Four women. One ravine. A cold case that refused to stay buried.

Joining us are Marissa, Jeannie, Samira, and Nicole—the investigators behind The Carpool Detectives: A True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case by Chuck Hogan. What began during the isolation of the COVID lockdown as curiosity—sparked by a grainy video of a car being pulled from a ravine after what was ruled an “accident”—evolved into a years-long investigation uncovering financial irregularities, resurrected cell phones, institutional resistance, and evidence pointing to a double homicide.

Hovering just out of frame is Michelle McNamara, another Southern California mother whose legacy looms large in this work—proof that amateur sleuths can help move cold cases when official systems stall. But as these women note, McNamara carried the emotional toll largely alone; they carried it together. Though the case did not end with arrests and ultimately intersected with unsettling hints of organized crime, their work gave the family something they had been denied for over a decade: truth, validation, and answers. On the horizon, the team looks ahead to their next case—a series of Jane Doe murders from the 1970s and 1980s, where untested DNA may finally give names back to the forgotten.

Be sure to purchase The Carpool Detectives: A True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case by Chuck Hogan.

And follow the team on their Insta !

Can a high school class crack a serial killer case? In Elizabethton, Tennessee, sociology teacher Alex Campbell and his students did just that. What began as a lesson in victimology became the Redhead Murders project, where students assembled thefirst behavioral profile of the offender who targeted red-haired women along southern highways in the 1980s and ultimately renamed him the “Bible Belt Strangler.”

The class collaborated with FBI profilers, cold case experts, podcasters, and social media. Their groundbreaking work, not only pointed to long haul trucker Jerry Johns, who died in prison in 2015 but also definitively linked six of the victims— whom the class calls the ‘Six Sisters.” Their dedication even led to the identification of Tina farmer, the only victim officially tied to Johns through DNA evidence. The project reshaped how we think about true crime, proving that ‘hive knowledge,’ grassroots efforts, and social media, are valuable tools in solving cold cases.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in the redheadmurders investigation, but the class has since expanded their efforts. With support from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, the students created JusticeForTracySue.com and established a tip line (1-800-TBI-FIND) for more information about Tracy Sue Walker.

Be sure to listen to Alex’s acclaimed ten-episode podcast series with iHeartRadio: Murder 101

Esteemed forensic anthropologist, Dr. Erin Kimmerle, founder and executive director of the Institute of Forensic Anthropology at the University of South Florida, joins us to discuss her groundbreaking investigations into the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. Dating back to the early 1900s, the Dozier School, once a juvenile reform institution in Florida; its reputation is now synonymous with the counts of horrific abuse, neglect, and torture suffered by the boys sent there, many of whom were Black and committed only minor offenses like truancy and trespassing. Many never returned home, dying while trying to escape or from forced labor and mistreatment.

When the school was officially shut down in 2011, families and descendants of the boys sought answers about who was buried in its unmarked cemetery. With 81 recorded deaths but half the burial sites missing, Dr. Erin Kimmerle led a four-year investigation that combined archaeological excavation, cemetery exhumation, and criminal inquiry. Using ground-penetrating radar, DNA testing, forensic art, and historical records, she helped uncover one of America’s darkest and most shameful chapters, while drawing attention to the injustices juveniles still face today.

We also explore the broader pursuit of historical justice, connecting the Dozier investigation to similar mass graves—such as those tied to Canada’s Indigenous residential schools and the Tuam Mother and baby home in Ireland. And yes, there’s even time for Amelia Earhart!

Be sure to purchase Dr. Erin Kimmerle's book, We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys!