True Crime Recaps

Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan

All the crime in half the time!® Because you've got a lot of mysteries to solve. Subscribe so you never miss a recap with Chris Nathan and Amy Townsend. Watch video episodes three times a week @truecrimerecaps on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat.

  1. 2D AGO

    She Was Stabbed 26 Times. Her Killer Vanished for 4 Years

    Toyah Cordingley was just 24 years old when she took her dog for a walk along Wangetti Beach in Far North Queensland. It was a quiet afternoon in October 2018. Within minutes, everything changed. Toyah was stabbed 26 times and her body was partially buried in the sand dunes. Her dog was later found alive, tied to a tree. When she did not return home, her family searched through the night. By morning, her father made the devastating discovery himself. Investigators quickly identified Rajwinder Singh as a suspect after reviewing phone data, traffic cameras, and DNA evidence. But by then, he had already fled Australia. He disappeared into India for more than four years while authorities pursued extradition. A $1 million reward intensified the global manhunt and helped keep pressure on the case. After being extradited back to Australia, Singh faced trial. His first trial ended in a hung jury. In a second trial, a jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison. This case raised difficult questions about international flight, extradition delays, and how long justice can take when a suspect crosses borders.

    12 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads the Fifth and Offers a Deal for Her Freedom

    In February 2026, Ghislaine Maxwell appeared virtually from a federal prison in Texas and repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein or any potential co conspirators. Through her attorney, however, she sent a message that immediately reignited controversy. Grant her clemency, and she will speak fully and honestly. Maxwell is currently serving a twenty year sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein. With Epstein deceased and no additional federal indictments pending, she remains the only person imprisoned in connection to the case. Her proposed clemency deal raises difficult questions about accountability, leverage, and whether new information could ever lead to further charges. At the same time, newly released documents have fueled public debate. Emails, flight records, and references to powerful individuals have resurfaced. Federal prosecutors previously stated that while substantial evidence confirmed abuse of minors, they did not find sufficient provable evidence to bring additional federal conspiracy charges. Now the woman at the center of one of the most controversial cases in modern history is offering information in exchange for freedom. The government must decide whether the potential value of her testimony outweighs the gravity of her conviction. More than two decades after the first report in Palm Beach, the Epstein case continues to raise legal, political, and ethical questions that remain unresolved.

    14 min

  3. 6D AGO

    Masked Intruder Caught on Camera Before Nancy Guthrie Disappeared

    Eighty four year old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Catalina Foothills home in Tucson after returning from dinner with her daughter on January 31. At 1:47 a.m., her doorbell camera suddenly disconnected. Newly released FBI footage shows a masked and armed individual approaching the front door, attempting to block the camera, and then ripping it off. Blood matching Nancy’s DNA was found on the porch. Her pacemaker stopped transmitting shortly after. In the days that followed, multiple ransom notes demanding Bitcoin were sent to media outlets. No proof of life has been provided. Investigators have searched surrounding neighborhoods, interviewed potential witnesses, and recovered a black glove believed to be connected to the case. Nancy Guthrie remains missing. Authorities continue to investigate, and the FBI is urging anyone with information to come forward.

    22 min

  4. FEB 14

    The Kevin Davis Case: A Mother’s Death in Robstown Texas

    In March 2014, an 18 year old approached a stranger’s home in Robstown, Texas, and calmly asked them to call 911. When police arrived, they learned the teenager, Kevin Davis, had taken the life of his own mother. The victim was 50 year old Kimberly Hill, a former Marine and hospice caregiver. Kevin told investigators the act was not impulsive. He said he had thought about harming his mother for years and described planning the incident in advance. At the scene, authorities recovered written notes outlining his thoughts, intentions, and future plans, raising immediate concerns about his mental state. During the trial, jurors heard Kevin’s own statements delivered in an unemotional and detached manner. The defense argued mental illness, but medical experts testified that Kevin was legally sane and understood the difference between right and wrong. Kevin did not dispute their findings and acknowledged responsibility for his actions. After brief deliberations, the jury found Kevin Davis guilty and sentenced him to life in prison. The case remains a chilling example of premeditation, accountability, and how warning signs can go unnoticed. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases examining real investigations and the justice system.

    7 min

  5. FEB 12

    The Au Pair Murders: Inside the Brendan Banfield Case

    On the morning of February 24, 2023, police responded to a home in Fairfax County, Virginia. Inside, they found 37 year old Christine Banfield critically injured. A man named Joseph Ryan was already dead, shot by Christine’s husband, IRS special agent Brendan Banfield. Brendan told investigators he had interrupted a violent attack and acted in self defense. At first, the explanation appeared straightforward. That narrative quickly began to unravel. Investigators discovered that Brendan had been involved in a secret relationship with the family’s live in Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhaes. Prosecutors later alleged the pair had planned Christine’s killing over several months, using an online account created with Christine’s image to lure Joseph Ryan to the home under false pretenses. As the investigation expanded, evidence including phone records, online messages, purchases, and changes made inside the home raised serious doubts about Brendan’s account. Juliana eventually accepted a plea agreement and agreed to testify, directly contradicting the self defense claim. In February 2026, a jury found Brendan Banfield guilty on multiple charges, including aggravated murder and child endangerment. The case, now widely known as the Au Pair Murders, stands as one of the most disturbing family betrayal cases in recent years. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases that examine complex investigations and the justice system.

    13 min

  6. FEB 10

    A Locked Hotel Room and a Death No One Could Explain

    When 55 year old Greg Fleniken failed to show up for work, coworkers requested a welfare check at his Beaumont, Texas hotel. He was found deceased inside his locked room. There were no signs of forced entry, no visible injuries, and no evidence of a struggle. Given Greg’s health history, investigators initially believed he had died of natural causes. That assumption quickly unraveled. An autopsy revealed severe internal injuries that did not match a heart attack or stroke. Detectives were left with a troubling question: how could someone suffer such damage without any outward signs of trauma? The case stalled as investigators explored unlikely possibilities, including a neighboring room, a brief power outage, and hotel staff activity. Nearly a year later, a private investigator noticed subtle damage hidden in the wall between two rooms. What followed exposed a shocking chain of events involving alcohol, a firearm, and a cover up that delayed the truth. This case shows how a death that appears routine can hide a reality far more complex. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases that uncover the unexpected twists behind real investigations.

    12 min

  7. FEB 7

    A Mother Promised to Kill Her Son Before His Birthday and Called 911 When It Failed

    In the early hours of a February morning in Michigan, a 911 dispatcher receives a call that immediately raises concern. A woman tells the operator that “things got out of hand” and that they were “supposed to leave yesterday.” What first sounds like confusion soon reveals a far more serious situation involving 17 year old Austin Pikaart. Investigators later learn that Austin’s mother, Katie Austin Lee, had given her son a combination of medications, believing it would put them both to sleep permanently. When that plan failed and Austin remained alive but unresponsive, events escalated further before authorities arrived at the apartment. Police found Austin deceased and Katie refusing to cooperate. During the investigation, she claimed the incident was part of a mutual agreement, saying her son did not want to turn 18. Prosecutors rejected that explanation. Katie Austin Lee later pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including second degree murder, and was sentenced to 60 to 90 years in prison. Austin is remembered as a thoughtful and intelligent teenager whose life was cut short before he had the chance to reach adulthood. This case raises difficult questions about control, responsibility, and the warning signs that can go unnoticed. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases that examine real investigations and the justice system.

    9 min

  8. FEB 5

    Albert Fish: The Boogeyman Case That Haunted New York

    In 1927, four year old Billy Gaffney disappeared from his New York City apartment building while playing in the hallway. When questioned, the only other child present gave a chilling response, saying “the boogeyman took him.” Billy was never seen again, and at the time, no one understood what those words truly meant. A year later, a man using the name Frank Howard gained the trust of the Budd family after responding to a job advertisement. Presenting himself as a harmless farmer, he convinced them to let their ten year old daughter, Gracie Budd, accompany him to what he claimed was a birthday gathering. She never returned. Years later, a letter sent to Gracie’s mother revealed disturbing details that only the person responsible could have known. The correspondence led authorities to Albert Fish, a man already linked to multiple child disappearances across the country. At trial, Fish confessed to numerous crimes. His insanity defense was rejected, and in 1936 he was executed at Sing Sing Prison. Nearly a century later, the Albert Fish case remains one of the most unsettling chapters in American criminal history. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases that explore the darkest corners of history and the justice system.

    8 min
See All (297)

4.7
out of 5
300 Ratings

About

All the crime in half the time!® Because you've got a lot of mysteries to solve. Subscribe so you never miss a recap with Chris Nathan and Amy Townsend. Watch video episodes three times a week @truecrimerecaps on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Information

  • Creator
    Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    297
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan
  • Show Website
    True Crime Recaps

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