True Crime Now

Ted Bundy was executed in 1989. Thirty-seven years later, DNA evidence has connected him to two murders that remained officially unsolved for more than half a century.

Utah. October 1974.

Seventeen-year-old Melissa Ann Smith disappears. Nine days later, her body is discovered in a wooded area.

Just weeks later, another seventeen-year-old, Laura Ann Aime, vanishes after leaving a Halloween party. Her body is discovered the following month.

For decades, investigators suspect one of America's most notorious serial killers: Ted Bundy.

But suspicion is not enough to close either case.

In April 2026, advances in forensic DNA analysis finally confirm Bundy's responsibility for Laura's murder.

Then, on October 27, 2026, exactly fifty-two years after Melissa's body was discovered, authorities announce another breakthrough. DNA evidence has helped investigators establish that Bundy was also responsible for her death.

In this four-chapter investigation, True Crime Now examines Ted Bundy's criminal history, the murders that terrorised America during the 1970s, his dramatic escapes, trials and execution, and the extraordinary forensic discoveries that continue to reveal new information about his crimes.

We explore how investigators recovered DNA from evidence preserved for decades, how modern profiling techniques connected the two murders, and the difference between conventional DNA analysis, familial DNA searching and investigative genetic genealogy.

With other disappearances still under investigation, one question remains.

More than thirty-seven years after Ted Bundy's execution, how many secrets could the evidence still reveal?

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Narrated by Erica VossExecutive Producer: Lee MannProduced by Audio Bleach Global
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She was accused of stalking, making death threats and arranging a violent sexual assault. The evidence appeared overwhelming. But Michelle Hadley was innocent. And the people responsible for framing her were closer than anyone imagined.

California. 2016.

When Michelle Hadley's former fiancé, Ian Diaz, and his new wife, Angela, reported a terrifying campaign of online harassment, investigators believed they had identified the perpetrator.

Threatening emails, fabricated online identities and disturbing advertisements appeared to point directly towards Michelle.

She was arrested, charged with serious crimes and held on one million dollars bail.

For 88 days, Michelle remained behind bars, facing the possibility of life in prison.

But as investigators examined the digital evidence, the story began to unravel.

The messages were fabricated. The accusations were false. And the apparent victims had orchestrated an extraordinary conspiracy.

Angela Diaz would receive a five-year prison sentence. Years later, Ian Diaz, a former deputy United States Marshal, would be convicted of cyberstalking, conspiracy, perjury and obstruction of justice, receiving a sentence of ten years and one month.

In this four-chapter investigation, True Crime Now examines the relationship that preceded the accusations, the elaborate digital deception, the investigation that exposed the conspiracy and Michelle Hadley's long fight for justice.

How did an innocent woman spend nearly three months in prison for crimes she never committed? And how did the people responsible manage to make their fabricated evidence appear so convincing?

SUPPORT TRUE CRIME NOW

Support the podcast on GoFundMe

FOLLOW TRUE CRIME NOW

YouTube: True Crime Now TV

Instagram: @truecrimenow_

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Narrated by Erica VossExecutive Producer: Lee MannProduced by Audio Bleach Global
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A husband dies from a lethal dose of fentanyl. His wife writes a children's book about grief. Then police uncover a disturbing story of money, deception and murder.

On March 4, 2022, thirty-nine-year-old Eric Richins was found dead inside his home in Kamas, Utah.

Toxicology tests revealed that he had died from a fatal fentanyl overdose.

His wife, Kouri Richins, publicly presented herself as a grieving widow. In 2023, she published Are You With Me?, a children's book intended to help young readers cope with the loss of a parent.

But just weeks later, Kouri was arrested and accused of murdering her husband.

Investigators uncovered a complex web of financial difficulties, disputed life insurance policies, mounting debts and evidence of an earlier attempt to poison Eric.

Prosecutors alleged that Kouri had deliberately administered a lethal dose of fentanyl to her husband, motivated by financial gain.

In March 2026, a Utah jury found Kouri Richins guilty of aggravated murder and additional offences.

She was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

In this four-chapter investigation, True Crime Now examines Eric's final hours, the financial evidence behind the prosecution's case, the alleged poisoning attempts, the murder trial and the conviction that shocked the nation.

We explore how a children's book about coping with loss became linked to a murder investigation, and how prosecutors built their case against a woman who claimed to be mourning her husband.

Was Eric Richins murdered for money? And how did a story of grief conceal a devastating betrayal?

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Narrated by: Erica VossExecutive Producer: Lee MannProduced by: Audio Bleach Global

This episode examines a criminal conviction that remains subject to legal challenge. The programme distinguishes established facts and jury findings from disputed allegations.
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An 84-year-old woman vanishes from her Arizona home. Blood is discovered near her front door. Then come the ransom demands — millions of dollars in Bitcoin.

On February 1, 2026, Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show presenter Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona.

What began as a missing-person investigation quickly developed into a suspected abduction.

Investigators discovered blood evidence at Nancy's property. Surveillance footage captured a masked individual outside her home during the early hours of the morning.

Then came a disturbing new development.

Messages sent to news organisations demanded millions of dollars in Bitcoin, claiming Nancy was being held captive. The demands reportedly began at $4 million before increasing to $6 million.

But who was sending them? Were the messages genuine? And did the people behind them actually know what had happened to Nancy?

As the FBI joined the investigation, Savannah Guthrie and her family made emotional public appeals for Nancy's safe return.

Yet despite extensive searches, forensic examinations and international media attention, Nancy remained missing.

In this four-chapter investigation, True Crime Now reconstructs the night Nancy disappeared, examines the surveillance footage and forensic evidence, investigates the Bitcoin ransom demands and follows the search for answers.

We separate confirmed findings from unverified claims, examine the challenges facing investigators and explore the questions that continue to surround one of America's most closely watched missing-person cases.

Who took Nancy Guthrie? Were the Bitcoin ransom demands genuine? And what happened inside her home that night?

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Narrated by Erica VossExecutive Producer: Lee MannProduced by Audio Bleach Global

This episode examines an active investigation. Ransom messages and claims made by unidentified individuals are presented as allegations, not established facts. Information reflects reporting available at the time of production.
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She appeared on national television in a bitter dispute with her former fiancé. Hours later, she vanished. Nearly fifteen years later, police made an arrest.

On November 17, 2011, thirty-three-year-old Michelle Parker disappeared in Orlando, Florida, after dropping off her young twins at the home of her former fiancé, Dale Smith Jr.

Earlier that day, a prerecorded episode of The People's Court featuring the former couple had aired, revealing a bitter dispute over a missing engagement ring.

Michelle never arrived at work.

Her Hummer SUV was discovered abandoned the following day. Weeks later, investigators recovered her mobile phone from a lake.

But Michelle was never found.

For almost fifteen years, her family searched for answers as investigators examined conflicting statements, digital evidence and the circumstances surrounding her final known movements.

Then, on October 14, 2026, Orlando police arrested Dale Smith Jr. and charged him with second-degree murder.

Investigators credited advances in digital forensics and a renewed examination of evidence with helping move the case forward.

Smith has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. Michelle's remains have never been recovered.

In this five-chapter investigation, True Crime Now reconstructs Michelle's disappearance, examines her appearance on The People's Court, follows the extensive search and investigates the evidence behind the arrest that changed the case nearly fifteen years later.

What happened to Michelle Parker on November 17, 2011? And will her family finally receive the answers they have spent so long seeking?

Support True Crime Now:https://www.gofundme.com/TrueCrimeNow

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@TrueCrimeNowTV

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/truecrimenow_/

Narrated by Erica VossExecutive Producer: Lee MannProduced by Audio Bleach Global

This episode discusses an ongoing criminal case. All allegations are presented as allegations, and Dale Smith Jr. is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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