Yvonne Menke
#278 - December 12, 1985. St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. A quiet morning was shattered by gunfire. Forty-five-year-old mother of four, Yvonne Menke, was found shot to death outside her apartment—one bullet to the neck, two to the back of the head. The killer vanished, leaving behind only footprints in the snow and a trail of unanswered questions. For decades, the case went cold. No arrests. No justice. But in 2021, a renewed investigation unearthed chilling forensic evidence: boot prints matching a rare pair of snow boots, and a note with a suspect's car information found in Yvonne's purse. This is the story of obsession, betrayal, and a murder that remained frozen in time for nearly 40 years until forensic clues finally brought a killer to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 Apr 53min
Gretchen Harrington
#277 - In August 1975, 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington left her parent’s house in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, heading to summer vacation Bible school class. The church was less than a mile up the road, and she had walked it many times in the past, but something about this morning was different. Gretchen never made it. Two months later, her remains were found by a jogger in Ridley Creek State Park. Next to the remains were her neatly folded clothes, and her underwear was found hung in a nearby tree branch. The case went unsolved for decades and remained a haunting mystery in the community for nearly 50 years. Then, in 2023, there was a significant breakthrough leading to an arrest. But the man arrested wasn’t exactly the person you’d expect to commit a crime like this. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. True Crime Awards 2025: To vote for Forensic Tales for the TCA 2025 Listeners' Choice Awards, please visit: https://truecrimeawards.co.uk/truecrimeawards2025/en/page/listenerschoice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 Apr 53min
Sonia Carmen Herok Stone
#276 - In October 1981, a 30-year-old single mother living in Carmel, California, was brutally murdered in her own home. She was found strangled to death, and the case shocked the quiet, upscale community of Carmel. For many years, there were few leads, and the case went cold. But in 2020, thanks to advancements in DNA technology, investigators were able to link DNA from the scene to a promising suspect. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. True Crime Awards 2025: To vote for Forensic Tales for the TCA 2025 Listeners' Choice Awards, please visit: https://truecrimeawards.co.uk/truecrimeawards2025/en/page/listenerschoice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
14 Apr 45min
Zombie Hunter
#275 - Throughout the early 1990s, Phoenix, Arizona, was terrorized by a series of violent crimes, including the murders of two young women. The crimes went unsolved for decades, and the man responsible remained unidentified. By the time the police caught up to him, he had a new persona and was hiding in plain sight. But besides the two victims he would eventually be charged with murdering, are there any more innocent victims out there? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. True Crime Awards 2025: To vote for Forensic Tales for the TCA 2025 Listeners' Choice Awards, please visit: https://truecrimeawards.co.uk/truecrimeawards2025/en/page/listenerschoice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
7 Apr 51min
Teresa Lee Scalf
#274 - In October 1986, a 29-year-old nurse and mother was found dead inside her Polk County, Florida home. The attack was so vicious that it left her nearly decapitated. Despite the tremendous amount of DNA evidence left behind at the crime scene, investigators were unable to identify her killer for over three decades. But just when everyone thought they had hit a roadblock in the investigation, the authorities got the clue they had been waiting for. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 Mar 44min
Gareth Williams
#273 - The death of UK spy Gareth Williams in 2010 has become one of the most high-profile unsolved mysteries in years after his naked body was discovered padlocked inside a duffel bag. Described as a genius mathematician who the intelligence service had recruited, Gareth’s exact cause of death remains unknown, and people can’t agree whether he could have locked himself in there on his own or whether someone else was responsible. There have been a number of theories over the years, including sex games gone wrong and Russian spies. But even today, there are still so many unanswered questions about his death. What happened to Gareth Williams, and how can forensic science help us find those answers? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Mar 1h 4min
Esther Gonzalez
#272 - In February 1979, 17-year-old high school student Esther Gonzalez was attacked while walking from her parent’s house to her sister’s home in Riverside County, California. The following day, her body was found dumped in a snowpack near a highway. Without any solid leads or suspects, the case went cold for more than 45 years until the police were able to use new DNA testing to find her killer. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Mar 42min
David and Robert Bintz
#271 - In the summer of 1987, a young bartender from Green Bay, Wisconsin, goes missing, only to turn up dead hours later. The police interviewed dozens of people, including the customers who were at the bar with the victim the night before. Almost all of them said they noticed a strange man hanging around the bar wearing a flannel shirt despite temperatures above 90 degrees that day. It wasn’t until years later that the police arrested two brothers in connection to the bartender’s murder. But without any forensic evidence linking them to the brutal crime, did the authorities have the right suspects? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales Support the show for as low as $3/month. Credits: Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell Rockefeller Audio production For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Mar 56min