The Headline Case: True Crime Behind the News

Lucas West

The true stories behind today's crime headlines. Every episode takes one case in the news right now, a murder, a disappearance, a con or a scandal, and tells it from beginning to end: the people, the investigation, the evidence, and where the case stands in court today. New episodes every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Produced with AI voices from research briefs built on court records and news reporting. Anyone charged but not convicted is presumed innocent.

  1. 16h ago

    Tori Dunn: The Surrey Home Invasion, the DNA and the Bail Question

    Tori Dunn, 30, ran her own landscaping business and loved her dog Cedar and her cats Cheech and Chong. On Father's Day 2024, she and her boyfriend came home from his birthday dinner to their home in Port Kells, Surrey, British Columbia. She fell asleep on the couch. Minutes later, a stranger was in the living room. She died in hospital that night. Police arrested Adam Mann, from Ontario, less than a kilometre away. Within days, reporters found that Mann was on probation, had a long criminal record, and had been released weeks earlier although Crown prosecutors had asked that he be kept in custody. Her family launched a petition, and B.C.'s premier said it "never should have happened." At his October 2026 trial in New Westminster, the jury heard about the bloodstained knife, the hoodie and Tori's phone, and DNA results from the RCMP lab. Mann testified "It wasn't me": he said he had only picked up a knife by the road. On October 21, 2026, after just under two hours, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. He faces an automatic life sentence; the judge will decide how long before he can apply for parole. We also explain Canada's "reverse onus" bail reform, what a DNA likelihood ratio does and doesn't mean, and the difference between first- and second-degree murder. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Where the case stands 01:58 Who Tori Dunn was 03:00 The night, in Trafford's words 04:19 Police and the vigil 05:32 The arrest and the charge 05:55 Adam Mann's record 07:04 Probation, new charges and release 08:21 The petition and the premier 09:02 Nerd moment: reverse onus bail 10:51 The trial 11:25 The knife, the hoodie and the phone 11:56 The DNA evidence 12:59 Nerd moment: what a likelihood ratio means 14:05 Adam Mann testifies 16:07 Cross-examination 17:11 Closing arguments 17:49 Nerd moment: first vs second degree 18:35 The verdict 19:30 Nerd moment: life and parole 20:53 Where it stands now 21:25 Remembering Tori Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/12113826/adam-mann-guilty-second-degree-murder-death-tori-dunn-surrey-home/ Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/12109502/ontario-man-denies-killing-tori-dunn-surrey-bc-home-invasion/ Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/12112509/closing-arguments-wrapped-trial-adam-mann-accused-killing-tori-dunn/ Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/12088659/tori-dunn-adam-mann-murder-trial-day-1/ Peace Arch News: https://surreynowleader.com/2026/10/22/adam-mann-found-guilty-of-2nd-degree-murder-of-surreys-tori-dunn/ Surrey Now-Leader: https://surreynowleader.com/2026/10/19/man-accused-in-surrey-killing-set-to-testify-in-own-defence/ CTV News: https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/probable-dna-match-links-suspect-to-bloody-knife-in-second-degree-murder-trial/ CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/port-kells-homicide-second-degree-murder-charge-1.7249864 CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tori-dunn-homicide-victim-surrey-port-kells-1.7243951 The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-man-charged-with-slaying-bc-woman-tori-dunn-was-already-facing/ The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-premier-wants-to-better-understand-bail-reform-failing-in-womans/ Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/10583481/vigil-surrey-homicide-victim/ Justice Canada: https://justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/pcscbs-cprslscc/index.html Criminal Code of Canada: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-745.4.html

  2. 2d ago

    Faith Hedgepeth: The UNC Cold Case, the DNA Match and the Verdict

    Faith Hedgepeth was 19, a sophomore and biology student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, and on track to be the first in her family to graduate from college. In the early hours of September 7, 2012, she drove her roommate home from a night out. By late that morning she had been found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment. For nine years the case went unsolved. Investigators analyzed hundreds of DNA samples and released a composite face made from the crime-scene DNA. In September 2021, police arrested Miguel Salguero Olivares, a man who had never been a suspect, after a DNA sample matched. At his October 2026 trial in Durham, the jury heard about his DNA, fingerprints and palm print, a lost piece of evidence, and the defense's claim of an earlier consensual encounter. On October 23, 2026, he was convicted of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and burglary and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Her parents told the court they forgive him. We also explain DNA phenotyping, how investigative genetic genealogy works, what a DNA likelihood ratio does and doesn't mean, and how North Carolina defines first-degree murder. If this story brings up something difficult for you: in the US, call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Where the case stands 01:56 Who Faith was 02:54 The night of September 6 05:08 Nine years without an answer 06:52 Nerd moment: a face made from DNA 07:51 The arrest 08:59 Nerd moment: genetic genealogy 11:18 Waiting for trial 12:46 Nerd moment: first-degree murder 13:51 The trial 14:59 The DNA evidence 16:32 The defense 17:53 The verdict 18:18 Her parents' words 19:22 Where it stands now Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: AP via WECT: https://www.wect.com/2026/10/24/jury-convicts-man-rape-murder-14-years-after-college-students-death/ WUNC: https://www.wunc.org/news/2026-10-22/jury-deliberations-killing-unc-student-faith-hedgepeth-murder AP via WDIV: https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/national/2026/10/07/trial-begins-for-a-man-accused-of-killing-unc-student-faith-hedgepeth-14-years-ago/ NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/in-the-news/family-slain-unc-chapel-hill-student-faith-hedgepeth-cried-tears-n1279405 ABC11: https://abc11.com/post/timeline-what-happened-the-night-faith-hedgepeth-was-killed/11025498/ ABC11: https://abc11.com/amp/post/faith-hedgepeth-miguel-update-salguero-olivares-chapel-hill-police/11025184/ WRAL: https://www.wral.com/amp/21052719/ ABC11: https://abc11.com/post/faith-hedgepeth-murder-case-judge-issues-key-rulings-pretrial-hearings-continue/19629181/ Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/us/trial-college-students-murder-zeroes-rum-bottle-vulgar-note-missing-evidence FOX 7 Austin: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/faith-hedgepeth-murder-unc.amp ABC: https://abc30.com/live-updates/faith-hedgepeth-case-murder-trial-miguel-salguero-olivares-death-unc-student/19954704/entry/19945102/ North Carolina General Statutes: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-17.html US Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/department-justice-announces-interim-policy-emerging-method-generate-leads-unsolved-violent StatsChat (University of Auckland): https://www.statschat.org.nz/2011/06/19/the-misuse-of-dna-statistics/

  3. 3d ago

    Erin Patterson: Mushroom Murders, a Lost Appeal and No Parole

    Erin Patterson served beef Wellington to four relatives at her home in Leongatha, Victoria, on July 29, 2023. The meal contained death cap mushrooms. Her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died within a week. Heather's husband, Pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks in hospital. We follow the evidence at her 2025 trial in Morwell: the foraging trips, the dehydrator found at the tip, the cancer she never had, the plates, and her eight days in the witness box. The jury found her guilty of three murders and one attempted murder. We also cover Ian Wilkinson's words about forgiveness, Justice Christopher Beale's sentence of life with a 33-year non-parole period, and the two appeals heard in August 2026: hers against the convictions, including the jury's hotel, and the prosecution's against the sentence. On October 30, 2026, Victoria's Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal, finding she had a fair trial, and upheld the prosecution's: it set aside the 33-year non-parole period, so she will now serve life without parole. Patterson has always maintained the poisoning was an accident. If you think someone has eaten a wild mushroom, don't wait for symptoms: in Australia call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26; in the US call Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Where the case stands 02:11 Don, Gail, Heather and Ian 03:23 Erin and Simon 04:03 Foraging, a dehydrator and a cancer lie 05:27 The lunch 06:39 The illness and the deaths 07:23 Nerd moment: what a death cap does 08:35 The police and the dehydrator 09:15 The charges 10:01 The trial 11:36 Erin Patterson takes the stand 12:48 The verdict 13:24 The families speak 14:35 The sentence 16:22 The appeals 17:00 Nerd moment: what an appeal court can do 17:46 The jury's hotel and the other grounds 19:46 The ruling: appeal dismissed, no parole 20:46 Where it stands now 21:25 Remembering Don, Gail and Heather Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: Supreme Court of Victoria: https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/news/erin-patterson-appeals-livestreamed ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-30/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-leongatha-victoria-aus/105230440 Associated Press: https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-denies-mushroom-murders-her-101455441.html Associated Press: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/sole-survivor-of-australian-deadly-mushroom-poisoning-grieves-loss-of-wife-and-friends Latrobe Valley Express: https://latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/news/2025/07/08/mushroom-trial-reaches-end-patterson-found-guilty/ Latrobe Valley Express: https://latrobevalleyexpress.com.au/news/2025/09/09/erin-pattersons-sentencing/ South Gippsland Sentinel-Times: https://www.sgst.com.au/full-house-at-the-supreme-court-for-triple-murderers-appeal/ South Gippsland Sentinel-Times: https://www.sgst.com.au/community-teacher-mother-and-friend-heather-wilkinson-farewelled-at-korumburra 1News: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/08/mushroom-killer-erin-patterson-to-serve-at-least-33-years-behind-bars/ 1News: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/06/04/patterson-says-foraged-mushrooms-may-have-been-in-fatal-lunch InDaily (AAP): https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/08/19/mushroom-murderer-appeal ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-30/erin-patterson-appeal-decision-live-updates/107322086 SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/erin-patterson-appeal-judgement-decision/ohwsyazkl Victorian Department of Health: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/health-advisories/poisonous-mushrooms-growing-victoria

  4. 6d ago

    Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley: The God's Misfits Murders

    Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, two mothers from Hugoton, Kansas, disappeared on March 30, 2024, while driving into the Oklahoma Panhandle to pick up Butler's children for a court-ordered, supervised visit. Kelley, a pastor's wife, had come along as the supervisor. Their car was found abandoned near Highway 95 with blood on the road. Two weeks later, their bodies were found in a freezer buried in a cow pasture. We follow the custody fight with the children's grandmother, Tifany Adams; the arrest affidavit describing stun guns, prepaid phones and a group called "God's Misfits"; the testimony of co-defendants Paul Grice and Cora Twombly, who made deals with prosecutors; Adams's no-contest plea and her February 2026 sentence of life without parole; and the highway now named for the two women. Tad Cullum and Cole Twombly have pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against both. Cullum's trial, set for October 2026, was postponed to February 2027, and Cole Twombly's trial is set for September 2027. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:34 Where the case stands 02:28 Veronica and Jilian 03:48 The custody fight 05:57 Threats, stun guns and burner phones 07:36 March 30, 2024 08:56 The teenager who talked 10:17 The phones and the pasture 10:43 The arrests 12:43 Paul Grice takes the stand 13:40 The lawsuit 14:13 Cora Twombly testifies 15:25 Adams pleads no contest 15:54 Nerd moment: no contest 16:41 The death penalty and the highway 17:45 Adams is sentenced 18:25 The state's case for death 19:13 Nerd moment: how a death sentence works 20:08 Cullum's trial postponed 21:31 The latest motions 22:15 Where it stands now 23:05 Remembering Veronica and Jilian Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: KFDA NewsChannel 10: https://www.newschannel10.com/2026/10/07/state-responds-motions-tad-cullum-murder-case-trial-reset-2027/ KFDA NewsChannel 10: https://www.newschannel10.com/2026/09/15/trial-tad-cullum-pushed-2027-after-texas-county-hearing/ KFDA NewsChannel 10: https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/07/10/gods-misfits-2-defendants-share-testimony-preliminary-murder-trial KFDA NewsChannel 10: https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/10/15/defendant-pleads-no-contest-murders-2-kansas-mothers/ KFDA NewsChannel 10: https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/10/24/oklahoma-prosecutor-seeks-death-penalty-two-defendants-butler-kelley-murders/ KOKH Fox 25: https://okcfox.com/news/local/gods-misfits-custody-issue-murder-plot-uncovered-in-missing-kansas-women-affidavit-cora-twombly-tifany-adams-wrangler-rickman-guymon-cole-tad-cullum-veronica-butler-jilian-kelley-texas-county-hugoton-kansas NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-kansas-womens-bodies-found-ice-chest-buried-cow-pasture-accord-rcna153621 NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mother-woman-found-dead-freezer-buried-oklahoma-cow-pasture-files-laws-rcna194853 NewsNation: https://digital-release.newsnationnow.com/?p=3171937 KWCH: https://www.kwch.com/2026/02/02/oklahoma-grandmother-sentenced-role-murders-2-kansas-women/ The Oklahoman: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/grandmother-sentenced-orchestrating-oklahoma-panhandle-112020266.html KSN: https://digital-release.ksn.com/?p=2833583 The Christian Post: https://www.christianpost.com/news/families-react-to-murders-of-jilian-kelley-veronica-butler.html Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, OUJI-CR 4-80: https://okcca.net/ouji-cr/4-80/

  5. Oct 29

    Molly Ticehurst: The Bail Decision, Molly's Law and Her Killer's Appeal

    Molly Ticehurst, 28, a childcare educator and mum from Forbes, New South Wales, told police in April 2024 that she feared her ex-partner would break through her window. Daniel Billings was charged and an AVO was made. Police opposed bail, but a court registrar released him. Fifteen days later, on April 21, 2024, he broke through her bedroom window and killed her. We follow what came next: her family's call for "Molly's Law", the NSW bail reforms her death prompted, Billings's guilty plea to murder, the sentencing hearing in Orange, and the September 2026 sentence of 28 years with a 20-year non-parole period, widely criticised as too lenient. Prosecutors chose not to appeal. On October 9, 2026, Billings filed notice that he intends to appeal his sentence. Sexual assault and stalking charges against him were withdrawn after his plea and were never tested in court. If you are experiencing domestic or family violence: in Australia, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In the US, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). In an emergency, call 000 or 911. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:26 Where the case stands 02:14 Who Molly Ticehurst was 02:53 The threats and the police report 03:47 Bail from a registrar 04:26 April 21, 2024 05:28 She did everything she could 06:13 Molly's Law 06:50 Nerd moment: what changed 08:41 The guilty plea 09:32 The sentencing hearing 10:47 The sentence 12:24 The backlash 12:51 The appeal notice 13:50 The report the family is waiting for 14:21 Where it stands now 14:52 Remembering Molly 15:20 Where to get help Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-12/molly-ticehurst-killer-daniel-billings-murder-sentence-appeal/107257888 ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-11/daniel-billings-sentenced-for-murder-of-molly-ticehurst/107137504 AAP via The Canberra Times: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9342770/innocent-molly-ticehurst-killers-twisted-rage/ The New Daily: https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2025/11/14/plea-entered-over-molly-ticehurst-murder The Nightly: https://thenightly.com.au/australia/molly-ticehurst-murder-daniel-billings-appeals-28-year-jail-sentence-as-nsw-family-blindsided-by-shock-move-c-23009769 The Nightly: https://thenightly.com.au/australia/nsw-premier-chris-minns-calls-for-more-jail-time-for-molly-ticehursts-dv-murderer-daniel-billings-c-22879044 AAP: https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/high-risk-dv-offenders-will-find-it-harder-to-get-bail AAP via Mudgee Guardian: https://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/story/9367228/daniel-billings-seeks-appeal-over-molly-ticehurst-murder-sentence/ Women's Agenda: https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/mollys-law-family-and-friends-of-molly-ticehurst-call-for-bail-law-reform-in-nsw/ Women's Agenda: https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/long-overdue-nsw-government-proposes-new-bail-laws-for-domestic-violence-offenders/

  6. Oct 27

    Briana Hayes: The Masked-Man Defence That Didn't Work

    Briana Hayes, 28, a mother of three from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, was shot in the early hours of April 24, 2024, at a house on White Bear First Nation. Her body was found the next day, hidden in an outhouse on an abandoned farm. On October 6, 2026, after a six-week trial in Estevan, a jury found Taylor Japp guilty of second-degree murder. Japp admitted he moved and hid Briana's body, but testified that a masked man shot her. We go through the Crown's case: the account of Tyler Shaw, who was charged as an accessory but died before trial and was never convicted; the gun that surfaced after a car crash; the casing in Japp's Range Rover; and the lies Japp admitted telling police. We also cover a deliberation in which the jury twice said it was deadlocked, and explain what second-degree murder means in Canada and how parole eligibility is set. Japp's sentencing date has not yet been announced. If you are struggling, help is available. In Canada or the US, call or text 988. In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Where the case stands 02:06 Who Briana Hayes was 02:58 Trouble with Taylor Japp 03:40 April 23, 2024 04:19 House 108 05:00 The outhouse 05:43 The investigation begins 06:48 The charges 07:03 Nerd moment: accessory after the fact 07:14 The gun and the uncle 08:15 The lies to police 08:52 Tyler Shaw 10:12 The trial 11:03 The defence case 11:54 Japp's story: the masked men 12:46 Cross-examination 13:37 The Crown's closing 14:57 A tense deliberation 15:18 The verdict 16:01 Explainer: second-degree murder and parole 17:26 Where it stands now 17:50 Remembering Briana 18:26 Where to get help Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/taylor-japp-guilty-verdict-9.7373204 CBC News via Yahoo News Canada: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/jury-selection-begins-month-long-110000711.html CTV News Regina: https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/taylor-japp-found-guilty-in-murder-of-briana-hayes/ CJME: https://www.cjme.com/2026/10/07/taylor-japp-found-guilty-of-second-degree-murder-in-briana-hayes-death/ 620 CKRM: https://www.620ckrm.com/2026/10/06/taylor-japp-convicted-of-second-degree-murder-in-2024-death-of-briana-hayes/ 620 CKRM: https://www.620ckrm.com/2026/09/30/update-taylor-japp-testifies-at-his-murder-trial-faces-cross-examination/ DiscoverEstevan: https://discoverestevan.com/articles/taylor-japp-gives-testimony-in-estevan-murder-trial DiscoverEstevan: https://discoverestevan.com/articles/taylor-japp-admits-lying-to-police-during-cross-examination-in-murder-trial DiscoverEstevan: https://discoverestevan.com/articles/japp-questioned-over-post-shooting-communications-in-murder-trial DiscoverEstevan: https://discoverestevan.com/articles/taylor-japp-murder-trial-defence-begins-case-challenges-tyler-shaws-evidence DiscoverWeyburn: https://discoverweyburn.com/articles/crown-delivers-closing-arguments-in-taylor-japp-murder-trial The World-Spectator (RCMP release): https://www.world-spectator.com/news_story.php?id=5242 Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/10451206/homicide-oxbow-sask-rcmp/ Criminal Code of Canada s 231: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-231.html Criminal Code of Canada s 745: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-745.html

  7. Oct 26

    Toyah Cordingley: The Beach Murder, the Flight to India and the Appeal

    Toyah Cordingley, 24, went to walk her dog Indie at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns, on October 21, 2018. Her father found her the next morning in the sand dunes; Indie was tied to a tree nearby. The day after, Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh booked a one-way flight to India, leaving his wife, three children and parents behind. After a record A$1 million reward, he was arrested in New Delhi in November 2022 and extradited to Queensland. We follow the case through a hung jury in 2025, the retrial in Cairns, the DNA on a stick found in the grave, the car and phone evidence, and the December 2025 verdict: guilty of murder, life in prison with 25 years before parole. Singh has always denied killing Toyah, telling an undercover officer that masked men did it. On October 13, 2026, his appeal was heard in Brisbane. His lawyers argue the trial judge was wrong to dismiss a juror after another juror's note, and that the sentence is too harsh. The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision. We also explain what a life sentence means in Queensland and how an appeal court decides whether a trial went wrong. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Where the case stands 02:27 Who Toyah Cordingley was 03:03 October 21, 2018 04:26 The search at dawn 05:39 The nurse from Innisfail 06:59 A one-way flight to India 08:25 The record reward 08:56 The watch-house recording 09:43 The first trial 11:32 The retrial 13:02 The verdict 13:57 Nerd moment: what life means in Queensland 15:18 The judge's words 16:15 The appeal: juror five 18:07 The Crown's answer 18:36 Explainer: how appeals are decided 19:44 Where it stands now 20:08 Remembering Toyah Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-08/rajwinder-singh-guilty-toyah-cordingley-murder/106102518 ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-08/rajwinder-singh-lodges-appeal-murder-toyah-cordingley-cairns/106199494 ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-13/qld-rajwinder-singh-murder-conviction-appeal/107261696 SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/former-nurse-rajwinder-singh-jailed-for-life-over-murder-of-toyah-cordingley/uxiuprymr AAP: https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/life-sentence-for-former-nurse-after-beach-stab-murder AAP: https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/jury-to-hear-claim-woman-deliberately-killed-at-beach AAP: https://aapnews.aap.com.au/news/record-reward-paid-out-after-murder-charge AAP via The Canberra Times: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9130084/gutless-coward-ex-nurse-sentenced-for-beach-murder/ The New Daily: https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2022/11/30/toyah-cordingley-extradition/ Newsport: https://archive.newsport.com.au/2025/september/chronology-of-a-murder-part-3-the-killing-of-toyah-cordingley Newsport: https://archive.newsport.com.au/2025/march/hung-jury-means-new-trial-to-take-place-in-toyah-cordingley-murder-case Newsport: https://archive.newsport.com.au/2025/december/final-summaries-taking-place-as-eagerly-awaited-toyah-case-decision-looms Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council: https://www.sentencingcouncil.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/518176/Sentencing_Spotlight_on_Murder_2024.pdf Queensland Criminal Code s 668E (AustLII): https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/cc189994/s668e.html

  8. Oct 24

    Linda Maxwell: A 1984 Maine Cold Case and a Guilty Verdict

    Linda Maxwell was 18 when she left a night out with friends in Calais, Maine, on August 23, 1984. Two days later her body was found in the St. Croix River near the Robbinston boat landing. Her death was ruled a drowning, and the case went unsolved for more than 40 years. On October 8, 2026, a jury in Machias found Raymond Brown, the man who was supposed to drive her home that night, guilty of her murder. He has not yet been sentenced, and his lawyers say they plan to appeal. We tell Linda's story through the people who never let it go: her brother Frank, the friend who wrote about her every August for 21 years, and the investigators who reopened the case. We cover the 2024 exhumation, the 2025 arrest, and the trial: the jailhouse witness and the challenge to his credibility, the wet clothes, the game warden's testimony about the river, and the defense's case that there was no physical evidence. Plus short explainers on Maine's Unsolved Homicide Unit, the state's murder law, and why there's no time limit on a murder charge. This episode mentions sexual violence. If you need support, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org. This episode was recorded before sentencing. Chapters: 00:00 A summer night in 1984 00:35 Welcome 01:36 Who was Linda? 02:38 August 23, 1984 04:40 A name from the start 05:24 Years without answers 05:50 Twenty-one Augusts 06:31 Maine's Unsolved Homicide Unit 07:38 The case reopens 08:56 The arrest 09:43 The trial: the prosecution's case 11:19 The witnesses 12:31 The river and the ring 13:51 What the jury had to decide 14:37 The verdict 15:32 Where the case stands Follow The Headline Case on Spotify for new cases every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This episode was produced with AI voices, from a research brief of court records and news reports. Sources are listed below. Sources: Bangor Daily News: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/10/09/down-east/downeast-police-courts/calais-maine-linda-maxwell-cold-case-murder-raymond-brown-guilty-verdict/ Bangor Daily News: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/10/05/down-east/downeast-police-courts/calais-maine-linda-maxwell-homicide-trial-day-one-raymond-brown/ WABI: https://www.wabi.tv/2026/10/08/investigators-detail-renewed-probe-raymond-brown-murder-trial/ WABI: https://www.wabi.tv/2026/10/07/jailhouse-witness-testifies-raymond-brown-described-linda-maxwells-death/ WAGM: https://www.wagmtv.com/2026/10/06/day-two-testimony-held-1984-calais-murder-trial/ NEWS CENTER Maine: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/maine-ag-raymond-brown-guilty-023025647.html WGME: https://wgme.com/news/local/man-found-guilty-in-1984-murder-of-maine-teen-calais-linda-maxwell-raymond-brown-st-croix-river-robbinston Maine State Police: https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/media-center/public-releases/maine-state-police-make-arrest-1984-murder-linda-maxwell The Quoddy Tides: https://www.quoddytides.com/arrest-made-in-1984-killing-of-calais-teenager/ Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/01/metro/bangor-maine-man-arrested-cold-case/ Bangor Daily News: https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-charge-bangor-man-65-035900539.html WGME: https://wgme.com/news/i-team/i-team-looking-for-answers-to-linda-maxwells-death-in-1984-01-14-2016 WVII/WGME: https://www.fox23maine.com/news/local/really-hit-home-maine-reporter-reflects-on-break-in-1984-murder-case-heather-henry-tenan-calais-linda-maxwell-raymond-brown Maine Attorney General: https://www.maine.gov/ag/about-us/divisions/criminal/unsolved-homicide-unit Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A §§ 8, 201, 1603: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/17-A/title17-Asec201.html RAINN: https://rainn.org

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The true stories behind today's crime headlines. Every episode takes one case in the news right now, a murder, a disappearance, a con or a scandal, and tells it from beginning to end: the people, the investigation, the evidence, and where the case stands in court today. New episodes every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Produced with AI voices from research briefs built on court records and news reporting. Anyone charged but not convicted is presumed innocent.

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