Murder In The Black

Steph
  • 4.5 (499)
  • True Crime
  • Weekly

Founded by sisters Steph and M.D., Murder in the Black explores overlooked true crime stories within the Black community. Steph currently hosts weekly episodes, while M.D., co-founder and original co-host, contributes as a guest co-host and legal analyst. The podcast stands apart through its coverage of both Black victims and Black perpetrators, creating space for honest conversations about justice, accountability, and the people at the center of each case.

MURDER IN THE BLACK

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  1. 1d ago · Subscribers Only

    EXCLUSIVE THURSDAY DROP EARLY

    EXCLUSIVE THURSDAY DROP EARLY

    EXCLUSIVE THURSDAY DROP EARLY

  2. 1d ago · Subscribers Only

    Mimi and Mo | A Friendship That Ended in Murder

    Shameria “Mimi” Fletcher was 34, loved by her family and friends, and preparing for a weekend trip when she was found dead inside her Atlanta townhouse on March 2, 2022. Her best friend and roommate, O’Keisha “Mo” Range, told a dispatcher that Mimi appeared to have fallen from bed. But her injuries told a different story. As investigators examined the women’s friendship, they uncovered accounts of isolation, financial dependence, threats and a previous assault. Then activity on Mimi’s phone challenged Mo’s account of when she realized her friend needed help. In this subscriber-exclusive episode of Murder in the Black, Steph follows the investigation, the competing arguments at trial and the evidence that led to a murder conviction. She also reflects on how control and abuse can develop within a friendship—and remembers the generous, accomplished woman whose life extended far beyond that relationship. How do we recognize when a close friendship has become dangerous? Join the conversation and share your thoughts. Content warning — Physical abuse, strangulation and descriptions of injuries. Instagram @murderintheblack Follow Steph @stepher_ Email ⁠murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com⁠

    Mimi and Mo | A Friendship That Ended in Murder

  3. 1d ago · Subscribers Only

    Mimi and Mo | A Friendship That Ended in Murder

    Shameria “Mimi” Fletcher was 34, loved by her family and friends, and preparing for a weekend trip when she was found dead inside her Atlanta townhouse on March 2, 2022. Her best friend and roommate, O’Keisha “Mo” Range, told a dispatcher that Mimi appeared to have fallen from bed. But her injuries told a different story. As investigators examined the women’s friendship, they uncovered accounts of isolation, financial dependence, threats and a previous assault. Then activity on Mimi’s phone challenged Mo’s account of when she realized her friend needed help. In this subscriber-exclusive episode of Murder in the Black, Steph follows the investigation, the competing arguments at trial and the evidence that led to a murder conviction. She also reflects on how control and abuse can develop within a friendship—and remembers the generous, accomplished woman whose life extended far beyond that relationship. How do we recognize when a close friendship has become dangerous? Join the conversation and share your thoughts. Content warning — Physical abuse, strangulation and descriptions of injuries. Instagram @murderintheblack Follow Steph @stepher_ Email ⁠murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com⁠

    Mimi and Mo | A Friendship That Ended in Murder

  4. 6d ago

    If It Happened Now: A Boston Lie — The Charles Stuart Case

    On October 23, 1989, a car-phone call sent Boston into a frenzy. Charles Stuart claimed that a Black gunman had shot him and his pregnant wife, Carol. His accusation placed innocent Black men under suspicion and gave the city a story it was prepared to believe. In this installment of If This Happened Now, Steph examines Charles’ lie, the people who paid for it and whether modern technology would expose him sooner—or give investigators more information to interpret through the same assumptions. Carol DiMaiti Stuart was a 30-year-old Boston College graduate and tax attorney, not simply “the pregnant wife.” Carol was about seven and a half months pregnant. Her son, Christopher, was delivered by cesarean section and lived for 17 days. Charles’ description of a Black attacker sent police flooding into Mission Hill. Detectives noticed early problems involving his route, the car’s dome light and its unusually clean back seat. Alan Swanson spent approximately three weeks in jail but was never charged with Carol’s murder. Willie Bennett was targeted through changing witness statements, raids and a lineup in which Charles claimed to be 99 percent certain. James Moody, a Black man killed in Boston that same night, received far less attention. Charles’ brother Matthew eventually told investigators that Charles had asked for help staging a robbery. A 2023 Boston Globe investigation found that at least 33 people had heard Charles was responsible before Matthew went to police. Modern phones, cameras and forensic testing could weaken the lie—but a false accusation could spread online even faster. Boston formally apologized in 2023. In 2025, the city agreed to pay Willie $100,000 and Alan $50,000 without admitting liability. Time Stamps: 00:01 — The call that sent Boston into a frenzy 02:29 — Introducing If This Happened Now 03:32 — Remembering Carol Stuart 04:25 — The shooting and Christopher’s 17 days 05:23 — An accusation built on race 06:23 — Mission Hill under suspicion 07:46 — Political pressure and early theories 09:14 — Questions investigators should have asked 10:09 — Problems with the route and car 11:06 — Alan Swanson and the tracksuit 13:27 — Willie Bennett, the raids and lineup 15:49 — Charles identifies an innocent man 16:17 — The Bennett family seeks accountability 17:12 — James Moody’s overlooked death 18:08 — Matthew Stuart and the recovered gun 19:13 — The 33 people who heard the truth 20:10 — Matthew goes to police 21:08 — No trial and unanswered questions 22:03 — The Boston Globe reinvestigation 23:29 — The unsupported insurance claim 23:56 — Phones, cameras and forensics now 25:53 — How the accusation could spread online 26:45 — Information versus interpretation 28:22 — The limits of lineup safeguards 29:19 — Body cameras and recorded interviews 30:18 — A false accusation travels farther now 31:15 — The apologies and settlements 33:36 — Where responsibility lies 34:35 — Evidence or the easiest suspect? 35:05 — Questions for listeners If Carol’s murder happened now, which would move faster: the evidence exposing Charles or the accusation against a Black stranger? Would technology have protected Willie Bennett and Alan Swanson—or made the suspicion permanent online? Do you believe Charles acted alone? Catch up on the earlier If This Happened Now episodes featuring Carlesha Freeland-Gaither and the Austin Ripper. Follow Murder in the Black, leave a five-star rating and review, and share the episode. Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com Steph: @stepher_

  5. Nov 2 · Subscribers Only

    Erica Green: The Name Kansas City Refused to Forget

    For four years, Kansas City knew her only as Precious Doe. When the remains of a young Black girl were discovered in April 2001, investigators had no name, missing-person report or confirmed family connection to help identify her. While detectives searched for answers, members of the community held vigils, distributed flyers, raised reward money and refused to let the child disappear from public memory. In this paid episode, Steph examines the life and death of three-year-old Erica Michelle Marie Green, the informal custody arrangement that left her without consistent oversight, the adults who concealed what happened and the family member who finally restored her name. The episode also explores the institutional gaps surrounding Erica’s childhood, the four-year effort to identify her and the Kansas City community that claimed her when the people responsible remained silent. Erica’s birth while her mother was incarcerated Betty Brown’s role as Erica’s primary caregiver The informal custody arrangement surrounding Erica’s placement The trip to Kansas City that Erica never returned from The decisions Michelle and Harrell Johnson made after Erica was injured The April 2001 discovery near 59th Street and Kensington Avenue Why investigators initially struggled to identify the child Possible connections to Teekah Lewis and Rilya Wilson Kansas City’s vigils, funeral and memorial for Precious Doe Community activist Alonzo Washington’s efforts to keep the case visible The family tip that finally identified Erica in 2005 Michelle Johnson’s guilty plea and testimony Harrell Johnson’s trial, conviction and life sentence The federal lawsuit alleging failures by Oklahoma agencies Why identifying Erica brought accountability without undoing the opportunities missed during her life The 2026 gathering commemorating what would have been Erica’s 29th birthday What ultimately solved this case: forensic investigation, the family member who provided Erica’s name or the community pressure that kept her visible? When a child born to an incarcerated parent is placed informally with another caregiver, who should be responsible for ensuring that child does not disappear between systems?

    Erica Green: The Name Kansas City Refused to Forget

  6. Oct 29

    If It Happened Now: The Austin Ripper—Who Was Protecting the Women?

    Before Jack the Ripper, Austin had its own unidentified nighttime killer. In 1884 and 1885, a series of brutal attacks terrorized Austin, Texas. Black women working as domestic servants were among the earliest victims. Their work placed them inside other people’s homes, but proximity offered little protection. In this installment of If It Happened Now, Steph examines the Austin Ripper case, also known as the Servant Girl Annihilator murders. Who were the people behind the sensational name? How did race, gender, newspaper coverage, and investigative limitations shape the response—and the story we remember? Then we bring the case into the present. Could DNA, surveillance cameras, and connected investigations have changed the outcome? And would the women targeted first receive the attention needed to stop the attacks sooner? “The darkness helped him move. Indifference gave him time.” Follow Murder in the Black and leave a rating or review. Subscribe for exclusive episodes and more conversations with Steph. Join the conversation: If these attacks happened now, what would make the biggest difference: better technology or a faster response to the first victims? Instagram: @murderintheblackFacebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com

  7. Oct 26 · Subscribers Only

    Alberta Jones: The Prosecutor Louisville Never Found Justice For

    In August 1965, witnesses in Louisville, Kentucky, heard a woman scream and saw a man dragging her toward a light-colored Ford. Hours later, the body of 34-year-old Alberta Odell Jones was recovered from the Ohio River. Earlier that year, Alberta had become Louisville’s first woman prosecutor and Kentucky’s first Black woman prosecutor. She was also the first Black woman known to pass the Kentucky bar examination, an accomplished attorney who represented a young Cassius Clay and a civil-rights organizer who helped register thousands of Black voters. Her rented Ford Fairlane was found with blood, fingerprints, her dentures and evidence of a violent struggle inside. Police interviewed hundreds of people, investigated multiple theories and presented two men to a grand jury—but no indictments were returned. Decades later, investigators matched one fingerprint from the vehicle to a living person. Even that discovery was not enough to support a prosecution. In this paid-subscriber episode, Steph examines Alberta’s extraordinary life, the final hours before her death, the evidence recovered from the Fairlane and the questions surrounding a case that has remained unsolved for more than 60 years. Alberta’s childhood and education in segregated Louisville Her historic legal career and representation of Cassius Clay The Independent Voters Association and Alberta’s work registering Black voters Her appointment as Louisville’s first woman prosecutor Alberta’s final evening with her friend Gladys Wyckoff Witnesses who reported seeing a woman being forced into a car The discovery of Alberta’s body near Fontaine Ferry Park Blood, fingerprints and evidence of a struggle inside the rented Ford Fairlane The two men presented to a grand jury Alberta’s purse, discovered inside the Sherman Minton Bridge nearly three years later Questions surrounding a possible civil-rights or political motive The fingerprint match investigators obtained in 2008 Evidence that could no longer be located when modern testing became available The Justice Department’s 2023 review of Alberta’s murder How Louisville is preserving Alberta’s legacy today The evidence shows that Alberta was attacked and entered the Ohio River alive. What it has never established is who killed her—or why. Louisville has honored Alberta with a park, a portrait and a statue. Her family is still waiting for the one thing the city has never been able to provide: the name of her killer. If you have credible information concerning the murder of Alberta Jones, contact the Louisville Metro Police Department Cold Case Squad at 502-574-7055. When a case has been investigated repeatedly but the surviving evidence can no longer support a prosecution, what does justice look like for the family left behind? Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: ⁠murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com⁠ Follow Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Thank you for supporting Murder in the Black. Your paid subscription allows Steph to spend more time researching these cases and telling the complete stories of the people at their center.

    Alberta Jones: The Prosecutor Louisville Never Found Justice For

  8. Oct 22

    If It Happened Now: Carlesha Freeland Gaither | Captured on Camera

    In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph follows the urgent, multi-state search to bring Carlesha home. A witness who called police twice. Detectives who promised her mother they would find her. An ATM transaction, a dealership decal, and a GPS tracker that helped investigators close the distance. At the center of every development was Carlesha: resisting, paying attention, and making decisions to survive nearly three days in captivity. As we prepare for our new series, If It Happened Now, this case raises a question: With more cameras and digital evidence available today, how much still depends on someone recognizing a clue—and acting before it’s too late? Content note: Discussion of kidnapping, violence, and captivity. CHAPTERS00:00 A camera captures the abduction01:24 A promise to Carlesha’s mother03:19 The attack and the witness who stayed05:20 Carlesha fights back07:13 Following the evidence10:27 The search reaches Maryland12:20 Identifying Delvin Barnes13:38 A dealership connection changes the search15:32 Her family waits for answers17:56 A tracker reveals a location18:26 Closing in—and bringing Carlesha home21:20 The people behind every breakthrough23:13 When evidence becomes public spectacle25:12 The guilty plea and sentence27:37 If it happened now30:59 Missing Black women, urgency, and unequal attention31:56 Centering Carlesha’s survival Follow Murder in the Black, leave a rating or review, and share this episode. Join the conversation on Instagram @murderintheblack.

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About

Founded by sisters Steph and M.D., Murder in the Black explores overlooked true crime stories within the Black community. Steph currently hosts weekly episodes, while M.D., co-founder and original co-host, contributes as a guest co-host and legal analyst. The podcast stands apart through its coverage of both Black victims and Black perpetrators, creating space for honest conversations about justice, accountability, and the people at the center of each case.

Information

  • Creator
    Steph
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    353
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Steph
  • Show Website
    Murder In The Black
  • Provider
    Stephenie Broden-Weaver

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