True Crime With Elli Mac

On the morning of December 21st, 2015 — just four days before Christmas — neighbours in the quiet village of Rupperswil, a small community in the Swiss canton of Aargau, noticed smoke rising from a single-family home on Hintergasse. At first, people assumed it was just a kitchen fire or some kind of accident.But when firefighters forced their way inside, what they found shocked even the most seasoned emergency responders.Inside the home were four bodies. Bound. Stacked. Murdered. It was immediately clear: this was no accident — this was a crime scene.The victims were 48-year-old Carla Schauer-Freiburghaus, her sons Davin (13) and Dion (19), and Dion’s girlfriend Simona Fäs (21).Just hours earlier, a terrified Carla had been captured on CCTV withdrawing money from two different ATMs, her fear unmistakable on camera.So what had happened inside that house? What terror had this family endured? This peaceful village of 5,000 was about to become the center of one of the worst crimes in Swiss history…

On Christmas Eve 2001, in the quiet suburb of Pleasant Grove, Texas, Kevin Butler was getting ready to meet a friend for dinner. But he never arrived.When his friend went to his home to check on him, he walked into a nightmare—Kevin had been bound, beaten, stabbed, and brutally murdered.When police arrived, it was immediately clear that a violent struggle had taken place.Feathers were scattered across the floor. Droplets of blood marked areas they shouldn’t have. And in the kitchen lay Larry Bird, Kevin’s beloved white-crested cockatoo, dead on the tile with one leg severed.What had happened to Kevin…and to his fiercely loyal pet? This is the story of how a slain cockatoo became an unexpected witness—and ultimately helped solve his owner’s murder.

On November 3rd, 2003, a 911 call came from Mark Center in Defiance County, Ohio. The caller was 10-year-old Corey Breininger.Corey was hysterical and told the dispatcher that his father had been shot in the head after a gun went off accidentally. He said he didn’t know there was a bullet in the chamber.Corey then confirmed that his stepmother, Judith, wasn’t home and that he hadn’t contacted her yet. It was just him and his father in the house. The dispatcher then walked him through CPR.When police arrived around 4:00 PM, they found 34-year-old Robert Breininger dead in his bed from a single gunshot wound to the head.Officers spoke with Corey, who they described as broken and crying. Corey pleaded with the officers, saying, “Save my dad, he’s my best friend.”Corey explained that he and his father had been talking about hunting and gun safety. As his father was showing him how to use the gun, Corey was handing the weapon to his dad. Corey said that his finger was on the trigger and the safety was off. He claimed his father then pulled the trigger and set the gun off.But what had truly happened that day? And was Robert Breininger’s death genuinely an accident?

It was December 2020 — deep in the middle of France’s COVID lockdown — when 33-year-old Delphine Jubillar vanished from her home in the small town of Cagnac-les-Mines.Her husband, Cédric, said she had simply disappeared in the night. But investigators quickly began to suspect otherwise.But there was no body. No blood. No confession. No witness. Just a husband who insisted he was innocent.By October 2025, five years later, with still no body or trace of Delphine, Cédric Jubillar finally stood trial for his wife’s murder.But even then, with no physical evidence and no sign of Delphine ever found, two questions remained:Where was Delphine Jubillar? And how do you convict someone of murder… when there’s no proof a murder ever happened?

When a parcel was fished from the River Thames in the spring of 1896, no one expected what was inside.Wrapped in brown paper, tied with white tape, and weighted with a brick… was the tiny body of a baby girl.The discovery would set detectives on the trail of a woman once known as kind, gentle — even motherly.A trained nurse and midwife who dedicated her life to caring for others. Her name was Amelia Dyer.But when detectives finally stepped inside her home, they came face to face with an overpowering stench of decay. They also stumbled upon piles of baby clothes, adoption letters, and white tape. It was clear something unspeakable had happened there.Who was Amelia Dyer — a troubled woman lost to madness… or one of the most prolific murderers in British history?

When 32-year-old Joanne Hill finished her day at work in Chester, England, her mind was already set on what she was going to do.After leaving the office, she collected her four-year-old daughter, Naomi, from the childminder in Connah’s Quay and drove them home.Once inside, she poured herself a glass of wine and drank it.A few minutes later, Joanne ran her daughter a bath while little Naomi sat in front of the television — completely unaware of the danger she was in.What happened next was unimaginable.That night, Joanne Hill did the unthinkable.

On the 7th of January 2006, 26-year-old Jody Galante — three months pregnant and the mother of a two-year-old daughter — was reported missing. Her family, including her husband, Mark, appeared on national television, weeping and begging for help in finding her.But as the days passed, darker questions began to surface. Had Jody run away? Had she fallen victim to a random attack? Or was the danger much closer to home?

On the night of April 26, 2016, thirty-year-old Tricia Todd went to meet her ex-husband, Steven Williams. She was dropping off medication for their two-year-old daughter, Faith. Faith had been struggling to sleep, and Steven asked Tricia to bring the medicine over.Steven, who was living in North Carolina, had rented a place in Hobe Sound, Florida, to spend time with Faith as part of his custody arrangement. That evening, surveillance footage captured Tricia at a Walgreens buying the medication. She then drove to Steven’s rental, dropped it off, and left around 2 a.m.The next morning, Steven tried to reach Tricia to arrange picking up Faith. But she didn’t answer her phone. After calling repeatedly with no luck, he left Faith with a babysitter before heading back to North Carolina for work. By that evening, there was still no sign of Tricia.The babysitter, started to worry. Tricia was never late when it came to her daughter. Denise called and texted, but there was no response. Concerned, she reached out to Tricia’s family.As the day turned to night with still no word, Jonathan reported his sister missing to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and a BOLO — a “be on the lookout” — was issued.Soon after, investigators discovered Tricia’s car parked in an unusual spot near the home she shared with her brother, Joshua. Her keys were still in the ignition, and her purse was inside, but her wallet and cell phone were gone. At the house itself, nothing looked disturbed.Detectives suspected foul play almost immediately, and a search effort was launched. But the question remained — who would want to hurt Tricia Todd?

When a 911 call came in from a man saying he had found a woman and a young boy bludgeoned to death inside a home on Redstone Drive, police braced themselves for a horrific scene. But what they didn't expect… was how calmly he said it.But the real shock came when they asked his connection to the victims and who had been responsible, and he responded very matter of fact…By the time officers arrived, the devastating reality was confirmed. Inside, they found 39-year-old Irina Elizabeth Moyer and her 7-year-old son, Dylan, brutally killed. The home showed no signs of forced entry, no struggle outside the rooms where they lay.But there was something else missing. The man who had made the call, 44-year-old Christopher Moyer, husband, father, and now the key figure in a double homicide, had vanished. No trace. No explanation. Just gone.

On the evening of March 24th, 2012, a 911 call came in from a quiet stretch of rural Iowa. On the other end of the line was a 13-year-old boy. He told the dispatcher he had just shot his mom.Just before the call, he had texted his father, saying, "Dad, this is Noah. I killed Mom accidentally. I regret it. Come home now please." His dad assumed it was some kind of twisted joke and texted back, "Okay. Just throw her in the grove. We will take care of her later."Earlier that day, Noah had come home with bad grades. His mother, Gretchen, took away his video game controller—a punishment that may seem small, but for a boy obsessed with gaming, it hit hard.Maybe it was that. Maybe it was something deeper. But by that evening, something had shifted—and by the time the sun went down, Gretchen was dead, and nothing in that house

00:00 Case 1 - Carol Wardell22:53 Case 2 - Stephen Searle45:11 Case 3 - Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo01:05:27 Case 4 - Tiana Notice01:19:41 Case 5 - Carol Jarvis01:37:18 Case 6 - Cheryl Hooper02:06:03 Case 7 - Jordan Monaghan02:44:41 Case 8 - Wendi Andriano03:05:05 Case 9 - Samantha Parker03:23:04 Case 10 - Jan Moffatt03:44:00 Case 11 - Trish Willoughby

On August 29, 2013, a woman named Kiki Muddar dialed 999 from a house on Broomfield Road in Chadwell Heath, East London.She reported that her 33-year-old roommate, Polly Chowdhury, had attempted to take her own life in the bath - and that Polly's daughter, eight-year-old Ayesha Ali, was dead.When paramedics arrived, they found Ayesha in her bedroom, unresponsive and already cold. She was naked except for a pair of pink underwear, and despite efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.Near her body, police discovered notes written by Polly.One claimed Ayesha had tried to drown herself, and that Polly, unable to revive her, had suffocated the child with a pillow - supposedly to "end her suffering."Polly was rushed to hospital.She survived and was taken into medical care - but within hours of leaving the hospital, she was under arrest for the murder of her own daughter.At first glance, it seemed like a tragic but straightforward case of a mother's mental breakdown turned deadly.But investigators immediately noticed something off - Kiki Muddar, the woman who made the emergency call, showed little interest in Ayesha's fate. Her concern, strangely, was focused solely on Polly's wellbeing.All the evidence initially pointed to Polly. But as detectives dug deeper, a far more disturbing story began to emerge - a twisted web of psychological manipulation, obsession, and lies.And at the center of it all… was Kiki Muddar.

On July 15, 2023, Erin Patterson extended an invitation for lunch to several members of her estranged husband's family.The guest list included her ex-partner Simon Patterson — the father of her two children — his elderly parents, Don and Gail Patterson (both aged 70), Gail's sister, 66 year old Heather Wilkinson, and Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a respected local pastor.The lunch was scheduled for Saturday, July 29, at Erin’s home in Leongatha, Victoria. According to Erin, the purpose of the gathering was to share some personal news — a recent cancer diagnosis she had received.However, the day before the lunch, Simon backed out. He reportedly told Erin he felt "too uncomfortable" attending due to lingering tensions between them. The rest of the invited guests still arrived the next day.At the table, Erin served a homemade beef Wellington. She sat and ate with her guests — but with one small, strange detail: her portion was the only one placed on an orange plate. The others were served on standard dinnerware. Heather Wilkinson even made a lighthearted comment to her husband Ian:“Is Erin short of crockery?”A few hours after the meal, the four guests began to feel violently ill. Symptoms quickly escalated — nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhoea.By the next day, all four were admitted to the hospital. Their conditions rapidly worsened. Within days, Don, Gail, Heather and Ian were placed on life support, suffering from multiple organ failure.Curiously, Erin — the host — showed no signs of illness at all. Erin claimed to be feeling sick too, but CCTV caught her walking through a service station, entering the toilet for a few seconds, before browsing the food on offer.Why was she the only one untouched by the meal that left others fighting for their lives?

On the 19th of February 2024, six-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared from her home in Saldanha Bay — a small, windswept coastal town near Cape Town, South Africa.One moment she was there. The next, she was gone.In the hours and days that followed, confusion turned to panic. Her face appeared on posters, across social media, and in news bulletins. Search teams scoured the dunes, the sea, and the shacks of Middelpos. But Joshlin had vanished without a trace.As the investigation unfolded, rumours took hold. Some whispered she had been trafficked. Others claimed she had been sold. Then came a detail so disturbing it froze the country in disbelief: Could she have been sold... for her eyes and skin?More than a year later, three people — including her own mother — were sentenced to life in prison. Yet the one question no courtroom could answer still hung heavily in the air:Where was Joshlin Smith?

On the 5th of October, 2021, Matthew Boorman arrived home after a long day at work. He had no idea what was waiting for him.As he stepped out of his car, his neighbour of 12 years, Can Arslan, suddenly lunged at him. Can stabbed Matthew repeatedly — brutally, and without mercy.Then, with Matthew dying on the ground, Can sat down… lit a cigarette… and calmly walked away. But he wasn’t finished. Moments later, he headed straight for the next house.How many more would fall victim to his rampage?Could anyone stop him in time?And what drove Can Arslan to turn a quiet suburban street into a scene of horror?This is the story of a man fuelled by rage, delusion, and revenge — and the system that saw the warning signs but failed to stop him.

When a strange 999 call came in on 1st November 2010 from Robert Brown—claiming he wanted to come into the police station to speak with officers—red flags were immediately raised.He refused to share much information, claiming his lawyer had advised against it. But he did admit it involved his ex-wife, Joanna Brown.Joanna had been reported missing earlier that morning after she didn’t drop her children off at school.Was Joanna okay?Had Robert Brown harmed her?

In 1986, the brutal murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall sent shockwaves through Birkenhead. She had been beaten, and left in a dark alleyway — a horrifying crime that triggered the largest manhunt Merseyside had ever seen.29-year-old Peter Sullivan was arrested, and soon after, convicted. Despite an initial series of apparent confessions and retractions during intense police questioning, Peter insisted he was innocent. For more than 38 years, he and his defence team fought to prove that the police had the wrong man.In May 2025, the Court of Appeal agreed and ruled him an innocent man. Peter Sullivan’s conviction was quashed, ending what is now believed to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history.But if Peter didn’t kill Diane Sindall… then who did?This is the case of a young woman’s tragic death — and a man’s decades-long battle to clear his name.

On the weekend of March 1st, 2019, Dr. Preethi Reddy, a respected dentist attended a dental conference in St Leonards, Sydney.After the conference, Preethi met up with her ex-partner, Dr. Harshwardhan Narde, a man from her past who had struggled to accept their breakup.The two spent the evening together, and in the hours that followed, Preethi disappeared without a trace and her family immediately grew concerned.As they desperately searched for answers, the mystery deepened.Days later, a chilling discovery was made - two bodies were found, leading to questions about what had really happened during that fateful weekend.

When sisters Mildred Bowman, 62, and Alice Wardle, 68, flew to Benidorm on July 30, 2005, they were ready for a sun-soaked holiday in the Costa Blanca. Staying at the Levante Club Apartments, they made plans to meet Alice's daughter and her family the next day.But when the sisters never showed up, concern quickly turned to panic. Their loved ones searched tirelessly, retracing their steps through their favourite spots - until the hotel manager delivered devastating news 4 days later.Mildred and Alice had been found dead in their holiday apartment.What had happened to the two sisters?And how did their dream vacation turn into a nightmare?

When a 999 call came in from Penelope Jackson's residence, claiming she had just stabbed her husband and was planning to stab him a bit more, the police were left horrified by her chillingly calm demeanour.Upon arriving at the scene, officers found David Jackson lying on the floor, bleeding to death.Despite the urgency of the situation, Penelope seemed unfazed, even urging paramedics not to help him.But why had Penelope stabbed her husband? Was it a desperate act of self-defense, or was it a cold-blooded murder?