Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps

Phelps speaks with Lauren Fields' mother, Shantell, about the surprising cause and manner of death in Lauren's case. He also digs into the Brenda Rawls death - another woman found dead after a date - the very same night, just down the road from where Lauren died - whose family was also never informed of her death by the police.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might have heard about this case: A woman, Lauren Smith-Fields, TikTok influencer, model and college student studying physical therapy, invites a Bumble date over to her apartment in December 2021 and winds up dead … police say accidental, family says suspicious … and yet the manner of death is only half the story. What happened inside Lauren's apartment on the night she died, and the next day, will have your jaw on the floor, wondering what is going on in the world of law enforcement investigation in some of the country's largest cities. In the first of this two-part Crossing the Line, Phelps digs in deep and talks to Lauren's family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A beloved woman in a posh Connecticut town goes out for a jog, same as she does every day. Along that route is an immense estate owned by the puppeteer, Caroll Spinney, who played the iconic “Big Bird” and “Oscar the Grouch” characters on Sesame Street. After failing to return, police searching for the woman find a literal blood trail leading directly to Big Bird's estate … and an immaculate Chinese pagoda on the property. Soon, all eyes are following that bird—and yet neither he - nor the woman - are anywhere to be found.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When problems between a wealthy woman, her son and his wife begin to get ugly, people turned a blind eye. But when Rebecca Cornell catches fire one night and dies, the case is re-opened after a ghostly appearance convinces local lawmakers it wasn't just an accident. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a young college student's car was found stranded on the side of a busy Illinois highway in 1992, police figured it was a runaway case. Nine days later, she was found brutally murdered, nearly 500 miles away in another state. What happened to Tammy Jo Zywicki? Hear the story when PAPER GHOSTS returns with a new season on February 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conrad Roy died by suicide on a hot July night in 2014. But what is the true story behind “the girl from Plainville”, who faced a judge on manslaughter charges after texts reveal she might have had urged him to take his own life? Phelps digs into the social and legal aspects of this high-profile case, featured in a special Hulu series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a tipster starts calling in to a California tip line saying he knows where bodies are buried, eyebrows are raised. But after cash payouts for info on several missing women, suspicions arise that an actual serial killer might just be phoning in his own murders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the late 1980s in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, women were murdered one after the other, with the brutality of a serial killer so exceptionally grotesque, he is compared to Jack the Ripper. Phelps goes deep into his psychology, in an episode surely not for kiddos. Buckle up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

43-year-old Liz Romero of Waco, Texas goes missing in early April 2022. Her family and friends are concerned almost immediately. The case cools before a tip comes in. And the horror of what transpired becomes everyone's worst reality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mother loses custody of her kids to her violent and abusive ex. Did the government go one step further and effectively sanction her murder?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Portland, Oregon, a beloved culinary teacher is found murdered inside his school's kitchen. Could his wife, a budding romance novelist, be guilty of his murder? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A cruise ship can be a blissful, relaxing vacation for a family … or, as true crime fans know all-too-well, a dreaded nightmare. We've all heard the horror stories from cruise ships. This week, Phelps digs into the missing person investigation of Amy Lynn Bradley — and trust us, you'll think twice about taking that cruise after hearing this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man leaves his Long Island home with one goal in mind: To kill the next person he runs into. Phelps digs into the death of a 16-year-old boy: a murder that sets off an incredible story rarely looked at in the true crime boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's one of the only murder cases in Connecticut history that was tried without a body. And not because the body was buried and never found—but because there was very little left to find. A horrifying murder that shocked the world and inspired an Oscar-winning film.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All murder stories are important. I want to bring special attention to this case by reposting it for this week of Thanksgiving because Kim Wall, the victim in this episode, gave so much of herself to everyone around her, her community, and the public. I want to honor her. I'll be back next week with a brand new case—one you will not want to miss. A renowned journalist is last seen boarding a homemade submarine with an eccentric inventor ... but only one of them returns home alive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

45-year-old Danielle Redlick seemed to have it all: a wealthy husband, a posh home, one of three luxury vehicles to drive. Money to do whatever she wanted. In 2019, however, all of that comes crashing down as her husband, 65-year-old Michael Redlick, is found stabbed and dead in the foyer of the couple's Florida home. **If you are a victim of domestic abuse, please call 1-800-799-SAFE. Visit thehotline.org and chat anonymously with someone or text "start" to 88788 and seek help.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just six days after our episode aired, the Lady of the Dunes is identified as Ruth Marie Terry after the case went cold almost five decades ago. Now her husband, Guy Rockwell Muldavin, a possible serial killer, is connected to Ruth's murder as well as several more unsolved cases. Phelps gives you the latest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the tight-knit Connecticut town where she lived, everyone knew where to find 21-year-old Lucy Carman--on the front stoop, sitting and waving at passersby. Until one day, Lucy vanishes. A search ensues, a body is found -- but could the most likely suspect be innocent? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A woman's body is found mutilated in the dunes of Provincetown, Mass in 1974. Weeks earlier, Steven Spielberg had been nearby filming the horror classic JAWS. But decades later, can Stephen King's son, author Joe Hill, believe his eyes when he sees a nearly identical woman working as a background actor in the classic film?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phelps looks at a case that stands out in the annals of high-profile true-crime. But what is the actual story behind the trail of dead bodies Doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow has left in her wake? Phelps digs into the media frenzy to reveal the truth - and why the body count keeps growing, even after Vallow landed in jail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was 27, a US citizen studying for his PhD in Australia, living with his partner. His body was found at the foot of cliffs at Manly's North Head Beach, outside Sydney. Police were quick to dismiss his death as a suicide. However, Scott's friends and family never believed it. Now, 34 years later, in May 2022, an arrest is made and his family begins to understand what happened. Yet, questions remain about what some say are over 100 other deaths nearby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three young women go missing. Similarities between them point to a serial offender. Phelps reveals his exclusive "lost" interview tapes with serial murderer Larry Hall, the man depicted in the new Apple TV+ series 'Black Bird,' who could be responsible for dozens of young girl murders throughout the midwest and Deep South. Buckle up for the finale of this special two-part episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you seen the Apple TV series 'Black Bird'? If so, you've not heard the killer in that series like you will in this special two-part episode. Here, three young women go missing. Similarities between them point to a serial offender. Phelps reveals his exclusive "lost" interview tapes with killer Larry Hall, depicted in the new Apple TV+ series 'Black Bird,' who could be responsible for dozens of young girls' murders throughout the midwest and Deep South. Buckle up for this special 2-part episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1980, a Frances Carriere is found stabbed to death in her bathroom. The crime horrifies the small Massachusetts community where she was beloved. What seemed like an open-and-shut case instead goes cold, and 32 years pass before this incredible murder mystery is unraveled - and four people go down for the homicide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A college student goes missing. CCTV captures a specific, rare car pulling up to her. Investigators get the suspect in for an interview. Phelps analyzes the interview, in which the suspect holds his own. But then there's a huge twist. The psychopath just cannot help himself and reveals the horrifying details behind the young woman's disappearance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young girl makes her way to school in a small Pennsylvania coal town. She never makes it. Fifty-eight years after she goes missing, an 18-year-old born 40 years after the crime solves one of the oldest, coldest cases in American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a woman's body is found burned in her bed, police investigate. The search for her killer heats up after it's discovered that she has been brutally raped and bludgeoned with a hammer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Massachusetts military officer has a big secret. A woman is found strangled in her bathtub. Two children are missing. As the search begins, a colleague contacts Phelps to describe the horrifying series of events that lead them to a shocking discovery. His story is both courageous and harrowing. You won't hear this case told like this anywhere else.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many have heard of the Slender Man case. Two 12-year-old girls decide to kill their friend, all in the name of a fictional character from the internet, called Slender Man. He's a tall, creepy-looking figure with long arms and legs - no face. But what really happened in the woods that day, when a young girl was stabbed 19 times? After new developments, Phelps digs into the interrogation tapes and sorts out the case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dismembered torso, washed postmortem, is discovered near a gas station in 1994. A family searches for their brother for 20 years, never giving up hope. Are the two cases connected? Detectives use one of the oldest tools in their investigative arsenal to catch the killer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Swedish sex worker loses custody of her kids to her violent and abusive ex. Did the government go one step further and effectively sanction her murder?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serial killer Vincent Groves claims to have killed dozens of people. But how high was his actual body count? Phelps is joined by Detective Steve Connor to reveal the answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Portland, Oregon, a beloved culinary teacher is found murdered inside his school's kitchen. Could his wife, a budding romance novelist, be guilty of his murder?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rape and murder of a 12-year-old Tacoma girl weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of detectives for over three decades... until a casual lunch in a diner changes everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 23-year-old Army sergeant on leave, hundreds of miles from his home, walks out of his father's house on New Year's Eve - only to be shot dead while getting into his truck. But is it a case of mistaken identity? Or something more sinister? Questions are answered in this episode, as the killer chillingly describes the murder... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caledonia Jane Doe was a teenage girl murdered on November 9, 1979. Her case has become one of the most popular cases of unidentified homicide victims in the world. In this episode, strange clues like tan lines in a cold climate reveal how her identity was discovered after being forgotten for decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Sievers is on vacation with his kids when he discovers his wife has been brutally murdered in their Florida home, thousands of miles away. What are the chances that her killer looks almost identical to her husband? This week Phelps breaks down the case and is joined later in the episode by "Law & Crime" network regular Dina Sayegh Doll, a crime analyst who reported on the case in real time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A renowned journalist is last seen boarding a homemade submarine with an eccentric inventor ... but only one of them returns home alive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brent Poole was a devoted father and husband who had reestablished his faith and worked hard to support his family. Then, on a weekend away, his wife Kimberly was "horrified" to watch Brent gunned down one night as they walked along the beach. But could casual pillow talk with a secret lover have caused a violent murder and a lifetime in prison? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crossing the Line tackles a case that has seemingly been covered by the media--but there's more to the story. Having been on the ground reporting about Keyes as the story broke in 2012, Phelps reveals exclusive insight into one of the most enigmatic serial killers on record. Who was Israel Keyes, truly? And are there additional victims still to be found? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the conclusion of this special two-part episode, Phelps uncovers the circumstances surrounding the murder of Patty Luce and dives deep into her killer's past, revealing the identity of Patty's killer to her family after four decades without answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An 18-year-old Vernon, CT girl is dropped off at a 7-Eleven convenience store near her home, never to be seen alive again. Could her case be related to the missing girls of Paper Ghosts? In this special two-part Crossing the Line episode, Phelps brings Patty Luce's family members the answers they've been waiting 44 years for--including the name of her killer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.