedom.Listen to new episodes of Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green every Wednesday on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    The Aftermath: 6

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 29:32


    How to make sense of this incomprehensible tragedy? Detective Brian Byerson has been in touch with Ashley Hargan weekly since her mother and sister were killed. She not only testified at trial; she made some dramatic moves after she discovered the truth.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Toe on the Trigger: 5

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 23:51


    Detectives finally arrest a suspect in the Hargan family murders. But at trial, defense attorneys argue a new theory for how the killings might have happened. And that theory might cast enough doubt to throw the entire trial into question.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    The Impersonator: 4

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 28:51


    Investigators think they know who killed the Hargan women, but can't seem to get a confession. Then, a representative from Capital One bank sent them recordings of some strange phone calls made the day before the shootings. Someone pretending to be Pamela Hargan called the bank wanting a wire transfer for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those recordings would expose a motive.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    A Killer in Plain Sight: 3

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 27:10


    When detectives started investigating the deaths of Helen and Pamela Hargan, they came to a much different conclusion than the first responders on the scene. This was not a murder-suicide; it was a double homicide. But who could have killed the mother and daughter? Police began to zoom in on a single, shocking suspect.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    The Boyfriend: 2

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 27:53


    On the day that Helen Hargan and her mother Pamela were found dead, Helen's boyfriend Carlos spent hours convincing 911 dispatchers to send help to the Hargan house. By the time police arrived, it was too late. But Carlos' story would blow a hole in the theory that the Hargan killings were a murder-suicide.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series is widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Home From Texas: 1

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2024 26:12


    Pamela Hargan lived in a wealthy Virginia suburb, surrounded by family: her daughters Megan and Helen and her granddaughter all lived with her in her million-dollar home. From the outside, the Hargan women had it all. But when Pamela and Helen were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, detectives had to ask: what was going on inside the Hargan household?Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series will be widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts starting May 8th.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    A Betrayal Like No Other — Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 2:58


    Pamela Hargan was a successful businesswoman and a devoted mother to three adult daughters. The Hargans were a typical suburban family until one day, Pamela was gunned down in her own home and her youngest daughter, Helen, was found dead upstairs. 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant unpacks the web of evidence from the complex case of the Hargan killings, revealing treacherous motives of jealousy and a family fortune.Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings by subscribing to 48 Hours Plus on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app. The series will be widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts starting May 8th.Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENoSubscribe to Wondery+: https://wondery.com/plus/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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