The Police Chief of Lansing Michigan says the recent attacks along a one mile stretch of the Lansing River Trail leading to the deaths of five men raises the possibility that this area of Michigan might have a serial killer in their midst. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss all five deaths to determine what happened in each case, and compare all of the cases to determine areas of similarity that could lead to one killer being responsible for all of the attacks.

Highlights:
00:10.289 The Art of Pattern Recognition in Forensics
00:49.110 A Potential Serial Killer in Lansing,
01:33.220 Investigating Homeless Homicides
05:45.430 The Unique Nature of Homeless Victim Patterns
07:32.600 Task Forces and Big-Picture Investigations
15:07.320 The First Victim: Gino Chouinard
20:46.950 The Second Victim: Dennis Dunback
25:43.359 The Third Victim: Robert Smith
29:18.400 The Fourth Victim: Daniel Lusk
31:51.550 The Fifth Victim: Louis Woodruff
33:52.650 Analyzing the Evidence and Suspicions
35:24.650 The Nature of the Attacks
35:51.680 Investigating the Victims and Injuries
41:24.060 The Location and Modus Operandi
46:43.550 Closing Thoughts and Future Coverage

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In 2012, 19-year-old UNC student Faith Hedgepeth was found murdered in her apartment following a savage sexual assault and blunt-force attack. The bloody crime scene yielded bizarre clues: a heavy rum bottle used as a weapon and a cryptic message written on a takeout bag. The case went cold for nearly a decade until genetic genealogy traced the killer's DNA to Miguel Salguero Olivares. Following a 2021 traffic stop that secured a matching DNA sample, a jury recently found him guilty on all counts, sentencing him to life in prison.

Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the physical evidence left at the scene and analyze the complex blood deposition on Faith's bed, explain the devastating impact of a thick liquor bottle as a weapon, and discuss how the mysterious takeout bag served as a confusing red herring.

Highlights:

00:01.420 Welcome to Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan
00:10.630 Jimmy Buffett and Rum
02:59.280 The Faith Hedgepeth Case Begins
06:02.540 The Brutal Discovery
07:41.350 The Challenges of Blood Evidence
13:37.590 The 911 Call and Initial Scene
18:20.619 The Investigation Unfolds
31:18.890 The Rum Bottle and DNA Evidence
34:38.840 The Role of Blood in Investigations
39:27.070 The Suspect and the Crime Scene
41:11.200 The Challenges of Identifying Blood
43:10.660 A Violent Attack Unfolds
44:06.390 The Investigation Begins
49:13.270 The Role of DNA Evidence
52:48.610 The Trial and Its Challenges
55:02.580 Closing Thoughts on Forensic Science

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The search for missing women continues as investigators went through the Philly 'House of Horrors' spraying luminol, uncovering human DNA. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take a look at what is happening right now as crews are digging with excavators to see if what R.C, Horsch wrote about as works of fiction were actually descriptions of murder and disposal of women who came to the Olney home.  This is an update to the earlier Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan episode, "Missing Women, Philly House Of Horrors! Dissolving Bodies & Snuff Films".

Highlights:

00:01.420 Welcome to Body Bags
00:10.470 The Challenges of Concentration in Crime
01:23.120 The Philly House of Horrors Investigation
03:57.260 Preparing for the Worst: Investigator
10:12.050 The Power of Luminol in Crime Scene
16:26.640 Unraveling the Mystery of the Barrel 
22:55.210 The Extensive Scope of the Investigation
27:48.170 R.C. Horsch's Dark Legacy and the Role of DNA
44:13.640 Wrapping Up the House of Horrors Case

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On December 22, 1978,  a school bus driver about 11 miles east of Billings, Montana, spotted what looked to be trash dumped close to the road close to the I-90/Pryor Creek Interchange. The bus drivers stops to take a closer look when he notices a shoe and what appears to be a body. He just discovered the body of 16-year-old Corina Contreraz, and the beginning of a case that would not be solved for 48 years. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take an up-close look at the investigation into the murder of Corina and the incredible scientific work done by investigators in Montana and the team at Othram Labs. This is the first time in history where a murderer has been caught with an innocuous finger print sitting in an arrest file for 44 years.  If the investigation was a numbers game, the equation that led to the suspect would look like this: 1978 + 16 + 2026 + 1982 = Angelo Stallsmith Sr.

Highlights:

00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Forensic Mystery
00:10.850 The Power of Friction Ridges
02:08.450 A Cold Case from 1978
10:21.309 The Discovery of the Body
21:56.840 Investigating the Crime Scene
22:54.570 A Mysterious Discovery
23:12.340 Investigating the Crime Scene
28:45.960 The Hunt for Clues
37:12.050 A Breakthrough in Forensic Science
37:19.680 The Breakthrough in Forensic Technology
42:42.600 Solving a 44-Year-Old Mystery

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The trial of accused killer Matthew Farwell, 40, is underway. Farwell stands accused of murdering pregnant Sandra Birchmore, and staging the scene to look like Sandra took her own life.  Farwell had known Sandra since she was 12 and a member of the Stoughton, Mass, Police Explorers Youth Program. Farwell was one of the active cops who volunteered their time to teach young people about law enforcement, and it was at these group meetings where Farwell is accused of grooming Sandra. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack explore some of the evidence to determine why Sandra's death was initially ruled a suicide, and how the ruling was changed, and how the Feds stepped in to charge Farwell in the death of Sandra Birchmore.

Highlights:

00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Federal Homicide Case
01:54.280 The Sandra Birchmore Case Unfolds
02:52.660 The Explorer Post and Grooming Process
06:18.580 A Pregnant Woman's Tragic Fate
28:53.630 The Investigation and Initial Ruling
32:22.230 Challenging the Suicide Verdict
33:22.980 Dr. Michael Baden's Expert Opinion
34:25.640 The Nuances of Hanging and Strangulation
39:13.489 Lividity and Asphyxial Death Indicators
41:19.590 The Trial and New Evidence
45:23.250 Federal Charges and Their Implications
48:20.350 Closing Thoughts on a Tragic Case

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On September 21 in Oxford, Mississippi, two young men were found dead on and near the campus of Ole Miss. Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, was found unresponsive in his dorm room at Stewart Hall, and was taken to a local hospital where he died. Robert Strang, 20, was found dead in an off-campus residence. Investigators reported finding packaging associated with Kratom-related products at both locations. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack talk about the cases and how Kratom is linked to the deaths even though toxicology results haven't been made public yet.

Highlights:

00:01.420 Setting the Stage for a Deadly Convenience

01:46.260 The Allure of Kratom: A Mysterious

02:32.919 A Tragic Double Death at Ole Miss

06:24.300 Kratom's Dual Nature: Sedative and Stimulant

14:38.930 The Wild West of Unregulated Substances

17:15.550 Investigating the Deaths: A Forensic

32:13.920 The Aftermath: Arrests and Legal Implications

43:48.090 Closing Thoughts on Kratom's Impact

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Teen sisters Maggie and Mary Jenkins took a bus from their home in New Jersey to St Petersburg, Florida, in April of 1973. Maggie, 18, and Mary, 16, then hitchhiked from St. Petersburg to Key West and stayed with friends for a few weeks. On May 2, 1973, the Jenkins sisters had bus fare wired from their father but opted to hitchhike instead, as the teens were last seen alive on Stock Island, Florida, hitchhiking. On May 3, 1973, the bodies of Maggie and Mary Jenkins were found in Key Largo, about 100 miles from where they were last seen alive. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack open up the file and examine the investigation done by law enforcement at the time to try and determine why it took more than 50 years to identify a suspect! Another case involving great work by the original investigators and the new techniques created by Othram!

Highlights:

00:01.400 Setting the Stage for a Chilling Case
00:10.590 The Joy of Road Trips with Jimmy Buffett
01:55.710 A Fateful Journey to Key West
05:20.440 The Brutal Discovery
08:10.060 The Extensive Search and Investigation
10:02.590 The Geographical Landscape of the Keys
12:29.429 The Nature of the Crime Scene
15:56.920 The Motivation Behind the Trip
32:36.080 The Investigation's Dead End
33:18.360 DNA Breakthrough and Resolution
42:27.219 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

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Following a botched lethal injection attempt, death row inmate Christa Pike was revived by medical staff and is now awake, walking around, and reportedly confused and angry. Rather than a divine intervention, legal maneuvering and systematic operational breakdowns in Tennessee’s execution protocol led to her survival. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the forensic, procedural, and legal failures of Christa Pike's botched execution.

Highlights:

00:10.330 - Miracle in Nashville

01:18.160 - The Controversial Nature of "Miracles"

02:10.010 - The Execution Gone Wrong

12:47.080 - The Aftermath and Legal Implications

19:30.770 - The IV Fiasco and Medical Protocol

26:53.580 - The Future of Capital Punishment in Tennessee

27:47.140 - The Failed Execution of Christa Pike

29:54.650 - The Mechanics of Lethal Injection

37:34.260 - Legal and Political Implications

47:46.050 - Wrapping Up and Future Developments

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Many people following "True Crime" know the name "Texas Equusearch" and its founder, Tim Miller. Not everyone knows that Tim Miller is the father of Laura Miller, a 16-year-old who vanished September 10th, 1984, in the Texas coastal town of League City. For 17 months, Tim Miller worked with law enforcement and volunteers to find his daughter without success. On February 2nd, 1986, two boys riding their bikes through a field now known as the Texas Killing Fields, discovered the remains of Laura Miller and another woman who would not be identified for 33 years, Audrey Lee Cook. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the "Texas Killing Fields" in general and focus in on the murders of Laura Miller and Audrey Lee Cook. 

Highlights:

00:10.289 Death Investigation and PTSD

01:26.040 The Texas Killing Fields

02:45.660 Tim Miller and Texas EquuSearch

11:12.740 The Discovery of Laura Miller and Audrey Lee

14:24.710 Investigating Crime Scenes and Evidence

20:24.900 The Isolated Location and Evidence Challenges

29:13.990 The Importance of Tim Miller's Quest

38:52.890 The Confession and Justice Served

40:12.130 A Father's Decades-Long Search for Truth

40:54.469 The Confession and Legal Pursuit

42:31.050 Justice Served, But at What Cost?

43:47.890 The Brutal Truth Behind Laura's Death

44:27.610 The Elusive Truth in Unsolved Cases

46:22.210 Accountability in the Texas Killing Fields

50:18.550 Reflections on Justice and Loss

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James Vlassakis was part of a group of men who preyed on the physically and mentally weak in their community, gaining banking and welfare information that created a waterfall of money that kept coming even after the victims were dead. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the case that became the subject of books, articles, and movies related to the deaths of at least 11 people, 8 of whom were found dismembered and dissolved in barrels filled with hydrochloric acid. James Vlassakis took part in the murders of at least 4 of the victims but turned rat for the state prosecution of the rest, negotiating a deal that allowed him to walk out of jail this month!

Highlights:

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• 00:10.690 - The Philadelphia House of Horrors
• 02:41.260 - Bodies in Barrels: A Shocking Discovery
• 06:36.390 - The Motivation Behind the Murders
• 10:07.500 - The Victims and Their Stories
• 12:49.660 - The Use of Hydrochloric Acid
• 23:14.340 - The Aftermath and Disposal of Bodies
• 39:55.640 - The Final Victim: Troy Udy
• 42:40.120 - The Eyes of Death
• 45:27.120 - Dismemberment and Acid Bath
• 49:25.080 - The Perils of Transporting Human Remains
• 54:21.100 - The Aftermath and Sentencing
• 55:58.640 - Closing Thoughts on Justice

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The execution of Christa Pike did not go off as planned and she is currently on a ventilator in ICU as her attorneys file motion to preserve evidence. The Head of Tennessee's Prison System resigns after the failed execution. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack review the case and the botched execution attempt and look to the future of what happens next.

Highlights:

• 00:01.400 - The Colleen Slemmer Case
• 00:10.570 - A Forensic Anthropologist's Testimony
• 01:28.240 - The Murder of Colleen Slimmer
• 03:53.790 - The Botched Execution of Krista Pike
• 04:42.660 - The Execution Process and Its Challenges
• 12:18.130 - The Legacy of Krista Pike
• 32:12.720 - The Aftermath and Legal Implications
• 33:52.740 - The Execution Process Gone Wrong
• 34:17.540 - Pentobarbital: A Controversial Drug
• 36:01.830 - The History of Botched Executions
• 36:49.610 - The Decision to Save Lives
• 38:29.190 - The First Female Execution in Tennessee
• 40:07.230 - IV Insertion Challenges
• 42:45.900 - The Aftermath and Future Implications
• 50:28.910 - The Hippocratic Oath and Medical Ethics
• 54:01.290 - Remembering Colleen Slimmer

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