Episode 274

In October of 2005, empty nesters Dennis and Norma Woodruff were found shot and stabbed to death in their Texas home. With a lack of physical evidence and leads, police fixated on the couple’s 19-year-old son Brandon as their killer when they found out he was in debt, flunking out of college, and secretly making gay porn. Was Brandon really the murderer, or were there other suspects roaming free? Was this a case of character assassination on young Brandon, or was he truly a cold-blooded killer?Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

2 Mai 20211h 24min

We’re back to bring you the conclusion of the mysterious staged death of Natasha Waalen. In order to get the full story, we encourage you to go back and listen to part 1 before diving into this episode.When we left off, Natasha’s former boyfriend, Ryan Boland had been arrested for her murder. But, police had a hunch that Ryan didn’t act alone and all signs pointed towards his hotheaded, weapon-obsessed brother, Tim Boland. The Boland Brothers had grown up with the world at their fingertips, but they were both on dark downward paths. Had they finally gone too far? Soon all of Anoka County would know the true nature of these entitled, manipulative brothers and what they did to Natasha Waalen.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

18 Apr 20211h 11min

When 29-year-old Natasha Waalen was found dead next to her dirt bike, police assumed it had been a terrible accident. They were wrong. Natasha had been murdered and her death was sloppily covered up to look like a motorcycle crash. Who would want this young mother, acupuncturist, and university graduate dead? Fingers soon pointed towards the father of her child and former boyfriend, Ryan Boland as the police uncovered the violent, questionable past behind Ryan’s good ol’ boy facade. But the town soon questioned if he had acted alone.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

11 Apr 20211h 4min

On Sunday June 28th, 2015, Dr. Teresa Sievers returned home early from a family vacation only to find she was not alone in the house. In the aftermath of a brutal murder, it appeared on the surface to be a robbery—but no valuables were taken, and no clues were left behind except for a bloody, hairy hammer. Uncovering the truth would take months, and involve a conspiracy that crossed multiple states.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

5 Apr 20211h 10min

In December of 2000, 31-year-old real estate appraiser Mike Williams went missing while duck hunting on Lake Seminole in Jackson County, Florida. The initial belief was that Mike had drowned and that alligators had eaten his body. Seventeen years would go by before Florida law enforcement could prove that something even more horrifying and nefarious happened to Mike Williams.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

22 Mar 20211h 31min

Zachary Penna was having a horrible day. He left work early to pick up his car but the auto shop said it wasn’t ready which ruined his evening plans. He had to walk home in the South Florida heat and when he got there he was locked out. It’s enough to piss anyone off but Zachary had a different reaction. He stripped off most of his clothes, trudged through some nearby woods, and murdered Freddy Sanchez and Wayne Dixon, two complete strangers, in their own home.Special thanks to Marc Freeman, court reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

8 Mar 20211h 13min

An unreal crime scene with a dead fortune teller, her dead daughter, and an otherworldly tone has police in Westminster, CA grasping at straws trying to solve the case. They consulted Warlocks, cult experts and were even approached by a dog psychic. They come up with nothing. That is, until they catch a break with a credit transaction… on the opposite coast. In a case that takes you from Little Saigon to rural North Carolina and leads you on a path of greed and destruction this episode will have you questioning your own fortune.“This was a horrible crime and these stories need to be told. I thank you for telling them. We can have reforms but victims cannot be forgotten because evil will still be there and these stories are cautionary tales. Their lives mattered. It mattered to all of us who worked to bring them justice. And Justice, is a lifetime commitment.”-Sonia Balleste, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Santa BarbaraGet instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

22 Feb 20211h 23min

Markeith Loyd was not there for his first two children, but Sade Dixon gave him another chance at being a father. With God’s guidance, Markeith believed that there was no way he could mess it up this time around. That was until his visions from heaven led him onto the U.S. Marshall’s most wanted list, after the death of four innocent people.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

6 Feb 20211h 1min