Never Light Up A Room Podcast

Never Light Up A Room Podcast

We all know the cliche "they lit up a room". On this true crime podcast, we will explain why you should stay safe and never "light up a room"! We aim to shine a light on the well known cases as well as the overlooked or forgotten stories. Join us each week as we cover a new investigation and illuminate the darkness that surrounds us.

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 115: The Disappearance of Lori Hacking

    Lori Hacking seemed to have everything to look forward to, a happy marriage, a baby on the way, and an exciting new chapter just around the corner. But when she vanished after what was supposed to be an early morning jog, investigators quickly discovered that not everything in her seemingly perfect life was as it appeared. As the search for Lori intensified, a web of shocking lies, devastating betrayal, and heartbreaking truths began to unravel. This is the tragic case of Lori Hacking, a story that would captivate the nation and leave one family forever searching for answers.  Sources:    Kettler, Sara, “The Murder of Lori Hacking: Killed by Her Husband's Lies”, A&E, July 23, 2021, https://www.aetv.com/articles/murder-of-lori-hacking, Accessed June 28th, 2026    Crime Library Writers, “The Murder of Lori Hacking”, Crime Library, https://crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/family/mark_hacking/, Accessed June 28th, 2026    Wikipedia, The Murder of Lori Hacking, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lori_Hacking, Accessed June 28th 2026

    55 min

  2. 1d ago

    Leave the Light On June 2026

    We're back with our twenty eighth Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!References: Levenson, Eric, “‘I am responsible.’ Takeaways from Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann’s sentencing hearing”, CNN, June 17, 2026, https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/17/us/rex-heuermann-life-sentence, Accessed June 27, 2026

    1h 3m

  3. Jun 24

    Episode 114: The Murder of Betsy Faria and Louis Gumpenberger

    Elizabeth "Betsy" Faria, was a beloved wife, mother, and friend who was battling terminal cancer when her life was suddenly cut short. What initially appeared to be a straightforward investigation soon evolved into a complex saga involving allegations of deception, a wrongful conviction, and years of unanswered questions. Along the way, another life would be lost—that of Louis Gumpenberger, a vulnerable man living with disabilities who became entangled in a shocking chain of events. Together, the deaths of Betsy and Louis left their families searching for justice and transformed this case into one of the most extraordinary true crime stories in recent memory.    Sources:    First Alert 4 Staff; “Pam Hupp waives jury trial for no death penalty”; First Alert 4; April 28, 2026; https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/04/28/pam-hupp-waives-jury-trial-no-death-penalty/; accessed June 21, 2026.      Cesaric, Corin; “Woman at Center of The Thing About Pam Miniseries Charged Again in Connection with Friend's Stabbing Death”; People; Oct 30, 2023; https://people.com/pam-hupp-charge-refiled-betsy-faria-stabbing-death-8384298; Access June 21, 2026.      Mehrotra, Kriti; “Betsy Faria’s Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?”; TheCinemaholic; Mar 8, 2022; https://thecinemaholic.com/betsy-farias-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/; accessed June 21, 2026.      Fraga, Kaleena; “The Story Of Pam Hupp, The Remorseless Killer Who Butchered Betsy Faria — Then Framed Her Husband”; All Thats Interesting; Mar 2, 2022; https://allthatsinteresting.com/pam-hupp; Accessed June 21, 2026.      Carlin, Shannon;  “Renée Zellweger Stars In The NBC Docudrama The Thing About Pam. Here's the True Story Behind the Series”; Time; Mar 9, 2022; https://time.com/6156033/the-thing-about-pam-renee-zellweger-true-story/;  Accessed June 21, 2026.      Reed, J.A.;  “Untangling Betsy Faria’s murder: True story of ‘The thing about Pam’”; New York Post; April 2, 2022; https://nypost.com/2022/04/02/true-story-of-the-thing-about-pam-betsy-farias-murder/; accessed June 21, 2026.       Farberov, Snejana;   “Mother of disabled man who was shot and killed by Pam Hupp wins $3million wrongful death judgment after emotional testimony”; Daily Mail; July 17, 2020; https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-8535145/Mother-disabled-man-killed-Pam-Hupp-wins-3million-judgment.html; accessed June 21, 2026.

    55 min

  4. Jun 17

    Episode 113: The Murder of Mia Zapata

    In the summer of 1993, Seattle's thriving grunge scene was shaken by a tragedy that would leave a community searching for answers. Mia Zapata, the charismatic lead singer of the rising punk band The Gits, was on the verge of achieving her biggest dreams when her life was suddenly cut short. In this episode, we explore Mia's journey from aspiring musician to underground icon, the vibrant music scene that surrounded her, and the mystery that unfolded after one fateful night in Seattle.    Sources:    Campbell, Jean, “The Brutal and Slaying of a Rock Star on The Rise: The Killing of Mia Zapata”, Front Page detectives, August 13, 2021, https://www.frontpagedetectives.com/p/mia-zapata-death-murder-music-seattle-dna, Accessed June 14, 2026     Chiu, David, “Mia Zapata: Punk Musician Murdered in 1993, Changing Seattle Grunge Scene”, Rolling Stone, July 9, 2018, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/mia-zapata-punk-musician-murdered-in-1993-changing-seattle-grunge-scene-694965/, Accessed June 13, 2026

    46 min

  5. Jun 10

    Episode 112: The Murder of Suzanne Adams & The Death of Stein-Erik Soelberg

    In August 2025, a shocking tragedy in an affluent Connecticut community ignited a national conversation about artificial intelligence, mental health, and accountability in the tech industry. At the center of the case were Suzanne Adams, a vibrant retired businesswoman, and her son, Stein-Erik Soalberg, a former tech manager whose struggles with addiction, paranoia, and mental illness had intensified over the years. As Stein-Erik became increasingly reliant on ChatGPT, family members say the chatbot evolved from a digital assistant into one of the most influential voices in his life. What followed would raise unsettling questions about the relationship between vulnerable users and highly personalized AI systems. The aftermath led to a groundbreaking lawsuit, with allegations that have sparked fierce debate. In this episode, we explore the lives behind the headlines and examine a case that could shape the future of artificial intelligence for years to come.    Sources:     Zilber, Ariel; “How ChatGPT fueled delusional man who killed mom, himself in posh Conn. Town"; New York Post; Aug 29, 2025; https://nypost.com/2025/08/29/business/ex-yahoo-exec-killed-his-mom-after-chatgpt-fed-his-paranoia-report/; accessed June 7, 2026.    Gugliara, Sonya; “Wealthy realtor, 83, died in murder-suicide at her $2.8m home after son, 56, developed unhealthy obsession with his phone, lawsuit alleges”; Daily Mail; Dec 11, 2025; https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15374603/Greenwich-Connecticut-murder-suicide-chatgpt-lawsuit-suzanne-adams.html; accessed June 7, 2026.    Devine, Lucy; “Ex-Yahoo exec 'killed his mom and himself' after months of disturbing conversations with ChatGPT”; Unilad; Aug 30, 2025; https://www.unilad.com/news/steinerik-soelberg-suzanne-adams-death-chatgpt-conversations-611991-20250830; Accessed June 7, 2026.    Collins, Dave; O’Brien, Matt; Ortutay, Barbara; “Open AI, Microsoft face lawsuit over ChatGPT’s alleged role in Connecticut murder-suicide"; AP News; Dec 11, 2025; https://apnews.com/article/ai-chatgpt-wrongful-death-lawsuit-greenwich-97fd7da31c0fa08f3d3ea9efd6713151; accessed June 7, 2026.

    56 min

  6. Jun 3

    Episode 111: The Murder of Rebecca Schaeffer

    A rising young sitcom star with a bright future ahead of her is gunned down at her own front door, sending shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. What began as harmless fan mail slowly spiraled into a terrifying obsession that exposed just how vulnerable celebrities could be behind the scenes. In this episode, we unravel the tragic story of Rebecca Schaeffer, the warning signs that were missed, and the case that would forever change stalking laws in America.   Sources:    Silverman, Leah, “Inside Rebecca Schaeffer’s Murder At The Hands Of Her Stalker”, All Thats Interesting, December 29, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/rebecca-schaeffer, Accessed May 28, 2026     Gurley, Alex, “Rebecca Schaeffer Was Preparing to Audition for Francis Ford Coppola When an Obsessed Fan Killed Her. Inside the Chilling Crime”, People, July 18, 2025, https://people.com/rebecca-schaeffer-death-everything-to-know-11766223, Accessed May 28, 2026    Mehrotra, Kriti, “Rebecca Schaeffer Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?”, The Cinemaholic, August 20, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/rebecca-schaeffer-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/, Accessed May 28, 2026

    43 min

  7. Jun 1

    Leave the Light On May 2026

    We're back with our twenty seventh Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know! References:    Russo, Christine; “"Dom and Davion's Law" - Victims Before Influencers: Modernize Son of Sam Laws”; Change.ord; https://www.change.org/p/dom-and-davion-s-law-victims-before-influencers-modernize-son-of-sam-laws; accessed May 30, 2026.    Sederstrom, Jill; “Mackenzie Shirilla’s Dad Placed on Administrative Leave From School After Speaking Out”; Oxygen True Crime; May 19, 2026; https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/mackenzie-shirillas-dad-steve-shirilla-put-on-administrative-leave; accessed May 31, 2026.    Osborne, Mark; “Alex Murdaugh murder convictions overturned by South Carolina Supreme Court, new trial ordered”; CBS News; May 13, 2026; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-murder-convictions-overturned-south-carolina-new-trial/; accessed May 30, 2026    Vaidyanathan, Vaishnavi; “Stabbing at NBHA Las Vegas show? Multiple horses reportedly injured in shocking incident”; Hindustan Times; May 30, 2026; https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/news/stabbing-at-nbha-las-vegas-show-multiple-horses-reportedly-injured-in-shocking-incident/ar-AA24rqqH?ocid=BingNewsSerp; accessed May 30, 2026.

    1h 37m

  8. May 27

    Episode 110: The Yuba County 5

    5 friends. One basketball game. And a late-night drive that ended with their car abandoned deep in the snowy mountains of Northern California. In this episode, we unravel the haunting mystery of the Yuba County 5 , a case filled with baffling decisions, missed opportunities, eerie sightings, and questions that have remained unanswered for decades.    Sources    Gorney, Cynthia; “5 'Boys' Who Never Come Back”; The Washington Post; July 5, 1978; https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/; accessed May 24, 2026.    Dillon, Lauren; “What Happened to the Yuba County Five?”; Historic Mysteries; Nov 15, 2022; https://www.historicmysteries.com/unexplained-mysteries/yuba-county-five/28692/; accessed May 24, 2026.    “When the System Breaks – The Yuba County Five Investigation”; Veriarch; Aug 13, 2025; https://veriarch.com/jurisdictional-chaos-yuba-county-five-investigation; accessed May 24, 2026.    “The mysterious case of the Yuba County Five”; Strange Outdoors; June 2024; https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/2017/12/7/mathias-group-from-yuba-city; accessed May 24, 2026.    Morgan, Amber; “Inside The Bewildering Case Of The Yuba County Five And Their Unsolved Disappearance”; All That’s Interesting; April 25, 2023; https://allthatsinteresting.com/yuba-county-five; accessed May 24, 2026.

    1h 22m
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About

We all know the cliche "they lit up a room". On this true crime podcast, we will explain why you should stay safe and never "light up a room"! We aim to shine a light on the well known cases as well as the overlooked or forgotten stories. Join us each week as we cover a new investigation and illuminate the darkness that surrounds us.

Information

  • Creator
    Never Light Up A Room Podcast
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    146
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Never Light Up A Room Podcast
  • Show Website
    Never Light Up A Room Podcast

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