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JAN 20

MURDERED: Heather Strong Part 01 | Marion County, Florida 2009

On a February evening in 2009, a young mother vanished from rural Marion County, Florida, lured to a storage trailer by promises that masked a deadly betrayal. What investigators would uncover weeks later would reveal a calculated murder born from a toxic love triangle and a bitter custody battle. VICTIM PROFILE: Heather Strong was 26 years old, a hardworking mother of two young children, McKinzie and Zachary. She worked the morning shift at the Iron Skillet restaurant in Reddick, Florida, supporting her family through the service industry. Those who knew her described a woman caught in a turbulent on-again, off-again relationship with Joshua Fulgham, a pattern that had defined much of her adult life. Despite the instability, Heather remained devoted to her children and had recently begun building a new life away from Fulgham's control. THE CRIME: On February 15, 2009, Heather was lured to a storage trailer in Boardman by her estranged husband Joshua Fulgham and his pregnant girlfriend Emilia Carr under the pretense of retrieving money. Once inside, she was bound to a chair with duct tape while Fulgham confronted her about custody papers for their children. The attack escalated when a plastic bag was placed over her head and sealed with tape around her neck. Medical examiners determined she suffocated over approximately five agonizing minutes while fully conscious. Her body was buried in a shallow grave on the property, where it remained undiscovered for over a month. THE INVESTIGATION: When Heather's cousin Misty Strong reported her missing on February 24, 2009, Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies began canvassing her known associates. The trail led quickly to Joshua Fulgham and the volatile history between the couple, including his January 2009 arrest for pointing a shotgun at Heather. Through persistent interviews, Emilia Carr's story unraveled, eventually leading investigators to the burial site on March 19, 2009, where Heather's decomposed remains were unearthed. CURRENT STATUS: Both perpetrators were convicted. Emilia Carr was initially sentenced to death in 2011, but following the U.S. Supreme Court's Hurst v. Florida ruling, she was resentenced to life without parole in 2017. Joshua Fulgham received life without parole in 2012. Both remain incarcerated in the Florida correctional system. Heather's two children were adopted into new families following the murder. AUDIO NOTE: This episode features detailed accounts of the crime reconstructed from court testimonies, confessions, and forensic evidence. Listener discretion is advised. For more episodes, visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Join Black Label at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 20

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48 min
JAN 13

CHILD ABUSE: Tina Ramirez | Piedmont, Oklahoma 2024

On March 15, 2024, a Piedmont, Oklahoma police officer responded to a routine runaway report that would uncover one of the most disturbing child abuse cases in recent Oklahoma history. The officer found a 14-year-old girl hiding under a blanket, weighing approximately 60 pounds—the size of a first grader. Her skin hung from her bones, and her eyes carried a fear that went far beyond a typical runaway. She had fled from her foster mother, 43-year-old Tina Marie Ramirez, and she was terrified to go back. What the officer discovered inside the Ramirez home shocked even veteran investigators. Every cabinet was padlocked. The refrigerator was locked. The pantry was locked. Surveillance cameras covered every room in the house. The children couldn't access food without permission—and permission was rarely granted. The officer found a taser that Tina had used as "discipline" on the malnourished children. He also discovered a handwritten letter from one of the children, addressed to God, its desperate words scrawled by a child who had lost hope that any human would help. This was the girl's seventh runaway attempt. For reasons that remain unclear, this time someone finally listened. Five foster children were immediately removed from the home and evaluated at OU Children's Hospital, where medical professionals described it as one of the worst malnutrition cases they had ever seen. The children were placed with their biological grandmother, Shelly Yates, who described them as "fragile and very thin" upon arrival. On March 28, 2024, Tina Marie Ramirez was charged in Canadian County District Court with four counts of child abuse by injury, two counts of child neglect, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Her husband, 26-year-old Anthony Ibeziako, was charged with two counts of child neglect and child abuse for failing to intervene. Both remain free while court proceedings continue. As of early 2026, the children are reportedly recovering with their grandmother—gaining weight, attending school, and slowly rebuilding their lives away from the locks, cameras, and fear. This episode features body camera footage, police interrogation recordings, and 911 dispatch audio. Listener discretion is advised. For more episodes, visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Join Black Label at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 13

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43 min
JAN 20

East Montpelier, Vermont: The 14-Hour Marriage That Ended in Murder

On September 5th, 1889, George Gould walked up the path to the Cutler farm in East Montpelier, Vermont, with his new wife Laura. They had been married for barely fourteen hours. By noon, George would be dead—shot in the face at point-blank range by a man who had waited twenty-two years for his chance. The murder of George Gould sparked one of the strangest legal cases in Vermont history. What began as a simple crime of passion became a decades-long tragedy involving a scandalous courtroom confession, a wedding performed through prison bars, and a woman who could never escape the name of her husband's killer. Timeline of Events: - 1867 – Sherman Caswell begins working at the Cutler farm after returning from Civil War service - September 4, 1889 – Laura Cutler and George Gould marry - September 5, 1889 – Sherman Caswell shoots George Gould from an upstairs window - March 1890 – Caswell convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to life - April 1890 – Laura marries Caswell through prison bars - 1902 – Sherman Caswell pardoned after twelve years - April 2, 1911 – Laura dies; death certificate lists her name as Laura Caswell Sources: The Argus and Patriot newspaper (Montpelier, VT), Vermont Historical Society, VTDigger "Then Again" column. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hometownhistory/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 20

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18 min
12/30/2025

KILLER: Ana Maria Cardona Part 01 | Miami, Florida 1990

On November 2, 1990, Florida Power and Light workers discovered the emaciated body of a small child hidden in the bushes of a wealthy Miami Beach home. The boy, dressed only in a lollipop-decorated T-shirt and a soiled diaper wrapped in brown packing tape, had been beaten, starved, and systematically tortured. He weighed just eighteen pounds. This is part one of the story of how a mother's resentment turned deadly. VICTIM PROFILE: Lazaro Figueroa was born September 18, 1987, into what should have been a life of comfort. His father, Fidel Figueroa, was a well-connected drug dealer who kept his family in a lavish penthouse overlooking Biscayne Bay. But fate intervened before Lazaro ever drew breath. Just two days after his birth, his father was executed in a gangland-style shooting outside a Miami riverfront bar. The murder was never solved. From that moment forward, Lazaro became the target of his mother's displaced rage, blamed for the loss of everything she had. THE CRIME: Ana Maria Cardona's abuse of Lazaro began shortly after he was returned to her custody from foster care in late 1988. Over the next eighteen months, she systematically starved, beat, and confined her son in conditions the Dade County Medical Examiner would later call the worst child abuse he had ever witnessed. Lazaro spent weeks locked in closets and tied to beds. His arm was broken and left untreated, eventually becoming fixed at a ninety-degree angle. His two front teeth were knocked out. Cardona wrapped duct tape around his diapers to avoid changing them, leaving his skin raw with bedsores. On October 31, 1990, Cardona beat Lazaro with a baseball bat, fracturing his skull. She then dumped his dying body in the bushes of a Miami Beach mansion and fled the state with her girlfriend, Olivia Gonzalez, stopping at Disney World before their arrest. THE INVESTIGATION: Miami Beach police initially could not identify the battered child, dubbing him Baby Lollipops after his T-shirt. Detectives conducted door-to-door interviews in English and Spanish and distributed flyers throughout the community. The break came when a neighbor who had occasionally cared for Lazaro recognized him from police bulletins. The investigation led detectives to Ana Maria Cardona and Olivia Gonzalez, who had fled to central Florida. Both women were arrested within weeks. Gonzalez eventually testified that Cardona had called Lazaro the son of the devil and blamed him for her descent from riches to rags. CURRENT STATUS: Ana Maria Cardona has been convicted of first-degree murder three times. Her first two death sentences were overturned by the Florida Supreme Court on procedural grounds. In 2017, she was convicted for the third time and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Olivia Gonzalez served fourteen years for her role in Lazaro's abuse and has since been released. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

12/30/2025

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25 min
12/16/2025

KILLER: Tina Brown Part 01 | Pensacola, Florida 2010

On March 24, 2010, nineteen-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman was ambushed by three women she knew from her Pensacola trailer park. What followed was one of the most brutal attacks in Florida criminal history. Beaten with a crowbar, shocked repeatedly with a stun gun, and doused in gasoline before being set ablaze, Audreanna somehow survived the initial attack. Despite burns covering sixty percent of her body, she managed to walk nearly a third of a mile to a nearby house for help. Before slipping into a medically induced coma, she gave authorities the names of her attackers. Sixteen days later, Audreanna died without ever regaining consciousness. She was a mother of two. Part 1 of 2: Before the crime comes the life. This first episode traces the devastating childhood of Tina Brown, the woman who would orchestrate Audreanna's murder and become one of Florida's only female death row inmates. VICTIM PROFILE: Audreanna Redawn Zimmerman was born on April 13, 1990, and was just nineteen years old when her life was taken. A young mother of two, she lived in a Detroit Avenue mobile home park in Escambia County, Florida. Despite the volatile environment of her neighborhood, Audreanna believed she had patched things up with the women who would ultimately kill her. She visited them as a friend on the day she died. THE CRIME: The murder of Audreanna Zimmerman stemmed from escalating disputes between trailer park neighbors. Accusations flew about slashed tires, broken windows, and reports to child protective services. The situation reached its breaking point over a romantic entanglement. On that March evening, Tina Brown, her sixteen-year-old daughter Britnee Miller, and neighbor Heather Lee lured Audreanna into a trap that would end with her burning in the Florida woods. THE INVESTIGATION: Audreanna's dying declaration proved crucial to the case. She identified all three attackers before losing consciousness. Physical evidence corroborated her account, including a bloodied crowbar and stun gun, a piece of hair weave, and DNA evidence recovered from Brown's vehicle. Authorities waited until Audreanna's death to arrest the suspects, ensuring murder charges that could not be plea-bargained down. CURRENT STATUS: Tina Brown was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in 2012 and sentenced to death. She remains the only woman currently on Florida's death row at Lowell Correctional Institution. Her daughter Britnee Miller, who was sixteen at the time, received a life sentence. Heather Lee accepted a plea agreement and received twenty-five years, with a scheduled release in 2031. Brown's multiple appeals have been denied, most recently in May 2024. This episode examines how decades of trauma, addiction, and unresolved rage shaped the woman who would commit this unthinkable crime. Part two will cover the night of the attack in full detail. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

12/16/2025

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56 min
JAN 6

KILLER: Ana Maria Cardona Part 02 | Miami, Florida 1990

Part 2 of 2: In our conclusion to the Baby Lollipops case, we examine the final months of three-year-old Lazaro Figueroa's life, the investigation that followed his discovery, and the decades-long pursuit of justice that saw his mother convicted three separate times. VICTIM PROFILE: Lazaro Figueroa never had a chance at a normal childhood. Born in September 1987, just weeks after his father, drug dealer Fidel Figueroa, was murdered in Miami, Lazaro became the target of his mother's resentment as her lavish lifestyle collapsed. At three years old, he weighed only eighteen pounds, half what a healthy child his age should weigh. His left arm had been broken so many times that muscle tissue calcified into bone, freezing the limb at a permanent ninety-degree angle. Despite the relentless abuse, witnesses recalled him running across streets alone, a tiny figure navigating a hostile world without protection. THE CRIME: On the morning of November 2, 1990, Florida Power and Light employees discovered Lazaro's body hidden beneath bushes outside a Miami Beach mansion. His emaciated frame bore forty-three documented injuries: cigarette burns, defensive wounds on his small hands, a fractured skull, and two front teeth knocked out months apart. Brown packing tape secured a soiled diaper to his wasted body. Medical examiner Dr. Bruce Hyma determined Lazaro had endured eighteen months of systematic torture, including being bound, gagged, locked in closets, and left in bathtubs with scalding or freezing water. The cause of death was blunt force trauma from a baseball bat, compounded by starvation and extensive bodily trauma. Most devastating: Lazaro may have survived up to three days after being abandoned, lying alone and helpless before death finally came. THE INVESTIGATION: Police initially could not identify the child and dubbed him Baby Lollipops after the cartoon candy pattern on his T-shirt. The nickname stuck as investigators canvassed Miami Beach with flyers. On November 6, Martha Fleitas recognized the photograph on television and identified Lazaro. The investigation led to his mother, Ana Maria Cardona, and her partner Olivia Gonzalez Mendoza, who had fled to St. Cloud, Florida, stopping at Disney World after disposing of the body. Neighbor Mercedes Estrada reported hearing screams on Halloween night followed by a heavy thump against her wall, then silence. Her report to social services went unanswered. CURRENT STATUS: Ana Maria Cardona's path through the courts spanned nearly three decades. She was sentenced to death in 1992, but the conviction was overturned in 2002 due to a Brady violation. Convicted and sentenced to death again in 2011, that conviction was overturned in 2016 for prosecutorial misconduct. In 2017, prosecutors waived the death penalty, and Cardona was found guilty a third time, receiving life without parole. Judge Miguel de la O told her that wild beasts show more empathy for their offspring. Olivia Gonzalez Mendoza served fourteen years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Cardona's eldest son, Juan Puente, died in prison in 2018 at age thirty-seven. The only publicly available photograph of Lazaro Figueroa shows him in death. RESOURCES: Learn more about this case at mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 6

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26 min
JAN 20

Wiltshire: Detective Whicher and the Road Hill House Investigation

This is Episode 2 of 4 in Foul Play's Road Hill House Murder series, covering Victorian England's most notorious family crime. Episode 1 established the Kent family's toxic dynamics and the discovery of three-year-old Francis Saville Kent's body. This episode follows Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher's revolutionary investigation and his tragic downfall at the hands of Victorian class prejudice. On July 16, 1860, a train departed Paddington Station carrying a middle-aged man with a smallpox-scarred face and blue eyes that catalogued every detail. Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher—one of England's first professional detectives—was about to solve the Road Hill House murder in just five days. What he couldn't solve was Victorian society's refusal to believe... Episode SummaryWhen Scotland Yard's finest detective arrived in Wiltshire to investigate the murder of three-year-old Francis Saville Kent, he brought revolutionary investigative techniques that would shape criminal investigation for generations. Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher interviewed witnesses separately, compared their stories for inconsistencies, and built psychological profiles—methods modern detectives would instantly recognize. Within five days, Whicher had identified his suspect: sixteen-year-old Constance Kent, the victim's half-sister. His evidence centered on a missing nightgown—one of three that Constance owned, now mysteriously absent from the household laundry. In an era before DNA analysis or forensic laboratories, Whicher understood that the absence of evidence could itself be evidence. A bloodstained nightgown couldn't be cleaned or hidden—it had to be destroyed. But Whicher faced an obstacle more formidable than any criminal: Victorian class prejudice. He was a gardener's son who had risen through merit. Constance was a "young lady of good breeding." When he arrested her, the public erupted in fury. Newspapers condemned him for persecuting an innocent girl. Her defense attorney, Peter Edlin, transformed the preliminary hearing into a trial of Whicher himself—questioning what kind of man interrogates a teenage girl alone in her bedroom. The magistrates released Constance due to insufficient evidence. Whicher returned to London in disgrace. His career was destroyed, his health broken. He was right about everything—and it cost him everything. Key Case DetailsDetective: Jonathan "Jack" Whicher, Detective Inspector, Scotland Yard Suspect: Constance Emily Kent, age 16 Victim: Francis Saville Kent, age 3 years 10 months Location: Road Hill House, Road (now Rode), Wiltshire, England Time Period: July 16-27, 1860 Key Evidence: Missing nightgown from household laundry records Outcome: Constance released; Whicher's career destroyed by class prejudice The First Modern DetectiveJonathan Whicher represents a pivotal moment in criminal justice history. Before professional detectives, crime investigation relied on informants, rewards, and confessions obtained through pressure. Whicher pioneered systematic investigation: separate witness interviews, timeline reconstruction, psychological profiling, and the revolutionary concept that physical evidence—or its absence—could tell a story. His techniques at Road Hill House read like a modern investigation manual. He interviewed the household staff individually, noting inconsistencies in their stories. He reconstructed the timeline of the murder night hour by hour. He examined the crime scene for physical evidence. He built a profile of the likely killer based on access, motive, and opportunity. The tragedy is that his brilliance couldn't overcome the social barriers of his era. Victorian society wasn't ready to accept that respectable families could produce murderers—or that a working-class detective could be right about an upper-class suspect. Victorian True Crime ContextThe Road Hill House case exposed fundamental tensions in Victorian society. The emerging professional police force—Scotland Yard was barely thirty years old in 1860—represented a threat to traditional class hierarchies. When Whicher accused Constance Kent, he wasn't just accusing a girl of murder. He was claiming that a working-class detective could penetrate the secrets of respectable families and judge their daughters. The public backlash was immediate and fierce. Newspapers that had demanded answers now demanded Whicher's resignation. The same society that was horrified by Francis's murder was more horrified by the suggestion that his killer came from within his own family. Historical Context & SourcesWe highly recommend Kate Summerscale's acclaimed 2008 book "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective," which provides the most comprehensive modern analysis of the case. Additional details come from contemporary newspaper accounts in The Times and Morning Post, trial transcripts from the National Archives, and Victorian police records documenting Whicher's investigative methods. Resources & Further ReadingKate Summerscale, "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" (2008)The National Archives (UK) - Victorian Crime and Punishment RecordsBritish Newspaper Archive - Contemporary coverage 1860Related Media: "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" (2011 TV film starring Paddy Considine) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/foul-play-crime-series/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jan 20

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48 min
12/23/2025

KILLER: Tina Brown Part 02 | Pensacola, Florida 2010

Escambia County, FL. March 24, 2010. When Tina Brown invited twenty-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman to her trailer under the guise of reconciliation, the young mother had no idea she was walking into an ambush. What would unfold in the following hours represents one of the most horrific crimes in Florida history. Part 02 of 02. VICTIM PROFILE: Audreanna Zimmerman was just twenty years old, a young mother navigating the precarious landscape of poverty in rural Pensacola. She lived in close proximity to Tina Brown's family, sharing the forced intimacy of a mobile home park where everyone knew everyone's business. Despite the tensions that had developed between her and Brown—accusations of slashed tires, broken car windows, reports to child protective services—Zimmerman believed in the possibility of peace. When the invitation came to clear the air, she accepted it with the trust of someone who had not yet learned that reconciliation can be a weapon. THE CRIME: On the evening of March 24, 2010, Zimmerman entered Brown's trailer expecting conversation. Instead, she was ambushed with a stun gun. Tina Brown, her sixteen-year-old daughter Britnee Miller, and Heather Lee restrained Zimmerman, beat her, and forced her into the trunk of a car. They drove her to a remote clearing in the Florida woods, where the assault escalated to torture. Zimmerman was struck repeatedly with a crowbar, doused with gasoline, and set on fire. The women left her burning in the clearing, believing they had killed her. THE INVESTIGATION: Zimmerman did not die. A third of a mile away, witness Terrance Hendrick heard cries for help and found a figure so badly burned he could not determine her race or whether she wore clothing. Despite injuries that defied comprehension—her skin crackling as she walked, her jaw broken, burns covering the majority of her body—Zimmerman remained conscious. She identified her attackers by name. She told investigators everything that had been done to her. She survived for sixteen days before succumbing to thermal injuries at the University of South Alabama Burn Center. CURRENT STATUS: On June 21, 2012, a jury convicted Tina Brown of first-degree murder. On September 28, 2012, she was sentenced to death. The court found the murder was cold, calculated, and premeditated; heinous, atrocious, and cruel; and committed during the course of a kidnapping. Britnee Miller and Heather Lee were also prosecuted for their roles in the crime. Tina Brown remains on Florida's death row. Content warning: This episode contains extremely graphic descriptions of torture, burning, and prolonged violence against a young woman. Real medical and investigative details. Listener discretion strongly advised. Learn more about this case at: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ Support Obscura: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

12/23/2025

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56 min
12/09/2025

MURDERED: Paula Thompson | Des Moines, Iowa 2020

On March 13, 2020, a long-simmering domestic conflict in Des Moines, Iowa, erupted into fatal violence. Paula Marie Thompson, a 50-year-old claims processor, was beaten to death with a crowbar by her adult son Christopher inside the home they shared on Pleasantview Drive. Her body would not be discovered until five days later. VICTIM PROFILE: Paula Thompson was 50 years old at the time of her death. She worked as a claims processor and was known among friends and coworkers as hardworking and responsible. Behind closed doors, however, Paula struggled with a volatile home situation. Her 32-year-old son Christopher still lived with her, financially dependent on her despite years of unemployment and sporadic work through temporary agencies. Paula had confided to friends that she was afraid of Christopher, tired of the drinking, and tired of supporting an adult who showed no progress toward independence. CASE SIGNIFICANCE: This case represents a devastating example of domestic violence that did not arrive suddenly. Paula Thompson spent months warning the people around her. She told friends she was afraid. She contacted her son's probation officer multiple times between December 2019 and March 2020, expressing growing fear. She even appeared in a Facebook video whispering to a friend that Christopher was "going to kill" her. Despite these warnings, Paula could not escape the danger living inside her own home. CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode contains descriptions of domestic violence, blunt force trauma, and animal cruelty. Listener discretion is advised. KEY CASE DETAILS: • Paula and Christopher argued on March 13, 2020, both having been drinking. Christopher retrieved a crowbar and struck his mother multiple times in the head. He remained in the home with her body for five days before confessing to a friend over the phone. • Christopher also killed Paula's cat with the same crowbar, later disposing of the animal's body in a trash can. He pleaded guilty to animal abuse in addition to the murder charge. • On March 18, 2020, Christopher walked into the Polk County Jail and confessed. He was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. RESOURCES: This episode draws from court documents filed in Polk County, Iowa, including criminal complaints and the Iowa Supreme Court opinion in State v. Thompson. Additional sources include reporting from KCCI Des Moines, KCRG, and the Des Moines Register. For anyone experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233. SUPPORT OBSCURA: For extended episodes, bonus content, and ad-free listening, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast. Visit mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura for episode resources, sources, and additional case information. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

12/09/2025

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27 min
11/25/2025

SERIAL KILLER: Paul Durousseau | Jacksonville, Florida 1997-2003 Part 01

On a humid September day in 1997, a man walking his dog discovered the nude body of 26-year-old Tracy Habersham in a ditch near Fort Benning, Georgia. She had been strangled. What investigators couldn't know then was that her death marked the beginning of a six-year killing spree. Part 1 of 2 VICTIM PROFILE: Paul Durousseau's victims shared heartbreaking commonalities. They were young African American women—many of them mothers—struggling to build better lives. Tyresa Mack was raising three small children. Nikia Kilpatrick was six months pregnant when she died; her two young sons, aged 11 months and 2 years, were found alive but malnourished beside her body two days later. Shawanda McCalister was also pregnant. These women trusted the wrong person, and that trust cost them everything. CASE SIGNIFICANCE: Between 1997 and 2003, Durousseau used his various jobs—security guard, taxi driver—to identify and gain access to vulnerable women. His method was consistent: gain trust, enter their homes, bind them, sexually assault them, then strangle them with whatever cord was available. A phone cord. A coaxial cable. An extension cord tied in a distinctive military-style slipknot. His victims included Tracy Habersham, Tyresa Mack, Nicole Williams, Nikia Kilpatrick, Shawanda McCalister, Jovanna Jefferson, and Surita Cohen. German authorities also suspect him in additional unsolved murders near U.S. military bases during his Army deployment. CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault, strangulation, domestic violence, and child endangerment. Listener discretion is strongly advised. KEY DETAILS: Durousseau was born in Beaumont, Texas in 1970 and experienced significant brain trauma in utero and as a toddler. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.After graduating high school in 1989, he enlisted in the Army in 1992 and was stationed in Germany, where he married fellow soldier Natoca Spann.In 1997, while stationed at Fort Benning, he was arrested for kidnapping and rape but was acquitted. Less than a month later, Tracy Habersham was found murdered—DNA would eventually link Durousseau to her death.RESOURCES: For case documentation, sources, and additional information, visit: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/ If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. CREDITS: Research and narration by Justin Drown. Obscura is an independent true crime documentary podcast dedicated to telling the stories of forgotten victims with unflinching honesty and scholarly research. All information presented draws from court records, police reports, and verified news archives. SUPPORT OBSCURA: Join the Obscura community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, extended content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/ Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA * Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com * Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code OBSCURA20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

11/25/2025

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48 min

The darkest true crime cases are the ones you've never heard of. Obscura investigates murders written off as accidents, disappearances dismissed as runaways, and obscure cases buried in forgotten files. Host Justin Drown delivers unflinching investigations through real archival audio, court records, and graphic forensic detail. No comedy. No sanitized narratives. Only the complete truth. New episodes every Tuesday.

4.6 (2749)

TRUE CRIME
Welcome to the riveting true crime podcast that takes you on a deep dive into the world's most gripping cases. Each season unravels a unique case—choose one that intrigues you and dive in.

4.5 (945)

TRUE CRIME
Discover forgotten stories from small-town America that never made it into history books. Hometown History is the podcast uncovering hidden American history—overlooked events, local mysteries, and untold tragedies from communities across the nation. Every week, meticulous research brings pre-2000 small-town stories to life in 20-minute episodes. From forgotten disasters to local legends, hidden chapters to pivotal moments, each episode explores a different town's overlooked history. Perfect for history enthusiasts seeking forgotten American stories, small-town history, and local history that shaped our nation. Respectful storytelling meets educational depth—history podcast content for curious minds who want to learn about America's hidden past without hour-long episodes.

4.5 (138)

HISTORY
Embark on an unprecedented journey into the dark mind of America's most elusive serial killer. This definitive 24-episode series, complemented by 4 exclusive bonus episodes, offers the most exhaustive exploration of the Zodiac case ever created. We unravel every chilling detail—from cryptic ciphers and taunting letters to overlooked evidence and the profiles of potential suspects. All major theories are meticulously examined and presented in a captivating, easily digestible narrative. Stay with us as we continue to update future episodes with new discoveries, striving to shed light on a mystery that has baffled investigators for decades. If you're a true crime enthusiast seeking depth and clarity, this is the series you've been waiting for. If you have suggestions for this series contact me at Shane@blacklabelpodcasts.com

4.0 (8)

TRUE CRIME
The Asian Madness Podcast: a place where we discuss true crime, superstition, urban legends, mysteries, and weird news from the Asian continent.

4.8 (372)

TRUE CRIME
Join Gemma Hoskins, the beloved advocate from Netflix's The Keepers, and veteran crime podcaster Shane Waters as they revisit the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a young nun whose mysterious death in 1969 has haunted Baltimore for decades. Who Killed Sister Cathy? goes beyond the documentary, bringing you new interviews, fresh perspectives, and revelations that have never been heard before. Together, Gemma and Shane are relentless in their pursuit of the truth, unraveling secrets and untold stories that point to a conspiracy that shook a community to its core. This is not just a podcast—it's an ongoing investigation that seeks justice for Sister Cathy and comfort for those who loved her. Visit us online at itsfoulplay.com We also welcome you to Shane's main crime series podcast, with more than 34 series: Foul Play.

4.6 (10)

TRUE CRIME