The Body Under the Stairs: The Death of Eric Mercado

Nov. 19, 1978The remains of Theresa Marcoux and Mark Harnish were discovered after an officer from the West Springfield Police Department located a 1967 green Dodge pickup truck owned by Harnish, parked in a roadway rest area on Route 5/Riverdale Street. Their bodies were lying by a nearby guardrail." "The officer saw that the driver's side window of the truck was damaged and noticed blood in and around the vehicle," the police post added, stating the victims — who had last been seen alive at approximately 12:30 a.m. that morning when leaving a friends' party — "appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds."  No Firearm is found at the scene but investigators do find a fingerprint...the suspects' left thumb print is found. The "latent print" is found in what appeared to be blood on the passenger-side vent window.....but no match is found and the case goes cold. Joseph Scott Morgan breaks down fingerprints and how they are of no use if you don't have something to compare it to. Joe will also show how the suspect almost got away with a double homicide.       Transcript Highlights 00:00.00 Introduction 04:04.70 Changing from analog to digital 05:30.85 History of fingerprinting 10:04.68 Truth about fingerprints 15:15.96 A print on the scene  19:26.74 Old Truck with bullet could be old 24:34.49 There was an "ear witness" 29:17.43 Blood and drag marks 35:03.19 Was glass embedded in the bodies 40:01.98 A match 42:45.74 Conclusion - arrestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Marras 202443min

When a body is found in a trashcan by workers of the Canton Parks Department, it doesn't matter that the park is called City Field Park.  For decades City Field Park was known as "Mother Goose Land" so when the workers call 911 to report a dead body in a trashcan, they tell 911 to send help to Mother Goose Land. Joseph Scott Morgan will turn the pages of his own storybook to find out how a simple "wellness check" turns so evil, so fast. How did a 24-year-old woman wind up dead and thrown away like garbage and who is responsible for such a horrible murder.   Transcribe Highlights 00:00.00 Introduction 05:02.22 Joe relives childhood in New Orleans 10:00.21 Mother Goose Land and a body in the trashcan  15:09.92 Making a welfare check, door is open, nobody is home 20:21.00 After getting search warrant, deputies proceed into apartment, signs of bloody fight 25:09.76 Workers find body and call 911 30:10.14 Sean Goe cut holes in Raychel's car tires 34:56.46 Raychel's body wrapped in plastic 40:01.86 Raychel has 10 specific blunt force injuries, one from hammer 45:02.88 Raychel died from blunt force traumaConclusion - Sean Got convicted in her death    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Marras 202446min

Madeline Jane Kingsbury, 26, and Adam Fravel, 29, are no longer a couple but they are still living together while Kingsbury looks for a place to live.  Kingsbury and Fravel take their two children, ages 5 and 2, to daycare on March 31, around 8am and return home at 8:15am. Madeline Kingsbury is never seen leaving the house, but she mysteriously vanishes. Just over two months later, on June 7, 2023, the remains of Madeline Kingsbury are found near property owned by the parents of Adam Fravel. Joseph Scott Morgan takes a look at the case and determines what caused the death of a 26-year-old mother of two whose remains have been left to decompose for over two months.            Transcript Highlights 00:10.14 Introduction  05:00.51 Madeline Kingsbury - vanishes after dropping children off at daycare  10:02.20 Madeline and Adam Fravel are breaking-up but still living together 15:02.91 Investigators build a timeline starting with March 31, 2023 20:02.78 Population density of Winona, farming communities, big search area 25:06.37 Early into investigation police said her disappearance is involuntary 30:30.69 Body found obscured in a culvert 35:20.79 Madeline's body wrapped in fitted sheet matching other sheeting used in her home 40:01.77 Cause of death - homicidal violence 43:03.24 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 Marras 202443min

Jillian Kelley, 39, and Veronica Butler, 27, disappeared in late March while on a trip from Hugoton, Kansas, to pick up Butler’s children. Their abandoned car was found 3-miles from their intended location and there are signs of struggle near and in the vehicle. On April 14, nearly two weeks after they went missing, investigators discovered their bodies sealed inside a freezer and buried under concrete in a remote area of a leased field. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain the details of Jillian Kelley's autopsy, what it is like to find two bodies in one location, buried together, and what new information is known after going over the autopsy report.            Transcript Highlights 00:00:11.31. Introduction - update Kansas Moms  00:01:31.84  Jillian Kelley Autopsy 00:03:18.70 Explanation of custody arrangements 00:06:47.31 Autopsy room 00:11:28.26 Freezer with bodies inside dropped into a hole that is 10 feet deep 00:16:12.44 Looking at the tracks around the area where freezer was buried 00:21:31.67 Opening the freezer in the lab 00:26:29.62 Know idea of what type of evidence will be recovered  00:31:30.98 Veronica Butler Autopsy expected later, Jillian Kelley Autopsy now 00:36:02.75 Veronica Butler body on top of Kelley. Bodies removed 00:41:04.70.Kelley has defensive wounds, grabbed blade of knife with her hand 00:46:03.01 Difficult to determine the order of when injuries occurred 00:51:02.87 Injury with hemorrhage 00:54:54.03 Conclusion: another update when Veronica Butler autopsy releasedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Marras 202454min

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