Crimes Of Passion

A California man was found in a pile of clothes in his own driveway just two weeks after being discharged from the hospital. While Tom Merriman was in the hospital, his stepdaughter Jade Janks went to his house to clean and made a shocking discovery. Merriman apparently had a screensaver on his computer of a photo — a photo Janks believed was her. Find out what happened next on this episode of Crimes of Passion with Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ali Abulaban was a popular TikToker whose charismatic digital persona masked a disturbing history of domestic control and surveillance. After his estranged wife Ana sought to start a new life, the internal tension between his viral fame and private possessiveness reached a tragic breaking point. The reality of the situation came to light when Ali utilized a hidden listening device to track Ana’s whereabouts before confronting her at a San Diego high-rise. Get the full story on this episode of Crimes of Passion, hosted by Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Minnesota mom vanished without a trace just moments after leaving her two children at a Winona daycare. That same morning, her sister grew alarmed when their normally active text thread went silent in the middle of a conversation. By the following day, police had launched a full search for the 26-year-old mother. What they uncovered would turn a missing-persons case into a chilling mystery. Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie dives deep into the case of Madeline Kingsbury on this episode of Crimes of Passion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 65-second gap on a recorded 911 line is all it took to change two lives forever. It began with a frantic plea from Heidi Firkus, reporting a home intruder, before the line erupted in gunfire. When the phone was picked up again, it was her husband, Nick Firkus, claiming they had both been shot. While Heidi didn't survive the encounter, Nick walked away with a wound and a description of a mystery assailant for the Minnesota police. For years, the case sat stagnant, gathering dust as a "cold case"—until a surprise witness stepped out of the shadows with a revelation that flipped the entire narrative on its head. What really happened inside the Firkus home that night? Join Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie in this episode of Crimes of Passion as she peels back the layers of a story built on desperation, hidden truths, and the ultimate betrayal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 20-year-old Michigan woman and her boyfriend crashed into a sign outside the Golden Corral after they were ambushed by gunfire. Investigators said Alicia Jackson-Skaggs was shot in the head, and her boyfriend, the driver, crashed when trying to flee to safety. Detectives quickly uncovered the story after discovering that Alicia's ex-boyfriend, Deondre McLilly, had an obsessive pattern of stalking her leading up to her murder. Get the full story on this episode of Crimes of Passion with Sierra Gillespie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the small town of Pittsfield, Wisconsin, Victoria Prokopovitz vanished without a trace one April night in 2013, leaving behind her personal belongings and a family desperate for answers. As the missing persons case grew cold, investigators began to piece together a narrative of domestic tension and a "no-body" homicide that would eventually lead to a high-stakes courtroom battle. On this episode of Crimes of Passion, Law&Crime's Sierra Gillespie delves into the shadow of doubt surrounding her final hours, exploring the circumstantial evidence and the conflicting theories that still leave many wondering what truly happened to Victoria. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma Walker was a vibrant and kind-hearted teenager from Knoxville, Tennessee, known for her bright personality and dedication to her school and community. A student at Central High School, she was an active cheerleader who loved spending time with friends, supporting her team, and making people laugh. On a cold November night, gunshots barreled through the walls of Walker’s room while she laid in bed, one bullet striking her. Find out what happened next on this episode of Crimes of Passion with Sierra Gillespie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional cyclist Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was staying at a friend’s Texas apartment before a race in May 2022. After going swimming and to dinner with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, he dropped her off—minutes before she was found fatally shot later that night. What really happened to Mo Wilson on that tragic night? Watch free, only on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August 2011, 21-year-old Katelyn Markham vanished just days before her birthday. Her fiancé, John Carter, called 911 to report her missing less than 24 hours after she was last seen. Instead of preparing for a celebration, Markham’s loved ones launched an urgent search—but found no trace of her. Over the next decade, investigators repeatedly questioned Carter, scrutinizing inconsistencies in his account as they worked to uncover the truth. This episode of Crimes of Passion, Sierra Gillespie takes a closer look at the evidence, the interviews, and the long road to answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Florida man frantically called 911 after his neighbor rushed to his home on a late Sunday night. Ashley Benefield told him she shot her husband, Doug Benefield, during an argument while they were packing her things to move to Maryland. Doug had recently filed for divorce after a four-year marriage seemingly crumbled. Weeks after the shooting, Ashley was charged with Doug's murder but claimed self-defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Florida teen vanished in October 2021 shortly after he began talking to a girl from his high school in Miramar. Eighteen-year-old Dwight "DJ" Grant never came home after he went to hang out with one of his classmates Christie Parisien. Two days later investigators found the body of Grant in the bushes behind an apartment complex. Police soon set their sights on Parisien and two of Grant's other classmates Andre Clements and Jaslyn Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our final episode, we take a look back at the trial against Scott Peterson, the moment Amber Frey took the stand, and what’s happened in the case in the two decades since Laci Peterson and her unborn son Conner first went missing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Christmas Eve twenty years ago, a pregnant woman vanished from her Modesto, California, neighborhood. Relentless media coverage pulled at every thread in her case — most notably, her husband’s strange behavior. Decades since her body, and the body of her unborn son, were found in the San Francisco Bay, we’re still asking: Did Scott Peterson kill his wife?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By September 2015, Brenda has masterminded a murder. She secures multiple accomplices and a solid alibi. But Brenda’s plan isn’t as airtight as she thinks. As investigators close in, a murder-for-hire leads to an international manhunt.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the man of her dreams broke up with her — twice — Brenda Delgado turned to cyberstalking and staging “chance” run-ins to keep him in her life. But she couldn’t stop him from moving on. When Ricky Paniagua started dating another woman, Brenda began plotting a murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifteen-year-old Kirsten Costas was popular, athletic, and a cheerleader. She was everything fellow classmate Bernadette Protti wanted to be. And when Bernadette couldn’t get the attention she wanted from Kirsten, she killed her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, assassination-aiding King of Poisons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When they met in 1911, she was a teenage beauty from a wealthy Chilean family, and he was an American businessman twice her age who dazzled her. But while Blanca Errázuriz was known as “the flower of the Andes,” Jack de Saulles had a more sordid reputation — and it would wind up costing him everything.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, Tommy Gilbert Jr. felt like his friends, his parents, and even his doctors were conspiring against him. So in the spring of 2014, he illegally obtained a gun. And months later, he would use it when he went to his parents house for a final discussion about his finances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Gilbert Jr was a young socialite who was used to getting what he wanted. But somewhere along the way, his mind began to betray him. All of his personal and professional failures weighed on him. Somebody would have to pay the price. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices