Murder In The Black

Steph
  • 4.5 (499)
  • True Crime
  • Weekly

Founded by sisters Steph and M.D., Murder in the Black explores overlooked true crime stories within the Black community. Steph currently hosts weekly episodes, while M.D., co-founder and original co-host, contributes as a guest co-host and legal analyst. The podcast stands apart through its coverage of both Black victims and Black perpetrators, creating space for honest conversations about justice, accountability, and the people at the center of each case.

MURDER IN THE BLACK

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  1. 21h ago ·  Bonus · Subscribers Only

    Before the Drop: Thursday’s Episode | Subscriber Exclusive

    Exclusive Access To Thursday Episode

    Before the Drop: Thursday’s Episode | Subscriber Exclusive

  2. 1d ago · Subscribers Only

    Erica Green: The Name Kansas City Refused to Forget

    For four years, Kansas City knew her only as Precious Doe. When the remains of a young Black girl were discovered in April 2001, investigators had no name, missing-person report or confirmed family connection to help identify her. While detectives searched for answers, members of the community held vigils, distributed flyers, raised reward money and refused to let the child disappear from public memory. In this paid episode, Steph examines the life and death of three-year-old Erica Michelle Marie Green, the informal custody arrangement that left her without consistent oversight, the adults who concealed what happened and the family member who finally restored her name. The episode also explores the institutional gaps surrounding Erica’s childhood, the four-year effort to identify her and the Kansas City community that claimed her when the people responsible remained silent. Erica’s birth while her mother was incarcerated Betty Brown’s role as Erica’s primary caregiver The informal custody arrangement surrounding Erica’s placement The trip to Kansas City that Erica never returned from The decisions Michelle and Harrell Johnson made after Erica was injured The April 2001 discovery near 59th Street and Kensington Avenue Why investigators initially struggled to identify the child Possible connections to Teekah Lewis and Rilya Wilson Kansas City’s vigils, funeral and memorial for Precious Doe Community activist Alonzo Washington’s efforts to keep the case visible The family tip that finally identified Erica in 2005 Michelle Johnson’s guilty plea and testimony Harrell Johnson’s trial, conviction and life sentence The federal lawsuit alleging failures by Oklahoma agencies Why identifying Erica brought accountability without undoing the opportunities missed during her life The 2026 gathering commemorating what would have been Erica’s 29th birthday What ultimately solved this case: forensic investigation, the family member who provided Erica’s name or the community pressure that kept her visible? When a child born to an incarcerated parent is placed informally with another caregiver, who should be responsible for ensuring that child does not disappear between systems?

    Erica Green: The Name Kansas City Refused to Forget

  3. 5d ago

    If It Happened Now: The Austin Ripper—Who Was Protecting the Women?

    Before Jack the Ripper, Austin had its own unidentified nighttime killer. In 1884 and 1885, a series of brutal attacks terrorized Austin, Texas. Black women working as domestic servants were among the earliest victims. Their work placed them inside other people’s homes, but proximity offered little protection. In this installment of If It Happened Now, Steph examines the Austin Ripper case, also known as the Servant Girl Annihilator murders. Who were the people behind the sensational name? How did race, gender, newspaper coverage, and investigative limitations shape the response—and the story we remember? Then we bring the case into the present. Could DNA, surveillance cameras, and connected investigations have changed the outcome? And would the women targeted first receive the attention needed to stop the attacks sooner? “The darkness helped him move. Indifference gave him time.” Follow Murder in the Black and leave a rating or review. Subscribe for exclusive episodes and more conversations with Steph. Join the conversation: If these attacks happened now, what would make the biggest difference: better technology or a faster response to the first victims? Instagram: @murderintheblackFacebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com

  4. Oct 26 · Subscribers Only

    Alberta Jones: The Prosecutor Louisville Never Found Justice For

    In August 1965, witnesses in Louisville, Kentucky, heard a woman scream and saw a man dragging her toward a light-colored Ford. Hours later, the body of 34-year-old Alberta Odell Jones was recovered from the Ohio River. Earlier that year, Alberta had become Louisville’s first woman prosecutor and Kentucky’s first Black woman prosecutor. She was also the first Black woman known to pass the Kentucky bar examination, an accomplished attorney who represented a young Cassius Clay and a civil-rights organizer who helped register thousands of Black voters. Her rented Ford Fairlane was found with blood, fingerprints, her dentures and evidence of a violent struggle inside. Police interviewed hundreds of people, investigated multiple theories and presented two men to a grand jury—but no indictments were returned. Decades later, investigators matched one fingerprint from the vehicle to a living person. Even that discovery was not enough to support a prosecution. In this paid-subscriber episode, Steph examines Alberta’s extraordinary life, the final hours before her death, the evidence recovered from the Fairlane and the questions surrounding a case that has remained unsolved for more than 60 years. Alberta’s childhood and education in segregated Louisville Her historic legal career and representation of Cassius Clay The Independent Voters Association and Alberta’s work registering Black voters Her appointment as Louisville’s first woman prosecutor Alberta’s final evening with her friend Gladys Wyckoff Witnesses who reported seeing a woman being forced into a car The discovery of Alberta’s body near Fontaine Ferry Park Blood, fingerprints and evidence of a struggle inside the rented Ford Fairlane The two men presented to a grand jury Alberta’s purse, discovered inside the Sherman Minton Bridge nearly three years later Questions surrounding a possible civil-rights or political motive The fingerprint match investigators obtained in 2008 Evidence that could no longer be located when modern testing became available The Justice Department’s 2023 review of Alberta’s murder How Louisville is preserving Alberta’s legacy today The evidence shows that Alberta was attacked and entered the Ohio River alive. What it has never established is who killed her—or why. Louisville has honored Alberta with a park, a portrait and a statue. Her family is still waiting for the one thing the city has never been able to provide: the name of her killer. If you have credible information concerning the murder of Alberta Jones, contact the Louisville Metro Police Department Cold Case Squad at 502-574-7055. When a case has been investigated repeatedly but the surviving evidence can no longer support a prosecution, what does justice look like for the family left behind? Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblack Facebook: Murder in the Black Podcast Email: ⁠murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com⁠ Follow Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Thank you for supporting Murder in the Black. Your paid subscription allows Steph to spend more time researching these cases and telling the complete stories of the people at their center.

    Alberta Jones: The Prosecutor Louisville Never Found Justice For

  5. Oct 22

    If It Happened Now: Carlesha Freeland Gaither | Captured on Camera

    In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph follows the urgent, multi-state search to bring Carlesha home. A witness who called police twice. Detectives who promised her mother they would find her. An ATM transaction, a dealership decal, and a GPS tracker that helped investigators close the distance. At the center of every development was Carlesha: resisting, paying attention, and making decisions to survive nearly three days in captivity. As we prepare for our new series, If It Happened Now, this case raises a question: With more cameras and digital evidence available today, how much still depends on someone recognizing a clue—and acting before it’s too late? Content note: Discussion of kidnapping, violence, and captivity. CHAPTERS00:00 A camera captures the abduction01:24 A promise to Carlesha’s mother03:19 The attack and the witness who stayed05:20 Carlesha fights back07:13 Following the evidence10:27 The search reaches Maryland12:20 Identifying Delvin Barnes13:38 A dealership connection changes the search15:32 Her family waits for answers17:56 A tracker reveals a location18:26 Closing in—and bringing Carlesha home21:20 The people behind every breakthrough23:13 When evidence becomes public spectacle25:12 The guilty plea and sentence27:37 If it happened now30:59 Missing Black women, urgency, and unequal attention31:56 Centering Carlesha’s survival Follow Murder in the Black, leave a rating or review, and share this episode. Join the conversation on Instagram @murderintheblack.

  6. Oct 19 · Subscribers Only

    The Honey Trap Murder: Shaquilis Townsend

    This episode tells the story of 16-year-old Shaquilis Townsend, whose trust in a girl he believed he loved led him into a fatal ambush in South London. Steph unpacks the betrayal, the gang context around SMN, and the murder trial that followed. It also explores the harder questions about youth, manipulation, accountability, and how violence becomes normalized among teenagers. Key topics Shaquilis Townsend’s final hours and how Samantha Joseph allegedly lured him into Beulah Crescent by bus The relationship triangle between Shaquilis, Samantha Joseph, and Danny McLean SMN, the South London street gang linked to the attack, and the role of orange clothing and orange bandanas The CCTV, phone records, and witness evidence used to show the ambush was coordinated What happened during the attack, including the beating, stabbing, and Shaquilis calling for his mother as he was dying Nicole Dyer’s grief and the devastating last conversation she had with her son The 2009 trial at the Old Bailey and the murder convictions of seven defendants Samantha Joseph’s defense that she expected a beating, not a killing The legal significance of joint enterprise and later changes to the law in England and Wales The broader social questions around teenage violence, loyalty, jealousy, and betrayal Timestamps 00:00 - A 16-year-old love story turns into an ambush 01:39 - Introducing Murder in the Black and the case at the center 02:16 - Shaquilis Townsend and his infatuation with Samantha Joseph 03:14 - The hidden connection to Danny McLean and SMN 04:40 - A teenager’s betrayal becomes a murder setup 05:39 - CCTV shows the pair traveling through London 06:35 - Phone evidence suggests the group was being assembled 07:05 - Beulah Crescent and the trap closing in 08:04 - The chase, the beating, and the stabbing 08:58 - Shaquilis calls for his mother while dying 10:11 - Nicole Dyer’s final phone call with her son 11:29 - Doctors’ efforts fail and Shaquilis dies in hospital 12:13 - Samantha’s actions before, during, and after the attack 13:41 - Arrests, gang links, and the seven defendants charged 14:52 - Orange as a gang marker and Samantha’s orange t-shirt in court 16:25 - The murder trial begins at the Old Bailey 17:23 - Why prosecutors called Samantha the access point 18:23 - The jury’s verdicts and Danny McLean’s defense 19:22 - All seven defendants are convicted 21:24 - Life sentences and the judge’s remarks on abandonment 23:03 - How joint enterprise law later changed 24:02 - Andre Johnson Haynes’ appeal and why it failed 25:00 - Samantha’s release and later deportation 26:15 - Why the real case needs no embellishment 28:42 - Accountability, age, and the influence Danny held over Samantha 30:03 - The harder questions about youth violence and prevention 31:54 - Why Shaquilis’s last ordinary conversation is so devastating 32:53 - Remembering Shaquilis as somebody’s child, not a headline Notable quotes “He was 16. And when he realized his life might be ending, he wanted his mama.”

    The Honey Trap Murder: Shaquilis Townsend

  7. Oct 15

    Murder in the Black: Unsolved Mysteries, Part 3 — Messages From the Dead: The Unsolved Deaths of Ricky McCormick and Henry McCabe

    For the finale of Murder in the Black: Unsolved Mysteries, Steph examines two cases in which recovering a person’s body did not answer the most important question: What happened to them? Ricky McCormick was found dead near a Missouri field in June 1999. Inside his pockets were two pages covered in handwritten letters, numbers and symbols. More than a decade later, the FBI publicly released the pages after its own cryptanalysts were unable to decipher them. But members of Ricky’s family questioned whether he could have written the notes at all. Were the pages connected to Ricky’s death, a private form of shorthand—or simply an unexplained distraction from the investigation? Sixteen years later, Henry McCabe disappeared after spending an evening with friends in Minnesota. During his final known hours, Henry’s wife received a disturbing voicemail filled with unusual sounds and fragmented speech. His body was eventually recovered from Rush Lake, but the discovery did not explain how he got there or what happened after he was dropped off that night. The coded pages and unsettling recording have become the most recognizable details in these cases. But neither provides a complete story. In this episode, Steph separates what is documented from what has been repeated online and returns to the question still facing both families: How did Ricky McCormick and Henry McCabe get from their final known locations to the places where they were found? Timestamps 00:01 — Ricky McCormick’s mysterious handwritten pages01:01 — Introducing the Unsolved Mysteries finale02:29 — Why Ricky’s cause of death remained undetermined03:27 — Reconstructing Ricky’s final movements05:48 — Ricky’s family questions whether he wrote the pages06:16 — Addressing Ricky’s criminal history07:11 — The Florida trip and concerns that Ricky was afraid08:38 — Hospital visits, Ricky’s final call and his last reported sighting09:37 — Aunt Gloria remembers the last time she saw Ricky11:52 — Decomposition and the limitations of the autopsy13:16 — The FBI’s description of the mysterious pages15:32 — Repeated characters, possible patterns and the absence of a translation17:40 — The FBI asks the public for help19:58 — Ricky’s relatives challenge the coded-writing narrative22:08 — Investigative leads that never produced conclusive evidence23:55 — How the notes became the center of Ricky’s story26:41 — Introducing Henry McCabe27:40 — Henry’s life, family and career29:06 — The night out and the disputed gas-station drop-off31:33 — The disturbing voicemail33:36 — Search efforts and changes to the public timeline35:31 — Henry’s body is recovered from Rush Lake36:30 — Probable drowning without a complete explanation38:50 — Questions about the drop-off, Henry’s keys and his wallet41:43 — Remembering Henry beyond the recording43:10 — Parallels to other unexplained deaths45:03 — Closing the Unsolved Mysteries series If you have information If you have information concerning Ricky McCormick’s death, contact Crime Stoppers at 866-371-8477. When discussing Ricky’s handwritten pages, focus on genuine handwriting samples or recognizable habits rather than unsupported online theories. A proposed translation is not evidence unless it can be independently verified. Do you believe Ricky’s notes were connected to his death? What do you hear when you listen to Henry’s final recording? And which case from this three-part series stayed with you the most? Follow Murder in the Black: Instagram: @murderintheblackFacebook: Murder in the Black PodcastEmail: murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.comFollow Steph on Instagram: @stepher_ Join the conversation

  8. Oct 12 · Subscribers Only

    Murder & Music : Freaky Tah, The Wrong Man

    On March 28, 1999, Raymond “Freaky Tah” Rogers of the Lost Boyz was shot and killed outside a hotel near JFK Airport in Queens. Investigators said he was targeted because the gunman mistakenly believed he was related to another man. Three days later, 21-year-old Roderick Paget was killed because of another mistaken assumption. In this episode of Murder and Music, Steph examines the chain of robbery, retaliation, rumor, and mistaken identity that took multiple lives. We also remember Freaky Tah as more than a murder victim: a father, performer, community figure, and essential part of the Lost Boyz sound. Content warning: This episode discusses gun violence and homicide. Please keep all conversations respectful. Do not contact anyone connected to the case or post private information or accusations. Follow Murder in the Black on Instagram at @murderintheblack and Facebook at Murder in the Black Podcast. Email: murderintheblackpodcast36@gmail.com Follow Steph: @stepher_

    Murder & Music : Freaky Tah, The Wrong Man
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About

Founded by sisters Steph and M.D., Murder in the Black explores overlooked true crime stories within the Black community. Steph currently hosts weekly episodes, while M.D., co-founder and original co-host, contributes as a guest co-host and legal analyst. The podcast stands apart through its coverage of both Black victims and Black perpetrators, creating space for honest conversations about justice, accountability, and the people at the center of each case.

Information

  • Creator
    Steph
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    350
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Steph
  • Show Website
    Murder In The Black
  • Provider
    Stephenie Broden-Weaver

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