How to get away with Murdaugh | Part 2

Lauren Smith-Fields was a vibrant and ambitious 23 year old woman who loved matcha tea, working out and was studying to be a physical therapist.  In December 2021, she met a man off the dating app, Bumble.  Lauren invited the man to her apartment in Bridgeport, CT, where they had some tequila and watched a movie.  During the evening, Lauren left the apartment for 10-15 minutes to meet someone outside.  When she came back in, they continued watching a movie and Lauren fell asleep on the couch.  Her Bumble date alleges that he carried her to bed and he then fell asleep beside her.  When he woke up at 6.30am, Lauren was not breathing and she had blood coming out of her nose.  He called 911 and was said by police to be “frantic, trembling, and visibly shaken.”  When authorities arrived, Lauren was pronounced dead at the scene.   The investigation into Lauren’s death has been botched from the start.  Lauren’s family have said that: Lauren’s Bumble date was not taken into custody and questioned because he seemed like a ‘nice guy’, according to police. They were not informed by authorities about Lauren’s death.  They had to find out by going to her apartment when they could not get in touch with her.  There they found a note on the door from the landlord, and that is how they learned their daughter had passed away.   Police treatment of the family has been horrible.  Police officers who were initially working the case have been taken off it, and an investigation into their conduct is being carried out by Internal Affairs. No forensic examination of Lauren’s apartment was conducted until the family stepped in.  When Lauren’s family went to clear out her apartment, they found a used condom, an unidentified pill, as well as bloody sheets, that had not been taken into evidence.   An autopsy was conducted and the Medical Examiner has determined that Lauren died from a drug overdose of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol.  Lauren’s family are adamant that she was not a drug user.   Because fentanyl was found in Lauren’s system, Bridgeport PD opened the investigation which will be conducted by the Narcotics and Vice Division with assistance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  Join us for this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast where we discuss the death of Lauren Smith-Fields. You can read our deep dive blog for Lauren here - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2022/01/27/23-year-old-lauren-smith-fields-found-dead-after-bumble-date/ This week, we also discuss the cases of Warriena Wright and Sydney Loofe.  Both these women died after meeting people on dating apps.  Warriena fell 14 floors to her death after she was allegedly locked on a balcony by a man she met on Tinder.  Sydney was brutally murdered by a couple, Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail, after she met Bailey on Tinder.  Sydney was dismembered and her body was hacked into 14 pieces.   If you are using a dating app this Valentine’s Day, please read these tips and be safe - https://www.rainn.org/articles/online-dating-and-dating-app-safety-tips You can listen on Apple here https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714?i=1000550640561 and Spotify here – https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bYo4iT9lJSkImkuy8exAg?si=ro4Ez8OiS5SeOUnU5hYBew This week’s episode is sponsored by FitOn.  FitOn is the #1 premium free fitness app, and it is redefining the workout experience. Text SOCIETY to 64-000 to join FitOn for free!  Clips used in this episode –  https://youtu.be/wJsi5WBjKe4 https://youtu.be/or-j1VrDbVI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyCSJP_D5EM https://youtu.be/Dguls7kTZSM https://youtu.be/S1R6CesvMko https://youtu.be/fPOlARpxick

10 Feb 20221h 12min

We hear almost daily about mothers and fathers killing their children, sometimes their entire family.  You would absolutely be familiar with Scott Peterson, Susan Smith and Chris Watts. What you hear less often is when children plot and scheme and murder their families. The term for this is either familicide if many family members are killed, or parricide if only parents are killed. Today on the the True Crime Society Podcast we discuss three cases of ‘Kids Who Kill’. -In 2015 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Robert and Michael Bever who were 18 and 16 at the time, went on a murderous rampage using knives and hatchets. They managed to murder their parents and three of their siblings before they were stopped by police.  The brothers had planned to go on a cross-country killing spree, hoping to kill over 100 people.  Thankfully, two Bever children survived and a lot of the testimony that was given helped to put Robert and Michael behind bars for good.  - Christopher Porco was in trouble in 2004.  He had forged his father’s signature on financial documents and had obtained fraudulent loans.  His parents were not happy and frequently told him so.  In November that year, Christopher drove from his dorm to the family home, where he attacked his parents with an axe. His father Peter Porco sustained 16 major axe wounds to his face and head including penetration to his brain and part of his jaw ‘ fell’ off following the attack.  Despite all this, Peter managed to get out of bed and go about his daily morning routine before dying.  He spent some time in the bathroom and at the sink, he loaded the dishwasher, packed his lunch for the day and wrote a check.  He finally collapsed and died at the front door.  Joan initially told police that Christopher was the attacker but then recanted. - The Van Breda family lived an affluent, high-flying life in South Africa.  Martin and Teresa were very successful and were raising three children Rudi, Henri and Marli. One night, an intruder allegedly broke into their mansion in a secure, gated community, murdering three members of the family with an axe.  Henri survived with minor injuries and Marli spent months in hospital recovering. Except it turns out, there was no intruder.  Henri had an alleged methamphetamine addiction and his allowance had been cut off by his parents, so he killed them. Please note that this episode contains recordings of 911 calls made by a child victim and one of the murderers. Listener discretion is advised. We have detailed blogs for all three cases, including crime scene photos, at TrueCrimeSocietyBlog.com You can listen on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Jt0K05oS2zHL6TrdBP1sm?si=-Bn926_yQUiGt1IkKoqJfg And Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714 Thank you to our sponsor BetterHelp! Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month of online therapy at https://betterhelp.com/society

3 Feb 20221h 18min

Ethan Crumbley was a troubled teen.  His parents were called to Oxford High School on November 30 to discuss some drawings that Ethan had made. He drew photos of guns and blood with the words ‘the thoughts won’t stop help me.’ His parents left Ethan at school following the meeting. A few hours later, Ethan went into the bathroom and emerged with a gun that his father had purchased in a Black Friday sale.  Ethan murdered four students on November 30, and many more were injured. Since the shooting, Ethan’s parents James and Jennifer have each been charged with involuntary manslaughter.  This has been a somewhat controversial topic - do you believe they should have been charged? In this week’s episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we talk about the Oxford High School shooting and the failing of the Crumbley family.  We discuss -  A timeline of the shooting Ethan’s childhood and the Crumbley family dynamics The attempted escape and consequent arrest of James and Jennifer Crumbley The victims of the Oxford High School shooting You can read our deep dive blog on this case here - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2022/01/22/the-oxford-high-school-shooting-and-the-failing-of-the-crumbley-family/ You can listen on Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/were-red-flags-ignored-before-ethan-crumbley-turned/id1504300714?i=1000549130552 Listen on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5m7wmvX4ORXZcSciQ4EZJ5?si=IaXgw2ZSTmSFgXfevz4niQ Thank you to our sponsor BetterHelp! Get started today and enjoy 10% off your first month of online therapy at https://betterhelp.com/society

27 Jan 20221h 15min

Harmony Montgomery and Oakley Carlson lived on opposite sides of the country. They never met each other and neither had the chance to even live their own lives. Both Harmony and Oakley vanished while in the care of their parents - the very people who were meant to nurture, care and protect them. Harmony was last known to be alive in 2019.  She would be 7 years old if she is alive today.  Harmony’s early years were sad - both her parents had drug abuse issues and Harmony had been in foster homes.  She was eventually returned to the custody of her father Adam, and that decision sealed her fate. It finally came to light in 2021 that Harmony had not been seen for years.  Her biological mother has just now been speaking publicly and insists she has been trying to find Harmony.  Police have been searching the last locations in New Hampshire that Harmony was known to be at and nothing has been found.   Adam has now been arrested on charges related to the abuse and neglect of Harmony. Oakley Carlson also had a rough start to life.  She had been placed with a foster family when she was a baby and she lived with them for years.  The foster family have said publicly that they were devastated when Oakley was returned to the care of her biological parents. Her foster mother Jamie said  “They made a mistake. “A big mistake. I told them in my last letter it was going to be on their shoulders if something happens to her.” A school principal raised the alarm about not seeing Oakley in December 2021.  Police began to investigate and discovered that Oakley had not been seen since February 2021. Oakley’s parents Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers have been investigated and they have since been charged with apparently withholding potentially life saving medication from one of Oakley’s siblings. As of mid January 2022, there is no sign of either Harmony or Oakley. You can read our blog for Harmony here - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2022/01/17/slipped-through-the-cracks-where-is-harmony-montgomery/ And our blog for Oakley is here - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2022/01/17/where-is-5-year-old-oakley-carlson/ You can listen on Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714?i=1000548437170 And Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RWhIfAbFiBVilgL7VF5lg?si=8RzqOPx6Qd2ca0Ohq3vdkw

20 Jan 20221h 22min

TW - Drug and sexual abuse. On November 12, 2021, Christy Giles (24) and her friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola (26) made the fateful decision to spend a night out on the town together in LA.  The pair decided to go to a warehouse party and they carried on from there to an after party in the Hollywood Hills. Neither Christy or Hilda would make it home alive. The women would be dumped unconscious at separate hospitals more than 12 hours after they were last heard from.  Christy died on the scene and Hilda was declared brain dead not long after. Three men have been arrested in connection to the deaths of Christy and Hilda.  One of the men has a reputation that spans more than a decade - there are hundreds of comments about him on varying online pages that say he was allegedly a predator who had a penchant for drugging women.  We don't know yet how Hilda and Christy died - their causes of death are pending with the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.  This is their story to date. Be sure to check out our blog for a deep dive on this case - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2022/01/11/a-hollywood-tragedy-the-deaths-of-christy-giles-and-hilda-marcela-cabrales-arzola/ In this episode (skip to around 41 minutes), we give some updates on the cases of - - Missing child Lina Khil - Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie - An outcome in the murder of True Crime Society member Savannah Paschal You can listen on Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714?i=1000547749070 You can listen on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3seQMg19EcxsXOh7kOCZE4?si=qfYAJrAwTsmr-yT6H9xrPQ

13 Jan 202255min

You can probably make a list of high profile missing child cases that you’ve heard of over the years - Cleo Smith, Elizabeth Smart and even Caylee Anthony. But there are thousands of missing children that slip through the cracks of the system, every single day. In 2020 in the US, over 30,000 juveniles were reported missing.  In the first episode of the True Crime Society podcast for 2022, we discuss the cases of missing children Michael ‘Monkey’ Vaughan and Dulce Alavez. Michael is a 5 year old, boisterous little boy who loved monster trucks and playing in the dirt.  He was playing Nintendo in July 2021, when his dad left the room to attend to Michael’s baby sister.  When his father returned, Michael was gone.  Now, six months later, no trace of Michael has been found and police believe he may have been abducted. In September 2019 in Bridgeton, NJ, Dulce Alavez and her little brother Manuel were treated to an ice cream by their mother, Noema.  They then went to the local playground to use the swings.  Noema helped a relative with some homework and when she looked up, Manuel’s ice cream was on the ground and he was crying.  Dulce was nowhere to be seen.   More than two years later, Dulce remains missing.  Police have released both a sketch of a possible suspect and an age progressed image of Dulce, to no avail. We also discuss the current case of missing child Lina Khil.  Lina went missing from a playground in San Antonio , TX in December 2021 .  Her mother allegedly turned away to get some water and Lina vanished within minutes. You can listen on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BWnz4D8XbufW6y9PD6seY?si=eSXGpQARSxO0mI0H18Btxg And Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714?i=1000547068268 Thank you as always for listening x

6 Jan 20221h 13min

The end is upon us! The end of 2021 I mean (thankfully???) Join us for this episode of the True Crime Society podcast as we give a wrap up of this crazy year in crime. In our final release for the year, we discuss updates to some of our biggest cases- - The murders of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions as well as the conviction of Kylr Yust - An update on the Long Island Serial Killer - The brutal murders of Canadian billionaires Honey and Barry Sherman - Possible remains found in the case of missing man Chance Englebert - The separate trials of Tony Todt and Megan Boswell - The suicide of Thomas Sharkey - he allegedly murdered his wife Alexis Sharkey - The disappearance of Jason Landry - The disgusting reason that formerly missing man Jake Cefolia took his own life - Confirmation that former NFL player Philip Adams did have CTE when he killed 6 people in April this year - Missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay have been found dead and an airline pilot has been arrested - A big update on scumbag Josh Duggar - Many updates on the Murdaugh saga - The FBI have joined the investigation into the death of Jelani Day - What has happened following the Travis Scott/Astroworld tragedy? As this year comes to a close, we would like to thank you for all your support.  2021 has been our biggest and best ever, and we are excited to see what 2022 has in store for True Crime Society!  These are the clips we used in the episode: Kara and Jessica https://youtu.be/AsCTfcvScVk Honey and Barry Sherman https://youtu.be/gc35-OKu4oU Todt Family: https://youtu.be/F9DHTBREdIA Evelyn Boswell https://youtu.be/6IBzY-Lrsgw Jason Landry https://youtu.be/aKeisvvycg0 Phillip Adams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3N0Fj3zfHo Murdaugh https://youtu.be/D0SkYNgrmCQ Astroworld https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS9SvGvbSgw&t=14s Thank you as always for listening x

23 Dec 20211h 10min

On February 13, 2017, Liberty German (14) and her best friend Abigail Williams (13) had an extra day off school due to a snow day.  They had a sleepover and fatefully decided to go to the Monon High Bridge in Delphi, Indiana to hang out. They were dropped to the bridge at around 1.45pm on February 13 by Libby's sister.  This is the the last time the pair were seen alive. Libby and Abby were brutally murdered and their bodies were discovered the day after they went to the bridge - Valentines Day 2017.  Their case has had wide media coverage, partly due to footage that the girls took of the alleged suspect right before their murders.  There is some infamous audio of the suspect saying 'Guys, down the hill'.  There is also some fairly grainy video footage of the man that Libby shot with her phone. Now, almost five years on from the girls' murders, no arrest/s have ever been made in their case.  It almost seemed to be going cold. Until just a few days ago.  Indiana State Police made an appeal for information about an online user name - anthony_shots The anthony_shots profile was fake and used images of a known male model. The profile’s creator portrayed the model on his account to be extremely wealthy and showed him owning numerous sports cars. Very quickly, internet sleuths and media outlets tracked down a man who regularly used that user name - Kegan Kline.  Kegan is already in jail, arrested on 30 counts, including child exploitation, possession of child pornography and obstruction of justice.   Legal documents that have been made public prove that he used the name anthony_shots online.  Join us for this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast as we discuss the murders of Libby and Abby, as well as the new information regarding Kegan Kline in relation to this case. You can listen on Spotify here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6rEJ7xLCqgl6onLzGEJuvF?si=FiVAHJA8QQ24Mb5JGHNidQ You can listen on Apple here - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/true-crime-society/id1504300714?i=1000545130241 Be sure to read our comprehensive blog on the case - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2021/12/12/the-murders-of-liberty-german-and-abigail-williams/ Thank you for listening x

16 Dec 20211h 41min