Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps

M. William Phelps

Crossing the Line is a true crime podcast revealing cases of the missing and murdered, told start-to-finish each week. Using the campfire storytelling style that made Paper Ghosts a #1 hit on the charts, host M. William Phelps connects deeply with families touched by violent crime - he understands them, because he is one of them. Having gone through the murder of his own pregnant sister-in-law, Phelps brings not only his personal experience, but also 20-plus years of investigative journalism into the worlds of these stories. Follow and subscribe to Crossing the Line for a weekly dose of murder, mayhem and madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    EP171 | Kim Langwell - Love Letters, Lies, Concrete and Murder: A True Crime Buried Under the Floorboards

    For 25 years you go about your life as if you're a normal dude living the dream … you have a good woman supporting you; a solid job; and loyal friends. Yet, you do it all while holding onto a dark secret … buried underneath the floorboards in one of the bedrooms inside your home. If you find yourself in a domestic violence situation and feel alone, scared, or unsure of what to do, there is help: https://www.thehotline.org/ Call: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text: "START" to 88788 - you are safe here with these people.  For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    44 min
  2. You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    1D AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing HAYDEN PANETTIERE: The Truth Behind the Headlines (Finally Telling Her Story In Her Own Words) from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Sometimes the hardest part of healing isn’t what the world did to you, it’s unlearning the version of yourself you became just to survive it. Today, Jay sits down with Hayden Panettiere for a raw and powerful conversation where she shares the truth behind a life the world thought it knew, but never truly understood. What unfolds isn’t just a story about fame, it’s a powerful reckoning with identity, pain, and resilience. From losing the innocence of a normal childhood to carrying the emotional weight of growing up in the spotlight, Hayden shares how early success came with hidden costs, bullying, isolation, and a lifelong struggle to feel like she truly belonged. This conversation goes beyond the headlines and into the heart of a woman who has spent decades learning how to separate who she is from who the world decided she should be. As the conversation deepens, Hayden opens up about the hidden battles that shaped her adulthood, including addiction, postpartum depression, and the weight of living her trauma both privately and in public. She reflects on the surreal experience of playing a character whose struggles mirrored her own, where the line between performance and real life pain began to blur. Together, they unpack the patterns, the pressure to please, and the emotions she never had the space to process that kept her stuck in cycles she couldn’t break. Within it all, a powerful truth emerges: healing isn’t linear, and even in the darkest moments, there’s a quiet strength still fighting to rise. Through grief, loss, and unimaginable challenges, Hayden is learning to reclaim her voice, trust herself again, and step into a new chapter defined not by survival, but by intention. In this episode you'll learn: How to Heal When Your Identity Was Shaped by Others How to Rebuild Self-Trust After Years of Self-Doubt How to Break Free from Toxic and Abusive Cycles How to Cope with Anxiety That Feels Never-Ending How to Navigate Postpartum Depression Without Shame How to Stop Living for Approval and Start Living for Yourself How to Let Go of the Need to Fix Everyone How to Set Boundaries with People You Love How to Keep Going When Life Keeps Breaking You If you see parts of yourself in this story, the doubt, the pain, the patterns you wish you could break, know that you’re not alone, and more importantly, you’re not stuck. Healing doesn’t happen all at once, and it doesn’t require perfection. This Is Me: A Reckoning is Hayden’s memoir where she shares a rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss. To get a copy, visit: https://www.amazon.com/This-Is-Me-A-Reckoning/dp/B0G7L8QSTK  With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe   Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast  Head to miraclegro.com to check out all of their easy-to-use products and start your growth journey today What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 01:53 A Childhood Memory That Shaped Your Strength 03:11 Realizing Your Childhood Wasn’t “Normal” 05:03 Feeling Too Much While Trying to Find Where You Belong 08:08 Turning Early Bullying into Inner Strength 12:12 Growing Up Before You Were Ready 14:55 The Moment You Stop Living for Your Family’s Expectations 18:09 Releasing the Need for Everyone’s Approval 22:33 Meeting Your Real Self For the First Time 24:42 Choosing Yourself and Finding Peace 27:07 Finding Strength When You Don’t Feel Safe 31:21 Learning to Rise After Betrayal 35:18 Learning to Trust Yourself Again After Being Let Down 37:04 Staying Steady When Everything Around You Isn’t 39:19 The Cost of Living for Applause 44:21 Letting Yourself Love Again 48:25 Finding Strength Through Anxiety 55:35 The Reality of Postpartum No One Talks About 01:00:27 Losing Everything You Built and Starting Again 01:03:52 The Truth About Postpartum Depression 01:07:41 Letting Go Even When It Hurts 01:14:57 Choosing What’s Best for Your Child 01:17:18 Staying Close Even When You’re Far Apart 01:21:16 Finding the Strength to Leave an Abusive Relationship 01:30:41 Rebuilding Yourself After Trauma 01:35:36 Finding the Courage to Ask for Help 01:37:46 Walking Away and Reclaiming Your Power Episode Resources: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/haydenpanettiere/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. MAY 6

    EP170 | Monster in the Mist: The Lovers' Lane Murders of Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson

    You and your girlfriend are parked on Lovers' Lane, the moonlight shining its wondrous glow on you both. A scumbag comes up to the car—with a gun. Such an innocent image shattered by a psychopath one night in Houston, lurking in the shadows, like the Zodiac Killer… and ready to strike. A double murder that goes unsolved for over 30 years. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    35 min
  4. THEY CAME FOR BLOOD - Book 1 - A Tom Callahan Western by M. William Phelps

    APR 29

    THEY CAME FOR BLOOD - Book 1 - A Tom Callahan Western by M. William Phelps

    It's been a life-long dream of mine to write Westerns (as you can clearly see from the photo below of Little M. William Phelps, the cowboy, LOL). The old-school, plot-driven, big character stories pitting good verses evil, good guys against bad guys, which is not so much different from what I normally do for my day job of true crime reporting and investigation for the podcasts I am most known for and the 40-plus true crime books I have published.  THEY CAME FOR BLOOD is book 1 in a three-book Tom Callahan Western series, and releases May 12, 2026, from Hatcreek, an imprint within the Roan & Weatherford Publishing enterprise.  WHEN THE PAST COMES FOR BLOOD, YOU EITHER DRAW FIRST OR DIE TRYING Tom Callahan was once the government's deadliest secret-a lethal gun-for-hire leading a team of assassins no one knew existed. Now those days are long gone. Or so he thought. Now an aging cowboy trying to keep his ranch alive, Callahan wants nothing more than peace... and a sliver of forgiveness. But when word reaches him that his wife and son-long believed dead-may still be alive, that peace turns to dust. From railroad corruption to a secret slave trade, outlaw towns to Washington DC's back rooms, every mile drags Callahan deeper into the rot of the nation he once served. Hunted, framed, and haunted by the men he used to ride with, he's forced to become the one thing he swore he'd never be again-a killer. In a world built on blood, there's no clean way out. To save his family, Callahan will have to face the ghosts of his past-and decide if redemption is worth the price in bodies. New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps delivers a brutal, timely, and cinematic Western thriller where the trail to the truth runs red and redemption rides a pale horse.

    3 min
  5. APR 29

    EP169 | Intelligent Psychopath: Scorecard Killer Randy Kraft and His Death List

    For some, killing is an addiction, like food, alcohol, sex or drugs. Each victim makes the next one easier … Is the man behind the murders I have for you this week the most prolific serial killer on record—whose name you have likely never heard of? And what do the experts say regarding the psychology behind the dozens of murders he committed?  For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    41 min
  6. APR 27

    SHORT CUTS | EP15 - Julie Revsin: A Murder Overshadowed

    A young couple is living together and finishing their graduate studies in March 1980. One of them arrives home to a horrific scene. For nearly 50 years the case flies under the radar of the media and investigators … until, that is, a compassionate journalist decides the victim deserves to be remembered. Sign the Change.org Julie Revsin petition to help get DNA from her case tested. It cost nothing but a few moments of your time. Welcome to a bonus feature here on the Crossing the Line feed. I come across all sorts of stories while researching books, TV series, and my iHeartMedia podcast, Paper Ghosts, in addition to the ideas you send me. A lot of them grab hold of me emotionally—especially the victims' stories and the ordeal their families go through. A good number of the cases, for myriad reasons, don't fit into the model for a more complete CTL episode. So I wanted to create a sub platform to showcase some of those stories, as well. That said, thank you for supporting Crossing the Line, which has allowed me to produce this new expansion of the brand … Once or twice per month, maybe more, I'll present a 15 to 20 minute episode, covering murder and missing person cases, and other interesting crimes I think you'll want to hear about—but maybe more importantly, cases that give us a deeper understanding of the crimes and scumbags who commit them. Sign up for your free Patreon account here, where I'll be streaming "live," and dropping exclusive content you cannot find anywhere else. Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 hit podcast PAPER GHOSTS, now in its fourth season, wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    20 min
  7. APR 22

    EP168 |The Secret the Skull Revealed: the Dog, the Body, the Murder

    A dog heads out one morning for a walk and returns, tail wagging, with a rather interesting discovery. A human skull. Alarmed, the dog's owner calls 911 and, after a broader search of the property, the remains of a man missing for years are soon discovered. IG and TikTok @mwilliamphelps  Find Phelps on X @MWilliamPhelps Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwilliamphelps For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    37 min
  8. APR 15

    EP167 | The Buckskin Girl, Red Head Murders, and True Crime Hoaxes

    Your two buddies are helping you move one sunny morning. Driving down a lonely Ohio road, looking out on acres of serene farm fields, you spot a jacket off on the side of the road in a ditch—a jacket which will ultimately provide the nickname for one of the more infamous murder cases in the annals of true crime.  Reach me @mwilliamphelps on social media; and email mwilliamphelps@comcast.net You can reach the Miami (Ohio) County Sheriff's Office at 937-440-6085. For exclusive content, sign up for your free Patreon account here. Leave a five-star review of this show, please. ;-) Visit www.crossingtheline.biz to contact investigative journalist and host M. William Phelps, get more information about the show, updates to cases, and more.  And don't forget to subscribe to Phelps's #1 Apple Podcast hit PAPER GHOSTS, now in its 5th season, "The Texas Teen Murders," wherever you get your favorite shows. M. William Phelps is the New York Times best-selling author of 46 nonfiction books and winner of the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Phelps has written for numerous publications1, including the Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Courant. Diversifying his talents, Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series Dexter and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. All of which gives him a confluence of expertise and experience to bring to true crime fanatics. Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. **For mental health assistance or to get help, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI website or call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text "HelpLine" to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org**

    36 min

Trailers

4.2
out of 5
3,484 Ratings

About

Crossing the Line is a true crime podcast revealing cases of the missing and murdered, told start-to-finish each week. Using the campfire storytelling style that made Paper Ghosts a #1 hit on the charts, host M. William Phelps connects deeply with families touched by violent crime - he understands them, because he is one of them. Having gone through the murder of his own pregnant sister-in-law, Phelps brings not only his personal experience, but also 20-plus years of investigative journalism into the worlds of these stories. Follow and subscribe to Crossing the Line for a weekly dose of murder, mayhem and madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Might Also Like