Forensic Tales

A respected veterinarian is found dead under mysterious circumstances in an upscale Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood. What first looked like a car accident quickly turned into a homicide investigation filled with unanswered questions — a wrecked vehicle, blunt-force trauma, and no clear explanation of how Dr. Robert Stonebreaker ended up in a nearby driveway. Nearly 15 years later, the case remains unsolved. In this episode, we break down the timeline, the forensic inconsistencies, and the theories that still surround his death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we revisit the shocking murder of 23-year-old law student Jane Mixer, long believed to be a victim of Michigan’s “Co-Ed Killer.” When modern DNA testing finally pointed to an unexpected suspect, Gary Leiterman, the case was reopened, re-examined, and fiercely debated. Was the forensic evidence clear-cut? Or did lab contamination muddy the truth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When 41-year-old Peggy Carr suddenly fell gravely ill, doctors were stumped. Her symptoms made no sense—burning limbs, hair loss, and paralysis with no clear cause. But when her teenage son and stepson became sick too, investigators uncovered a chilling truth: the Carr family had been poisoned. The substance was thallium—a deadly, nearly undetectable metal once used in rat poison. The discovery launched a full-scale forensic investigation that led detectives to a single suspect: a brilliant but disturbed neighbor with a background in chemistry and a fascination with murder. This is the story of how science, persistence, and an undercover operation exposed one of Florida’s most shocking poison cases. For a complete list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Support the show and get early, ad-free access to episodes by joining us on Patreon. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. Hosted and produced by Courtney Fretwell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1983, 19-year-old Barbara Grams was found murdered behind a dental office in Tampa, Florida. Detectives said a small mark on her cheek was a bite — and that 18-year-old Robert DuBoise’s teeth matched it. That single piece of forensic “evidence” sent him to death row. But nearly four decades later, new DNA testing proved what Robert had said all along — he was innocent. The mark wasn’t even a bite. This week on Forensic Tales, we uncover how junk science, unreliable witnesses, and a discredited forensic method stole 37 years of an innocent man’s life. Because in forensic science, the smallest mistake can destroy a life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was Valentine’s Day, 2007, when 39-year-old Jodine Serrin’s parents stopped by her Carlsbad, California condo to check on her. Moments after walking into her bedroom, they realized something was terribly wrong. Jodine had been brutally attacked—and the man they’d seen inside her home had vanished. For over a decade, her murder went unsolved. No witnesses. No leads. Just a single piece of DNA left behind. In this episode, we examine how cutting-edge forensic technology—and one company’s groundbreaking use of genetic genealogy—finally revealed the truth about who killed Jodine Serrin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#304 - In 1981, 31-year-old single mother Linda Slaten was found murdered in her Lakeland, Florida apartment. Her sons were asleep just down the hall. For decades, detectives chased every lead — a violent ex-husband, a mysterious boyfriend, even a convicted predator who once lived next door. But the trail always went cold. Nearly forty years later, a revolutionary forensic tool — genetic genealogy — finally revealed the truth. And the answer shocked everyone: the killer had been hiding in plain sight the entire time. This is the story of how one preserved palm print, a decades-old rape kit, and the persistence of science brought long-awaited justice to Linda Slaten’s family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January 1984, 29-year-old Teresa Solecki walked to a payphone in Vista, California, to make a quick call to her sister. She never came back. Hours later, her body was discovered along a remote stretch of Gopher Canyon Road—brutally beaten and strangled. For decades, investigators held onto the evidence: a bite mark, a drag trail, and an unknown male’s DNA. But without modern technology, Teresa’s case went cold. It would take 35 years, new forensic science, and the power of investigative genetic genealogy to finally reveal the truth—and identify her killer. This is the story of the murder of Teresa Solecki—and how DNA preserved for decades helped bring justice to her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June 1991, 70-year-old grandmother Dorothy Donovan was found brutally murdered inside her farmhouse in Harrington, Delaware. The crime stunned the small town—and suspicion immediately turned to the person who discovered her body: her own son. Charles Holden told investigators a strange and terrifying story about a violent hitchhiker he’d picked up earlier that night, a man who threatened him with a screwdriver and chased him through the dark. But detectives weren’t convinced. To them, it sounded like a desperate attempt to cover up something far worse. For years, Dorothy’s family was torn apart by grief and suspicion. Was Charles telling the truth, or had he concocted an elaborate alibi to hide his guilt? This is the story of a brutal crime, a family divided, and the forensic evidence that finally uncovered the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On New Year’s Eve 1989, Mansfield, Ohio was rocked by the disappearance of Noreen Boyle. Her husband, prominent neurosurgeon Dr. John Boyle, insisted she had walked out after an argument. But Noreen’s son, 11-year-old Collier, told a very different story—a scream in the night, suspicious behavior from his father, and threats to stay silent. When investigators dug deeper—literally—they uncovered the truth buried beneath the floor of Boyle’s new home in Pennsylvania. Forensic science, from dental records to a Rolex watch frozen in time, dismantled Boyle’s lies and secured his conviction. This case became one of the most publicized trials in Ohio history, second only to Sam Sheppard. It’s a story of hidden abuse, the power of forensic evidence, and the extraordinary courage of a child who refused to be silenced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 300th episode of Forensic Tales, we’re tackling one of the most infamous and puzzling unsolved cases in American history—the Zodiac Killer. Between 1968 and 1969, a mysterious figure terrorized Northern California with a string of murders, chilling phone calls, and cryptic letters sent to local newspapers. Despite decades of investigation, the Zodiac’s identity remains one of the greatest mysteries in true crime. In this milestone special, we’ll retrace the Zodiac’s crimes and focus on the forensic evidence: the ballistics that linked his attacks, the fingerprints and palm prints that led nowhere, the handwriting analysis that divided experts, and the DNA testing that continues to fall short. We’ll also look ahead at how advances in forensic science—like genetic genealogy—could one day solve this case. Thank you for joining me on this journey through 300 episodes. Here’s to the stories we’ve told, the voices we’ve remembered, and the breakthroughs still to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices