Criminally Obsessed

The star witness in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial is independently investigating the Stephen Smith cold case — and he says they “got a good idea who committed this.”   Stephen was a blonde haired, blue-eyed 19-year-old left dead on a rural South Carolina road in 2015. Kenny Kinsey, who’s a forensic investigator brought in by attorneys for Stephen’s mother, has reviewed the evidence, the second autopsy, police interviews and walked the very road where Stephen’s body was found on that hot summer night. Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson spoke with Kinsey about his investigation, what he learned about law enforcement’s investigation and how he believes Stephen died. Stephen Smith’s death investigation was reopened in 2021 just two weeks after Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were murdered. The State of South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Division (SLED) cited information collected during the Murdaugh murder investigation but would not elaborate. In 2023, SLED announced Stephen’s death was a homicide. His body was exhumed and a second autopsy done, but that information has been sealed.  When will justice come? July 8, 2026 will mark 11 years since Stephen was killed. Someone knows something. There is a $50,000 reward in this case. 

It's been more than 3 weeks since 16-year-old Madison Fields was last seen by her parents, or by anyone.  What started as a search for a missing teen in Colerain Township, Ohio has shifted to an FBI investigation into the dark corners of the internet - encrypted apps, private messaging platforms - and the people who hide there, preying on kids and teens.  We now know that a 43-year-old man named Kyle Lawrence has been arrested in Buffalo, New York in connection with the investigation. He’s charged with Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Transportation of Child pornography.  Criminally Obsessed got a hold of the 7-page federal criminal complaint against Lawrence, and we found a disturbing history - context that could hold clues to understanding what happened to Madison.  Investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Madison’s parents, Carrie and Tyler, in an emotional interview about their daughter’s case and what we can do to support them. We then hear from Chief of Ohio Land Search and Rescue, John Adams, about his boots-on-the-ground role in the search for Madison. He offers chilling insight from his experience working hundreds of missing persons cases, and the common thread that should raise alarm bells that every parent or guardian.  Please support the search for Madison by sharing her story, and if you have information, submit tips to Colerain Township PD by calling (513) 321-2677.  Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.  Share Madison’s NCMEC poster Learn more about Ohio Land Search and Rescue

Watch the Criminally Obsessed original documentary "Dead Silence: The Casey Pitzer Investigation" out now on our YouTube channel. “She's got her hand on my shoulder guiding me slowly. But she's there. She's there with me all the time."     Nearly thirteen years ago, a day meant to celebrate luck and joy took a dark turn for 32-year-old mother Casey Pitzer. She was last seen leaving a bar in Wilmington, Ohio the night before St. Patrick’s Day 2013... and was later discovered a week later in a retention pond, her death ruled an accidental drowning. But failed polygraphs, destroyed evidence and buried questions tell a different story. The family’s painful and complicated fight for answers continues to this day. For more than a decade, Casey’s loved ones have lived with questions, heartbreak, and a relentless determination to seek the truth. Casey’s case is close to our hearts here at Criminally Obsessed, and we’re here to make sure it remains in the spotlight.  Senior Investigative reporter Anne Emerson sits down with Greg Pitzer, Casey’s father, and Darrell Petrey, the Pitzer family’s advocate. They take us through the timeline and key evidence in the case, speak candidly about the toll of a 13-year search for answers, and share their latest efforts in an unwavering fight for justice.   The full documentary will also air Saturday, March 7th, at 7pm ET on WKRC-TV/Local 12 in Cincinnati, Columbus WSYX-TV/ABC 6 in Columbus and WKEF-TV/ABC 22 in Dayton.  Our conversation with Casey’s loved ones is a powerful reminder that this is more than a headline - it’s a family’s fight, and it’s far from finished.  Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.   We’re headed to CrimeCon Vegas in May! Make sure you’re following us on all platforms for more exciting @CrimeCon updates coming soon. 

Michelle Newton was found 42 years after police say her mom kidnapped her and she’s now revealing more of her mother’s lies.  When Anne Emerson first spoke with her back in December after the viral video of her mother’s arrest in Marion County, Florida, Michelle had so many emotions about finding out who she really was and catching up with family she’d never met.  The federal investigation into why her mom left was still fresh and left her with many unanswered questions.  Michelle has spent the last four months reading 40 years of police reports, court documents, and talking to family and she now has a better understanding of what happened and how police finally caught up with her mother and uncovered her true identity and it’s not what you might expect.   Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson reconnects with Michelle Newton as she navigates her complex new reality – reuniting with her father, Joe, sifting through the truths and lies of her own past, and still trying to maintain a relationship with her mother, Debra Newton, even after all that’s happened.   Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.   We’re headed to CrimeCon Vegas in May! Make sure you’re following us on all platforms for more exciting @CrimeCon updates coming soon. 

For many of us, the case of Michelle Newton started with a viral video of a woman being arrested in Florida. But for Joe Newton, this case started decades ago, when his wife and 3-year-old daughter up and vanished from their life in rural Kentucky. We now know the woman in the video was Debra Newton, arrested for kidnapping her own daughter, Michelle. We’ve seen Debra's arrest and interrogation, and even spoke with Michelle back in December, when the life-altering identity shift was still sinking in.  Now, Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Joe Newton, who’s getting to know his daughter, a grown woman he last saw when she was just a toddler. Joe takes us through the raw emotion of reuniting with Michelle, what that first hug was like, and his reaction to Debra’s explosive claims about their relationship.   Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.  We’re headed to CrimeCon Vegas in May! Make sure you’re following us on all platforms for more exciting @CrimeCon updates coming soon.