True Crime Arizona

4.6 (380)
TRUE CRIME
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Arizona’s Family journalists Briana Whitney and Serjio Hernandez take a deep dive into both unsolved and solved cases around Arizona — retracing steps, uncovering new evidence, and revealing new theories from those involved in the investigations.

6 DAYS AGO

Widow of Tucson’s first serial killer reveals all

In 1965, Charles Schmid became infamously known around the nation as “The Pied Piper of Tucson” after being arrested for the murders of three vanished girls. Their remains were found, and his trial skyrocketed into national news headlines, magazine, and even Playboy. But one young girl watched this unfold in front of her eyes as she slept next to the Pied Piper, her husband. Diane Schmid was married to Charles, and for the first time in 60 years, the widow reveals everything she saw during that time. Was he her one true love? Or does she see him as a monster?

33 min
FEB 18

Gabby Petito’s parents tell all before Netflix release

All four of Gabby Petito’s parents—both biological and step—sat down with True Crime Arizona ahead of the Netflix docuseries release on the case. They share who last saw and talked to Gabby of the four of them, what was happening with Gabby right before the "Van Life" trip, and aspects they’re revealing in the new docuseries that nobody has known about the case before. They also share more about the advocacy work of the Gabby Petito Foundation, and why a specific missing persons cause brought them to Arizona.

23 min
FEB 14

TV sports anchor almost on high-profile jury

It was an unexpected role reversal! Briana sits down with Mark McClune, the sports director and anchor at 3TV and CBS 5. Why? Because Mark was almost chosen to serve on the jury for a conspiracy to commit murder trial with the death penalty on the table. The case itself is wild: A secret lover, coded text messages, parents at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the targeted victim transitioning from a woman to a man. Mark reveals what the jury selection process was like and what extreme questions he had to answer that nearly got him a seat on the jury, as Briana begins covering the months-long high-profile trial.

37 min
FEB 5

The Stalking Murders

It’s a case that involves GPS tracking devices, cryptic messages, and a plan to flee the country. After the State of Arizona files their intent to seek the death penalty against a murder suspect, the True Crime Arizona team learns no media or news outlet has ever reported on this case. How? We take you behind the scenes of uncovering who the two victims are, the details of what happened in this case that led up to their deaths, and the dramatic capture of the man allegedly responsible for it all. If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence, please visit these links and resources for help: https://noabuse.org/ https://des.az.gov/domestic-violence https://www.phoenix.gov/law/victims/domestic-violence/resources-and-referrals

23 min
JAN 22

A New Cold Case Era

For the first time, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has a new cold case unit that’s starting their work with 5 unsolved cases. Who killed these people, and why? We dive into details of each case, where it stands now, and explore the new evidence that’s come to light. The unit also vows to work on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases, and explores how AI could be a way forward with case investigations.

19 min
JAN 9

Fall of the new FLDS prophet

In the wake of infamous FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs locked up in prison, a new leader emerged: Samuel Bateman. Bateman started his own offshoot of the polygamous religion, taking in multiple wives and child brides as young as 9 years old. An FLDS survivor and advocates tried to sound the alarm to the FBI for years, but it wouldn’t be until a bizarre traffic stop in Flagstaff that Bateman would be caught. From there this story exploded: sex trafficking schemes, naked “sacred ordinances,” kidnapping, and an FBI raid. After years and multiple plea deals, Samuel Bateman learned his prison fate in a Phoenix federal courtroom in December 2024. And for the first time, the once child victims spoke directly to him before the judge had the last word.

40 min
12/20/2024

The Christmas Eve murders and an attorney’s secret struggle

What happened during the 2023 Christmas Eve murders inside a Central Phoenix home was largely a mystery until now, though the public knew the killer was the husband of late Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel. As the victim’s son reveals exactly what unfolded that night and how he narrowly escaped alive, a woman shares her story for the first time about the secret and silent domestic abuse Allister Adel suffered before her death at the hands of the same man. If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence or mental health, please visit these links and resources for help: https://des.az.gov/domestic-violence https://www.phoenix.gov/law/victims/domestic-violence/resources-and-referrals https://www.thehotline.org/

43 min
12/11/2024

The Teen Killer Trial

The Teen Killer Trial In February 2019, a 14-year-old stabbed his aunt to death during a family reunion in Arizona. He was charged as an adult with first degree murder, and confessed to the crime. But in an unprecedented trial where mental health was not admissible, one family was split on either side of the courtroom as this unraveled in front of a jury, with an unexpected outcome. Emotional testimony and words came from all sides, including the young defendant himself. Mental health resources: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help https://www.maricopa.gov/5065/Resources https://www.nami.org/support-education/nami-helpline/

37 min

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4.6

out of 5

380 Ratings

Chef’s kiss 💋

Feb 6

O. Shatt

Everything is very well reported and as crime continues to rise in Arizona, I couldn’t think of better coverage for any of it! Thank you.
Love it!!

09/07/2024

Rolex 24

Awesome podcast!!
Vocal fry

10/24/2024

zukicidal

So much vocal fry I wanna poke out my eardrums
Amazing podcast!

10/23/2023

HMHeckman

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this podcast!!!

Arizona’s Family journalists Briana Whitney and Serjio Hernandez take a deep dive into both unsolved and solved cases around Arizona — retracing steps, uncovering new evidence, and revealing new theories from those involved in the investigations.