Shattered Lives | Next of Kin and the Heartbreaking Task of Death Notifications

On a hot August day in the Nevada desert, two hikers find the body of a young woman about 20 miles east of Las Vegas near the Gypsum Wash in Clark County. The next day, August 28,  the Clark County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 27-year-old  Melonie White. Her death is listed as homicide due to strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head and police say she was also dragged behind a car before her body was left in the desert. Melonie and her infant son moved to Las Vegas with her boyfriend four months earlier from Phoenix, Arizona. But the boyfriend doesn't get a job and leaves Melonie alone with her baby in Las Vegas. Police investigate the case but fail to develope a viable suspect and the case turns cold. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how the case that went unsolved for 30 years has finally been solved with DNA, gentic genealogy, and Othram.         Transcript Highlights 00:00.00 Introduction - First trip to Las Vegas 02:21.07 Death of Melonie White, 30 year mystery 05:06.81 Melonie White beaten, strangled, dragged by car into desert 10:12.12 Brothers report Melonie missing 16:26.41 Police say Melonie was tied to back of car and dragged 21:11.46 Las Vegas is an Oasis surrounded by nothingness 26:05.98 Joe describes other evidence needed  31:22.50 No Lack of trauma 35:19.83. Very personal attack 40:16.59 Describing solving cold case  41:34.76 Genetic Genealogy solves murder 44:27.92 Conclusion: Case solved after 30 yearsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Marras 202444min

Sara Bermudez, 38, and her three children, Madison, 8, James, 6, and Michael, 2, are viciously attacked in the middle of the night while they sleep. The murderer Sexually assaults Sara and her 8-year-old daughter, with a knife and stabs the family to death before setting them on fire. Sara's father finds the carnage and calls for Help. Investigators catch a break in that the killer tried to use diesel to fuel the fire but it burned itself out before totally destroying all the evidence. Joseph Scott Morgan is going to take you inside the master bedroom and explain how investigators find a suspect from a portion of body fluid left behind at the scene. And the suspect isn't just close to the family, he is family.    Transcript Highlights00:00.96 Introduction - chewing and identity04:20.45 Somebody breaks into a home in the middle of the night Slaughters the mom, daughter, two boys09:20.18 Family murdered and set on fire14:12.60 Disturbing element to the case 18:12.07 Setting up a line to prevent contamination22:57.18 Evidence of sexual assault28:07.64 Knife used in sexual attack32:56.90 Blood stains found on walls, carpet, lamp, other items37:12.63 Finding blood in the fire42:00.92 Mother defended her children44:58.66 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Marras 202445min

How does a 130 pound, 58-year-old woman, put her 6'3", 300 pound husband on a burn pile? When law enforcement was called to a farm outside of Atlanta, they were told a body was found burned up in a burn pile. Taking a quick look around, the body is burned beyond recognition, but it is probably 58-year-old Gary Farris. He and his wife Melody live on the 10-acre farm.  Gary Farris is a big man, 6 foot 3 inches tall, 300 pounds, it looks like he might have had a heart attack and fallen into the burn pile, dead. His body is burned to the bone and he is identified by dental records. But before this death can be written up as a natural death, a bullet is found lodged in one of his ribs! Joseph Scott Morgan will unpack what it's like to investigate a death that starts in a burn pile and Dave Mack will share how investigators put together a case that ends up with Gary Farris wife, Melody, convicted for his murder.     Transcript Highlights00:00.47 Introduction - moving heavy weight 04:31.17 How to move 300 pounds of dead weight 09:45.12 What happens to a body when it is burned 14:06.78 Melody Farris burns body of husband 19:01.72 Can't get a height on a body that's been burned 25:52.49 Collecting body from burned area 30:37.21 How big is a bullet? 34:34.87 What was used to start fire? 39:29.36 Smell of Citronella at burn pit 42:02.85  Conclusion     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Marras 202443min

Shayna Hubers calls 911 from Ryan Poston's condo in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and tells dispatch "I killed my boyfriend in self-defense". Hubers tells police Ryan Poston had been beating her all day long, tossing her around like a rag doll, and when he pulled out his gun, she grabbed it and shot him in the face. Police read Shayna Hubers her "Miranda" rights, and Hubers asks for a lawyer.  Even though Shayna Hubers has just been told she "has the right to remain silent" she lacks the ability, and tells investigators that she shot him twice in the face, then, as he was twitching, she said she thought he was going to die anyway or his face would be really deformed so she shot him 4 more times to make sure he was dead. Shayna Hubers tells police "I gave him the nose job he always wanted."  Joseph Scott Morgan explains how the crime scene and Ryan Poston's clothes tell a different story than the one Shayna Hubers is telling and Dave Mack digs into the background of an 18-month relationship that ended in the murder of a man who seemed to be everyone's favorite person.     Transcribe Highlights 00:03.40 Introduction - Rhinoplasty 04:55.81 Hammers, Chisels, and black eyes 09:27.14 Hubers gave boyfriend the "nose job he always wanted 14:58.88 Shayna Hubers and Jody Arias 20:15.42 What happened when Ryan Poston was murdered 25:04.98 True case of domestic abuse 30:20.01 Difference in bullet size 35:01.84 Stippling present on Ryan Poston 39:38.81 Hubers claims of abuse unfounded 44:21.70 Blood on shirt and pants indicates Poston seated 48:14.50 Conclusion  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Marras 202448min

James Skinner begins doing some work inside his home outside of Chicago when he finds a human skull stuffed in a wall! Not wanting to be accused of a murder, Skinner calls police and they investigate as far as they can in 1978, and after identifying the skull as human, the case goes cold and police send the skull to the  Batavia Depot Museum for storage. The skull was forgotten until March of 2021 when supervisors at the museum discovered a box with the skull inside. Joseph Scott Morgan will take you through the investigation that identified the skull and Dave Mack will tell the backstory of the 17-year-old girl, Esther Ann Granger, who died in 1866 and how did her skull end up inside the wall of a home outside of Chicago.  A cold case solved with Othram Labs.         00:00:04.46 Introduction 00:04:09.88 A Human skull found inside a wall  00:10:20.41 Explaining what happens to bones that are protected from elements 00:14:14.68 Joe talks anthropology 00:19:09.14 Other than bones, a Bonet was discovered with skull 00:24:31.45 Discussion of Dr. Clyde Snow and his work 00:30:10.59 Age of bones determination 00:34:04.70 Othram Labs identifies a living relative  00:40:36.81 Esther Granger identified, died during childbirth 00:42:36.56 Conclusion - Othram Labs www.dnasolves.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Marras 202443min

Delphi Murder Trial: What REALLY Happened to Libby and AbbyBody Bags Delphi Murders Part 2 Libby German and Abby Williams vanished from a public park area in broad daylight on February 13. Witnesses were all around, but nobody saw what happened to the girls. The girls were on the High Bridge at 2:13 pm taking pictures and posting them online. By 3:15 Libby isn't answering her phone and nobody can find the girls. Police are called early but Libby and Abby are nowhere to be found. The bodies of Libby and Abby are found on February 14. They were murdered. Joseph Scott Morgan has been involved in the case since it began and has met with Family members but waited until some of the forensic information was available so he could break it down and explain what the science tells us about the deaths of Libby German and Abby Williams       Transcript Highlights00:00:00.89 INTRODUCTION: Delphi Murder Trial PART TWO  00:02:00.29 Delphi Case-specifics of the box cutter 00:04:19.95 Blood four feet up from the ground 00:10:15.62 Recording Bridge Guy  00:15:10.56 Law Enforcement knows evil is in the area 00:20:16.14 Other suspects, Keegan Kline 00:25:11.54 Describing the bodies 00:30:10.84 Libby was outgoing, Abby was quiet 00:35:02.39 How could one person control both girls 00:40:20.38 Discussion of the unfired bullet 00:45:00.12 Conclusion Trial is ongoing  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Loka 202445min

Liam Payne became a huge star as a member of One Direction and he hasbeen very public about his struggles with alcohol and depression. He recent death shocked millions of fans around the world. Joseph Scott Morgan takesa close-up look at "Pink Cocaine" and other drugs rumored to be in Liam Payne'sHotel room and what really happened in the moments before Liam Payne plunged to his death from his hotel balcony.             Transcript Highlights00:14.53 Introduction - celebrity deaths 03:02.27 The death of Liam Payne 05:06.76 Living Recovery 10:02.36 Why do musicians have issues 14:08.85 Pink Cocaine - New? 20:15.60 Walter White - Blue Meth 24:58.34 Liam Payne talked about his life with alcohol 29:24.53 Autopsy  34:35.74 Hotel was warned about a guest and balcony 39:13.93 Looking for security cameras 43:28.79 Was his death witnessed? 47:48.18 Conclusion - Dial 988See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Loka 202447min

Libby German and Abby Williams vanished from a public park area in broad daylight on February 13. Witnesses were all around, but nobody saw what happened to the girls. The girls were on the High Bridge at 2:13 pm taking pictures and posting them online. By 3:15 Libby isn't answering her phone and nobody can find the girls. Police are called early but Libby and Abby are nowhere to be found. The bodies of Libby and Abby are found on February 14. They were murdered. Joseph Scott Morgan has been involved in the case since it began and has met with Family members but waited until some of the forensic information was available so he could break it down and explain what the science tells us about the deaths of Libby German and Abby Williams.          00:00:00.89 INTRODUCTION: Delphi Murder Trial 00:02:36.29 Delphi Case - getting to know Libby's grandparents 00:07:19.95 Who knows about a "snow day" "teacher day" 00:12:15.62 By 5pm Libby and Abby are missing 00:17:10.56 Libby and Abby not dressed for running off 00:22:16.14 Elderly gentleman finds the girls, turns his back, waits for police 00:27:21.54 Trial underway: More info available  00:32:10.84 The Reason a large crime scene is created 00:37:02.39 Libby's shirt found tossed in tree 00:40:20.38 Trial is ongoing, this is the first show on DelphiThere will be more shows coming upSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Loka 202441min