Hot Justice Podcast

Ciara Holden and Heather Caward
  • 4.9 (35)
  • True Crime

Two friends, countless crimes, one big question: why do people do what they do? In Hot Justice, best friends and true crime obsessives Heather and Ciara dig into cases both famous and forgotten, blending deep research with unfiltered conversation. Expect late-night-theory energy, occasional gasps, and a lot of “wait, WHAT?” moments. If you love true crime with heart, humor, and humanity — you’re in the right place.

  1. 3d ago

    Minute Files: From American Idol to Life in Prison | The Caleb Flynn Case

    On October 5, 2026, former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Prosecutors said he killed Ashley at their Tipp City, Ohio, home in February and staged the scene to make it look like an intruder was responsible. A Miami County jury convicted him of aggravated murder and other charges. In under three minutes, we break down the case, the verdict, and the sentencing, including the powerful victim impact statements from Ashley's family. Ashley deserved so much more than to become a headline. We're honoring her by telling her story accurately and keeping her at the center of it. New to Hot Justice? We're a true crime and victim advocacy podcast bringing you the cases that matter, with opinions included. Subscribe and follow along for new Minute Files and full episodes. #AshleyFlynn #CalebFlynn #TrueCrime #VictimAdvocacy #HotJusticePodcast

    Minute Files: From American Idol to Life in Prison | The Caleb Flynn Case

  2. Oct 5

    The Darkest Years in Dryden, NY | A Decade of Darkness — Part 1

    For years, Dryden, New York was known as the kind of small town where everyone knew everyone—a close-knit community built around families, schools, sports, and familiar faces. But between 1989 and 1996, a series of devastating tragedies would forever change the town. In Part One of A Decade of Darkness: Dryden, New York, we focus on the cases connected to Dryden High School and the families whose lives were changed forever. Drydenp1 We begin with beloved Dryden teacher and varsity football coach Stephen Starr, whose daughter Amber was being relentlessly stalked by her former boyfriend, J.P. Merchant. After months of escalating threats, Merchant entered the Starr family home on December 30, 1994. Stephen confronted him in an effort to protect his daughter and was killed—an act the Starr family would later describe as the ultimate sacrifice for his family. Drydenp1 Drydenp1 Nearly two years later, tragedy struck Dryden High School again when 16-year-old best friends and varsity cheerleaders Sarah Hajney and Jennifer Bolduc disappeared. Their absence from school and a Friday-night football game immediately alarmed their friends, and investigators soon discovered evidence of a violent struggle inside Sarah’s home. Drydenp1 Drydenp1 The investigation eventually led police to Sarah’s next-door neighbor, John Andrews, and to a remote hunting cabin in Otselic, New York. The discovery there confirmed the community’s worst fears and became one of the darkest chapters in Dryden’s history. Drydenp1 Drydenp1 This episode remembers Stephen Starr, Sarah Hajney, Jennifer Bolduc, and the families and friends whose lives were forever affected by these events. As the episode makes clear, Dryden was not a “cursed” town—it was a community where terrible things happened to good people. Part 2 of A Decade of Darkness: Dryden, New York arrives October 19. ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses stalking, domestic violence, murder, sexual violence, and suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Research for this episode also draws from “The Cheerleaders” by E. Jean Carroll, which includes interviews with several people directly affected by these cases. Drydenp1 ⏰TimeStamps:00:00:00 A Decade of Darkness  00:01:47 Welcome, Updates, and Recommendations  00:05:21 Meet the Starr Family  00:13:16 Amber Starr Meets JP Merchant  00:17:44 The Attack on the Starr Home  00:22:05 Lawsuit and Legal Aftermath  00:23:52 Tiffany Starr Speaks Out  00:29:35 Sarah and Jennifer Disappear  00:33:28 Police Begin Their Investigation  00:38:37 A Crucial Tip Breaks Case  00:41:09 What Happened to the Girls  00:43:22 Remembering Dryden’s Victims  00:47:24 Part Two Preview and Outro 🔥 Like, subscribe, and share the episode if you enjoy Hot Justice. #HotJusticePodcast #DrydenNY #TrueCrime #StephenStarr #SarahHajney #JenniferBolduc #DrydenMurders #NewYorkTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #ColdCase

    The Darkest Years in Dryden, NY | A Decade of Darkness — Part 1

  3. Sep 28

    Minute Files: Daniel Robinson Vanished in the Arizona Desert | His Jeep Was Found Weeks Later

    On June 23, 2021, 24-year-old hydrogeologist Daniel Robinson left a job site in the Arizona desert and seemingly vanished. Nearly a month later, his Jeep Renegade was discovered at the bottom of a remote ravine with his phone, wallet, keys, clothing, and other belongings still inside — but there was no sign of Daniel. This is the case of Daniel Robi… This is the case of Daniel Robi… Daniel is 5'8", with black hair and dark brown eyes, and was born without his right hand and part of his right forearm. If you have any information about his disappearance, contact the Buckeye Police Department at 623-349-6411. This is the case of Daniel Robi… What happened to Daniel Robinson? #DanielRobinson #MissingPerson #TrueCrime #MissingPersons #Arizona #HotJusticePodcast

    Minute Files: Daniel Robinson Vanished in the Arizona Desert | His Jeep Was Found Weeks Later

  4. Sep 21

    The Genius Killer: Edward Rulloff’s Crimes, Escapes & Preserved Brain | Hot Justice Podcast

    Edward Rulloff wanted the world to remember him as a genius. Instead, he became one of Upstate New York’s strangest and most notorious criminals. Known as “The Genius Killer,” Rulloff was a teacher, self-proclaimed scholar, thief, escape artist and murderer whose story stretched from Ithaca and Cayuga Lake to Auburn, Binghamton and Sing Sing. His wife Harriet and infant daughter Priscilla vanished in 1845, beginning a decades-long legal saga filled with murder accusations, overturned convictions, escapes and a case that helped establish what became known as the “Rulloff Rule.”   But Rulloff’s story didn’t end when he was executed in 1871. After his death, scientists examined his unusually large brain, adding another bizarre chapter to the legend. More than 150 years later, Edward Rulloff’s preserved brain can still be seen at Cornell University, just miles from the waters of Cayuga Lake where Harriet and Priscilla may have disappeared forever.   Was Rulloff really the brilliant criminal mastermind he believed himself to be—or simply a violent man who became very good at escaping consequences? Join Heather and Ciara as Hot Justice dives into the disturbing, fascinating story of Edward Rulloff: The Genius Killer. #EdwardRulloff #TheGeniusKiller #TrueCrime #HotJusticePodcast #IthacaNY #CornellUniversity #CayugaLake #NewYorkTrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #SerialKiller

    The Genius Killer: Edward Rulloff’s Crimes, Escapes & Preserved Brain | Hot Justice Podcast

  5. Sep 14

    Minute Files: 12 Years Later: Aliza Sherman’s Attorney Charged With Her Murder

    For more than 12 years, the murder of Aliza Sherman remained unsolved. On March 24, 2013, the 53-year-old nurse and mother of three went to downtown Cleveland for a scheduled meeting with her divorce attorney, Gregory Moore. Instead, surveillance footage captured a hooded figure chasing Aliza down the street before she was stabbed 10 times. She managed to call 911, but later died from her injuries. Then, in 2025, the case took a stunning turn. Moore was arrested and charged with aggravated murder, conspiracy, multiple counts of murder, and kidnapping. Prosecutors allege he had been plotting for months to prevent Aliza’s contentious divorce trial from moving forward—and intended to make her unavailable by causing serious physical harm or death. Now, more than a decade after Aliza’s death, Moore’s murder trial is scheduled to begin September 14, 2026. We’ll be following the trial and providing updates as they happen. Justice for Aliza. ❤️ #AlizaSherman #GregoryMoore #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeNews #ColdCase #JusticeForAliza #Cleveland #HotJusticePodcast #MinuteFiles #CrimeTok

    Minute Files: 12 Years Later: Aliza Sherman’s Attorney Charged With Her Murder

  6. Sep 7

    Objection! This episode contains no murder: Foxy Joins HJP

    This week's episode is NOT like the others! 🚨 We're switching it up and bringing on Heather’s childhood best friend, Sarah, for a totally unhinged, no-true-crime edition of Hot Justice. We're talking Florida Man true or false, the most absurd state laws you didn't know existed, and some "what would you do?" scenarios that got way too real, way too fast. Still justice-adjacent. Still chaotic. Just funnier, and slightly less murder this week. 😂  #HotJusticePodcast #SpecialEpisode #FloridaMan #TrueCrimePodcast #Whatwouldyoudo

    Objection! This episode contains no murder: Foxy Joins HJP

  7. Aug 31

    Minute Files: Pam Hupp: A Wrongful Conviction, $150K & Another Murder

    Betsy Faria was undergoing chemotherapy when she was found brutally stabbed dozens of times inside her Missouri home in 2011. Police quickly focused on her husband, Russ Faria, despite an alibi supported by multiple witnesses. He was convicted of her murder and spent years behind bars before eventually being acquitted. But another person had been there that night: Betsy’s friend, Pamela Hupp — who had recently been made the beneficiary of Betsy’s $150,000 life insurance policy. Then, in 2016, another man was dead. Pam Hupp killed Louis Gumpenberger in what investigators said was a staged home invasion designed to divert suspicion surrounding Betsy’s murder. Hupp is now serving life without parole for Gumpenberger’s death. In 2021, prosecutors finally charged Hupp with Betsy Faria’s murder. She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a bench trial scheduled for January 2028. How did an innocent husband end up in prison while investigators overlooked the person prosecutors now accuse of committing the crime? 🔥 This is the Pam Hupp case — on The Minute Files. Had you heard of this case before? #PamHupp #BetsyFaria #RussFaria #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeTok #MurderCase #WrongfulConviction #TheMinuteFiles #HotJusticePodcast #TrueCrimeShorts

    Minute Files: Pam Hupp: A Wrongful Conviction, $150K & Another Murder

  8. Aug 24

    The Devil in the Dollars: Karl Karlsen’s Deadly Insurance Scheme

    How many “accidents” can happen to one family before they stop looking like accidents? In 1991, Christina Karlsen died in a fire at her family’s California home. Her husband, Karl Karlsen, collected a $200,000 life insurance payout. Years later, tragedy struck again when Karl’s 23-year-old son, Levi Karlsen, was crushed beneath a pickup truck in New York. His death was initially considered an accident as well — and Karl ultimately collected roughly $700,000 from Levi’s life insurance. But investigators would eventually uncover a much darker story. Karl pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Levi’s death, and the investigation reopened questions surrounding Christina’s 1991 death. In 2020, a California jury convicted him of murdering Christina by arson for financial gain. And there was another chilling detail: Karl’s second wife discovered that a $1.2 million life insurance policy had been taken out on her — and she ultimately helped investigators expose the truth. In this episode of Hot Justice, Ciara and Heather break down the deaths of Christina and Levi Karlsen, the insurance policies, the suspicious fires, the investigation that finally unraveled Karl Karlsen’s story, and the question hanging over it all: Was tragedy following Karl Karlsen… or was Karl Karlsen creating it? 🔥 The Devil in the Dollars: The Karl Karlsen Case #KarlKarlsen #ChristinaKarlsen #LeviKarlsen #TheDevilInTheDollars #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #HotJustice #HotJusticePodcast #MurderCase #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeStory #MurderForMoney #LifeInsuranceMurder #Dateline #TrueCrimeYouTube

    The Devil in the Dollars: Karl Karlsen’s Deadly Insurance Scheme
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

Two friends, countless crimes, one big question: why do people do what they do? In Hot Justice, best friends and true crime obsessives Heather and Ciara dig into cases both famous and forgotten, blending deep research with unfiltered conversation. Expect late-night-theory energy, occasional gasps, and a lot of “wait, WHAT?” moments. If you love true crime with heart, humor, and humanity — you’re in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Ciara Holden and Heather Caward
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ciara Holden and Heather Caward
  • Show Website
    Hot Justice Podcast

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