64 episodes

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 oneof 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.

Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps iHeartPodcasts

    • True Crime
    • 4.5 • 531 Ratings

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 oneof 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.

    Bumble Date Death, Part 2: The Brenda Rawls Case

    Bumble Date Death, Part 2: The Brenda Rawls Case

    Phelps speaks with Lauren Fields’ mother, Shantell, about the surprising cause and manner of death in Lauren’s case. He also digs into the Brenda Rawls death - another woman found dead after a date - the very same night, just down the road from where Lauren died - whose family was also never informed of her death by the police.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 35 min
    Bumble Date Death - Part 1: The Lauren Smith-Fields Case

    Bumble Date Death - Part 1: The Lauren Smith-Fields Case

    You might have heard about this case: A woman, Lauren Smith-Fields, TikTok influencer, model and college student studying physical therapy, invites a Bumble date over to her apartment in December 2021 and winds up dead … police say accidental, family says suspicious … and yet the manner of death is only half the story. What happened inside Lauren’s apartment on the night she died, and the next day, will have your jaw on the floor, wondering what is going on in the world of law enforcement investigation in some of the country’s largest cities. In the first of this two-part Crossing the Line, Phelps digs in deep and talks to Lauren’s family. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 44 min
    The Judy Nilan Case: Murder at Big Bird’s Estate

    The Judy Nilan Case: Murder at Big Bird’s Estate

    A beloved woman in a posh Connecticut town goes out for a jog, same as she does every day. Along that route is an immense estate owned by the puppeteer, Caroll Spinney, who played the iconic “Big Bird” and “Oscar the Grouch” characters on Sesame Street. After failing to return, police searching for the woman find a literal blood trail leading directly to Big Bird’s estate … and an immaculate Chinese pagoda on the property. Soon, all eyes are following that bird—and yet neither he - nor the woman - are anywhere to be found.  
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 37 min
    Rebecca Cornell: Murder by 'Good Fire'

    Rebecca Cornell: Murder by 'Good Fire'

    When problems between a wealthy woman, her son and his wife begin to get ugly, people turned a blind eye. But when Rebecca Cornell catches fire one night and dies, the case is re-opened after a ghostly appearance convinces local lawmakers it wasn't just an accident. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 42 min
    Introducing Paper Ghosts Season 3

    Introducing Paper Ghosts Season 3

    When a young college student’s car was abandoned on the side of a busy midwest highway in 1992, police figured it was a runaway case. Nine days later, she was found brutally murdered, nearly 500 miles away in another state. What happened to Tammy Jo Zywicki? Hear the story when PAPER GHOSTS returns with a new season on February 1.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 2 min
    ‘THE GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE:’ The “Texting” Death of Conrad Roy

    ‘THE GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE:’ The “Texting” Death of Conrad Roy

    Conrad Roy died by suicide on a hot July night in 2014. But what is the true story behind “the girl from Plainville”, who faced a judge on manslaughter charges after texts reveal she might have had urged him to take his own life? Phelps digs into the social and legal aspects of this high-profile case, featured in a special Hulu series. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 41 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
531 Ratings

531 Ratings

elissss a ,

My favorite! I miss it

When are you guys coming back ?! 😭

MaryJoInStLouis ,

I need my fix!

I’ve listened to all the episodes! So good! When ya coming back, Phelps?

Lorrie1967 ,

Love your podcast

Love all your podcast, your my favorite

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