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True Crime Recaps
Author: Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan
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© Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan
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All the crime in half the time!® Because you've got a lot of mysteries to solve. Subscribe so you never miss a recap with Chris Nathan and Amy Townsend. Watch video episodes three times a week @truecrimerecaps on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat.
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On May 10, 1979, six-year-old Rebecca “Becky” Kunash went to sleep in her Merritt Island, Florida home with a night light glowing beside her bed. Sometime after midnight, while her parents slept just feet away, a man removed her window screen, entered her bedroom, and abducted her.By morning, Becky was gone. Her body was found hours later in a nearby canal.Investigators quickly focused on Bryan Jennings, a twenty-year-old Marine home on leave who had been seen in the neighborhood that night. Fingerprints, footprints, and his own confession tied him directly to the crime. Jennings admitted to taking Becky from her bed, sexually assaulting her, and killing her before dumping her body in the water.Jennings was convicted and sentenced to death, but his conviction was overturned and retried multiple times over the years. In 1986, a final death sentence was upheld. For Becky’s family, justice came slowly and painfully.Nearly forty six years after the crime, Bryan Jennings was executed by lethal injection on November 13, 2025. He offered no final statement. This episode explores how a quiet night turned into a lifelong nightmare and the decades-long road to accountability for one of Florida’s most heartbreaking child abduction cases.
Emmy winning actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing serious criminal charges in New Mexico following allegations involving two child actors he worked with on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady. Prosecutors have charged Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual misconduct against a minor and one count of child abuse. He has denied all allegations and maintains his innocence.According to court documents, investigators allege Busfield encouraged the twins to call him Uncle Tim, gave them gifts, and spent time with their family outside of filming. Prosecutors say he used moments of confusion on set to isolate the boys. One child reportedly disclosed that inappropriate contact began when he was seven years old, describing incidents that allegedly occurred on a bedroom set after filming paused. The second twin reported similar discomfort but said he did not speak up at the time.Authorities cite therapy notes, medical evaluations, behavioral changes, and witness statements as part of the evidence supporting the charges. Prosecutors have also referenced prior allegations spanning decades, though none previously resulted in criminal convictions.Busfield surrendered to authorities in January 2026 and was ordered held without bail. His defense team says the accusations are retaliatory after the children were written out of the show and claims he passed an independent polygraph test.As the case moves forward, the court will decide whether the evidence supports the charges. Until then, the allegations remain unproven, and the outcome could have major implications for accountability and child safety in the entertainment industry.
In November 1998, Shandelle Maycock trusted a man she knew from church, Harrel Braddy. What began as an uncomfortable acquaintance quickly turned into a violent kidnapping. Braddy attacked Shandelle inside her apartment, choking her unconscious multiple times before forcing both her and her five year old daughter, Quantisha “Candy” Maycock, into his car.When the pair tried to escape, Braddy forced Shandelle into the trunk and drove her to a remote area where he left her for dead. She survived and was able to get help. Her daughter did not.For nearly two days, Braddy refused to tell police where Candy was, sending search teams in the wrong direction. When he finally spoke, he led detectives to Alligator Alley in South Florida, an area lined with canals known to contain alligators. He admitted he left the child alive near the water. Candy’s body was later found floating in a canal. The medical examiner confirmed she suffered blunt force injuries and alligator bites while still alive.In 2007, Braddy was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death by an eleven to one jury vote. That sentence was later overturned after Florida changed its death penalty laws to require unanimous jury decisions. Now, more than twenty five years after Candy’s death, Braddy is back in court under new sentencing rules that again allow non unanimous verdicts.At seventy six years old, he faces the possibility of the death penalty once more, raising painful questions about justice, accountability, and whether any sentence can ever match the cruelty of this crime.
In late December, Monique and Spencer Tepe were found shot to death inside their Ohio home, the same place where they had once exchanged wedding vows. The killings happened in the early morning hours while their two young children slept in nearby bedrooms, unharmed and unaware. There were no signs of forced entry and no weapon left behind.Surveillance footage later showed a hooded figure walking calmly through a snowy alley near the townhouse around the time of the murders. Investigators also tracked a vehicle seen arriving shortly before the shooting and leaving soon after. That vehicle was traced more than four hundred miles away to Rockford, Illinois and linked to Monique’s ex husband, Michael McKee.McKee was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated murder. Prosecutors allege he drove overnight, committed the killings, and returned home as if nothing had happened.Update: Family members now say McKee emotionally tormented Monique during their short marriage and describe the relationship as abusive. Police also report that during a search of McKee’s condo, multiple firearms were recovered and one weapon is believed to be a ballistic match to shell casings found at the crime scene. These are allegations, and the case will ultimately be decided in court.Two parents are gone. Two children are left behind. And now a jury will be asked to decide whether this was an act of long held resentment, obsession, or something even darker.
In December 1991, four teenage girls were murdered inside an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison were tied, gagged, shot, and the store was set on fire in what investigators believe was an attempt to destroy evidence. The case became one of the most haunting unsolved crimes in Texas history.Over the years, police chased false confessions, arrested the wrong men, and watched convictions collapse when DNA failed to match. Families were left without answers while the case remained frozen in time.Now, more than thirty years later, cold case detectives say new DNA testing and ballistic evidence may finally point to a suspect. Investigators believe the crimes may be linked to Robert Eugene Brashers, a violent serial offender who died by suicide in 1999 after a police standoff in Missouri. Brashers is suspected in multiple rapes and murders across several states, and new forensic analysis has connected him to other cold cases using preserved shell casings and modern DNA technology.In 2025, Travis County prosecutors officially moved to clear the men once accused of the yogurt shop murders, acknowledging that the new evidence does not support their convictions. While Brashers can never face trial, detectives say these findings may finally give families long overdue answers and could connect him to even more unsolved crimes.After three decades of dead ends, is this the breakthrough that finally solves one of America’s most disturbing cold cases?
For years, a bizarre internet rumor has claimed that country music star Garth Brooks is secretly a serial killer. The story has spread so widely that many people now encounter it without realizing it started as a joke and has no basis in reality.In this episode, we break down where the rumor came from, how it spread through memes and social media, and why it was never supported by a single piece of real evidence. There are no victims, no investigations, and no crimes connected to Garth Brooks at all. Just internet culture turning sarcasm into something that feels real if you hear it often enough.We also look at how online conspiracy theories grow, why people are drawn to shocking claims, and how harmless jokes can morph into harmful misinformation. This case is not about crime. It is about how easily false stories can take on a life of their own.So how does something this ridiculous spread so far, and why do people keep repeating it even when it is clearly not true?
Clara Harris seemed to have everything. A successful dental career, a wealthy lifestyle, and a marriage that looked perfect from the outside. That image shattered when she discovered her husband, orthodontist David Harris, was having an affair with their receptionist, Gail Bridges.Instead of confronting him directly, Clara hired a private investigator to follow David to what she believed would be a final breakup meeting. But when she arrived at the Nassau Bay Hilton, she found David and Gail together at the same hotel where she and David once celebrated their wedding.What happened next was caught on video and witnessed by bystanders. In a burst of rage, Clara drove her Mercedes into David in the parking lot, then circled back and struck him again. Witnesses heard their daughter screaming for her to stop.At trial, Clara claimed the death was an accident. Prosecutors argued it was intentional. Under Texas law, the jury found she acted in sudden passion, reducing the charge and limiting her sentence to twenty years instead of life. Clara served fifteen years before being released from parole in 2023.The case sparked national debate about jealousy, betrayal, and whether emotional rage should ever reduce accountability for murder.
Brian Walshe claimed his wife, Ana Walshe, died suddenly of natural causes on New Year’s Day 2023 and that panic drove him to hide what happened. That was his defense. The jury did not believe him.Ana, a thirty-nine-year-old real estate executive and mother of three, was last seen alive after hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner at the family’s home in Cohasset, Massachusetts. When she failed to show up for work, Brian told police she had suddenly traveled to Washington, D.C. Investigators quickly proved that story was false. There were no flights, no hotel records, and no signs she ever left the house.Prosecutors argued the evidence showed planning, not panic. Brian’s phone contained searches about how to dispose of a body, how long a corpse smells, and whether police can recover deleted search history. Surveillance footage showed him buying cleaning supplies and tools. Trash recovered from transfer stations contained Ana’s DNA and personal belongings.With no body ever recovered, the digital trail and physical evidence became the case. Brian Walshe was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ana’s children are now growing up without their mother, and the question remains how a New Year’s celebration turned into a crime that shocked the nation.
Thirty-three-year-old lacrosse coach Diane Whipple was attacked and killed just steps from her apartment door in San Francisco. Two massive Presa Canario dogs, Bane and Hera, mauled her in the hallway of her building while neighbors desperately tried to help. She never made it outside.This was not a random dog attack. The dogs belonged to attorneys Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, who had taken them in despite repeated warnings about their aggression. The animals had been bred for guarding and linked to a prison-based dog breeding operation run by Aryan Brotherhood inmate Paul Schneider. Neighbors had reported dangerous behavior long before Diane was killed.Prosecutors argued that Knoller and Noel knew the dogs posed a serious risk and chose to ignore it. Knoller was convicted of second-degree murder. Noel was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The case marked a legal turning point, establishing that knowingly creating a dangerous situation can carry the same consequences as direct violence.Diane’s partner, Sharon Smith, also made history by filing California’s first same-sex wrongful death lawsuit. The case left a lasting impact on criminal law, civil liability, and how society defines responsibility when warnings go unheeded.
Berry Bryant was just eighteen years old and had only been in college for five weeks when she vanished. A talented musician and scholarship freshman, she was known for checking in with her family and staying focused on her goals. On the night of October 4, 1996, Berry attended a campus dance, stopped briefly at a dorm party, and then disappeared.By morning, her car was still parked where she left it. Her bed had not been slept in. Friends woke up with a sense that something was terribly wrong.Investigators quickly focused on nineteen-year-old Levi Collen, a hometown athlete whose past revealed a disturbing pattern. As police dug deeper, they uncovered prior assaults, violent threats, and escalating behavior that had never been fully addressed. The warning signs had been there long before Berry crossed his path.Levi Collen eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms with no chance of parole. Berry’s family buried her in a dress she had made herself, the same one she once wore to a high school dance.This case leaves one haunting question behind. How many red flags can be ignored before tragedy becomes inevitable?
This episode was originally released exclusively for our members, but with Jeffrey Epstein back in the headlines, we are making it available publicly so everyone can hear the story that started it all.Before billionaires, royals, politicians, and global outrage, the Epstein scandal began with something no one expected. A high school fight in Palm Beach, Florida.In 2005, a fourteen-year-old girl casually told a friend she had been paid hundreds of dollars to give a massage to a wealthy man. When that friend repeated the story during a heated argument at school, the information spread. Teachers were told. Parents were alerted. And law enforcement was finally forced to look closer at a man who had been hiding in plain sight.That moment cracked open what would become one of the most explosive sex trafficking cases in modern history. Without it, Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes may have continued unchecked for years.In this deep dive, we break down how a single conversation between teenagers set off a chain reaction that exposed Epstein, his enablers, and the system that failed to stop him sooner.If you want access to monthly bonus episodes, early releases, and members-only deep dives like this one, you can join our members group anytime. We would love to have you with us.
Cynthia Campbell was a successful attorney with a busy Monday ahead of her. But that morning never happened.On July 27, 1998, police responded to strange activity outside Cynthia’s Pensacola home. After officers left, Cynthia accepted a coffee invitation from her neighbor, Norman Grim. She was never seen alive again.Hours later, Cynthia was reported missing. Evidence began to surface quickly, including items linked back to her neighbor and sightings that raised immediate concern. Within days, Norman Grim was arrested, and the full scope of what happened started to come into focus.Years later, after appeals were exhausted, Florida carried out Norman Grim’s execution.What began as a routine morning and a simple act of trust ended in one of the state’s most disturbing murder cases.#TrueCrimeRecaps #TrueCrime #NormanGrim #CynthiaCampbell #CrimeTimeline #Justice #TrueCrimeCommunity
The latest Jeffrey Epstein document release was expected to bring answers. Instead, it raised even more disturbing questions.Thousands of new records were made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including photos, messages, and written materials from Epstein’s estate. Many appear with no explanation, while more than 500 pages are completely blacked out. Some of the images and texts are unsettling on their own and offer a troubling glimpse into the world Epstein built behind closed doors.The release also brings renewed focus on Epstein’s powerful connections and the ongoing legal fight involving Ghislaine Maxwell, who is now trying to overturn her conviction. Despite years of investigations and public scrutiny, key details remain hidden.If you are new to this case, we recommend starting with our earlier video that explains how the Epstein investigation began and why it became so far-reaching.So what do these files really reveal, and what is still being kept from the public?#TrueCrimeRecaps #JeffreyEpstein #EpsteinFiles #BreakingNews #TrueCrime
Rob Reiner spent decades trying to help his son survive addiction, relapse, and mental health struggles. Friends say his goal was simple. Just keep him alive.On December 14, police were called to Rob Reiner’s Brentwood home. Inside, Rob and his wife Michele were found dead. Within hours, their 32-year-old son Nick Reiner was arrested and charged.What followed was a disturbing timeline that included a holiday party, unexplained gaps in time, hotel stays, surveillance footage, and a rapid arrest. Police have not yet revealed what evidence led them to Nick or how they pieced the case together so quickly.Nick Reiner now faces two counts of first degree murder. He has not entered a plea, and investigators say this case is still unfolding.What happened during the missing hours, and what evidence will ultimately decide this case?#TrueCrimeRecaps #RobReiner #NickReiner #BreakingNews #TrueCrimeJoin
In November 1987, first responders arrived at a Greenwich Village townhouse to find six-year-old Lisa Steinberg unconscious and severely injured. Her adoptive father, a prominent New York defense attorney, claimed she had choked. But doctors quickly determined Lisa had suffered months of abuse, with injuries far too severe to be accidental.As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a disturbing reality inside the home. Lisa had never been legally adopted, leaving her invisible to the child welfare system. Her adoptive mother, Hedda Nussbaum, was also found to be a victim of extreme domestic abuse, with broken bones and untreated injuries that shocked authorities. Warning signs had surfaced for years through neighbors, teachers, and officials, yet no one intervened in time.Lisa was declared brain-dead three days later and removed from life support. The televised trial that followed captivated the nation and ended with a manslaughter conviction that many believed was far too lenient. But the impact of Lisa’s death went far beyond the courtroom.Her case led New York to reform private adoption practices, expand mandatory reporting laws, and restructure how child welfare cases are handled. Lisa Steinberg’s life was tragically short, but the reforms that followed ensured her story permanently changed how vulnerable children are protected.
In 2005, Phoenix, Arizona was gripped by fear as two shooters roamed the city at night, firing at anyone they came across. Cyclists, pedestrians, people sitting in cars, even animals were targeted. There was no pattern, no warning, and no way to predict who would be next. The killers gave their spree a chilling name. Random Recreational Violence.As weeks turned into months, panic spread across neighborhoods. Police chased thousands of tips with little progress. The shooters seemed to vanish into the night after every attack, leaving investigators scrambling and residents afraid to leave their homes after dark.The case finally cracked when one of the men made a drunken confession at a dive bar. That slip led police to Dale Hausner and Samuel Dieteman, two men who treated murder like a game. Recorded conversations revealed casual planning, dark jokes about their victims, and complaints about not getting enough recognition for their crimes.At trial, the full scale of the horror became clear. Dieteman admitted to his role in the attacks and multiple murders. Hausner was convicted of six killings and sentenced to death. Phoenix’s year of terror finally ended, but not before dozens of lives were shattered forever.This is the story of how randomness itself became the weapon.
In 1981, police in California uncovered a horrifying crime. The body of 23-year-old Barbara Levoy was found buried in the backyard of long-haul truck driver Ward Francis Weaver Jr. She had been kidnapped and murdered after Weaver offered roadside help. At the time, investigators believed it was an isolated crime. They were wrong.Two decades later, history repeated itself in Oregon City. In 2002, twelve-year-old Ashley Pond vanished on her walk to school. Two months later, her best friend Miranda Gaddis disappeared the same way. As the community searched desperately, one neighbor seemed eager to help. Ward Weaver III gave interviews, welcomed media into his home, and spoke calmly to reporters while standing on a concrete slab in his backyard.That slab covered Ashley Pond’s grave. When police finally searched the property, they found her body sealed in a barrel beneath the concrete. Miranda’s remains were buried nearby. Weaver III was sentenced to life in prison without parole.Years later, the pattern grew even darker when Weaver III’s son, Francis Weaver, was convicted of murder in an unrelated case. DNA testing later revealed Francis was not biologically related to Ward at all, leaving investigators and the public with one chilling question.Was this evil inherited, learned, or something far more complicated?
Trinity Poague appeared to be the perfect college student. A beauty pageant winner, nursing major, and leadership scholar with a bright future ahead of her. But behind the polished image, people close to her noticed growing tension when she was left alone with her boyfriend’s 18-month-old son, Romeo “J.D.” Angeles.On the morning J.D. died, everything seemed normal. Trinity, Julian Angeles, and the toddler spent the morning together, talking about lunch and playing. When Julian stepped out to pick up pizza, he expected to return to the same routine. Instead, minutes later, he found his son unresponsive and Trinity screaming for help.Doctors quickly determined J.D.’s injuries were not accidental. He had a fractured skull, severe internal trauma, and signs of violent force. Investigators concluded the injuries occurred while Trinity was alone with him. At trial, prosecutors laid out evidence that left the jury with little doubt.Trinity Poague was convicted of felony murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The case left a community reeling and raised painful questions about trust, resentment, and what can happen behind closed doors.What do you think drove this tragedy?
Four days before Christmas in 1992, two sisters, nine-year-old Nicole Schoo and four-year-old Diana, knocked on a neighbor’s door in Chicago. They were freezing, frightened, and completely alone. Their parents had boarded a plane to Acapulco for a nine-day vacation, leaving the girls behind with frozen meals, written instructions, and no adult supervision.As days passed, the situation inside the house spiraled. A blaring fire alarm and an overflowing bathtub finally forced the children to call 911. What police found shocked the nation. There was no babysitter, no emergency contact, and no way for the girls to reach their parents. Investigators soon learned this was not a mistake. The children had been intentionally left alone.When David and Sharon Schoo returned from their tropical trip, police arrested them at the airport. As the case unfolded, allegations of prior neglect and abuse emerged, raising serious questions about how the family had gone unnoticed for so long.The fallout changed the law. Public outrage led Illinois to pass the Home Alone Bill, clearly defining when children can legally be left unsupervised. Nicole and Diana were removed from their parents’ custody, later adopted, and have remained out of the public eye ever since.This is the real life Home Alone case that ended with a law meant to protect children nationwide.
On Thanksgiving weekend in 2010, three brothers Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton vanished during a court ordered holiday visit with their father, John Skelton. What was supposed to be a routine custody exchange became one of the most haunting child disappearance cases in the Midwest.John claimed he handed the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor to keep them safe while he attempted suicide. Investigators later proved Joann Taylor did not exist. Neither did the underground foster network John insisted had taken his sons. With no bodies, no witnesses, and no clear timeline, the case stalled while John served time for unrelated charges.Now, fifteen years later, everything has changed. In 2025, prosecutors officially charged John Skelton with the murders of all three boys just weeks before his expected release from prison. Investigators believe new evidence finally supports what many feared from the beginning.As the case moves back into court, one question still hangs over everything. Will these charges finally reveal what happened to the Skelton brothers, or will the truth remain buried forever?









really need more than 10 mins... please make the podcast longer 🙏
"True crime in half the time" And now half of THAT time is ads!
"......he was also doing a lot of crack..." 😂😂😂
Aw man 😔 Mark should be the dead one. Cheating POS.
Honestly, give these guys a go, I watch their YouTube channel and, you get the salient points, no repetition and their style is really entertaining, well worth a listen
Loved the sarcasm!!