Day By Day: True Crime Stories

This episode explores the harrowing story of Michael Morton, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife, Christine, and spent nearly 25 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence. The podcast delves into the details of the crime, the flawed investigation, the trial that led to his conviction, and the eventual breakthrough that cleared his name. It also highlights the legal reforms that followed his exoneration and the personal journey of Michael as he rebuilt his life after prison.#MichaelMorton #WrongfulConviction #DNAExoneration #InnocenceProject Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode explores the life and tragic end of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, a French explorer whose ambition led him to chart new territories in North America. Despite his significant achievements, including claiming the Mississippi River for France, La Salle's journey ended in betrayal and murder at the hands of his own men. The podcast delves into the complexities of his character, the challenges he faced, and the legacy he left behind, serving as a cautionary tale about the dual nature of ambition.#LaSalle, #truecrime, #history, #Frenchempire, #onthisdayAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a cold afternoon in 1910, 25-year-old Dorothy Arnold — an heiress, aspiring writer, and socialite — left her family’s Upper East Side home for what should have been a simple shopping trip. She bought chocolates. She picked up a book. She ran into a friend on Fifth Avenue.And then, she vanished.More than a century later, Dorothy’s disappearance remains one of New York City’s oldest and most haunting missing-person cases. In this episode, we explore the mysterious final hours of her known life, the secrets uncovered in the aftermath, and the many theories — from elopement to foul play — that still swirl around her case.#MissingPerson #DorothyArnold #HistoryMystery Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 11, 2003, Rick and Suzanna Wamsley were found brutally murdered inside their home in Mansfield, Texas. To friends and neighbors, they seemed like the picture of suburban success — loving parents, a quiet neighborhood, and a home filled with holiday cheer. But prosecutors would soon allege that the violence was no random crime. Instead, it was the result of a calculated plot involving the couple’s own 19-year-old son, Andrew, his girlfriend Chelsea Richardson, and two accomplices.In this episode of Day by Day: True Crime Stories, host Kona Gallagher walks through the shocking timeline of a family torn apart by greed. From the chilling planning stages to the violent end, and through the courtroom outcomes that followed, we explore one of Texas’s most disturbing true-crime cases — a murder-for-inheritance scheme that still haunts the community two decades later.#truecrime #WamsleyMurders #texascrime #andrewwamsleyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1945, Chicago police entered a North Side apartment and found a crime scene so brutal — and so chillingly theatrical — that it made headlines across the country and birthed one of the most haunting nicknames in American true crime history: The Lipstick Killer.Frances Brown, a former Navy WAVE and working woman in her early 30s, was found shot and stabbed in her apartment near Wrigley Field. A message, scrawled in red lipstick on the wall, read: “For heaven’s sake catch me before I kill more I cannot control myself.”Her murder stunned postwar Chicago and was eventually linked to a string of crimes that plunged the city into fear — including the later kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Suzanne Degnan.Seventeen-year-old William Heirens was arrested, confessed under controversial circumstances, and spent over 65 years behind bars. But serious doubts about his confession, the evidence, and the police tactics used during the investigation have never gone away.In today’s episode, we revisit the murder of Frances Brown — a woman whose life was overshadowed by a message, a nickname, and a legal case that still sparks debate decades later.#LipstickKiller #FrancesBrown #ChicagoCrime Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1988, 34-year-old Joan Yarbrough Bernal was supposed to be hitting the road with her husband and children for a holiday trip from Joliet, Illinois, to Texas. Instead, she vanished without a trace—and was never seen again.Her husband, Gilbert “Gil” Bernal, has long claimed that Joan walked away from her life during the road trip. But Joan’s children and investigators believe the truth is much darker—and that Joan may never have made it out of Joliet.In this episode, we trace Joan’s story: her life as a devoted mother of five, the troubling history of domestic abuse in her home, and the suspicious timeline of events surrounding her disappearance. We explore the initial 1993 murder charge against Gil that was later dropped, and how, decades later, the case has been revived with new forensic efforts and national attention thanks to Cold Justice.Thirty-seven years on, Joan’s body has never been found, and no one has been held accountable. But her children—and cold case detectives—still haven’t stopped searching for the truth.#ColdCase #JoanBernal #MissingPerson #ColdJusticeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1980, music legend John Lennon was shot outside his New York City home by a fan who had waited for hours. Just hours before, Lennon had signed an autograph for the man who would end his life. Within minutes, the world lost one of its most influential voices.In this episode, we retrace Lennon’s final day—from his creative resurgence and time in the studio to the chilling moments on West 72nd Street. We also examine the disturbing motives of Mark David Chapman, the investigation and aftermath, and how Lennon’s death sent shockwaves across the globe.More than four decades later, the pain still lingers, but so does the legacy of a man who believed in peace, love, and the power of music.Day by Day: True Crime Stories is a daily podcast that explores one crime or justice milestone from this day in history. Hosted by Kona Gallagher.#TrueCrime #JohnLennon #markdavidchapman #onthisdayAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 7, 1958, Kenneth and Barbara Martin and their three daughters—Barbie, Virginia, and Susan—set out from their Portland home for a Sunday drive into the Columbia River Gorge to gather Christmas greenery. They never returned.What followed was one of Oregon’s most perplexing missing-persons cases. Despite a massive search, the family’s station wagon vanished without a trace, and it wasn’t until months later that the bodies of two of the girls were found in the Columbia River. The other three Martins—and their car—remained missing for decades.In this episode, host Kona Gallagher unpacks the haunting mystery of the Martins’ disappearance, explores theories ranging from a tragic accident to foul play, and shares new developments—including a major underwater discovery in 2025 that may finally answer the question of what happened that day.#MartinFamilydisappearance #ColumbiaRiverAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 6, 2009, 28-year-old Susan Powell spent the day going to church, making pancakes, and spending time with her two little boys in their Utah home. By the next morning, she was gone. Her husband claimed he’d taken the children on a spontaneous midnight camping trip in a blizzard. What police found in the home—and what they would learn in the weeks and years that followed—told a much darker story.From a chilling farewell letter to a devastating murder-suicide, the disappearance of Susan Powell became one of the most disturbing true crime cases in recent memory. More than 15 years later, her body has never been found—but investigators say they know exactly what happened.#TrueCrime #SusanPowell #MissingPersons #joshpowellAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 5, 2007, a quiet afternoon of holiday shopping in Omaha, Nebraska, turned into a nightmare. Nineteen-year-old Robert Hawkins walked into the Von Maur department store at Westroads Mall with a stolen semi-automatic rifle and opened fire. In just six minutes, he killed eight innocent people, wounded four more, and then took his own life.In today’s episode, we explore the devastating timeline of the attack, the lives of those lost and forever changed, and the difficult aftermath that followed. We also examine the broader questions of mental health, gun access, and public safety—and how a community comes together to remember, grieve, and heal.Victims remembered in this episode:Beverly FlynnJanet JorgensenGary JoyAngie SchusterDianne TrentMaggie WebbJohn McDonaldGary ScharfA tragedy measured not only in numbers—but in lives lived and lost.#TrueCrime #WestroadsMall #MassShooting #OnThisDayAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1972, seven-year-old Steven Stayner disappeared while walking home from school in Merced, California. For the next seven years, he was held captive by a convicted child molester who convinced him his parents didn’t want him anymore. But in 1980, Steven made a brave decision that would save another boy—and bring his own ordeal to light.This episode explores Steven’s abduction, the years he spent living under a false identity, his daring escape, and the lasting impact of his story. It’s a heartbreaking and heroic account of survival, sacrifice, and strength.#StevenStayner #MissingChildren #onthisday Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1926, famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie vanished from her home in Berkshire, England, sparking one of the most bizarre and captivating missing persons cases in British history. Her empty car was discovered near a chalk quarry the next morning, igniting a national manhunt that drew in over a thousand police officers, 15,000 volunteers, and even fellow crime writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.For 11 days, the “Queen of Crime” was at the center of a real-life mystery that captivated the world. Was it a nervous breakdown, a fugue state, a calculated escape—or something else entirely? When she was finally found at a spa hotel in Harrogate, registered under a false name, she claimed to remember nothing.#TrueCrime #AgathaChristie #OnThisDay #MissingPersonAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 2, 2018, 22-year-old British backpacker Grace Millane was meant to be celebrating her birthday in Auckland, New Zealand. Instead, she was killed in a hotel room by a man she had met just hours earlier on Tinder. Her death shocked the nation and sparked international outrage, grief, and a reckoning with how violence against women is addressed in both media and the justice system.In today’s episode, we trace Grace’s journey from England to New Zealand, the hours leading up to her murder, the swift police investigation that followed, and the trial that exposed chilling details. We also explore the wider impact of her case—from legal reform efforts to a global conversation about consent, safety, and how we remember victims beyond the headlines.#TrueCrime #GraceMillane #ViolenceAgainstWomen #jessekempsonAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this day in 1972, 38-year-old Jean McConville was abducted from her home in West Belfast in front of her ten children. For decades, her disappearance was shrouded in secrecy, fear, and rumor. It wasn’t until 2003—31 years later—that her remains were discovered buried on a beach in the Republic of Ireland. The Provisional IRA eventually admitted to her murder, claiming she was a British informant, though multiple official investigations found no evidence to support that accusation.In today’s episode, we explore one of the most harrowing and politically charged murders of the Troubles: a widowed mother, caught between communities, whose death became a symbol of the era’s unresolved trauma. We trace Jean’s life, the night she was taken, the long silence that followed, and the decades-long fight by her children to uncover the truth.#JeanMcConville #NorthernIreland #TheTroubles #truecrimeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On November 30, 1989, a seemingly ordinary encounter along a Florida highway marked the start of one of the most infamous crime sprees in American history. That day, 51-year-old Richard Mallory picked up hitchhiker Aileen Wuornos—an act that would end with his murder and launch a high-profile investigation into a series of killings by the woman the press would later call America’s first female serial killer.In this episode, we retrace the events of that night and explore the complex backgrounds of both Wuornos and Mallory. We examine Wuornos’s changing accounts of the shooting, the controversial trial that followed, and the long-running debate about whether her actions were cold-blooded murder—or an act of desperate self-defense.#AileenWuornos #SerialKillers #RichardMalloryAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On November 29, 1981, Hollywood legend Natalie Wood disappeared from her yacht off Catalina Island. Hours later, her body was found in the Pacific Ocean, wearing a nightgown, socks, and a jacket. Though her death was initially ruled an accident, shifting witness accounts, newly uncovered injuries, and a changed death certificate have kept the case alive for over four decades. Was it a tragic misstep—or something more?In this episode of Day by Day: True Crime Stories, we revisit the weekend voyage aboard the Splendour, the conflicting stories that emerged, and the reopened investigation that named her husband, actor Robert Wagner, as a person of interest. The result is one of Hollywood’s most enduring mysteries.#NatalieWood #HollywoodMystery #RobertWagner #UnsolvedMystery Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On November 28, 2009, 25-year-old Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada ran barefoot into a snowstorm and disappeared. For nearly a decade, his family in Council Bluffs, Iowa, searched for answers. Then, in 2019, contractors renovating the grocery store where Larry once worked made a chilling discovery—his remains trapped behind a commercial cooler.This episode explores the heartbreaking story of Larry’s disappearance, the mystery that gripped his family for ten years, and the strange and tragic circumstances that kept him hidden in plain sight. Police ruled his death accidental. But for his loved ones, questions remain: Could more have been done to find him? And how did a young man in crisis end up lost—just feet from where he worked?#LarryMurilloMoncada #PodcastClip Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed inside City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White. What followed was a political and cultural aftershock that would reshape the city forever.This episode traces the morning of the killings, the controversial trial that gave rise to the “Twinkie defense” myth, and the explosive White Night riots that erupted in response. It also examines how this double assassination changed California law, ignited a new era of LGBTQ political activism, and left behind two legacies that still echo through San Francisco’s streets.#DanWhite #HarveyMilk #GeorgeMoscone #WhiteNightRiotsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On a cold November night in 1993, firefighters in Sunderland, England responded to a blaze in a garden shed—and found the body of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly. At first, it looked like a tragic accident. But within months, two more teenagers were dead under strikingly similar circumstances.This episode traces the chilling investigation that unfolded: from burned buildings and shifting theories, to the forensic breakthrough that exposed a serial killer hiding in plain sight.Steven Grieveson would eventually be convicted of killing three teenagers—and years later, sentenced again for a fourth murder. This case stunned a city, haunted families, and reshaped how investigators approach clustered violent crimes.#ThomasKelly #SunderlandStrangler #StevenGrieveson #CrimeHistoryAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Thanksgiving Day 2010, three brothers—Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton—vanished from their father’s home in Morenci, Michigan. For nearly 15 years, their disappearance remained unsolved.In 2025, just days before John Skelton was set to be released from prison, he was charged with their murders. This episode explores the heartbreaking timeline, the false leads, and the long-awaited charges in a case that gripped a community for over a decade.#TrueCrime #SkeltonBrothers #johnskelton #missingchildrenAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy