Real Life Real Crime

Real Life Real Crime Productions

Twisted, gruesome, sometimes funny, but always true: Real Life Real Crime is a multi-award-winning weekly true crime podcast hosted by Woody Overton. Known for his appearances on Dateline, Woody takes listeners on deep dives into cases he has personally worked, offering a unique and exclusive perspective that only he can share. His extensive knowledge from real cases, along with his captivating storytelling ability, has led to what the news media and loyal fans describe as a “cult following.” In addition to “Real Life Real Crime,” Woody is dedicated to solving cold cases and actively works with families seeking justice and closure. His commitment to these efforts is reflected in his development of new projects, including "#JusticeFor", highlighting the importance of advocacy in the true crime community, and dives into intense tales in “Scorched,” which examines cases of severe miscarriages of justice while offering insights into the complexities of the legal system. In addition Woody hosts “True Crime Time For,” which is co-hosted by his wife, Cyndi Overton. Together, they explore intriguing stories, bringing their unique dynamic to the table. Join Woody and Cyndi on this riveting journey as they uncover the truth behind real-life crime.

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  1. 13h ago

    True Crime Time For October 9, 2026 | A Police Chief Candidate Accused of Rape, a Toddler’s Overdose & a 20-Year-Old Cold Case

    Woody Overton covers a bizarre situation in Elizabeth, Louisiana, where police chief candidate Chris Paul remains on the ballot—and is running unopposed—after being arrested on allegations that he raped two 13-year-old girls nearly 20 years ago. Paul has not been convicted and is presumed innocent. Woody also looks back at October 9 in true-crime history, including Aileen Wuornos, Jerry Sandusky and the D.C. sniper attacks. Pasted text Pasted text In Family Matters, Georgia parents face second-degree murder charges after toxicology reportedly found kratom and nitrous oxide in their two-year-old daughter’s system. A Florida woman is accused of knocking her boyfriend unconscious with a laptop during an argument. Finally, a major break comes in the 2006 murders of Chynna Dickus and her 10-year-old stepson Blake, as investigators announce an arrest after nearly 20 years of searching for answers. Pasted text Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, Chris Paul, Elizabeth Louisiana, police chief, Allen Parish, Aileen Wuornos, DC sniper, death row, kratom, nitrous oxide, Family Matters, child overdose, Chynna Dickus, Blake Dickus, Michael Jerome James, Indiana cold case, cold case arrest, Justice For Madison, Madison Renee Allen, Stephanie Hevia, true crime October 9 true-crime historyCalifornia death-row inmate seeking a pen palLouisiana police chief candidate facing rape allegationsTwo-year-old’s kratom and nitrous oxide deathFlorida woman accused of attacking boyfriend with a laptop2006 murders of Chynna and Blake DickusArrest nearly 20 years after the Indiana murdersReward money, cold cases and the importance of tips#JusticeForMadison and #JusticeForStephanieThe Elizabeth, Louisiana police-chief race presents an unusual situation: according to the episode, Chris Paul is the only remaining candidate while facing allegations involving two girls. Woody emphasizes that Paul has not been convicted and retains the presumption of innocence. Pasted text The episode ends on the kind of development Woody continually stresses—never giving up on a cold case. Nearly 20 years after Chynna and Blake Dickus were killed, Michael Jerome James has been indicted on two murder counts. Woody connects that breakthrough to the continuing search for answers in the Madison Renee Allen and Stephanie Hevia cases and urges anyone with information to call 313-RLRC-TIP. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  2. 1d ago

    True Crime Time For October 8, 2026 | An American Idol Murder, a Toddler Burned Alive & a Babysitter’s Chilling Confession

    Woody Overton begins with an update on #JusticeForMadison, as he prepares to attend Thomas Morris’s arraignment with Madison Renee Allen’s mother. Morris’s current charges stem from an unrelated case involving a Montana woman and include second-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment and illegal possession of stolen firearms. Woody also looks back at October 8 true-crime history, including the Jamison family disappearance, Aileen Wuornos, Samuel Little and the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Pasted text In Family Matters, two domestic-violence cases end with men receiving life sentences for murdering former partners. Then, an Illinois father is accused of killing the mother of his two-year-old son and leaving the toddler to die inside a burning vehicle. Woody closes with the disturbing case of PhD student Nicole Virzi, accused of killing her best friend’s six-week-old baby while babysitting and injuring his twin brother—a death-penalty case centered in part on statements she made during a lengthy police interview. Pasted text Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, Justice For Madison, Madison Renee Allen, Thomas Morris, Aileen Wuornos, Samuel Little, Randy Zimmerman, Tabitha Truscott, Kaylee Hill Nelson, Jeremiah Duncan, Heaven Wood, KJ Duncan Wood, Nicole Virzi, Leon Katz, Ari Katz, child abuse, domestic violence, death penalty, true crime #JusticeForMadison and Thomas Morris arraignmentOctober 8 true-crime historyRandy Zimmerman double murderKaylee Hill Nelson stalking and murder caseJeremiah Duncan domestic-violence allegationsTwo-year-old KJ’s death in a burning vehicleNicole Virzi and the death of six-week-old LeonAlleged injuries to Leon’s twin brotherDisputed confession and death-penalty prosecutionThe episode puts a heavy focus on domestic violence and crimes against children, from two women killed by former partners to the horrific allegation that a father left his own two-year-old son inside a burning vehicle. Pasted text The Nicole Virzi case remains pending. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, while her defense maintains her innocence and argues that her statements to investigators were involuntary. A judge ruled that the statements could be presented to the jury. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  3. 2d ago

    True Crime Time For October 7, 2026 | An American Idol Murder, a Baby Cut From the Womb & a 33-Year-Old Cold Case

    Woody Overton covers the conviction of former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn, sentenced to life without parole for murdering his wife, Ashley Flynn, as she slept in their Ohio home. Prosecutors presented evidence of his affair, disturbing messages about wanting Ashley dead, and an attempted staging of the murder as a burglary. Woody also follows yesterday’s military death-penalty story with the reported plans for Nidal Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. Pasted text Also: a seven-year-old girl is fatally stabbed in Chicago, a Kentucky father receives 20 years after his 15-month-old son died during a motorcycle stunt, and a pregnant Kentucky mother is found murdered with her unborn baby removed from her womb. Finally, DNA provides a major break in the 1993 murder of Tammy Davis, leading Dallas police to a capital-murder arrest more than three decades later. Pasted text Pasted text A former American Idol contestant is sentenced to life for murdering his wife, a pregnant mother is found murdered with her unborn baby removed, and DNA leads to an arrest in a 33-year-old Texas cold case. Plus, a devastating motorcycle stunt and the killing of a seven-year-old girl in Chicago. True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, Caleb Flynn, Ashley Flynn, American Idol murder, Nidal Hasan, Fort Hood shooting, military death penalty, Chicago child murder, Kentucky motorcycle death, April Barlow Celio, Kentucky murder, Tammy Davis, Dallas cold case, Gary Lynn Ross, CODIS, DNA evidence, capital murder, true crime Caleb Flynn convicted of murdering Ashley FlynnAmerican Idol contestant’s affair and incriminating messagesNidal Hasan and the military death penaltySeven-year-old girl murdered in ChicagoDoctor found dead during a children’s sleepover in EnglandFather sentenced after fatal motorcycle stunt with his babyMurder of pregnant mother April Barlow CelioU.S. Marshals track down a murder suspectDNA breakthrough in Tammy Davis’s 1993 cold caseThe Caleb Flynn case shows how the alleged burglary story unraveled as investigators examined the physical evidence, Flynn’s changing account, his affair and messages presented at trial. A jury convicted him after roughly two hours of deliberation, and he was sentenced to life without parole. Pasted text The episode ends with a long-awaited cold-case breakthrough: Dallas investigators say DNA from blood found at Tammy Davis’s 1993 murder scene produced a CODIS match that ultimately led them to Gary Lynn Ross, who has now been charged with capital murder. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  4. 3d ago

    True Crime Time For October 6, 2026 | A Mother-Daughter Murder Plot, 35 Shot at a Block Party & Military Death Row

    Woody Overton opens with October 6 in true-crime history before covering a mass shooting at a Georgia block party that left two people dead and dozens injured, and the arrest of a California woman accused of acting as an unregistered Chinese agent and surveilling a Taiwanese official’s family in the United States. Pasted text In Family Matters, Woody revisits the chilling case of Diane and Rachel Staudte, the Missouri mother and daughter convicted in a plot involving antifreeze poisonings within their own family. He also covers a Kentucky woman sentenced for killing her mother and the murder of Rachel Prince, whose boyfriend killed her just 32 days after being released from jail for previously assaulting her. Finally, Woody looks at the U.S. military death penalty and the four men currently on military death row as the military prepares for the possibility of its first execution in more than 60 years. Pasted text Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, October 6, Diane Staudte, Rachel Staudte, antifreeze poisoning, Family Matters, Georgia mass shooting, Vienna Georgia, Chinese espionage, Brianna Rich, Carol Rich, Rachel Prince, Jason Palmer, domestic violence, military death row, Fort Hood shooting, Nidal Hasan, Ronald Gray, Timothy Hennis, Hasan Akbar, death penalty, true crime October 6 true-crime historyGeorgia block-party mass shootingAlleged Chinese espionage operation in the U.S.Diane and Rachel Staudte antifreeze poisoningsA mother and daughter accused of plotting against their familyBrianna Rich sentenced for killing her motherRachel Prince’s domestic-violence murderChrista Pike execution falloutU.S. military death rowNidal Hasan and the Fort Hood shootingThe possibility of the first U.S. military execution in more than 60 yearsThe Staudte case is the centerpiece of Family Matters: an anonymous tip led investigators to reexamine a series of deaths and illnesses inside one family, eventually uncovering the antifreeze poisoning plot involving Diane and her daughter Rachel. Diane received life without parole, while Rachel’s agreement included the possibility of parole after decades in prison. Pasted text The episode closes with a look at military capital punishment. Woody discusses the four prisoners identified in the episode as being on U.S. military death row and the possibility that the military could carry out its first execution since 1961. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  5. 4d ago

    True Crime Time For October 5, 2026 | Two Little Girls Found Dead, a Botched Execution Fallout & Deadly Friday Night Lights

    Woody Overton starts with October 5 in true-crime history, from the Dalton Gang’s disastrous 1892 double-bank robbery and the 2001 anthrax attacks to the murder of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway and the notorious crimes and mythology surrounding H.H. Holmes. Pasted text Then, Family Matters brings two disturbing cases involving children: a loaded handgun found in a three-year-old’s daycare backpack in Michigan, and a South Carolina mother charged with homicide by child abuse after her two young daughters were found dead. Woody also follows the fallout from Christa Pike’s failed execution, including the resignation of Tennessee’s corrections commissioner and the independent investigation into what went wrong. Later, he covers a deadly Florida self-defense case involving a 15-year-old, alleged football-team hazing in Maryland, and the senseless shooting death of Nashville high-school student Cameron Frierson after a Friday-night football game. Pasted text Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, Dalton Gang, anthrax attacks, Jessica Ridgeway, H.H. Holmes, Family Matters, Michigan daycare gun, Justine Marie May, child abuse, Christa Pike, Colleen Slemmer, Tennessee death penalty, botched execution, Frank Strada, Florida self defense, Howard High School, football hazing, Cameron Frierson, Nashville shooting, true crime Dalton Gang and October 5 crime history2001 anthrax attacksJessica Ridgeway murderH.H. Holmes and the Murder CastleLoaded gun found in a three-year-old’s backpackTwo young sisters found dead in South CarolinaFallout from Christa Pike’s failed executionFlorida teen shooting ruled self-defenseMaryland football hazing investigationCameron Frierson’s fatal shooting in NashvilleThe South Carolina case raises particularly difficult questions because deputies reportedly had contact with the mother and children five times during August and September before the girls were found dead. An internal review of the agency’s previous responses is now underway. Pasted text The Christa Pike story also continues to develop. Tennessee’s corrections commissioner is stepping down while an independent review examines the failed execution, and the state’s remaining executions for 2026 have been called off pending that review.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  6. 6d ago

    True Crime Time For October 3, 2026 | Murder Without a Body, a Drive-Thru Shooting & a Woman Abducted for a Bride

    Woody Overton opens with October 3 in true-crime history, including O.J. Simpson’s 1995 acquittal in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman—and the strange coincidence that exactly 13 years later, Simpson was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas. He also gives updates on #JusticeForMadison, #JusticeForStephanie and #JusticeForHailey, reminding Lifers to keep the tips coming. Pasted text Then, an Arizona drive-thru dispute ends in gunfire after a man allegedly shoots at a driver who had been found asleep behind the wheel. In Orlando, Giselle Gonzalez is sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to murdering her roommate, Rulendi Oruni Medina Pacheco, whose body has never been found. Investigators say surveillance showed Gonzalez buying a chainsaw and other supplies after Pacheco disappeared, while the victim’s blood was later discovered throughout their apartment. Pasted text Woody also covers the alleged murder of Virginia mother Lisa Bradford, a rape conviction in Wales, and the fallout from a massive brawl involving Louisiana high-school football. In Family Matters, a California man is accused of fatally stabbing his 19-year-old brother. Finally, Woody revisits the incredible 1984 kidnapping of Olympic biathlon hopeful Kari Swenson, who was abducted in the Montana wilderness by father-and-son survivalists who wanted a woman to live with them. Swenson was shot during an attempted rescue, and rescuer Alan Goldstein was killed—but she survived. Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, OJ Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, Ronald Goldman, Justice for Madison, Justice for Stephanie, Justice for Hailey, Arizona drive thru shooting, Giselle Gonzalez, Rulendi Medina Pacheco, murder without a body, Lisa Bradford, Gary Longfield, Louisiana high school football, Jose Miranda Jr, Diego Miranda, Kari Swenson, Don Nichols, Dan Nichols, Alan Goldstein, Montana kidnapping, true crime O.J. Simpson acquittal anniversary#JusticeForMadison, #JusticeForStephanie and #JusticeForHaileyArizona In-N-Out Burger shootingMurder conviction without a recovered bodyChainsaw purchase in the Giselle Gonzalez caseLisa Bradford murder caseWales rape convictionLouisiana high-school football brawlBrother accused of killing brother in CaliforniaKari Swenson kidnapping and survivalDon and Dan NicholsAlan Goldstein’s death during the rescue attemptThe Kari Swenson case is one of the episode’s most extraordinary stories: an Olympic hopeful kidnapped by two survivalists, chained to one of her captors, shot through the lung during a rescue attempt, and ultimately surviving after being stranded in the Montana wilderness. Pasted text The Orlando case is equally striking for a different reason: Gonzalez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder despite Pacheco’s body never being recovered, with prosecutors relying on circumstantial and forensic evidence surrounding her disappearance Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  7. Oct 2

    True Crime Time For October 2, 2026 | Christa Pike Survives Execution & Tennessee Halts the Rest

    Woody Overton takes a deep dive into the extraordinary attempted execution of Tennessee death-row inmate Christa Pike. After last-minute court battles, Tennessee proceeded with Pike’s execution, but two doses of lethal-injection drugs failed to kill her. According to the reports covered in the episode, Pike remained alive and was transported to a hospital. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee subsequently ordered a third-party review and halted the state’s remaining executions for the year. Pasted text Woody revisits the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, the crime for which Pike was sentenced to death, and discusses the broader debate surrounding capital punishment, execution protocols and what happens when an execution goes wrong. He also looks back at Ted Bundy’s execution and a long history of botched or failed executions—from lethal injection and the electric chair to gas chambers, hangings and centuries-old beheadings. Pasted text Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, Christa Pike, Colleen Slemmer, Tennessee death row, botched execution, lethal injection, death penalty, capital punishment, Governor Bill Lee, Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Tony Carruthers, Ted Bundy, electric chair, gas chamber, hanging, botched executions, true crime Christa Pike’s attempted executionColleen Slemmer murderTwo lethal-injection doses failTennessee halts remaining 2026 executionsReview of Tennessee’s execution protocolTony Carruthers execution attemptTed Bundy’s executionLethal injection complicationsHistoric botched executionsElectric chair, gas chamber and hangingCapital punishment debateThe central story is the failed execution of Christa Pike and its consequences. After Pike survived the attempted lethal injection, Tennessee halted its remaining executions for 2026 while the process is reviewed. Pasted text Woody uses the incident to examine a much larger question throughout the episode: how governments carry out death sentences, what constitutes a botched execution, and how failures can affect other death-row cases and victims’ families.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  8. Oct 1

    True Crime Time For October 1, 2026 | A Mom Leaves 4 Kids for a Cruise, 40 Years on Death Row & a Midair Attack

    Woody Overton kicks off October with some of the crimes tied to this date in history, including the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the Los Angeles Times bombing, the Golden State Killer, the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas, and the sentencing of Nazi leaders following the Nuremberg Trials. Pasted text Then, passengers aboard a flight bound for Israel face a terrifying midair emergency after an alleged attack in the cockpit leaves one pilot injured and the aircraft rapidly losing altitude. In Family Matters, Florida mother Nathalie Belazare is accused of leaving four children—including a two-month-old baby—home alone while she took a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. Police found the children alone, and Belazare was arrested when she returned. Pasted text Pasted text Woody also covers developments involving Tennessee death-row inmate Christa Pike before turning to a very different death-penalty story: Douglas Stewart Carter, who spent more than 40 years on Utah's death row, has been released while awaiting a new trial after newly analyzed DNA evidence excluded him as a match to evidence from the 1985 murder of Eva Olesen. Pasted text Finally, Woody examines the controversy surrounding Florida death-row inmate William Lee Thompson, whose attorneys argue his severe medical condition makes his scheduled execution unconstitutional. Woody revisits the brutal 1976 murder of Sally Ivester at the center of Thompson's case. Pasted text True Crime Time For, Woody Overton, Real Life Real Crime, October 1, Las Vegas shooting, Polly Klaas, Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, Nuremberg Trials, Nathalie Belazare, child neglect, Christa Pike, Colleen Slemmer, Douglas Stewart Carter, Eva Olesen, Utah death row, William Lee Thompson, Sally Ivester, Florida death row, death penalty, true crime October 1 true-crime history2017 Las Vegas mass shootingPolly Klaas kidnapping and murderNuremberg Trial sentencingMidair cockpit attack and emergency landingNathalie Belazare child-neglect allegationsChrista Pike execution litigationDouglas Stewart Carter's release after 40+ yearsNew DNA evidence in the Eva Olesen caseWilliam Lee Thompson execution challengeSally Ivester murderThis episode presents two sharply different sides of capital punishment: Douglas Stewart Carter was released from custody after more than four decades on death row as his case heads toward a new trial, while William Lee Thompson is challenging whether Florida can execute him given his severe medical condition. Pasted text The charges against Nathalie Belazare remain allegations. According to the account covered in the episode, authorities found the four children without an adult in the home, and she was arrested after returning from the cruise.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code RLRC for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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4.7
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About

Twisted, gruesome, sometimes funny, but always true: Real Life Real Crime is a multi-award-winning weekly true crime podcast hosted by Woody Overton. Known for his appearances on Dateline, Woody takes listeners on deep dives into cases he has personally worked, offering a unique and exclusive perspective that only he can share. His extensive knowledge from real cases, along with his captivating storytelling ability, has led to what the news media and loyal fans describe as a “cult following.” In addition to “Real Life Real Crime,” Woody is dedicated to solving cold cases and actively works with families seeking justice and closure. His commitment to these efforts is reflected in his development of new projects, including "#JusticeFor", highlighting the importance of advocacy in the true crime community, and dives into intense tales in “Scorched,” which examines cases of severe miscarriages of justice while offering insights into the complexities of the legal system. In addition Woody hosts “True Crime Time For,” which is co-hosted by his wife, Cyndi Overton. Together, they explore intriguing stories, bringing their unique dynamic to the table. Join Woody and Cyndi on this riveting journey as they uncover the truth behind real-life crime.

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