Just two dog lovers talking about true crime, horror movies, and most likely our dogs too
Aye! Meaghan is on Christmas Break so that means it is time for a couple of new episodes! She is kicking things off with an unsolved case. Sara Anne Bushland was a 15 year old girl who was last seen at the end of her driveway one afternoon after school. Did she runaway? Was she met with foul play? The family has been asking these questions and many more for nearly 30 years. This case is full of speculations and theories so get ready.
From battling the State Line Mob to avenging his wife's death, Buford Pusser left his mark on Tennessee history before dying in a mysterious car crash. For our 100th episode, we tag team this story. Jesse takes on the story of Buford Pusser and Meaghan goes more in depth about the State Line Mob.
On June 19th, 2017, 14-year-old Kaytlynn Cargill took her dog to the park in her apartment complex. Two hours later, her mother found her dog tied to the fence, but Kaytlynn was missing. Police identified a 16-year-old boy living in the same complex as a possible suspect.
Matthew Winkler was the preacher at a small church in Selmer, TN. When he and his family failed to show for a Wednesday evening service, the congregation began to worry. Members of the church went to the preacher's residence only to discover that Matthew had been shot, and his wife and three young daughters were missing. The town would soon learn that the Winkler family had been hiding some secrets behind closed doors.
On March 27th, 2022, Cassie Carli was scheduled for a custody exchange to pick up her 4 year old daughter Saylor from her ex, Marcus Spanevelo at Juanas Pagodas in Navarre Beach, Florida. Cassie would go missing and ultimately be found dead a few days later. Two years later, a new bill, called the Cassie Carli Bill, would pass requiring designated safe locations for custody exchanges to prevent tragedies like hers.
In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew was predicted to be the worst storm system to hit Florida in the state's history. If the preparation wasn't enough, Palm Beach County Sheriff's office received a request for a wellness check. Upon arrival, law enforcement found the bodies of Lisa and Rita Bado. It would be a race against Mother Nature to secure and solve this crime. Unfortunately, this case would go cold for over a decade. Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, the killer was identified but it was never someone on police's radar.
On Sunday, December 13, 1998, Nikki Hurd and Peter Robertson decided to take their friendship to the next level and go on their first date. They would have never predicted the horror that followed. The couple would not be the only ones to fall victim to Kenneth Dewayne Williams.
Chris Benoit was a professional wrestler. He was one of the best to ever step into the ring. But at the tail end of his career, all his family and friends could see that it was taking a toll on him. On June 25th, 2007, sheriffs responded to a welfare check request by the WWE. Upon entering the Benoit residence, they found Chris, his wife Nancy, and his son Daniel all deceased. Investigators would rule later that it was a murder-suicide done by Chris Benoit. What could have driven him to do such an awful act?
On April 16, 1981, a badly burned body was discovered just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This will lead the Sandoval Sheriff's office to Charles "Sonny" Pearson, a biker living in the area. What they couldn't have known was that this man wasn't really who he said he was. Something else they couldn't have known was that this man was about to go on a several months long crime spree. It isn't until he is finally caught that his true identity was revealed.
*Listener recommendation by Jessica On today's episode of the Caught Red Pawdcast, Jesse takes us to Fort Smith, Arkansas to tell the story of the fun-loving, free-spirited Cassie Leigh Cotta. By telling Cassie's story, we hope that it'll inspire others to take a stand against domestic violence. One of her favorite phrases was "just keep swimming."
During the early morning hours on July 8, 2006, Kathy Augustine was found to be unresponsive in her home. Despite medical treatment, she would pass away days later. Foul play was instantly suspected. Was it due to her job as Nevada State Controller and the enemies she made as she climbed the ranks? Or was it someone much closer to her?
As an avid runner, Sydney Sutherland got her miles in every day. She didn't let anything deter her from her normal routine. Despite just returning from a family vacation the night before, and against her mother's intuition, Sydney headed out for her run on the afternoon of August 19th, 2020. When family and friends couldn't get ahold of her, panic set in. No one in Jackson County, Arkansas would have ever thought one of their own was a predator.
On April 13th, 1996, Earl Little walked into his apartment on the University of Miami's campus to find his best friend, Marlin Barnes, lying in a pool of blood and hanging on for dear life. Marlin's longtime friend, Timwanika Lumpkins, was found in the next room beaten badly as well. Police would investigate this double homicide starting with the discovery of a trigger guard of a shotgun found in the apartment.
Starting way back in the 90s, there was a man dubbed "Cowboy Bob" that was robbing banks in the smaller towns that surround the Dallas Fort Worth area. He is able to stump the FBI and local police for over a year because nothing appeared to be what it seemed. When they do finally catch their man, it'll turn out to be the biggest shock they never saw coming.
On today's episode, we discuss our trip to Nashville for CrimeCon! We discuss all the speakers and presentations we went to. It was a blast!
In May of 2019, one of our former Arkansas state senators, Linda Collins, was found murdered at her home. She had moved back to her hometown of Pocahontas after losing her reelection. Questions were raised whether her death was personal or the result of her controversial political views.
Maria Cruz gave the blueprint on how to move to the United States in search of a better life. She excelled in college and got her dream job living in New York. Then on April 13th, 2003, she went missing. Detectives discovered that she was scheduled to have a cosmetic procedure done at the office of Dean Faiello, who had a criminal record for forging prescriptions and operating without a medical license. Could this Dean Faiello character have something to do with her disappearance?
Back in 2003, a well-loved business owner named Janie Ballard was murdered in her Little Rock home. From looking at the crime scene, it would have appeared that Janie became the victim of a botched robbery. But, was it?
On this episode of the Caught Red Pawdcast, joined by a special guest, Jesse tells the story of a talented MMA fighter with all the potential in the world. Unfortunately, trouble just continued to find him. "Lightning" Lee Murray was well on his way to superstardom in the UFC until a series of incidents stopped that momentum in its tracks. With both feet already in the life of crime from a very young age, that's exactly where he turned. On February 21st, 2006, he was involved in the biggest cash heist in UK history.
This episode is considered a listener recommendation. One of our Pawd Squawd members sent Meaghan a book! During the summer of 1986 in the state of Washington, two complete strangers would die from the same thing. One was by accident, the other was intentional. Their deaths would nearly spark a nationwide scare, just like what happened four years prior in another city....
Between 2001 and 2014, a number of professional athletes including Dennis Rodman, Ricky Williams, Lex Hilliard, and Rashad McCants put their trust in financial advisor Peggy Ann Fulford to bring them generational wealth. In reality, this hire led to a lot of heart ache and empty bank accounts. Tune in to this episode to find out how!
For years, a man named Richard Scott Smith would win over the hearts of numerous women. He would become their dream man, sweeping them off their feet. There was a catch. This man had a secret agenda with every woman he was with. He would mesmerize her then leave her but not before ruining everything that the woman had worked so hard for. One day, a very scorned woman started a blog about him, which led many of his victims to come together to find him and stop him. With the help of an amazing bounty hunter, a couple of private detectives, and the show, "Love Fraud," Smith was finally exposed as the lying man he was.
27-year-old Keith Jones was a Marine Corps veteran and recent police academy graduate from Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1997, he was traveling across Florida stopping at law enforcement agencies in search of a job. He made a detour in Fort Myers to visit an old friend. They spent some time in his motel room, and all was going good until 4 men burst through the door. They robbed him, beat him, and shot him in the head. Was this a random act of violence or had it been planned for days?
Saturday, July 21, 2018 was just another day for the customers shopping at the Silver Lake location of Trader Joe's. Then, all of the sudden, they would hear a crash and gunshots. A man, on the run from the police, would end up taking them hostage inside the store. Because of this man's actions over the course of that day, there will be one fatality.
On March 22, 1989, Ann Marie Harrison was a 15-year-old girl who became the victim of two career criminals when they decided to abduct her while she waited on the school bus to pick her up. These two men were involved in several car thefts in the area. They would leave behind their trademark with every car. This would eventually lead the police to identifying them and connecting them to Ann's case.
In 1996, the small town of Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas was shaken by the murders of two of their own. In 2020, another murder occurs, and again, the town is in shock. What makes it strange is that the murders all happened on the property of the famous Snowden House. Are they connected or is it a coincidence?
In 1890, a beautiful Victorian era home was built in Quitman, Arkansas known as the Bettis Home. Gerald Bettis grew up there and was infamous for bringing home stray dogs and cats to torture. He became known as Dog Boy. He outgrew this obsession with hurting animals and turned his sights on humans. Long after his reign of terror, there have been stories told of the paranormal activity surrounding the Bettis Home.
On May 9, 2014, Pamela Carnahan would last be seen dropping her daughter off at her bus stop. Hours later, Pamela was found murdered in her locked apartment. One month later, another woman's body would be found not far from Pamela's crime scene. Were these two deaths done by the same killer or just a coincidence?
Once a month, some of the greatest minds in law enforcement get together in Philadelphia to discuss cold cases. This group of American heroes is known as the Vidocq Society, named after Eugene Francois Vidocq. He was the founder of the first private detective agency. The society's first case involved a wrongfully accused man in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1991.
On the morning of January 7, 2018, a woman ran to her neighbor's house, asking for him to call the police. She had come home to find that her house had been broken into and her two roommates had been shot. One roommate was dead and the other was fighting for her life. Was this a house invasion gone wrong or were the women targets? As the investigation continued on, evidence would show that one of the women had recently filed for divorce from her abusive husband. The National Domestic Abuse Hotline has different options for those who are seeking help out of a troubled situation. You are able to live chat on their site: www.thehotline.org. You can text "START" to 88788. You can call directly at 1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-799-7233
On July 10th, 1991 a young woman, known to her friends in El Dorado, Arkansas as Mercedes, was murdered in a motel room by James McAlphin. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Case was closed for him but investigators still had a problem to solve. Mercedes was living under a stolen identity and no one knew who she really was. If it wasn't for DNA technology and years of dedication from two women in blue, then the El Dorado Jane Doe's true identity might've never been discovered.
Can you think of anything worse than being cheated on? How about being cheated on and then being murdered? That's exactly what happened in this week's episode. Sharon Douglas Fuller Nelson Harrelson was a black widow. When she set her sights on a man with money, she would have him no matter what it took.
On June 24th 1966, a 13 year old girl, Cathie Ward was found dead after she spent a day horseback riding at Blacksnake Ranch. The ranch owner, Frank Davis, told police that she fell from the horse and her foot got caught in the stirrup. Then the horse dragged her through a field full of rocks and crystals. Frank Davis had a bad reputation around Hot Springs, Arkansas and for good reason. Cathie's death was ruled an accident but the investigation resurfaced after Frank was arrested for the murder of his wife less than a year later. Bitty Martin wrote about this story in her book, "Snake Eyes." She was a close friend of Cathie Ward. She spent years working on it and interviewed over 50 people. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
For more than three decades, St. Louis, Missouri, was haunted by the deaths of at least four women. All of their deaths were attributed to someone the media named "The Package Killer." The deaths happened between 1990 and 1991. One determined detective in 2008 would work for 14 years to solve these cold cases. Thanks to a DNA match in 2022, the man who committed these murders was finally caught.
After spending 8 years building an underground bunker, Peter Keller was finally ready to go through with his master plan. He was ready to throw his whole life away for a permanent vacation in isolation. In 2012, he set fire to his home with his family inside and he disappeared into the woods.
January 5, 1981 should have been just another Monday in the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. But, instead, a mysterious man would kidnap and murder four people over a car he saw for sale in a newspaper ad. Anita Paddock, in her book "Cold Blooded," does an amazing job at honoring the lives of Larry and Jawana Price, Holly Gentry, and Detective Ray Tate.
Lisa McVey is the definition of a survivor. From a young age, she went through hell and was ready for it all to go away. On the same day that she planned to take her own life, she was abducted by a serial killer. From then on, she wanted nothing more than to live. Her survival instincts kicked in and after escaping, she had a new chance at life. With her attention to detail, she helped the Hillsborough County Sheriff's department find and arrest the man who killed 10 women in Tampa, Florida in 1984.
Today's episode is a listener recommendation* In July of 2018, a University of Iowa student went for her nightly run and never was seen alive again. While searching for her, the police would come across the body of another young female. In this episode, Meaghan will cover the cases of both of these women along with another woman found less than 100 miles away.
On this episode, Jesse tells the story of a longtime Arkansas fugitive who escaped prison multiple times and could still be on the run today. Larry Porter Chism was convicted in 1974 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for armed robbery and numerous drug offenses. US marshal services have put together some age progression photos of what Chism could look like today if he is still alive and on the run. Check out our facebook and instagram accounts for those!
Beginning in 1987, the Moffitt family would be terrorized by an unknown presence for almost 7 years. They did their best to survive. The family tried everything but would learn that nothing could help them...not even Ed and Lorraine Warren had an answer.
On this episode of the Caught Red Pawdcast, Jesse tells the story of high school sweethearts from Wisconsin who get married and start their lives together in Ohio. All seems right in the world for this couple. But their relationship starts to show signs of weakness after their first child is born. Find out what happens when their true colors are shown.
In March 1992, a mother of four was found dead in her home. Suspicion fell on her husband immediately, but why? He was out of town with their children and the family dog. As they searched for the killer, police uncovered many secrets in the so-called picture perfect marriage along with a murder-for-hire scheme. To learn more details, check out "A Killer Among Us: A true story of a family's triumph over tragedy" by Charles Bosworth Jr. *The Light dogs were restless towards the end of this episode lol beware!
On July 14th 1985 in Iola, Wisconsin, a police officer, Jerry Mork, was found murdered beside his patrol car in the Riverside cemetery. The small town was hosting their annual old car show that weekend that brought in over 85,000 people from around the country. Could the killer be any one of them? Or was it someone that had it out for Jerry?
In the summer of 1996, there was a gruesome discovery in the Illinois Bayou that would lead Arkansas law enforcement on a wild goose chase all over the United States. The Pope County Sheriff's office, with the help of the ATF, would not only solve one family's murder, but uncover several crimes committed by the killers.
On December 23rd, 1991, in Corsicana, Texas, a fire destroyed the home of Todd and Stacy Willingham and took the lives of their three daughters. The question in this case is whether the home burned down by accident or by arson.
On December 15th, 2005, a small town beauty queen was found murdered in her apartment. Law enforcement would have tunnel vision suspecting her boyfriend from the start. But did he do it?
On today's episode, Jesse tells the story of an Arkansas runner who was taking a morning jog on his favorite trail when he was violently shot to death. With the suspect in custody, the detectives would ask the question: was Brent Morrison a specific target or was this a random killing?
In the small, close-knit town of Hawkins, Texas, three of their youngest and brightest didn't return home after a day at the lake. No one would have ever expected that they were the victims of an "Animal." The search for him would turn into the largest manhunt in Texas history.
On this episode, a family-owned jewelry store was robbed on September 10th, 1980, in Van Buren, Arkansas. One of the thieves thought they could get away with the loot without hurting anyone, but his partner had other things in mind. Listen in as Jesse tells the story of the Staton family and the community that did their part in bringing down these terrible criminals.
On this episode, Jesse tells the story of two girls from Bald Knob, Arkansas who went missing about a month apart. Are their disappearances connected or just a coincidence?
Today's episode has it all! A scandalous affair, a murder... and a hitman who should have been named Eugene! (if you know, you know) Meaghan takes us to the quiet town of Searcy, Arkansas, where the residents are shocked at the death of one of their own. The story comes right out of the book, "A Murder in Searcy" written by Deana Hamby Nall and Mike S. Allen.