Felonious Florida

William Foster goes from pimping his high school sweetheart to building one of Florida’s largest trafficking empires. His fortune is made off dozens of girls — some of them underage — stripping and selling themselves for sex. But a monster hurricane off the coast of Florida would threaten to bring it all down. Plus, the search for Sophie Reeder intensifies. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also get more

A staff mentor at a group foster home lures away two teenage residents to be sold for sex in hotel rooms from the Florida Keys to Tampa. A car crash in the middle of the night offers what may be their only chance to escape — but their captor isn't finished with them yet. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also get more information and submit a tip on the NHTRC website. If you believe a child is involved i

A 13-year-old girl disappears from her mother’s apartment, only to return a week later beaten, raped, and with a rose tattoo on her neck. She barely escaped her terrifying ordeal. But within hours, police have her in handcuffs — she's under arrest for crimes her captors forced her to commit. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also get more information and submit a tip on the NHTRC website. If you believe

Shanika Ampah was a straight-A girl from a home with two loving parents. But a horrifying tragedy struck and by the age of just 11, she was lured by predators and taken on the road to be sold as a product out of a tractor trailer. For seven years she endured horror no girl ever should — until one day when she catches a break. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also get more information and submit a tip on

Nobody knows when 16-year-old Marina Ralph entered room 334 of an Extended Stay hotel in Florida, or what happened to her while there. What we do know is that Marina was terrified of something. The only person who might have known what happened to her was a friend she met at school — but now, both girls are dead. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious NOTE: This episode was updated on Jan. 6, 2023, to reflect new developments in the case of Barbara Lechler's granddaughter, Ivy. Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls fr

When 15-year-old Sophie Reeder disappears from her Florida home, it appears at first that she has run away. But clues begin to emerge that something terrible has happened to Sophie. Then more cases surface that expose a violent world that lures in girls like Sophie and tears their lives apart — or leaves them dead and often forgotten. The mystery of Sophie Reeder's fate hinges on one thing: If somebody out there knows what happened to her, why haven't they come forward? Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious Human trafficking help and resources If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialist

In a new 6-part season, Felonious Florida investigates the mysterious disappearance of a 15-year-old Fort Lauderdale girl. Sophie Reeder was first treated as a runway, but clues begin to emerge within days that point to a devastating possibility: Sophie had entered a violent world where death is always lurking and young lives are shattered forever. Her case leads our reporters to others with striking similarities — and these are their terrifying stories. Binge listen to Felonious Florida: Innocence Sold early and ad-free exclusively with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ and enjoy exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. You can find Wondery+ in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, and www.wondery.com/felonious See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's the murder case that launched the Felonious Florida podcast in 2018. There's been a verdict in the trial of Pablo Ibar, accused of murdering Butch Casey, Sharon Anderson and Marie Rogers in South Florida in 1994. It's the fifth time a jury has considered evidence against a suspect in the brutal home invasion — but this time, it's not the remarkable 22-minute video recording of the murders that's the key to the case. There's new evidence against Pablo. Will his high-powered defense team find a way to overcome it? Be sure to listen to Episodes 1-4 of the first season of the show before listening to this update — start with the episode titled The Executions. Listen to Felonious Florida on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting https://wondery.com/links/felonious-florida now. See Privacy Poli

The early days of the search for the killer clown focus on Marlene Warren's husband, Michael, and the repo woman who worked on his used car lot, Sheila Keen. There appeared to be motive: An insurance payout, investment properties, a lavish home and an affair. But there's little or no hard evidence. As Michael goes to prison for illegal activities on his lot, the investigation into his wife's murder goes ice cold. Until 27 years later, when the secret lives of a married Virginia couple are exposed, and the alleged killer clown is finally unmasked. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Marlene Warren answered a morning knock on her front door on Memorial Day weekend in 1990, a clown delivering flowers and balloons was smiling back at her. But her delight instantly turned to horror when the clown pulled a gun and put a bullet in her face. Police jumped on the trail of the killer clown almost immediately, and our reporters found that the investigation led them into the darkest corners of the Sunshine State — from loansharking and drug smuggling to prostitution and seedy affairs. But as a mountain of circumstantial evidence piled up and two possible suspects emerged, the case went ice cold. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Police looking into the disappearance of Lisa are convinced there's foul play involved. With nothing else to go on, they devise an unusual plan to crack the case. Within days, their text from the grave pays off — it leads them to a gruesome discovery in an empty field near Miami and to the man they say brutally murdered Lisa Spence. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The text came in to Paul Edwards’ cell phone from his girlfriend, Lisa Spence. “Just wait till I got better,” it said. But it wasn’t so much what the text said, but that it had been sent at all. A month earlier, in October 2009, Lisa had vanished after a night shift at a beauty supply store and hadn’t been seen again. When other friends and family start getting texts from Lisa, police begin to wonder if Lisa was actually the person sending the texts, or whether this case was more than a simply missing person. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the conclusion of The Encino Murders, Camile Hamilton confronts Kevin Pratt after an in-person lineup — and the encounter is explosive. Kevin insists he didn’t kill anybody, but when the DNA evidence gets stronger he faces the death penalty. As the years go on, problems with the investigation are uncovered — and suddenly, the case against Kevin isn’t as strong as once thought. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Camile Hamilton is starting to remember what happened to her that brutal night in August 2009. A tiny piece of evidence and a series of breaks leads the Encino Street triple murder investigation to a homeless man with a criminal history named Kevin Pratt. But our investigative reporter finds inconsistencies in Camile's recollections that lead to questions about how reliable they are. And there's one more major disappointment for investigators. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a warm summer night in August 2009, an intruder shot Camile Hamilton in the face inside a suburban Florida home. A staggering 14 hours after the attacker fled, Camile wakes up — barely alive and with a bullet still inside her neck. Three others, including Camile’s teenage daughter, are dead. The crime scene is brutal and complicated, and neighbors didn't see anything. The search is on for a killer. See photos, video and read more about the Encino Murders at FeloniousFlorida.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming October 2, Felonious Florida is back with new episodes that take you into an even darker side of the Sunshine State. Listen to the Season 2 trailer now and subscribe so you get new episodes as they're released. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The mom who survived the terrifying kidnapping at the Boca Raton mall is frustrated when police doubt her wild story. They think she may have made it up to make her boyfriend angry. Then, just two months later, Nancy Bochicchio and her 7-year-old daughter are kidnapped and shot to death at the same mall. And it gets worse: The crimes lead police back to another kidnapping and murder that happened earlier that same year — at the same mall. Now a terrified public wants to know: Is there a serial killer on the loose in South Florida? Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode. Visit FeloniousFlorida.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A mother and her 7-year-old daughter are kidnapped from a mall in Boca Raton, Florida, after an afternoon of Christmas shopping in December 2007. They’re found executed in the back seat of their SUV, still parked in the mall lot. As police piece together details of the shocking crime, they realize the unthinkable: This child killer has struck before — at the same mall, that same year. Only that time, the mom and son survived to tell about it. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode. Visit FeloniousFlorida.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Seth Penalver is a free man, acquitted by a jury in the brutal 1994 Casey's Nickelodeon Murders after spending six years on Death Row. Pablo Ibar spent 16 years on Death Row before his conviction was thrown out. Soon, he'll get another chance to convince a jury of his innocence. Supporters in his father's native Spain have rallied to fund his defense, raising nearly $800,000. Can they overcome a solid eyewitness who says he saw Pablo driving away from the murder scene? And now there's new evidence: Pablo's DNA was found on a shirt left behind at Butch Casey's house, prosecutors say. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Was Pablo Ibar the man who showed his face to a security camera during the murders of Butch, Sharon and Marie? Police think so and begin to gather a case against him. Meanwhile, their search for the second killer surfaces two names — Alex Hernandez and Seth Penalver. But as prosecutors bring their suspects to trial, the apparent mountain of evidence they gathered begins to break down. The case is in jeopardy. Subscribe today so you don’t miss an episode. Visit FeloniousFlorida.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.