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.    

All eyes are on the trial of Kouri Richins, the Utah mom accused of murdering her husband by poisoning his cocktail with a lethal dose of fentanyl in 2022. Following her husband?s death, Kouri wrote a children?s book about grief and healing for her kids ? which prosecutors are trying to prove was just part of her painting a narrative of being a good mother, not a murderer. We learned from forensic expert and host of the Body Bags podcast, Joseph Scott Morgan, about the ?how? of poisoning deaths. Now, we want to know why. What?s going on in the mind of someone who poisons their partner?  In this episode, Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson is joined by Dr. John Delatorre, a forensic psychologist specializing in partner violence. He lays out five psychological factors in intimate partner poisonings and offers his expert opinion on the Kouri Richins case as the trial presses on.  Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.  Make sure to follow us across all platforms for exciting announcements about CrimeCon Vegas coming soon! See you there!  Learn more about Dr. John Delatorre here.

When Savannah Guthrie announced her family?s $1 million for information for the recovery of her missing mother, Nancy, she also acknowledged the many cases that don?t get a spotlight. In a generous act to help other families, Savannah donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.     Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Gavin Portnoy, NCMEC?s VP of Communications and Brand, to learn the cost ? both financially and emotionally ? of searching for missing loved ones, specifically children. Gavin stresses the importance of maintaining a ?white-hot spotlight? of attention to drive public tips, which he?s seen firsthand solve cases. He explains how caretakers can work to keep kids safe in today?s digital world, because ?the white van is in your kids? pockets now.?     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.     Anyone with information concerning Nancy Guthrie is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.    Learn more about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:  https://www.missingkids.org/home  https://www.facebook.com/ncmec  https://x.com/NCMEC  https://www.youtube.com/@ncmec  https://www.instagram.com/ncmec 

What can a reward really do for an investigation? For all of us following the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie from her Tucson, Arizona home, it?s the million dollar question we?re all wondering about after Savannah Guthrie made the announcement. The Guthrie siblings are now offering up to $1 million for information leading to the recovery of their mother, that?s in addition to the FBI?s $100,000 reward.  Will it spur someone to come forward? To find out, we had to speak with someone who worked cases just like this one for the FBI in Arizona.     In this episode, Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson speaks with John Iannarelli, Former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the state of Arizona. They react to the latest updates in the Guthrie case, Savannah Guthrie?s latest social media video plea, the rarity of a $1 million reward in missing persons cases, and what this could mean for the race to find Nancy Guthrie.    Savannah Guthrie has also pledged to donate $500,000 to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to support other missing persons cases, as the search for her mother continues. Anyone with information concerning Nancy Guthrie is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.     Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.     Learn more about ?FBI John? Iannarelli   Learn more about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Kouri Richins murder trial began this week in Utah. Her husband?s sudden death led her to write a children?s book about grief and healing for her three young sons at least. Now, Kouri is on trial, accused of poisoning her husband in 2022.  Eric Richins had five times the lethal limit of fentanyl in his system. Prosecutors say she laced his drink because she wanted money and a new life with her lover.     In this episode, Anne Emerson is joined by friend of the Criminally Obsessed family, Joseph Scott Morgan. He?s the host of the Body Bags podcast and a forensic professor at Jacksonville State University. Together, they break down the gritty forensic questions at the heart of this case: how poisoning is detected in the body, what a lethal dose of fentanyl actually looks like, and whether intimate partner poisonings may be growing in popularity as a method of murder.    Subscribe, like, and follow Criminally Obsessed for ongoing coverage and expert insight into the cases everyone is talking about.    Listen to more of Joseph Scott Morgan on Body Bags:  YouTube Apple Find Joseph Scott Morgan on Social: Instagram Facebook

We're now into the fourth week of the search for Nancy Guthrie. The question on everyone?s mind is: what happens next? ?Today? show anchor Savannah Guthrie?s 84-year-old mother was last seen on the night of January 31st, before being taken against her will from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Where does the investigation turn now, and what will finally spark the breakthrough that brings her home?    To go beyond the headlines and understand what?s happening behind the scenes, investigative reporter Anne Emerson sits down with Suzanna Ryan, Laboratory Director & Forensic DNA Consultant at Pure Gold Forensics. Together, they examine the limited clues released so far, explore how forensic DNA testing could shape the trajectory of the case, and discuss the investigative paths detectives may be quietly pursuing right now.   Subscribe for ongoing coverage of this case and many more, and join the in-depth conversations with the experts who work to solve them.   We encourage anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie?s case to contact the FBI tipline: 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff's Department at (520) 351-4900 or 911.   Learn more about Suzanna Ryan and Pure Gold Forensics

When a barefoot and bloody woman rushed into a Butler, PA convenience store - the clerk, Tori, didn?t hesitate to help. Viral surveillance footage shows Tori springing into action to protect the woman, and it?s nothing short of incredible. Police say the victim was assaulted and kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend after she said she didn?t want to spend Valentine?s Day with him. When police caught her alleged attacker, Kenneth Clarke, they asked where he was going that day - they say he replied ?on a rampage.? Senior Investigative reporter Anne Emerson spoke with Tori about her brave actions that led to Clarke?s arrest. She says she doesn?t feel like a hero, that she ?just did what anyone would do?, but we humbly disagree. Among the often sad and upsetting cases we cover, her bravery is inspiring, and something to be celebrated. Hear what was going through her head in those moments and what drove her to action from the hero at the center of the story.

Three weeks in and everyone is tired of waiting for the next big break in the Guthrie case. But just imagine what the family is feeling, with no sleep and nonstop stress and worry. Dawn Conley says finding a missing person is like finding a needle in a haystack and she would know. Her 17-year-old daughter, Brittanee Drexel disappeared during Spring Break 2009 and wasn't found until 2022. Meaning, she was missing for 13 years. Right now, Nancy Guthrie has been missing for nearly three weeks. Dawn remembers the third week of her desperate search. She was meeting with law enforcement daily and making sure her daughter's face and name were on the news every night. Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson met Dawn while she was fighting for justice for Brittanee, and later saw her killer, Ray Moody, sentenced for what he did to her. They talk candidly about Brittanee's case and the toll a missing persons case takes on the entire family. Dawn says she prays for Savannah Guthrie, the entire Guthrie family and law enforcement searching Tucson for any signs of Nancy Guthrie. Britt's National Foundation for the Missing and Forgotten

Now that we know the black glove did not come back with a DNA hit, what's next in the Guthrie Investigation? Investigators are working on leads from the Nest doorbell cam, finding out who purchased the intruder's clothes and backpack from Walmart, and any information from Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker. When Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson spoke to a forensic expert about the possibility a blue light was brought back into the crime scene, Dr. Laura Pettler wanted to know, "Where was the rest of that blood?" Anne and Dr. Laura takes us through the crime scene once again with what we know and what we don't know and go through a forensic checklist three weeks into this investigation at Guthrie's Tucson home.

In 2007, British student Meredith Kercher was brutally murdered in Perugia, Italy?a crime that sparked an international media circus, a sensationalized trial, and the wrongful conviction of her American roommate, Amanda Knox. So why did Amanda choose to return to Italy to confront the place, and specifically the person, who convinced the world she was a monster? What happened when she sat down face to face with her prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini? Investigative reporter Anne Emerson sits down with Amanda Knox and her husband and director Christopher Robinson to discuss their new Hulu documentary, and their journey back to Italy to confront Amanda?s trauma head-on. For more on Amanda's story, check out Mouth of The Wolf: Amanda Knox Returns to Italy, and The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox - both now streaming on Hulu.

Wayne?s world has been turned upside down. He just learned that his 10 year marriage to Sharon Brookover was a scam. She wasn?t who she said she was ? a single mom just trying to raise her daughter and lead a private life. She was wanted for taking her daughter from their Kentucky home in 1983 and vanishing. Her name was actually Debra Newton. Wayne Brookover says he always suspected she was hiding something, but never thought it was this serious. Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson gets more insight on who Debra was and all the lies she told. Who do you believe?

What if you found out that you aren?t who you think you are... and you?ve been missing for 42 years?! That?s what happened to Michelle Newton. She?d always felt like there was something not quite right about her life and in fact, at one point, a relative joked that ?you?re probably on a milk carton somewhere.? Michelle and her mom moved away from home when she was three, leaving everyone behind and then her mom changed their identities. 66-year-old Debra Newton was arrested in Florida on November 24th. In a now viral video, a neighbor can be heard teasing ?Sharon? that the police are coming for her. Emotional at times, Michelle reveals her feelings about her mother, father and new extended family to Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson... and how her father is feeling about her mother now that he finally found and reconnected with his daughter.

?It?s okay to grieve the life you feel like was lost to you.? Elizabeth Smart speaks from experience, and she believes telling stories helps people understand. You probably remember her name and face. She?s been an advocate for people who?ve been victims of sexual violence for 20 years. Elizabeth was kidnapped from the bedroom of her Salt Lake City home in 2002 when she was 14 years old and held captive by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee for nine months. During that time, she was manipulated, starved and repeatedly raped. She wants everyone to know that?s it?s ok to say the word rape and to remember it?s a crime?a felony. Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson has an intimate and raw conversation with Elizabeth about healing from trauma, grieving that part of your life, dealing with feelings of isolation and building yourself back after something so devastating. If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted or abused, RAINN has trained people ready to help 24/7. You can call 800-656-HOPE or text HOPE to 64673. Elizabeth Smart's Book "Detours" is available now.

?YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOUR NEIGHBOR IS.? Wise words from 24-year-old Justin Anderson of Anson, Texas. He came home the Saturday night before Thanksgiving and heard screaming and banging from his neighbor?s yard. When he went to investigate, he could not believe what he found. The fence was so high, he had to hold his phone up to see what was going on, but when he looked, he found a woman locked inside a kennel surrounded by tarps and screaming that she was scared. He called 911, but to add to the horrible situation, Kandy Thompson, came out of the house ignoring her adopted daughter inside the cage, telling Anderson on video that she had been ?tearing up everything and pissing in the house.? The victim is a vulnerable adult. Kandy Thompson was arrested on multiple charges. On this episode of Criminally Obsessed, Senior Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson talks to Justin to hear his side of the story, and Anson Police Chief Daniel Graziose.

What kind of person was Maggie Murdaugh? We?ve seen the pictures, maybe watched the Hulu series and made assumptions. But we don?t KNOW Maggie. Not like Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson did. She spent a lot of time inside the Murdaugh home, helping Maggie run the household. But more than that - they sure did have a lot of fun. They were more like sisters or girlfriends?cooking together, trying the latest diet craze, and talking about makeup and fashion. In part three of our interview with Blanca, she tells Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson about how she keeps Maggie?s memory alive, what Paul Murdaugh was like, her mixed feelings toward Alex after the murders and why she?d love to buy Moselle?the property where Paul and Maggie were murdered on June 7, 2021. Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson and co-author Fran Weaver just released a book that?s a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Check out ?Within the House of Murdaugh Amid a Unique Friendship Blanca and Maggie? here: https://a.co/d/fCLETcj

"God Bless Bubba" That 3 word quote from Murdaugh Prosecutor John Meadors may have been one of the most repeated lines from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial. That's because of a video Paul Murdaugh recorded minutes before he and his mother, Maggie, were murdered. He was trying to get video of a friend's dog because it had something wrong with his tail, but on the video which became a key piece of evidence during the trial, you can hear Alex Murdaugh saying Bubba's name. He had a chicken or a guinea hen in his mouth. Until this video was presented in court, Alex Murdaugh had maintained he was napping at the house when his wife and son were gunned down. Bubba became a hero. He also became therapy for Maggie's friend Blanca who has cared for Bubba ever since. And the opposite is true too-- Blanca has helped Bubba heal from the tragedy he witnessed on June 7th, 2021. Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson sat down to talk with Blanca about that bond in the second part of this three-part interview.

WHO WERE THE CLEANERS? In this three-part interview with the woman who knew everything about the Murdaughs, Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson details all the clues she picked up on after the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh. We counted more than 10! To an outsider, they may have seemed insignificant or mundane, but not to this Murdaugh insider. Blanca, the family helper and Maggie's confidante, gives theories on who she believes Alex planned to frame... and then details why she doesn?t believe Alex Murdaugh acted alone on the night of June 7, 2021. But will she reveal who may have helped him? Criminally Obsessed reached out to the South Carolina Attorney General's office several days in advance of posting this interview to ask about Blanca's clues and is waiting an official response. Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson just released a book with Fran Weaver, ?Within the House of Murdaugh Amid a Unique Friendship Blanca and Maggie." Pick up a copy here. https://a.co/d/fCLETcj

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