MURDER IN THE BLACK

Bonus Content Weekly

$4.99/mo or $19.99/yr after trial

Murder In The Black

Steph and M.D.

M.D. and STEPH are sisters who share a passion for true crime. ​They are committed to highlighting stories within the black community that often do not receive the attention they deserve. This has led them to create a platform where these stories can be shared on a weekly basis through their podcast. Drawing on her legal expertise, M.D. provides the legal context of each case, while Steph delves into the details concerning the victims and occasionally the perpetrators. By tuning in weekly, listeners can expect to learn about lesser-known crime cases and gain a deeper understanding of the cases

  1. 13h ago

    The Children Behind the Smiles : The Hart Family Murders

    In this episode of Murder in the Black, we examine the heartbreaking case of the Hart family murders—a tragedy that exposed serious failures within the child welfare system and challenged the carefully curated image of a family celebrated by many. What appeared to be a picture-perfect family on social media concealed years of abuse, neglect, and unanswered cries for help. Through court records, witness accounts, and investigative findings, we explore how warning signs were repeatedly overlooked and why the voices of six children were not heard until it was too late. This episode is not simply about how the Hart family died—it is about how six children lived, what they endured, and the futures they were denied. The events leading up to the deaths of Jennifer and Sarah Hart and their six adopted children Repeated reports of abuse and neglect that failed to result in meaningful intervention The role social media played in shaping public perception of the family Devonte Hart's viral image and the complex reality behind the photograph The importance of recognizing and responding to children's disclosures The dangers of "savior" narratives and performative activism Race, adoption, and the challenges of transracial family dynamics Systemic failures within child welfare and protective services The final investigation and evidence supporting an intentional murder-suicide The lives, personalities, and futures of the children at the center of this case Time Stamps : 00:00 – Introduction to the Hart family case 00:25 – A hungry child seeks help from neighbors 00:55 – The family's disappearance and the discovery at the California cliffside 01:50 – Public perception versus reality 02:29 – Devonte Hart and the image that captivated the nation 03:26 – The carefully constructed narrative surrounding the family 04:07 – Social media, activism, and image management 05:09 – How trauma was used to explain away concerns 06:28 – Priscilla Celestine's efforts to keep her family together 07:19 – Family separation and contradictions within the system 08:16 – Investigations, reports, and missed opportunities 09:12 – Adoption history and the creation of a public success story 10:33 – When trauma became a shield against accountability 11:58 – The 2010 abuse allegations and legal outcomes 13:39 – Continued warning signs and institutional failures 15:09 – Homeschooling, isolation, and limited oversight 16:21 – Narrative control and public image management 17:50 – A troubling family visit in Oregon 20:18 – Hannah Hart's attempt to seek help 22:06 – Devonte's repeated requests for food 23:39 – Escalating concerns and failures to intervene 26:33 – The crash investigation and evidence of intentional family annihilation 28:30 – The final days: sedatives, control, and isolation 30:48 – Recovery efforts and the search for Devonte 32:00 – Examining years of systemic oversight failures 34:45 – The dangers of rescue narratives and public perception 37:09 – The futures each child deserved 38:09 – The emotional impact of the case 39:36 – Looking beyond appearances and curated images 40:34 – Final reflections: How many warnings are too many? Topics Covered Child Welfare and Protective Services Resources Information on Trauma and Child Abuse Recognition Research on Transracial Adoption and Child Advocacy Historical Context Behind Devonte Hart's Viral Photograph Follow the show for updates, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes discussions: Instagram: @murderintheblackpodcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favorite podcast platform. In Memory of Hannah, Markis, Abigail, Jeremiah, Sierra, and Devonte Hart. Their story reminds us that a carefully crafted image can hide painful realities. Most importantly, it reminds us that children deserve to be heard, believed, and protected.

    46 min

  2. May 28

    Keeshae Jacobs: The Silence Toni Knew Was Wrong

    In this episode, we revisit the disappearance of Keeshae Jacobs, a 21-year-old woman from Richmond, Virginia, whose mother, Toni Jacobs, knew from the beginning that something was wrong. Keeshae’s case is not just about one missing person investigation. It is about family intuition, delayed urgency, forensic evidence, unanswered questions, and the pain of a mother forced to keep fighting through unimaginable grief. Toni searched for Keeshae while later having to bury her son, DaeVon, and even after a major break in the case, the justice her family deserved still feels incomplete. We walk through Keeshae’s life, the day she disappeared, the early police response, the evidence connected to Otis Tucker, his later conviction for the murder of Ashley Fowler in Florida, and the 2024 confession that brought answers without full accountability. This episode also looks at the larger issue of missing Black women and the families who are too often left to advocate, investigate, and demand urgency on their own. Key Topics Keeshae Jacobs’ life, family, and close bond with her mother, ToniWhy Toni knew Keeshae’s silence was not normalThe early police response and misconceptions around missing adultsThe role of family intuition in missing person casesOtis Tucker’s changing timeline and history of violenceForensic evidence recovered from Tucker’s residenceThe emotional impact of DaeVon Jacobs’ murder on Toni and her familyHow misinformation, rumors, and scams affect missing familiesMedia disparities in coverage of missing Black womenTucker’s later murder conviction in Florida for Ashley Fowler’s deathThe 2024 confession, immunity agreement, and why charges were not filedThe difference between answers, closure, and justiceWhat Keeshae’s case reveals about urgency, accountability, and advocacy00:23 - Why Keeshae’s story is being revisited03:00 - Keeshae’s life, family, and bond with Toni08:12 - The night Keeshae was last seen11:21 - Toni’s search and the early police response14:40 - Keeshae’s last known location and Otis Tucker’s timeline17:31 - Forensic evidence and Tucker’s violent history19:54 - Delays, missed urgency, and systemic challenges22:11 - Foul play suspected and barriers to prosecution25:55 - DaeVon Jacobs’ death and Toni’s compounded grief28:38 - Rumors, media coverage, and advocacy for missing Black women29:57 - Tucker’s Florida conviction and Ashley Fowler’s murder30:56 - The immunity agreement and 2024 confession35:24 - Why charges were not filed36:24 - Toni’s fight, grief, and the meaning of justice38:21 - Reflection, listener takeaway, and closing CTA Resources & Links Black and Missing FoundationNCIC Missing Persons StatisticsRichmond Police DepartmentCBS 6/WTVR reporting on Keeshae JacobsCoverage on Otis Tucker and Ashley Fowler’s caseClosing NoteKeeshae Jacobs was loved, known, and missed from the very beginning. Her story is a reminder to listen when families say something is wrong, to share missing person cases with care, and to keep pressure on the systems responsible for responding with urgency.

    41 min
  3. Nature Boy and Carbon Nation: When Spirituality Becomes Control

    May 24 • Subscribers Only

    Nature Boy and Carbon Nation: When Spirituality Becomes Control

    This week’s paid true crime deep dive examines Eligio Bishop, also known as Nature Boy, and the rise and collapse of Carbon Nation. In this episode, Steph looks beyond true crime as murder alone and explores the harm caused by manipulation, coercive control, spiritual abuse, social media spectacle, and community failure. Through the lens of the Hulu documentary The Cult of Nature Boy, along with additional context from Hood Horror Stories and other coverage, this conversation traces Bishop’s early trauma, his rise as a spiritual influencer, and the devastating impact of the high-control environment he built. This episode also reflects on the vulnerabilities predators exploit: untreated trauma, racial and gendered neglect, spiritual hunger, social isolation, and the way online attention can both elevate harmful leaders and eventually expose them. Main Topics The early life and trauma of Eligio Bishop, aka Nature BoyThe rise of Carbon Nation and its promises of freedom, nature, and Black utopiaManipulation, coercion, and social control within cult environmentsThe intersection of race, gender, trauma, and mental health in high-control groupsThe role of social media in amplifying and exposing toxic leadershipThe systemic failures that leave vulnerable people unprotectedWhy true crime in the Black community is not only about murder, but also exploitation, grooming, isolation, and abuse Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome and episode overview 01:19 - The Hulu documentary and first impressions 01:43 - Who is Eligio Bishop, aka Nature Boy? 04:16 - Expanding the true crime lens: cults, scams, and coercive control 05:16 - Early life, Harlem roots, childhood trauma, and foster care 10:03 - Apparent reform, barbering, and community influence 12:27 - Adult industry, violence, and early warning signs 14:58 - “Going back to nature” and the rise of spiritual messaging 16:14 - Charisma, hairstyling, and gaining followers’ trust 17:29 - Love bombing, financial reliance, and manipulation patterns 21:19 - From individual influence to communal control 23:14 - Melanation, Honduras, Costa Rica, and promises of Black utopia 27:42 - Kayla Reed, escape, media attention, and unequal concern for Black women 32:38 - Carbon Nation’s evolution into a high-control environment 35:50 - Sexual abuse, exploitation, domination, and trauma bonding 38:02 - Bishop’s criminal convictions 39:23 - Accountability, compassion, and exploited vulnerability 42:31 - Social media, spectacle, and attention-driven harm 45:07 - Why these stories matter in Black true crime 46:40 - Sign-off Resources Mentioned Hulu Documentary: The Cult of Nature BoyHood Horror Stories on YouTube Roshona Landfair: What’s Up with Shorty

    47 min
  4. What I Didn’t See, Episode 4: The Friend Who Stayed + Christina's Journal Entry

    May 24 • Subscribers Only

    What I Didn’t See, Episode 4: The Friend Who Stayed + Christina's Journal Entry

    In Episode 4: The Friend Who Stayed, James becomes harder for Christina to categorize. What begins as ordinary proximity through wedding errands, delayed plans, and Samson’s work obligations slowly turns into something more unsettling. James does not tell Christina what to do. He notices. He listens. He asks the questions she has spent years avoiding. As Christina reflects on Black excellence, respectability, legibility, and the difference between being admired and being seen, the emotional tension between her, Samson, and James begins to sharpen. This is not a simple story about temptation. It is about recognition, interruption, and the danger of a question arriving before you are ready to answer it. For paid subscribers, this episode is followed by Christina’s Journal Entry, a more private reflection on James, vanity, intellectual intimacy, and the self Christina begins to recover in his presence. Content Notes: relationship tension, emotional ambiguity, grief references, manipulation/coercive control themes.

    15 min

  5. May 21

    Natise Johnson and Oliver Wendell Munson: The Cost of Doing the Right Thing

    A 21-year-old pregnant woman is murdered inside her father’s Philadelphia home just days before giving birth. A Maryland teacher disappears three days before he is set to testify in court. In this episode of Murder in the Black, we discuss the murder of Natise Johnson and the unsolved disappearance of Oliver Wendell Munson, two cases connected by haunting questions about loyalty, vulnerability, and what it can cost to do the right thing. Natise’s case is a devastating story of obsession, control, and retaliation. Oliver’s disappearance remains one of those deeply unsettling unsolved cases where the timing alone makes it impossible to ignore what may have happened. This episode contains discussions of murder, gun violence, abuse, witness vulnerability, and the death of an unborn child.

    40 min
  6. What I Didn’t See, Episode 3: What Held Me Together + Christina's Journal Entry

    May 17 • Subscribers Only

    What I Didn’t See, Episode 3: What Held Me Together + Christina's Journal Entry

    In Episode 3: What Held Me Together, Christina looks back at the woman who raised her after loss: her grandmother. This episode moves into the house, the rules, the faith, and the discipline that taught Christina how to survive. But survival has a cost. As Christina remembers her grandmother’s warning about Samson after the first broken engagement, she begins to understand that order can protect you, but it can also teach you what to ignore. For paid subscribers, this episode is followed by Christina’s Journal Entry, a more private reflection on her grandmother, composure, grief, and the difference between being held together and being free. True crime stories will continue to be featured in the paid feed, but during What I Didn’t See, some weeks will also include immersive companion pieces from inside Christina’s world. Content Notes: grief, parental loss, death of a caregiver, relationship uncertainty, emotional avoidance.

    13 min

  7. May 14

    The House in Crescentville

    In 2003, a Philadelphia neighborhood was shaken by the murders of Patricia, Nikki, and James inside their own home. What investigators found at the scene — an untouched slice of pizza, an extra Coke can, and victims covered after death — pointed toward something more personal and psychologically unsettling than a random act of violence. In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph examines the investigation, the behavioral clues uncovered inside the home, and how the case ultimately shifted toward Sean Brown. The episode also explores the role of community observations, family persistence, and evolving forensic evidence in solving violent crimes. Later, Steph discusses ongoing updates in the cases of Vontisha “Sway” Williams and Celeste Hernandez, reflecting on how digital evidence and modern investigative techniques continue reshaping true crime investigations today. Topics Covered The murders of Patricia, Nikki, and JamesCrime scene behavioral analysisThe significance of the extra Coke can and covered victimsSean Brown’s arrest and confessionCommunity involvement and investigative breakthroughsPatterns of escalation and warning signs in violent offendersUpdates on Vontisha Williams and Celeste HernandezTimestamps (00:00) — The Philadelphia triple homicide(05:11) — The crime scene details investigators focused on(11:24) — Early theories and suspect developments(17:34) — Fingerprint evidence and Sean Brown(24:31) — Violence disrupting ordinary life(28:22) — Updates on Vontisha Williams and Celeste Hernandez(38:33) — Final reflections + What I Didn’t See Resources & Further Reading Philadelphia homicide investigation archivesPublic court records related to Sean BrownCommunity memorial pages for Vontisha “Sway” WilliamsOngoing public updates surrounding the Celeste Hernandez investigationConnect With Murder in the Black YouTube: Murder in the BlackTikTok & Instagram: @MurderintheBlackSubstack: Murder in the BlackEmail:murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com

    41 min

  8. May 10

    What I Didn’t See, Episode 1: The Life I Thought I Had

    Christina believed she understood exactly who she was and the kind of life she was building. But as wedding plans move forward, a quiet conversation and an unexpected new presence begin to disturb the certainty she has spent years protecting. In this first episode of What I Didn’t See, Christina introduces the world she thought was stable, the man she believed made sense of it, and the first subtle crack in the life she thought she wanted. What I Didn’t See is a psychological thriller about love, denial, self-deception, and the truths that begin circling us long before we are ready to name them. In this episode: Christina reflects on the life she thought she was buildingSamson appears as the kind of man who fits the future she has always imaginedJames enters the story as a quiet but unsettling new presenceA simple evening begins to expose the difference between safety and certaintyTo hear the next chapter, subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for premium episodes, bonus material, and Christina’s private journal entries. Start now with 3-day free access. Episode 1 & 2 AVAILABLE NOW

    10 min
See All (304)

Trailer

4.5
out of 5
479 Ratings

About

M.D. and STEPH are sisters who share a passion for true crime. ​They are committed to highlighting stories within the black community that often do not receive the attention they deserve. This has led them to create a platform where these stories can be shared on a weekly basis through their podcast. Drawing on her legal expertise, M.D. provides the legal context of each case, while Steph delves into the details concerning the victims and occasionally the perpetrators. By tuning in weekly, listeners can expect to learn about lesser-known crime cases and gain a deeper understanding of the cases

Information

  • Creator
    Steph and M.D.
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    304
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Steph and M.D.
  • Show Website
    Murder In The Black
  • Provider
    Stephenie Broden-Weaver

You Might Also Like