Digest

The hosts of the True Crime Obsessed podcast dive into the second episode of season four of Unsolved Mysteries, titled "A Body in the Basement." They analyze the case of Amanda, a young woman found dead in the basement of her home, and explore the various theories surrounding her death. The episode begins with a discussion of the initial 911 call from Amanda's husband, Leigh, who discovered her body. The hosts then delve into the details of the crime scene investigation, highlighting the excessive amount of blood, the broken piggy bank, and the lack of forced entry. They also discuss the victim's injuries and the initial suspicion of foul play. The hosts provide background information on Amanda, including her age, personality, and relationship with Leigh. They highlight Amanda's entrepreneurial spirit and her financial support of Leigh, who struggled to maintain employment. They also discuss the family's concerns about Leigh's impulsiveness and potential for rage. The episode then focuses on Leigh's interview with the police, his alibi, and the timeline of events leading up to Amanda's death. The hosts analyze the details of Leigh's trip to Saskatchewan, his communication with Amanda, and his subsequent attempts to contact her after their last phone call. They also discuss the inconsistencies in Leigh's account of the events and the lack of evidence supporting his alibi. The hosts explore the possibility of a sexual assault, the discovery of a bloodstain that may belong to the perpetrator, and the possibility of the perpetrator entering through an unlocked back door. They also discuss the neighborhood where Amanda lived, highlighting its high crime rate and the residents' concerns about safety. They analyze the witness statements regarding Ruby's barking and the sighting of someone running through the backyards. The episode introduces a new suspect: Leigh's sister, who had a history of drug addiction and had been estranged from the family. Leigh claims that his sister hated Amanda and blamed her for the removal of her daughter from her custody. They discuss Amanda's notes detailing her sister-in-law's threats and the lack of evidence connecting her to the crime. The hosts explore the accident theory, which suggests that Amanda may have tripped over Ruby and fallen down the stairs, striking her head on the piggy bank. They discuss the evidence supporting this theory, including the biomechanics engineer's findings and the lack of evidence of another person's presence in the basement. They also present the evidence against the accident theory, including the lack of disturbance to the laundry basket and the phone's broken screen. The hosts discuss Amanda's final moments, focusing on her potential disorientation and the possibility that she felt safer in the basement than facing a perceived threat in the house. They also discuss the hosts' personal experiences with traumatic events and the difficulty of fully understanding such situations. The hosts present their own theory, which suggests that Amanda accidentally tripped over Ruby, fell down the stairs, and struck her head on the piggy bank. They discuss the potential for memory distortion and the importance of context when evaluating witness statements. The episode concludes with the hosts acknowledging that Amanda's manner of death remains undetermined. They encourage listeners to submit tips to Calgary Crime Stoppers and join the True Crime Obsessed podcast discussion group to share their theories. They also announce upcoming episodes on the TikTok Star Murders and the Lacey Peterson case.

Outlines

00:00:00

Introduction and Disclaimer

The hosts begin by reminding listeners that they are not angry at them, but rather addressing the episode's content. They emphasize that they are not yelling at the listeners, but rather discussing the episode's subject matter.

00:00:30

A Listener Gift and Donation

The hosts announce a special gift from a listener named Karina, who works with animals. Karina has arranged for a painting created by an author to be gifted to the listeners. The hosts express their gratitude and announce a donation to the Phoenix Chapter of the American Association of Zookeepers in Karina's honor.

00:00:40

Unsolved Mysteries: A Body in the Basement

The hosts dive into their analysis of "A Body in the Basement," episode two of season four of Unsolved Mysteries. They discuss the initial 911 call from the husband, Leigh, who discovered his wife, Amanda, dead in the basement. The hosts highlight the gruesome nature of the crime scene and the husband's emotional state.

00:00:53

Zebiotics Sponsor Segment

The hosts discuss Zebiotics, a probiotic designed to help with rough mornings after drinking. They explain how the product works and share their personal experiences with it. They encourage listeners to visit the Zebiotics website for more information and a discount code.

00:01:03

The Crime Scene Investigation and Amanda's Life

The hosts delve into the details of the crime scene investigation, focusing on the officer's initial observations and the evidence found. They describe the excessive amount of blood, the broken piggy bank, and the lack of forced entry. They also discuss the victim's injuries and the initial suspicion of foul play. They provide background information on Amanda, the victim, including her age, personality, and relationship with her husband, Leigh. They highlight Amanda's entrepreneurial spirit and her financial support of Leigh, who struggled to maintain employment. They also discuss the family's concerns about Leigh's impulsiveness and potential for rage.

00:21:55

Leigh's Interview and Alibi

The hosts discuss Leigh's interview with the police, highlighting his despondent demeanor and the investigators' efforts to rule him out as a suspect. They reveal that Leigh had traveled to Saskatchewan to visit his mother and provide evidence that he was indeed out of town when Amanda died. The hosts discuss Zippercrooter, a hiring platform that helps employers find qualified candidates quickly. They share positive testimonials from other businesses and encourage listeners to try the platform for free.

00:28:45

The Timeline of Events and Leigh's Return Home

The hosts reconstruct the timeline of events leading up to Amanda's death, focusing on Leigh's trip to Saskatchewan and his communication with Amanda. They analyze the details of their last phone call, which ended abruptly, and Leigh's subsequent attempts to contact Amanda. They describe Leigh's return home after his trip to Saskatchewan and his discovery of Amanda's body in the basement. They discuss the inconsistencies in Leigh's account of the events and the lack of evidence supporting his alibi.

00:33:36

The Crime Scene Investigation: Evidence and Theories

The hosts delve into the details of the crime scene investigation, focusing on the lack of fingerprints and the presence of bare footprints. They discuss the possibility of a sexual assault and the discovery of a bloodstain that may belong to the perpetrator. They also explore the possibility of the perpetrator entering through an unlocked back door. The hosts discuss Rocket Money, a personal finance app that helps users find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitor spending, and lower bills. They highlight the app's features and encourage listeners to visit the Rocket Money website for more information.

00:39:33

The Neighborhood, Potential Witnesses, and a New Suspect

The hosts discuss the neighborhood where Amanda lived, highlighting its high crime rate and the residents' concerns about safety. They analyze the witness statements regarding Ruby's barking and the sighting of someone running through the backyards. They also discuss the inconsistencies in Leigh's account of Ruby's barking habits. The hosts introduce a new suspect: Leigh's sister, who had a history of drug addiction and had been estranged from the family. Leigh claims that his sister hated Amanda and blamed her for the removal of her daughter from her custody. They discuss Amanda's notes detailing her sister-in-law's threats and the lack of evidence connecting her to the crime.

00:46:12

The Lack of Tips, Amanda's Potential Knowledge, and the Accident Theory

The hosts discuss the unusual lack of tips from the public in Amanda's case, suggesting that she may have been the only one who knew what happened. They also discuss the results of Amanda's toxicology report and the determination of her cause of death. The hosts explore the accident theory, which suggests that Amanda may have tripped over Ruby and fallen down the stairs, striking her head on the piggy bank. They discuss the evidence supporting this theory, including the biomechanics engineer's findings and the lack of evidence of another person's presence in the basement. They also present the evidence against the accident theory, including the lack of disturbance to the laundry basket and the phone's broken screen.

00:54:49

Amanda's Final Moments, the Hosts' Theory, and Conclusion

The hosts discuss Amanda's final moments, focusing on her potential disorientation and the possibility that she felt safer in the basement than facing a perceived threat in the house. They also discuss the hosts' personal experiences with traumatic events and the difficulty of fully understanding such situations. The hosts present their own theory, which suggests that Amanda accidentally tripped over Ruby, fell down the stairs, and struck her head on the piggy bank. They discuss the potential for memory distortion and the importance of context when evaluating witness statements. The hosts conclude their discussion of "A Body in the Basement," acknowledging that Amanda's manner of death remains undetermined. They encourage listeners to submit tips to Calgary Crime Stoppers and join the True Crime Obsessed podcast discussion group to share their theories. They also announce upcoming episodes on the TikTok Star Murders and the Lacey Peterson case.

Keywords

Q&A

• What are the key pieces of evidence in Amanda's case, and how do they support or contradict the accident theory?

  The key evidence includes the excessive blood, the broken piggy bank, the lack of forced entry, the lack of fingerprints, the bare footprints, and the lack of defensive wounds on Amanda's body. While the biomechanics engineer's findings support the accident theory, the lack of disturbance to the laundry basket, the broken phone screen, and the absence of animal paw prints in the blood raise questions about the accident theory.

• What are the hosts' theories about what happened to Amanda, and what evidence supports their theories?

  The hosts believe that Amanda accidentally tripped over Ruby, fell down the stairs, and struck her head on the piggy bank. They cite the evidence of the piggy bank's position, the phone's location, and the potential for Amanda to have been disoriented due to her migraine and possible drug use. They also acknowledge the possibility that Amanda may have been in a panic and felt safer in the basement than facing a perceived threat in the house.

• Why do the hosts find Leigh's behavior suspicious, and what are their concerns about his involvement in Amanda's death?

  The hosts find Leigh's behavior suspicious due to his lack of urgency in contacting Amanda's family or the police after their last phone call, his inconsistent account of Ruby's barking habits, and his failure to notice the overturned chair and broken phone upon returning home. They also question his alibi, as he claims to have been in Saskatchewan when Amanda died, but there is no evidence to support his claim.

• What are the hosts' thoughts on the lack of tips from the public in Amanda's case, and what does it suggest about the circumstances of her death?

  The hosts find the lack of tips from the public unusual, suggesting that Amanda may have been the only one who knew what happened. They draw a parallel to their experience with the Brian Schaefer case, where they received no tips despite putting up billboards and offering a reward. They believe that the lack of tips in Amanda's case could indicate that her death was a tragic accident or that she was killed by someone she knew.

Show Notes