Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

Moms and Mysteries Podcast
  • 4.6 (8.6K)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Two Florida moms, hundreds of mysteries, and one obsession: 'How did this happen?' Mandy and Melissa bring you twice-a-week deep dives into true crime—from Florida's most bizarre cases to infamous mysteries worldwide—all with the warmth, wit, and dark humor of two friends who've been hooked on mysteries since childhood. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

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  1. 14h ago

    The Disappearance of Andrew Gosden: The One-Way Ticket to London

    On September 14, 2007, 14-year-old Andrew Gosden left his home in Doncaster dressed for school. After his family left for the day, he returned home, changed out of his uniform, withdrew £200 from his bank account, and bought a one-way ticket to London. Andrew arrived at King’s Cross Station at 11:20 that morning. CCTV captured him walking out of the station alone five minutes later. That is the last confirmed image of him. Nearly 19 years later, his family still does not know why he went to London or what happened after he arrived. We cover Andrew’s life, the carefully planned trip, the missed opportunities in the early investigation, the possible sightings, and the questions that remain in one of the United Kingdom’s most enduring missing person cases. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Amplify your spring look with Thrive Causemetics. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/MOMS for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. Treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Use our exclusive link to save 20% off Honeylove at honeylove.com/MOMS. To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to PakaApparel.com. Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com SOURCES https://mipp.police.uk/operation/14SY26A01-PO2 https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/news/south-yorkshire/news/missing/pre-march-2024/missing-andrew-gosden---new-age-progression-photo/ https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/help-us-find/andrew-gosden-07-019198 https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/experiences/stripped-back-kevin-gosden https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/the-power-of-memory https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/experiences/andrews-oak-tree-by-kevin-gosden https://helpustofindandrew.weebly.com/ https://helpustofindandrew.weebly.com/blog.html https://helpustofindandrew.weebly.com/blog/missing-things-unseen https://forenseek.app/the-disappearance-of-andrew-gosden-interview-with-kevin-gosden/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-strange-disappearance-of-andrew-gosden/ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/20/family.children https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/11/two-men-arrested-over-andrew-gosden-disappearance-in-2007 https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2023-07-10/dad-of-boy-missing-for-16-years-still-barely-able-to-function https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2023-09-20/men-arrested-over-kidnap-of-missing-teenager-released-from-investigation https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2025-09-08/appeal-for-teenager-andrew-gosden-who-went-missing-from-doncaster-18-years-ago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Disappearance of Andrew Gosden: The One-Way Ticket to London

  2. 1d ago • Subscribers Only

    SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Monsters of God: Part Two: Operation Cobra

    We are back with episode two of HBO's Monsters of God, and this time the reptile trade collides with the Miami cocaine world. The episode follows Ray Van Nostrand, an extraordinary salesman who moved to Florida in the 1970s and quickly became a major player in the exotic animal business. He could find endangered snakes in the Everglades, sell rare reptiles to anyone with money, and eventually helped connect the reptile trade to some very dangerous people. Enter Mario Tabraue, a Miami drug trafficker with a personal zoo, a lion in his office, and a very specific love for venomous animals. Ray's reptile shipments became the perfect cover for cocaine, with cobra filled crates and a bread truck full of animals helping keep the drugs moving. We also meet former DEA agent Larry Loveless, author Bryan Christy, a diaper wearing monkey named Alamir, and the Komodo dragon that Mario just had to have. Then there is the disappearance of informant Larry Nash, the federal investigation known as Operation Cobra, and the moment Ray decides to cooperate against Mario. It is another strange, dark, and completely unbelievable chapter in this reptile smuggling story.

    SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Monsters of God: Part Two: Operation Cobra

  3. 2d ago

    The Murder of Harold Allen: The Root Beer Float Poisoning

    For months, Harold Allen suffered from worsening illnesses that doctors could not fully explain. When he died in Freetown, Indiana, just days before Christmas 2022, his death was attributed to serious cardiac problems. His family believed they had lost him to a sudden decline in his health. Nine months later, a burglary at the home of Harold’s widow, Marsha Allen, gave investigators a reason to look again. What began as a break in led detectives to thousands of text messages between Marsha and her daughter, Ashley Jones, and evidence of a poisoning plot that included a root beer float. In 2025, Ashley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Marsha died before she was charged. We cover Harold’s life, the illnesses that were not what they seemed, the burglary that changed the investigation, and the evidence that finally explained what happened. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Whether you're looking for WLP-1, Magnesium, Berberine, CoQ10 or dozens of other science-backed supplements, start taking supplements your body can actually absorb. Go to absorbmore.com and enter MOMS at check out for up to 35% off your first order. Upgrade your everyday. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/moms. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card.  Savings provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Murder of Harold Allen: The Root Beer Float Poisoning

  4. Aug 13

    Holly Bartlett's Death: The Unanswered Hours Beneath Halifax's MacKay Bridge

    In March 2010, Holly Bartlett, a 31 year old blind public servant and graduate student, left a party in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and took a cab toward her condo. Seven hours later, ironworkers found her critically injured inside a fenced area beneath the MacKay Bridge, less than 1,000 feet from her home. Police concluded Holly became disoriented after leaving the cab, entered the restricted area, climbed a steep concrete abutment, and fell. But the people who knew Holly best struggled to accept that explanation. Holly had spent years mastering the orientation and mobility skills that allowed her to live independently. Her cane was later found leaning against a fence after police and a search dog had already searched the area. Her phone and wallet were discovered scattered in her condo parking lot. The cab driver, Paul Fraser, gave changing accounts of what happened after he dropped her off. A 2014 independent review upheld the accidental death finding, but criticized important parts of the original investigation, including delayed neighborhood canvassing and the brief initial interview with the last person known to see Holly alive. We cover Holly's life, the final night that cannot be fully reconstructed, and the questions her family still carries. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code MOMS. Exclusions apply.  It’s not too late to enroll for this fall… see how K12-Powered Schools can help your child thrive, this year and beyond! Enroll online today at K12.com/moms. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you visit Nutrafol.com and enter promo code MOMS. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Holly Bartlett's Death: The Unanswered Hours Beneath Halifax's MacKay Bridge

  5. Aug 12 • Subscribers Only

    SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Monsters of God: Part One: The Fever

    Today we are kicking off our coverage of Monsters of God, the HBO documentary series from Eric Goode, the filmmaker behind Tiger King and Chimp Crazy. Episode one introduces us to the strange, high stakes world of reptile trafficking, beginning with Florida dealer Tommy Crutchfield and his longtime rival, Hank Molt. These men did not just collect unusual reptiles. They built a business around acquiring rare and endangered animals from across the world, selling them to collectors and zoos, and taking enormous legal risks along the way. We talk venomous snakes smuggled through airports, reptiles worth tens of thousands of dollars, one horrifying discovery involving animals buried alive, and the illegal Fiji Island iguanas that turned two former associates into enemies for life. Between Hank's grievances, Tommy's total lack of discretion, a Malaysian wildlife trader named Anson Wong, and what appears to be a very unnerving clown manager, this docuseries is already completely wild. We are only one episode in, and we need to know where it goes next. From HBO: In the 1970s, an obsession with owning rare and dangerous animals sends the illegal reptile trade increasingly underground – fueling a dark, billion-dollar smuggling industry populated by notorious dealers. As the rivalry between traders Hank Molt and Tommy Crutchfield escalates into a macabre iguana trafficking case, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins to take notice.

    SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Monsters of God: Part One: The Fever

  6. Aug 11

    The Sherry Murders: The "Dixie Mafia", a Corrupt Gulf Coast, and the Judge Who Couldn't Be Bought

    In September 1987, Vincent Sherry and his wife Margaret were found shot to death inside their Biloxi, Mississippi home. Vincent was a former Air Force colonel, a law professor, and a sitting circuit court judge. Margaret was a prominent local attorney and politician. Neither had any known enemies. The investigation would take years and lead directly into the heart of the Dixie Mafia, a loose network of contract killers, drug smugglers, and corrupt officials who had turned Biloxi's Gulf Coast into one of the most lawless stretches in the American South. What investigators eventually uncovered was that Vincent's own law partner, Peter Hallett, had pointed Dixie Mafia hitman Kirksey Nix toward the Sherrys to protect himself from a money dispute he had no clean way out of. Peter stood at the Sherry family's side at the funeral. He handed out copies of the eulogy to the press. He described Vincent and Margaret as family.Convictions were eventually secured for racketeering, fraud, conspiracy, and murder-for-hire. But no one was ever charged with pulling the trigger inside the Sherry home. The murders technically remain unsolved. We cover the full story, including the Dixie Mafia, the corruption that made Biloxi a criminal safe haven, the Sherry family, and the betrayal that set everything in motion. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Upgrade your everyday. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/moms. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Sources: Sources: https://biloxi.ms.us/departments/mayor/mayors-of-biloxi/ https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/dixie-mafia-murders-article-1.347104 https://www.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/04/former_biloxi_mayor_pete_Halat.html https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article173225801.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1996/10/23/charge-in-judges-slaying/61d6e71d-79ab-45d4-9638-6228b780aeaf/ https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/copy3_of_a-byte-out-of-history http://www.picayuneitem.com/2009/10/mississippi-takes-dixie-mafia-inmate/ https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/29/us/biloxi-s-tale-of-murder-extortion-and-racy-photos.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/426843603/?article=738e1fb6-6677-438f-b8bd-d499c243712b&focus=0.5019371,0.09007911,0.65432274,0.50956196&xid=2378&_ga=2.152440121.1042031532.1579573623-1444157894.1576362222&_gac=1.191732952.1579330014.Cj0KCQiA04XxBRD5ARIsAGFygj-QvKZWcR4nrMOW3laSu_pML39tiZAhlj4D8-1LcgtM_8x7jNopef0aAtWFEALw_wcB https://www.newspapers.com/image/180627929/?terms=vincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/278254602/?terms=vincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/184099588/?terms=margaret%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/184077599/?terms=margaret%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/181139961/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry,https://www.newspapers.com/image/181140573 https://www.newspapers.com/image/278299403/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/278299613 https://www.newspapers.com/image/181137487/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/181138009 https://www.newspapers.com/image/181133386/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/181142452, https://www.newspapers.com/image/181143286/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/184070689/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry, https://www.newspapers.com/image/184071980 https://www.newspapers.com/image/181736248/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry, https://www.newspapers.com/image/181736384 https://www.newspapers.com/image/318805868/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/181737314/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/315976328/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/237859988/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://www.newspapers.com/image/278172011/?terms=margaret%2Bvincent%2Bsherry https://casetext.com/case/us-v-Halat?q=peter%20Halat&p=1&tab=keyword&jxs=&sort=relevance&type=case https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ https://casetext.com/case/us-v-sharpe-4?q=peter%20Halat&p=1&tab=keyword&jxs=&sort=relevance&type=case https://casetext.com/case/us-v-sharpe?q=peter%20Halat&p=1&tab=keyword&jxs=&sort=relevance&type=case https://www.sar.org/who-we-are https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/18/us/new-criminal-class-is-flourishing-in-sun-belt.html https://www.justice.gov/osg/brief/Halat-v-united-states-opposition https://www.wlox.com/story/22304298/wlox-exclusive-former-biloxi-mayor-recalls-trial-talks-about-time-in-federal-prison/ https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/murder-prison-scam-alleged/article_1c7fe873-85e4-5fcf-807e-b69dcb07557f.html https://www.redorbit.com/news/science/820230/biloxi_confidential_primetime_television_show_to_chronicle_sherry_murders_one/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/183757639/?terms=sheri%2Blara%2Bsharpe%2Bsentence https://www.newspapers.com/image/454246785/?terms=sheri%2Blara%2Bsharpe%2Bparole https://www.newspapers.com/image/278365125/?terms=sharpe%2Bnix%2Bgillich%2Bransom%2Bsentence https://www.newspapers.com/image/318870187/?terms=sharpe%2Bnix%2Bgillich%2Bransom%2Bsentence https://www.newspapers.com/image/237794827/?terms=john%2Belbert%2Bransom%2Bsentence https://www.newspapers.com/image/281120194/?terms=nix%2Bsharpe%2BHalat%2Bholcomb%2Bsentence https://www.newspapers.com/image/278322144/?terms=eric%2Bsherry https://apnews.com/bbe032464d8309feaa6bde15b45c6b7e https://apnews.com/0907bc70054a1780a25d64b1f7df2b05 https://apnews.com/fe0c9cf96d4820b11f0e6ac1d3e6d677 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Sherry Murders: The "Dixie Mafia", a Corrupt Gulf Coast, and the Judge Who Couldn't Be Bought

  7. Aug 6

    D.B. Cooper and the 7 Men Who Tried to Copy Him

    On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded a flight in Portland, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, and walked away with $200,000 in ransom after jumping out of the plane somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. He was never identified. His body was never found. And to this day, most of the money has never turned up.To the public, it looked like he got away with it. That was enough. In the months and years that followed, a string of men tried to copy what Dan (or who the public would know him by) D.B. Cooper had done boarding planes with fake bombs, demanding money and parachutes, and attempting to disappear into the sky. Some lost their nerve. Some were surrounded before they ever got off the ground. One actually knew how to use a parachute, landed successfully in a Colorado wheat field, and then discovered that the U.S. Air Force had been watching him the entire way down. We cover the original D.B. Cooper hijacking and the copycats who followed, and why nearly all of them demonstrated just how unlikely his disappearance really was. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now IQ Bars is offering our special podcast listeners including the Ultimate sampler pack, plus FREE shipping. That’s MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card.  Savings provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    D.B. Cooper and the 7 Men Who Tried to Copy Him

  8. Aug 4

    The Murder of Saria Hildabrand: What Zarius Hildabrand Did After the Gunshot

    On the night of his 21st birthday, U.S. Army soldier Zarius Hildabrand came home drunk from the bars in Anchorage, Alaska. His wife Saria, also a soldier and also 21, spent the next hour going through his phone and finding proof he had been cheating. A neighbor heard a single gunshot at 2:46 AM.By the next morning, Zarius was texting her coworkers from her phone, telling her friends she had walked out, and joining the search party that formed to find her. He knew exactly where she was the entire time. Saria Hildabrand was a National Guard combat medic who had moved to Alaska to build a life and a career. She called her mom every single day. On June 25, 2026, a jury found Zarius guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He faces up to 99 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2026. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollandBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply.  Right now IQ Bars is offering our special podcast listeners including the Ultimate sampler pack, plus FREE shipping. That’s MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Sources  Saria May Barney Obituary - Rasmussen Mortuary Man found guilty of killing Utah wife in Alaska jury trial | KSL.com 21-year-old Zarrius Hildabrand Arrested for Murder — Anchorage Police Department Details emerge in arrest of husband related to Anchorage woman’s death Military Marriage Murder Trial — AK v. Zarrius Hildabrand — Full Opening Statements Bombshell 911 Calls Played for Jury in Soldier Wife Murder Trial Court documents indicate Utah woman's husband attempted to cover up her murder in Alaska Family, APD searching for Anchorage woman missing since Sunday Mom weeps in court as she describes final messages with daughter, 21, whose body was found in drainpipe - as victim's US soldier husband stands trial for murder  Detective Says Evidence Points to Murder of Military Wife https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saria-hildabrand-alaska-zarrius-hildabrand-army-soldier-arrest/ Army soldier told friend ‘I did what I did’ after arrest for wife’s death | Court TV FULL TESTIMONY: Zarrius Hildabrand takes the stand in his murder trial Emotional Mom Defends Son Accused of Killing Wife Accused Wife Killer Never Said He Missed Her, Mom Testifies US Army soldier accused of killing his wife, a National Guard combat medic, faces court hearing | Stars and Stripes Saria May Barney Obituary - Rasmussen Mortuary Mother of Slain Soldier Recalls Heartbreaking Final Memories Before Daughter’s Murder Army Soldier Charged with Murdering New Wife, a Combat Medic Found Dead in a Storm Drain | Oxygen Army soldier accused of killing newlywed wife, whose body was found in storm drain, called police to report her missing Zarrius Hildabrand shows no emotion as jury convicts him of murder | Court TV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Murder of Saria Hildabrand: What Zarius Hildabrand Did After the Gunshot
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About

Two Florida moms, hundreds of mysteries, and one obsession: 'How did this happen?' Mandy and Melissa bring you twice-a-week deep dives into true crime—from Florida's most bizarre cases to infamous mysteries worldwide—all with the warmth, wit, and dark humor of two friends who've been hooked on mysteries since childhood. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

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