Forensic|Fiends Forensic|Fiends

13-year-old Dario Cicolecchia disappeared from a small Swiss village in 1993. His body was later found in a cornfield, with signs of sexual violence. There was no apparent evidence at the scene, but microscopic examination revealed diatoms - single-celled organisms that live in and around water. Could the tiny diatoms help investigators solve the case? Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net). RAINN (US) 1-800-656-4673 / https://www.rainn.org/. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (US) https://www.nsvrc.org/

A series of bombings rocked Salt Lake City in 1985. First, businessman Steve Christensen was killed by a bomb left outside of his office. Then Kathy Sheets was killed by a similar bomb at her home. At first, the motive appeared to be business - the second bomb was addressed to Kathy’s husband Gary Sheets, former business partner of Steve. When a third bomb went off, injuring documents dealer Mark Hofmann, the case became more complicated. Investigators would soon find themselves unraveling a web of forgeries and cover-ups, using forensic document examination to crack the case. Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net).

This is a wild one! Elementary school teacher Joanne Chambers began receiving bizarre, threatening letters in 1993. Joanne was an unlikely target for harassment, and police could only come up with one suspect: Paula Nawrocki - another teacher at the school. Despite having only circumstantial evidence, police and prosecution went forward with a case against Paula. When DNA evidence was found on some of the letters, everything would change...We’ll also give you a lesson in typewriter technology and the history of stamp pricing! Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net).

In 1986, Susan Snow died after taking Excedrin capsules contaminated with cyanide. Her death prompted a recall and an investigation, which turned up more bottles of poisoned pills. 2 of those bottles were at the home of Stella Nickell. Her husband Bruce had recently died, and Stella insisted his death be re-investigated in light of Sue’s death. When it was found that Bruce also died of cyanide poisoning, investigators worried there was a serial poisoner at work. The truth was that only one person committed the poisonings, and the identity of the killer would be revealed by some tiny green crystals. Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net).

In July 1991, a janitor discovered burned remains in a dumpster in Vancouver. The remains were so damaged by the fire that dental records were the only possible method of identification. The remains were those of a missing woman named Mary-Lynn Breeden. Bank surveillance footage and questioning an accomplice led investigators to the man they believed killed Mary-Lynn. To convict him, scientists would have to find a source of DNA that had never been used before. Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net).

In 1984, a car bomb nearly killed Margaret Backhouse, wife of Graham Backhouse - a farmer in Horton, England. Less than two weeks later, Graham was involved in a fatal altercation with neighbor Colyn Bedale-Taylor. Graham claimed that Colyn took responsibility for planting the bomb and then attacked him, but forensic analysis of the crime scene would cast doubt on Graham’s entire story. Hosts: Colleen O’Brien, Erica White. Audio Supervisor: Tommy O’Brien. Theme Music: 'The Drama' by Rafael Krux (orchestralis.net).