True Crime Couple
True Crime Couple

True Crime Couple

True Crime Couple

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Episodes

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Join married couple Kay and John as they cover some of the lesser known true crime cases. In this bi-weekly podcast, Kay presents the case to both the audience and John at the same time, so they can react together. We pride ourselves on the research we conduct and the respect we show to victims. We hope you enjoy!

Recent Episodes

Episode 229: Lee Ann Smith Mangrum | Where the Water Lies
APR 19, 2026
Episode 229: Lee Ann Smith Mangrum | Where the Water Lies
<div> <p>The stillness of a warm September morning in the South was broken by something that didn’t belong: a bright red Jeep, abandoned and half-submerged in the murky edge of a quiet creek. Not far from it, drifting in the same dark water, was a young mother of two. What should have been a peaceful start to the day instead became the beginning of a mystery as clouded as the water itself.</p><p>For the detectives called to the scene, nothing about this case came easily. The deeper they looked, the more the details seemed to twist. Unanswered questions, unsettling circumstances, and relationships that were far more complicated than they first appeared. But as the truth slowly surfaced, it revealed something far more disturbing than anyone had been prepared to face.</p><p><strong>Sponsors</strong><br>Visit <a href="https://Rula.com/tcc">Rula.com/tcc</a>  to get affordable, high-quality therapy that’s actually covered by insurance</p><p><strong>Sources:</strong><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/244437525/?match=1&amp;terms=18%20years%20later%3A%20What%20to%20know%20about%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum%27s%20killing">https://www.newspapers.com/image/244437525/?match=1&amp;terms=18%20years%20later%3A%20What%20to%20know%20about%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum%27s%20killing</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/276089133/?match=1&amp;terms=%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum">https://www.newspapers.com/image/276089133/?match=1&amp;terms=%20Lee%20Ann%20Mangrum</a><br><a href="https://www.tncourts.gov/press/2013/03/27/supreme-court-affirms-convictions-upon-finding-no-prosecutorial-misconduct">https://www.tncourts.gov/press/2013/03/27/supreme-court-affirms-convictions-upon-finding-no-prosecutorial-misconduct</a><br><a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/court-of-criminal-appeals/2011/m2009-01810-cca-r3-cd.html">https://law.justia.com/cases/tennessee/court-of-criminal-appeals/2011/m2009-01810-cca-r3-cd.html</a><br>Snapped Season 24, Episode 25</p></div>
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104 MIN
Episode 228: Kaci Woody | Trapped in the Web
APR 9, 2026
Episode 228: Kaci Woody | Trapped in the Web
<div> <p>The danger of a predator that stalks their victims online, the one that moves silently through glowing screens, is that they use cunning to trap those they prey upon. They study the patterns of their victims, learn their rhythm of life through late night posts and quiet confession. To them vulnerability isn’t a tragedy but rather a signal. With unsettling precision they are able to step in and be or say whatever they need to to become whatever their target needs. They lead with understand, compassion. They listen, they mirror, they comfort. They are exactly what their target craves or needs. </p><p>Pieces by piece they build trust, an assurance of safety. But behind the carefully chosen words and curated personas lies something sinister. It had been orchestrated in a way that by the time the illusions cracks their victim has already been trapped and the cage that has been so meticulously built around them has consumed them. The greatest weapon of the 21st century against the safety and sanctity of our homes is the internet, because it has allowed predators an opportunity to be stealthy enough to prey on your children and infiltrate your home…from the comfort of theirs. </p><p><strong>Sources:<br></strong><br>Newspaper articles accessed through <a href="https://Newspapers.com">Newspapers.com</a> from 2002-2021. Papers include:<br>The Sun and The Mountain Echo<br><a href="https://arkansasgravestones.org/view.php?id=821033">https://arkansasgravestones.org/view.php?id=821033</a><br><a href="https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2003/dec/17/not-forgotten/">Caught in the Web: Four Part Series</a> by Cathy Frye for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette<br>Investigation Discovery: Web of Lies Aired 1/15/2014<br><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-07-na-slay7-story.html">https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-07-na-slay7-story.html</a><br><a href="https://www.fbicollector.com/historybaltimoreinnocentimages.html">https://www.fbicollector.com/historybaltimoreinnocentimages.html</a><br><a href="https://katv.com/community/good-morning-arkansas/officer-shares-personal-tragedy-to-warn-families-and-children-about-online-dangers?fbclid=IwAR3TIHuLlb56dvkRSQ9xaLc0LXJHrz8OmNrIs4LdxOIF8AA2UIv00U84ByE">https://katv.com/community/good-morning-arkansas/officer-shares-personal-tragedy-to-warn-families-and-children-about-online-dangers?fbclid=IwAR3TIHuLlb56dvkRSQ9xaLc0LXJHrz8OmNrIs4LdxOIF8AA2UIv00U84ByE<br></a><br></p></div>
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119 MIN
Episode 227: Joel Kirkpatrick | Screams in the Night
MAR 22, 2026
Episode 227: Joel Kirkpatrick | Screams in the Night
<div> <p>Two screams pierced the silent, unseasonably warm and windy night of October 13, 1997 in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The first, was that of 10 year old Joel Kirkpatrick as he desperately sought help against the person who had entered his room in the black of night and had attacked him with a knife. The second scream was that of his mother’s as she ran to her neighbors house and pounded on their door desperately seeking help. She begged for them to open up. “They’ve got Joel”, she bellowed into the closed door, “They took Joel.”</p><p>Once the shock of what had happened settled, and the years went on the question that lingered was whether or not the person that hurt Joel was the least likeliest suspect or the dangerous stranger that had rolled into town with that warm wind.</p><p>Trigger warning: violence against a child</p><p><strong>Sources:</strong><br><a href="https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/news/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-another-subjective-science-convicting-innocent-people/">https://www.greatnorthinnocenceproject.org/news/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-another-subjective-science-convicting-innocent-people/</a><br><a href="https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/06/26/court-overturns-rea-convictio/118184118/">https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2004/06/26/court-overturns-rea-convictio/118184118/</a><br><a href="https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/julie-rea">https://www.uis.edu/illinoisinnocenceproject/julie-rea</a><br><a href="https://nationalpublicdata.com/people/r/julie-rea/tn/martin/pd06p1qslq5zi0nmlilw2zf05nyb8p17/">https://nationalpublicdata.com/people/r/julie-rea/tn/martin/pd06p1qslq5zi0nmlilw2zf05nyb8p17/</a><br><a href="https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/">https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/</a><br><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-jury-wrongful-conviction-acquitted-exonerated">https://www.propublica.org/article/bloodstain-pattern-analysis-jury-wrongful-conviction-acquitted-exonerated</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/84706396/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick">https://www.newspapers.com/image/84706396/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/84742918/?match=1&amp;terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick">https://www.newspapers.com/image/84742918/?match=1&amp;terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769767/?match=1&amp;terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick">https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769767/?match=1&amp;terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769827/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick">https://www.newspapers.com/image/84769827/?terms=Joel%20Kirkpatrick</a><br><a href="https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/">https://www.illinoistimes.com/news/who-killed-joel-11440266/</a><br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABC2020/videos/julie-rea-recalls-what-happened-night-her-son-was-killed-2020-goodnight-mother/854470515223652/">https://www.facebook.com/ABC2020/videos/julie-rea-recalls-what-happened-night-her-son-was-killed-2020-goodnight-mother/854470515223652/</a><br><a href="https://wwws.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/documents/nulawreporterwparticle.pdf">https://wwws.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/documents/nulawreporterwparticle.pdf</a><br><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Through-Window-Terrifying-Cross-Country-Killer/dp/B008I4WNLO/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=190238689190&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KF-Lu2HWKfwGk_Dh4SpdgsGMgsyk8SnQm5nLKwItRmlT2tvHo7-1nrIqmeKIi9bklu5Nw9G8MO5LO-u0e1tvbtaRttl8hQiNYCQF7jRU3joIwiVx_WCygDLnN_EKsdn2uTeFYNz7KMK9OvIRtqXbg1kA554swF1Hb-ImSBMxLXBCDIgJxv2oKn1-L0eE8J5N9A6ONiVTnEdY1vAtDzHHS13ooqntUWEDsTMAL_8oJv4.sN-WFwkuD-3gEOxwmrRY87DwqZfG_9_NUg71XW9td4o&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;hvadid=779592066862&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvexpln=0&amp;hvlocphy=9003603&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvocijid=14829930018798193146--&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvrand=14829930018798193146&amp;hvtargid=kwd-370222609847&amp;hydadcr=22563_13730660_8252&amp;keywords=through+the+window+book&amp;mcid=c82928f3e16b31c4be468fe309ca2578&amp;qid=1774214394&amp;sr=8-1">Through the Window: The Terrifying True Story of Cross-Country Killer Tommy Lynn Sells</a> by Diane Fanning</p></div>
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108 MIN
Episode 226: The Shakespearean Tragedy of the Robards Family
MAR 9, 2026
Episode 226: The Shakespearean Tragedy of the Robards Family
<div> <p>In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, guilt does not stay buried. It festers beneath crowns and costumes, slipping through rehearsed smiles and whispered prayers. A kingdom rots from the inside, not because of the murder alone, but because of the secret that follows it,  heavy and impossible to silence. “O, my offence is rank,” King Claudius confesses, discovering that even a throne cannot shield a poisoned conscience. In the bedroom of a teenager, centuries later, those same words would land a little too close to home.</p><p>In this case we will explore a modern tragedy shaped by Shakespearean shadows: ambition without a crown, desperation without a dagger, and a confession that would echo far beyond the pages of a play. Because sometimes the most dangerous poison isn’t poured into a cup, it’s carried in the heart, waiting for its moment to speak.</p><p>Sources<br><a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/poisoning-daddy/">https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/poisoning-daddy/</a><br><a href="https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/3/">https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/3/</a><br><a href="https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/product/sigald/243671">https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/product/sigald/243671</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815133/?terms=Marie%20Robards">https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815133/?terms=Marie%20Robards</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/823666883/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards">https://www.newspapers.com/image/823666883/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815129/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards">https://www.newspapers.com/image/644815129/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards</a><br><a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/646308983/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards">https://www.newspapers.com/image/646308983/?match=1&amp;terms=Marie%20Robards</a></p></div>
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104 MIN
Episode 225: The Murder of Seath Jackson
FEB 23, 2026
Episode 225: The Murder of Seath Jackson
<div> <p>In today’s case a similar situation to the one we covered in Episode 224 arose in central Florida in the Spring of 2011, but this time with a 21st century twist. The teens exhibited the same type of behavior we saw in 1965 in Tucson but this time social media was present to fan the flames of an all too familiar fire caused by jealous, and hierarchical, high-conformity behavior…and just like last time someone would lose their life. Join me as I tell John the case of Seath Jackson. </p><p><strong>Sponsors</strong><br>Factor Meals<br><a href="http://factormeals.com/truecrimecouple50off">factormeals.com/truecrimecouple50off</a> and use code truecrimecouple50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year</p><p>NOCD<br>Go to <a href="http://nocd.com">NOCD.com</a> to schedule a free 15-minute call with their team and find out more about how they can help.</p><p><strong>Sources:</strong><br><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1557636/#:~:text=Rather%20than%20a%20sense%20of,Steinberg%20&amp;%20Silverberg%2C%201986">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1557636/#:~:text=Rather%20than%20a%20sense%20of,Steinberg%20&amp;%20Silverberg%2C%201986</a>).<br><a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/click-or-clique-positive-and-negative-teen-social-groups#:~:text=Members%20are%20discouraged%20from%20being,are%20valued%20for%20their%20individuality.&amp;text=Natural%20leaders%20may%20emerge%20but,t%20find%20mutually%20trusting%20relationships">https://psychcentral.com/lib/click-or-clique-positive-and-negative-teen-social-groups#:~:text=Members%20are%20discouraged%20from%20being,are%20valued%20for%20their%20individuality.&amp;text=Natural%20leaders%20may%20emerge%20but,t%20find%20mutually%20trusting%20relationships</a>.<br><a href="https://www.marionschools.net/parents__students__and_community/parents/Student_Enrollment/your_zoned_school">https://www.marionschools.net/parents__students__and_community/parents/Student_Enrollment/your_zoned_school</a><br><a href="https://www.circuit5.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/soto-sentencing-5-30-12.pdf">https://www.circuit5.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/soto-sentencing-5-30-12.pdf</a><br><a href="https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2012/09/05/man-charged-as-accessory-in-seath-murder-case-ruled-incompetent/64312725007/">https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2012/09/05/man-charged-as-accessory-in-seath-murder-case-ruled-incompetent/64312725007/</a><br><a href="https://pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&amp;DCNumber=U46099&amp;TypeSearch=AI">https://pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&amp;DCNumber=U46099&amp;TypeSearch=AI</a><br><a href="https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2018/03/20/guilty-plea-to-accessory-in-murder-of-seath-jackson/12948232007/">https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2018/03/20/guilty-plea-to-accessory-in-murder-of-seath-jackson/12948232007/</a><br><a href="https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/17/charlie-ely-wins-freedom/42153993/">https://www.ocala.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/17/charlie-ely-wins-freedom/42153993/</a><br><a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2011/04/21/facebook-posts-show-troubled-relationship-before-murder/64298523007/">https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2011/04/21/facebook-posts-show-troubled-relationship-before-murder/64298523007/</a><br><a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/state/2016/02/23/amber-wright-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-a-second-time-for-summerfield-murder/31892000007/">https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/state/2016/02/23/amber-wright-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-a-second-time-for-summerfield-murder/31892000007/</a><br><a href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/fl-supreme-court/1866390.html#footnote_ref_2">https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/fl-supreme-court/1866390.html#footnote_ref_2</a><br><a href="https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/seath-jackson/umc.cmc.5ftio68gocqq6oxcnjzfylyg5?showId=umc.cmc.5nek280511fthl83zw9yijf1i">"Seath Jackson - Sleeping With a Killer (Season 1, Episode 12)"</a>. <em>Apple TV</em>. 2021. Retrieved February, 2026.</p></div>
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104 MIN