Skip straight to the case: (10:21)

On November 17, 2011, Michelle Parker (33) vanished in Orlando, Florida, just hours after an episode of The People's Court featuring her and her former fiancé, Dale Smith Jr., aired on national television. The pair had appeared on the show to argue over a $5,000 engagement ring, with Michelle describing a turbulent relationship and alleging that Dale had been physically abusive. Later that afternoon, she dropped off their three-year-old twins at his home. She was expected at work that evening, but never arrived. The following day, her black Hummer was found abandoned, its business decals removed, and weeks later, her iPhone was recovered from a lake. Michelle, a mother of three, had seemingly disappeared without a trace.

For nearly 15 years, her family searched for answers while investigators scrutinized Dale, who had been identified as the primary suspect early in the investigation but was not charged at the time. Then, in October 2026, a renewed examination of cellphone data, deleted messages and other evidence led to Dale's arrest on a charge of second-degree murder.

Links:

• Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/11/01/ex-husband-of-missing-woman-michelle-parker-arrested-for-her-murder/
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Approx Timestamps:
(4:57) - Sam Wood Update
(6:42) - Dan Markel

On July 18, 2014, 41-year-old law professor Dan Markel was sitting in his car in the garage of his Tallahassee, Florida, home when a gunman approached and shot him. Dan had recently been through a bitter divorce from his wife, Wendi Adelson, and was locked in a contentious custody battle over their two young sons. He would die the following day, leaving his family devastated and investigators searching for answers. But what initially appeared to be a targeted shooting would eventually expose an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy involving a hitman, a former girlfriend, a successful dentist, and a mother who prosecutors would accuse of helping orchestrate her former son-in-law's death.

Prosecutors argued that Dan was murdered because he stood in the way of his children's relocation to South Florida, closer to his former wife's family. Over the next decade, investigators would follow a trail of phone records, financial transactions, secret recordings, and testimony that led to five convictions. But one question would continue to haunt the case: how far did the conspiracy reach, and was everyone who knew something about Dan's murder ever held accountable?

Links

• Read our blog for this case
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In 2015, Australians watched a Melbourne personal trainer search for love on national television on ‘The Bachelor’. By the end of the season, he had chosen a single mother from Western Australia, and the pair appeared to have found something that reality television rarely delivers: a lasting relationship.

That man was Sam Wood. The woman he chose was Snezana Markoski, now known as Snezana Wood.

They went on to marry, raise a family together and build a public profile that extended well beyond reality television.

Sam became known as a fitness entrepreneur, while Snezana developed her own public profile as a mother, businesswoman and social media personality. Their family life, their children and their relationship featured regularly in the content they shared with followers.

But in October 2026, that public image was thrown into uncertainty when Sam was charged with domestic violence offences following a police investigation in Noosa, Queensland.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the downfall of ‘The Bachelor’ Sam Wood.

Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/10/18/the-downfall-of-the-bachelor-sam-wood/

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Lola Blankets - The softest season is here and Lola Blankets just dropped their fallcollection, The Westward Collection. For a limited time, our listeners can get 40% OFF select Lola Blankets products with code TCS at checkout. Just head to LolaBlankets.com and use code TCS to get 40% OFF your order.
• Quince - Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
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• (4:18) - Christa Pike Updates
• (15:00) - Caleb Flynn

On February 16, 2026, Ohio pastor and former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn called 911 and reported that his wife, Ashley, had been shot inside their home. Investigators would later question the account of an intruder, and their case against Caleb would increasingly focus on something far less tangible than fingerprints or a recovered weapon: thousands upon thousands of text messages between Caleb and the woman he was having an affair with.

Over the course of their relationship, Caleb Flynn and Alleigha Botner exchanged more than 100,000 messages. Some discussed their future together, some detailed his frustration with his marriage, and others contained deeply disturbing references to Ashley. Then, just hours before Ashley was killed, Caleb sent messages saying, “I choose you,” “I’m about to be free,” and “Actions will come tomorrow.”

There have also been some updates in a case we covered recently - the planned execution of Christa Pike. Despite being given two doses of lethal drugs, Christa survived the execution attempt and is currently hospitalized. Please note that this episode was recorded before we knew that Christa was conscious and talking. We will discuss that update in our next episode.

Read our blogs for these cases:

https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/10/04/american-idol-contestant-caleb-flynn-found-guilty-of-the-murder-of-his-wife/

https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/09/20/the-failed-execution-of-christa-pike/

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Quince - Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
• Instant Hydration - For a better way to stay hydrated, go to InstantHydration.com/tcs and use promo code TCS for over 40% off your first subscription order. It’s Instant Hydration’s best offer available.
• Nutrafol - Nutrafol is the #1 dermatologist- recommended hair growth supplement brand AND it’s the #1 hair growth supplement brand personally used by dermatologists. Right now, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you visit Nutrafol.com and enter promo code TCS.

Timestamp to skip straight to the case: (7:11)

A routine police encounter has opened the door to one of Philadelphia’s most disturbing investigations. Inside a home linked to filmmaker Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, investigators have uncovered more than a million photos and videos, disturbing material involving women, drugs, weapons and chemicals—and evidence that has now connected the property to seven missing women.

With five of those women believed by investigators to appear in footage that may show them dead, authorities are trying to separate fact from fiction in a vast collection created by a man who spent decades making violent, graphic films. What really happened inside the Horsch home, and how many secrets are still buried there?

Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/09/27/the-horsch-case-philadelphias-house-of-horrors/

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Approx Timestamps:
(10:20) - Patrick Clancy 60 Minutes Interview
(15:00) - Christa Pike

On the night of January 12, 1995, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer walked into an isolated area near the University of Tennessee campus. She would never walk out alive. At the centre of the case was an 18-year-old woman named Christa Pike — a teenager whose childhood, relationships and increasingly disturbing behaviour would become crucial to understanding how Colleen's murder happened. Christa was found guilty of Colleen’s murder and is scheduled for execution on September 30, 2026.

In this episode of the True Crime Society Podcast, we discuss the horrific murder of Colleen Slemmer and the scheduled execution of Christa Pike.

Read our blog for this case - https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/09/20/scheduled-for-execution-christa-pike/

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Primal Queen - Primal Queen packs nutrient-dense, grass-fed beef organs into just two easy capsules a day, in a formula made specifically for women. For a limited time only, our listeners are getting a FREE MONTH of Primal Queen plus FOUR FREE GIFTS at PrimalQueen.com/tcs.

• (14:15) - Leila Cavett Update
• (16:30) - Lizzie Borden

On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were found brutally murdered inside their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew, a wealthy businessman, had been hacked to death on the sitting-room sofa, while his wife Abby was discovered upstairs, having suffered multiple blows to the head.

Suspicion quickly fell on Andrew’s 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie Borden, who lived in the house with her father and stepmother. Lizzie’s relationship with Abby was reportedly strained, and there had been increasing family tensions regarding finances and property.

Lizzie was arrested and charged with the murders, with prosecutors presenting a circumstantial case against her. She was famously accused of killing her father and stepmother with an axe, but after a highly publicised trial, the jury deliberated for just over an hour before finding her not guilty on both counts.

More than 130 years later, the Borden murders remain one of America's most enduring unsolved mysteries.

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Skip straight to the case: (7:05)
*all time stamps are approx due to ads

Imagine coming across a two-year-old little boy wandering completely alone outside an apartment complex.

He's wearing only a shirt and a diaper.

He can't tell anyone where his mother is.

Nobody seems to know where he's come from.

And then, as police begin trying to identify this little boy, they discover something even more disturbing.

His mother, 21-year-old Leila Cavett, is missing.

Self-proclaimed ‘witch’ Shannon Ryan has been arrested and charged with Leila’s murder. Social media messages between Shannon and Leila indicate that Leila may have been working as a witchcraft apprentice. Court documents currently indicate that the jury trial may begin this month, September 2026.

Read our blog for this case -
https://truecrimesociety.com/2026/09/06/the-disappearance-of-leila-cavett/

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Instant Hydration - Instant Hydration contains zero sugar, no glucose spike and no sugar crash. For a better way to stay hydrated, go to InstantHydration.com/tcs and use our promo code TCS for over 40% off your first subscription order - it’s Instant Hydration’s best offer available