Web of Clues: How Forensic Entomology Unravels Murder Mysteries

In 1992, the body of 17-year-old Dawn Marie Birnbaum—a runaway from Florida—was discovered dumped beside a rural Pennsylvania road, brutally beaten and strangled. Though she was an outsider, the small community mourned her as one of their own, demanding justice. What began as a local homicide investigation soon spiraled into a chilling revelation: Dawn’s killer, James Robert Cruz Jr., a long-haul trucker, was linked to a decade-long spree of murders along highways in Ohio and Pennsylvania—with hundreds of women found dead under similar circumstances.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

When a body is left to the elements, the first detectives on the scene aren’t always human—they’re insects. In Web of Clues, The New Detectives explores the eerie science of forensic entomology, where maggots, beetles, and flies become the key witnesses in solving murders. From estimating time of death to exposing hidden crime scenes, these tiny creatures reveal secrets that even the most cunning killers can’t bury.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

On a quiet night in Prince George’s County, Maryland, 1995, two law enforcement officers—Prince George’s County Police Officer John Novabilski and FBI Special Agent William H. Christian Jr.—were executed in their patrol cars by a lone gunman who crept up unseen and opened fire. The brazen attacks sent shockwaves through the D.C. area, igniting one of the most intense manhunts in FBI history—a chase that ended in a blaze of gunfire and a killer’s last stand.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

When a raging house fire tore through a quiet California neighborhood, firefighters initially thought it was a tragic accident—until investigators found no smoke in the victim’s lungs, proving she was dead before the flames began. The victim, a beloved local artist, had recently entrusted her life savings to her best friend and personal manager, who—just days before the fire—had drained her bank account. What looked like loyalty was a cold-blooded plot for profit.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

On April 11, 1986, a routine surveillance operation in Miami turned into a nightmare of bullets and bloodshed when two heavily armed bank robbers—Michael Lee Platt and William Russell Matix—engaged eight FBI agents in a ferocious, close-range gunfight. In just five minutes, 150 rounds were fired, two agents were killed, five others wounded, and the brutal firefight exposed glaring flaws in FBI firepower and tactics—changing law enforcement forever.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In a justice system where eyewitness misidentification, coerced confessions, and flawed forensics can send innocent people to prison for decades, DNA analysis has become the ultimate truth-teller. Proof of Innocence follows three men—each robbed of years, dignity, and freedom—whose lives were reclaimed when 21st-century science dismantled their wrongful convictions.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In the rugged wilderness of 1970s–80s Alaska, Robert Hansen—a respected baker, family man, and avid hunter—was secretly living a double life. By day, he sold cinnamon rolls to local cops; by night, he abducted, assaulted, and hunted women like animals, releasing them in the tundra only to stalk and shoot them for sport. His meticulous hunting maps, marked with burial sites, and his twisted sense of control made him one of America’s most chilling serial killers—until FBI profiling peeled back his unassuming facade.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

A killer may vanish into the night, but they always leave something behind—a dusty shoeprint on a floor, a sweat-latent fingerprint on a window, a single fiber snagged on a nail. These unintentional traces become the silent witnesses that speak volumes in courtrooms. Lasting Impressions explores how forensic science turns microscopic details into ironclad evidence, from the 1970s breakthroughs that nailed Ted Bundy to the AI-powered footprint analysis catching murderers today.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In the summer of 1994, Detroit residents locked their doors in fear as a ruthless gang posing as police officers kicked them in—guns raised, badges flashing. Claiming to be "conducting a raid," they tied up families, ransacked homes, and vanished with cash and jewels. But their reign of terror ended when one armed homeowner fought back, blowing the mask off their operation—literally.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.

In an era where every step, swipe, and search leaves a trace, criminals no longer just evade police—they battle the unblinking eye of technology. From deleted texts that resurface to smart home devices that capture audio of crimes in progress, the digital world is rewriting the rules of justice. Electronic Witness dives into real cases where bytes and pixels became the star witnesses—proving that in the 21st century, you can run, but you can’t hide from your own data.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime--6473403/support.