True Crime Central

True Crime Central

Welcome to True Crime Central: The Home of 100% Real, Unsolved, and Chilling Stories. Hosted by Max.If you’re looking for gripping true crime without the filler, small talk, or fiction, you’ve found it. True Crime Central dives deep into the most disturbing solved and unsolved mysteries, cold cases, unexplained disappearances, and shocking murders from around the world. We don't just read headlines—we tear apart the police reports, analyze the forensic evidence, and ask the questions the official files left unanswered. Every case we cover is 100% real. From crime scenes staged to look like art, to killers who hide in plain sight, to interrogations that unravel impossible lies. Whether it's a 40-year-old cold case finally cracked by DNA, or a modern digital mystery where the clues exist only on a deleted hard drive, we put you right at the center of the investigation. What to Expect on True Crime Central:Immersive Storytelling: No banter, no distractions. Just straight-to-the-point narratives that pull you into the timeline from minute one.Cinematic Details: We focus on the exact details that change everything—the missing zip ties, the silent dogs, the phone that posted after the victim was dead.Daily Uploads: Your daily true crime fix. New episodes drop every single day at 3:33 AM and 9:00 PM.True crime isn't just about who did it. It's about how they were caught, the mistakes made along the way, and the victims who deserve to have their stories told. Don't forget to follow the show and turn on notifications so you never miss a case. Recommended Listening:If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast. Topics Covered: True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.

  1. The Promise He Had No Right to Make - Episode 34

    21 HR AGO

    The Promise He Had No Right to Make - Episode 34

    The Sunglasses Nobody Was Supposed to Put Back: The Lake Waco Murders Three teenagers went to a park on a summer night in Texas. By morning, all three were dead. Their bodies were found scattered across a remote stretch of Spiegelville Park, bound, gagged, and brutally staged. But it was what the killer did to eighteen-year-old Kenneth Franks that stopped investigators cold: after Kenneth was dead, someone took the time to place his sunglasses perfectly back onto his face. That single, chilling detail suggested this wasn't a random attack in the dark. It was a message. And it would launch an obsessive, decades-long investigation that sent four men to death row—and left everyone asking if the right people were actually convicted. History ​ In 1982, the murders of Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery, and Raylene Rice shocked Waco, Texas. The crime scene was compromised almost immediately, with news crews and civilians trampling through the tall grass before police could secure the area. When the case was abruptly suspended just two months later, one off-duty patrol sergeant made a promise to find the killer. What followed was a twisting narrative involving a convenience store owner, a $20,000 life insurance policy, controversial bite mark evidence, and a jailhouse informant who flipped at the perfect time. History ​ In this episode of True Crime Central, we dive into: The bizarre staging of the bodies, including improvised restraints made from the victims' own clothing.The controversial forensic bite mark match that became the linchpin of the prosecution's case.The theory that seventeen-year-old Jill Montgomery was murdered in a case of mistaken identity involving a life insurance payout.Why the lead investigator quit his 17-year police career just to take a job as a jailer to get close to the prime suspect.True Crime Central podcast, Lake Waco murders, 1982 Texas unsolved mysteries, Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery, Raylene Rice, true crime English, Truman Simons investigator, controversial bite mark evidence, wrongful conviction true crime, Texas death row cases, staged crime scenes. History ​ Artlist.io licensed Introduction: Undercover Mission Background music: idokay - Cicada Killer

    39 min
  2. The Second Break-In That Took Nothing - Episode 33

    1 DAY AGO

    The Second Break-In That Took Nothing - Episode 33

    The Texts That Came From Inside the House: The Murder of Lisbeth Almon-Papoka A seven-year-old girl woke up alone and couldn't open her own bedroom door — a door that had never been locked before. Two days later, a message arrived from her mother's phone number asking the family not to worry. The account that sent it was created two minutes after her grandfather said he was going to the police. Someone was watching the clock. In this episode, we explore the exact 36 web searches Jonathan conducted on how to fold down the Lexus backseat on the same day he claims Lisbeth simply left, a single blue fiber found in the trunk that FBI analysis matched to the blanket wrapped around her body, and why cadaver dogs alerted to the precise spot where air freshener had been sprayed just hours before. Was a decade-long relationship ending in freedom — or was it ending in a shallow grave behind a restaurant dumpster? Case Details Victim: Lisbeth Almon-Papoka, 26, undocumented immigrant and mother originally from Guerrero, Mexico. Date: July 1, 2020 (disappearance); body recovered July 15, 2020. Location: East Haven, Connecticut, USA. Case Status: Jonathan Jera Akupina pleaded guilty to murder in February 2024 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with immediate deportation to Ecuador upon release. No appeal is currently pending. Episode Key Points - A Pinger account impersonating Lisbeth was created under the email JonathanJera2020@ and traced to Jonathan's home Wi-Fi, exactly two minutes after her father called Jonathan to say the family was going to the police. - Surveillance footage shows Jonathan spraying air freshener throughout the Lexus trunk on July 1 — the same spot where cadaver dogs later alerted. - Jonathan conducted nearly 36 internet searches on how to fold down the Lexus backseat on the day he claimed Lisbeth had already left in the car on her own. - A single blue fiber recovered from the Lexus trunk was confirmed by the FBI lab to match the fleece blanket in which Lisbeth's body was found wrapped and secured with clear tape. Lisbeth Almon-Papoka, East Haven Connecticut homicide, intimate partner murder 2020, Connecticut femicide, undocumented victim murder, homicide, forensic science, true detective, investigation, murder, criminal minds, morbid, true crime English.

    41 min
  3. The Texts That Came From Inside the House - Episode 32

    2 DAYS AGO

    The Texts That Came From Inside the House - Episode 32

    The Flute That Played After She Vanished: The Disappearance and Murder of Robin Benedict A sledgehammer wrapped in a blood-soaked jacket. A strand of dark hair pressed into the blood on the head. And neighbors reporting flute music drifting from Robin Benedict's apartment for days after she was last seen alive — when no one could say who was inside. The forensic science pointed to one man. The investigation stretched across four states. But Robin's body has never been found. In this episode, we explore a Tufts Medical School professor's phone records placing him at a highway rest stop payphone minutes after a murder, brain tissue recovered from a windbreaker pocket that matched what was found in Robin's abandoned car, and a mended shirt seam that a wife identified — and then handed over to detectives herself. Was this the act of a man who lost control, or a premeditated plan built over months of obsession? The evidence and the confession tell two stories that cannot both be true. Case Details Victim: Robin Benedict, 21, graphic design background, sex worker, President Merit Scholar. Date: March 5–6, 1983. Location: Sharon and Mansfield, Massachusetts; Rhode Island; New York, USA. Case Status: William Douglas pleaded guilty to manslaughter in April 1984 and was released in June 1993 after serving less than nine years. Robin Benedict's body has never been recovered. Episode Key Points - Neighbors reported hearing flute music and high-pitched singing from Robin's apartment for days after March 5th, 1983 — the night she was last seen alive — yet no one could confirm who was inside. - Phone records show William Douglas used a payphone located directly across the highway from the rest stop where the murder bag was found, minutes before making two calls to his own home. - Brain tissue recovered from the pocket of Douglas's windbreaker matched the decomposed matter found inside Robin's abandoned Toyota — a car with all identifying marks scratched off except the VIN. - Robin's mother received a telegram claiming Robin was alive in Las Vegas, but knew immediately it was fake because Robin always signed family messages with her nickname "Bin Bin" — a detail only someone close would know. Robin Benedict, Mansfield Massachusetts homicide, Sharon Massachusetts 1983, William Douglas Tufts professor, unsolved missing body, true detective, homicide, forensic science, criminal minds, murder, investigation, true crime English.

    36 min
  4. The Fifteen Minutes No One Can Explain - Episode 93

    2 DAYS AGO

    The Fifteen Minutes No One Can Explain - Episode 93

    The Video That Was Never Sent: The Sextortion Cases of Asia Anderson and Walker Montgomery A sixteen-year-old boy spent three hours pleading with strangers online while his parents slept twenty feet away — and the video they threatened to release was never sent to a single person. Across nearly a decade, one man running what the FBI called the worst criminal operation in Facebook's history kept approximately 375 victims silent through a single, devastating bluff. How does a threat with no real power destroy so many lives? In this episode, we explore how Buster Hernandez built a sextortion operation targeting girls as young as twelve using copy-paste scripts and fabricated proof, how Facebook took the unprecedented step of building a custom hacking tool to catch him, and why a sixteen-year-old in Mississippi named Walker Montgomery saw no way out of a three-hour nightmare that left no real evidence behind. These two cases share one unbearable truth: the most destructive weapon was never a file, a photo, or a video — it was the fear of one. Case Details Victim: Asia Anderson, 18 at time of first contact, restaurant host, Indianapolis, Indiana; Walker Montgomery, 16, high school student and football player, Starkville, Mississippi. Date: September 2014 – March 2021 (Anderson/Hernandez case); November 30 – December 1, 2022 (Montgomery case). Location: Indianapolis, Indiana and Bakersfield, California, USA; Starkville, Mississippi, USA. Case Status: Buster J. Hernandez pleaded guilty to all 41 charges on February 6, 2020, and was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison in March 2021. The Nigerian criminal group responsible for Walker Montgomery's death has been identified by IP address but no arrests or extraditions have been confirmed. Episode Key Points - Hernandez never possessed the explicit photos he claimed to have when he first contacted Asia Anderson — he bluffed using a sticky note detail extracted from her public Facebook profile. - A Virginia girl reported Hernandez to local police in October 2014, but the responding officer accused her of lying and threatened her with juvenile detention, effectively ending that investigation. - Facebook, calling Hernandez the worst criminal to ever use their platform, paid a private cybersecurity firm to build a custom hacking tool targeting his specific operating system — a tool that had a window of only days before a routine update would have made it useless. - The sextortionists who targeted Walker Montgomery never actually sent his video to any of his contacts; every screenshot they showed him of the video being distributed was fabricated. Walker Montgomery, Asia Anderson, sextortion Mississippi 2022, Buster Hernandez Indianapolis sextortion, online extortion teen suicide, homicide, forensic science, criminal minds, true detective, investigation, murder, unsolved mysteries, true crime English.

    37 min
  5. The Flute That Played After She Vanished - Episode 31

    4 DAYS AGO

    The Flute That Played After She Vanished - Episode 31

    The Town That Buried Eight Women and Asked No Questions: The Unsolved Murders of the Jeff Davis Eight Eight women found in canals, on roadsides, and in tall grass across Jefferson Davis Parish between 2005 and 2009 — and the lead investigator on the case quietly bought the truck one victim was last seen riding in, washed it, and resold it for nearly double the price. This homicide investigation into one of Louisiana's most overlooked serial cases reveals how a small town's drug corridors, a jail warden, and a clearance rate of under seven percent kept eight deaths invisible for two decades. In this episode, we explore a 2009 order for DNA swabs from every investigator on the case — results that were never publicly released — a jail warden who identified a victim's skeletal remains by a tattoo on an intimate part of her body before any official identification was made, and a string of witnesses whose testimony collapsed every time an arrest came close. Were these women killed by one person, or protected by one system? The forensic science and the institutional record point in the same direction, but they still don't have a name attached. Case Details Victim: Eight women — Loretta Chasson, 28; Ernestine Patterson, 30; Kristen Gary Lopez, 21; Whitney Dubois, 26; Laconia Brown, 23; Crystal Shea Benoit Zeno, 24; Brittany Gary, 17; Nicole Guillory, 26. Date: May 2005 – August 2009. Location: Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, USA. Case Status: Officially unsolved. No convictions have been obtained. Newly elected Sheriff Kyle Mears, elected 2024, has publicly committed to reopening the case and retesting available evidence. Episode Key Points - The lead investigator purchased the pickup truck Kristen Gary Lopez was last seen riding in, washed it, and resold it for nearly double the purchase price — then was removed from the murder case and placed in charge of the evidence room. - Jefferson Davis Parish's homicide clearance rate stands at just under seven percent, against a national average above sixty percent. - In 2009, the sheriff ordered DNA swabs from every investigator working the case — and the murders stopped. The results were never publicly released. - Jail warden Terry Guillory told Crystal Zeno's mother he knew the unidentified skeletal remains were her daughter — identifying her by a tattoo on an intimate part of her body — and added, unprompted, that he did not kill her. Jeff Davis Eight, Jefferson Davis Parish Louisiana, Jennings Louisiana murders, serial homicide 2005 2009, unsolved Louisiana cold case, homicide, investigation, true detective, criminal minds, forensic science, murder, morbid, true crime English.

    39 min
  6. The Town That Buried Eight Women and Asked No Questions - Episode 30

    5 DAYS AGO

    The Town That Buried Eight Women and Asked No Questions - Episode 30

    The Town That Buried Eight Women and Asked No Questions: The Unsolved Murders of the Jeff Davis Eight Eight women found in canals, on roadsides, and in tall grass across Jefferson Davis Parish between 2005 and 2009 — and the lead investigator on the case quietly bought the truck one victim was last seen riding in, washed it, and resold it for nearly double the price. This homicide investigation into one of Louisiana's most overlooked serial cases reveals how a small town's drug corridors, a jail warden, and a clearance rate of under seven percent kept eight deaths invisible for two decades. In this episode, we explore a 2009 order for DNA swabs from every investigator on the case — results that were never publicly released — a jail warden who identified a victim's skeletal remains by a tattoo on an intimate part of her body before any official identification was made, and a string of witnesses whose testimony collapsed every time an arrest came close. Were these women killed by one person, or protected by one system? The forensic science and the institutional record point in the same direction, but they still don't have a name attached. Case Details Victim: Eight women — Loretta Chasson, 28; Ernestine Patterson, 30; Kristen Gary Lopez, 21; Whitney Dubois, 26; Laconia Brown, 23; Crystal Shea Benoit Zeno, 24; Brittany Gary, 17; Nicole Guillory, 26. Date: May 2005 – August 2009. Location: Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, USA. Case Status: Officially unsolved. No convictions have been obtained. Newly elected Sheriff Kyle Mears, elected 2024, has publicly committed to reopening the case and retesting available evidence. Episode Key Points - The lead investigator purchased the pickup truck Kristen Gary Lopez was last seen riding in, washed it, and resold it for nearly double the purchase price — then was removed from the murder case and placed in charge of the evidence room. - Jefferson Davis Parish's homicide clearance rate stands at just under seven percent, against a national average above sixty percent. - In 2009, the sheriff ordered DNA swabs from every investigator working the case — and the murders stopped. The results were never publicly released. - Jail warden Terry Guillory told Crystal Zeno's mother he knew the unidentified skeletal remains were her daughter — identifying her by a tattoo on an intimate part of her body — and added, unprompted, that he did not kill her. Jeff Davis Eight, Jefferson Davis Parish Louisiana, Jennings Louisiana murders, serial homicide 2005 2009, unsolved Louisiana cold case, homicide, investigation, true detective, criminal minds, forensic science, murder, morbid, true crime English.

    36 min
  7. The Wrong Man Served 16 Years for Her Attack - Episode 29

    6 DAYS AGO

    The Wrong Man Served 16 Years for Her Attack - Episode 29

    The Wrong Man Served 16 Years for Her Attack: The Murder of Chantal Marie Green and the Attack on Diana D'Aiello A nine-months-pregnant woman was found unconscious in her bed at 2 AM with her brain exposed through a forehead wound — and the only man convicted of the crime was sitting in a prison cell when a serial attacker confessed to the truth seventeen years later. The forensic science had the answer the whole time. The question is why nobody looked. In this episode, we explore the sixteen-year wrongful conviction built on a domestic violence history and a victim's recovered memory, a preserved sexual assault kit that no one tested for over a decade, and the confession of a Marine who provided details only someone present at the scene could know. How does a man get convicted of nearly killing his own wife when a serial killer was operating in the same neighborhood on the same night? The investigation and the homicide record tell two stories that cannot both be true. Case Details Victim: Diana D'Aiello (Diana Green), 20, nine months pregnant; Chantal Marie Green, unborn daughter, died 12 hours post-attack. Date: September 30, 1979. Location: Tustin, California, USA. Case Status: Kevin Green was exonerated on June 20, 1996, after DNA evidence confirmed Gerald Parker as the true attacker. Parker was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder in 1998 and sentenced to death. Parker remains on California's death row. Episode Key Points - Diana's recovered memory identified Kevin as her attacker with absolute certainty — yet DNA from the preserved sexual assault kit confirmed the semen belonged to Gerald Parker, not Kevin. - Gerald Parker confessed knowing the street name, the bedroom layout, and the side-entry door location — details never made public during Kevin's trial. - Kevin Green served sixteen years before exoneration, attending parole hearings where Diana testified against his release every single time. - A regional task force formed specifically to catch the Bedroom Basher was disbanded in under one month — just one week after Parker attacked Diana — and women continued to be murdered. Diana D'Aiello, Tustin California wrongful conviction, Bedroom Basher Orange County, Gerald Parker serial killer, Kevin Green exoneration 1996, homicide, forensic science, true detective, criminal minds, investigation, murder, unsolved mysteries, true crime English.

    36 min
  8. The Mechanic Who Knew Where to Look - Episode 28

    23 MAR

    The Mechanic Who Knew Where to Look - Episode 28

    The Mechanic Who Knew Where to Look: The Murders of Kay Turner and Rachanda Pickle A highway mechanic volunteered to lead police into the Oregon woods and walked them directly to a broken watch stopped at 9:27 a.m. on Christmas Eve. He already knew exactly where to step. This investigation would take fifteen years to crack — and the answer had been standing in front of investigators from day one. In this episode, we explore the impossible alibi that collapsed only after a divorce, a rope found in a suspect's truck carrying a missing girl's hair and blood, and a storage unit emptied the same night police made their first arrest. How does a man with a CB radio handle known to everyone at the local diner as "The Pervert" pass a polygraph, keep his freedom for over a decade, and collect victims along a single stretch of Oregon highway? Case Details Victim: Kay Turner, 35, Eugene office worker; Rachanda Pickle, 13, stepdaughter of the suspect. Date: December 24, 1978 (Kay Turner); July 10, 1990 (Rachanda Pickle). Location: Highway 20 corridor, Camp Sherman and Santiam Junction, Oregon, USA. Case Status: John Aykroyd was convicted of Kay Turner's murder on October 6, 1993, and accepted a no-contest plea for Rachanda Pickle's murder in 2013. He died in prison in 2013. No parole was possible under the plea terms. Multiple additional Highway 20 victims remain officially unsolved. Episode Key Points - The broken watch found with Kay Turner's clothing had its stem knocked out, freezing the time at exactly 9:27 a.m. on December 24 — the window when John Aykroyd was the last confirmed person to see her alive. - John's alibi for Christmas Eve was corroborated for years by Pam Beck, who later admitted she lied because her husband threatened to kill her if she told the truth. - A rope recovered from John's truck contained Rachanda Pickle's hair and blood. John told police the rope had been used to play with kittens. - The same night Roger Beck was arrested for Kay Turner's murder, John Aykroyd completely emptied his rented storage unit. The contents were never recovered. Kay Turner, Rachanda Pickle, Highway 20 Oregon murders, Camp Sherman homicide, Santiam Junction missing person 1990, serial killers, true detective, homicide, investigation, forensic science, murder, criminal minds, unsolved mysteries, true crime English.

    39 min
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About

Welcome to True Crime Central: The Home of 100% Real, Unsolved, and Chilling Stories. Hosted by Max.If you’re looking for gripping true crime without the filler, small talk, or fiction, you’ve found it. True Crime Central dives deep into the most disturbing solved and unsolved mysteries, cold cases, unexplained disappearances, and shocking murders from around the world. We don't just read headlines—we tear apart the police reports, analyze the forensic evidence, and ask the questions the official files left unanswered. Every case we cover is 100% real. From crime scenes staged to look like art, to killers who hide in plain sight, to interrogations that unravel impossible lies. Whether it's a 40-year-old cold case finally cracked by DNA, or a modern digital mystery where the clues exist only on a deleted hard drive, we put you right at the center of the investigation. What to Expect on True Crime Central:Immersive Storytelling: No banter, no distractions. Just straight-to-the-point narratives that pull you into the timeline from minute one.Cinematic Details: We focus on the exact details that change everything—the missing zip ties, the silent dogs, the phone that posted after the victim was dead.Daily Uploads: Your daily true crime fix. New episodes drop every single day at 3:33 AM and 9:00 PM.True crime isn't just about who did it. It's about how they were caught, the mistakes made along the way, and the victims who deserve to have their stories told. Don't forget to follow the show and turn on notifications so you never miss a case. Recommended Listening:If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast. Topics Covered: True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.

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  • Creator
    True Crime Central
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    True Crime Central