In February 1996, 36-year-old Jasmine “Jazzie” Porter was found dead in her Bronx apartment while her five-year-old son was left to survive alone for days. For more than two decades, her case went unsolved—until a cold case detective uncovered long-preserved evidence that changed everything. A DNA match pointed to a man with a violent past, already convicted of killing another woman years earlier. The case is still pending, with no clear motive identified, but after 25 years, Jasmine’s family may finally be closer to justice.
Support
If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.
Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales
Support the show for as low as $3/month.
Credits:
Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell
Rockefeller Audio production
For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Katie Hamlin
In July 2002, the body of 15-year-old Katie Hamlin was discovered in a remote area of Cherokee County, Georgia. She had been brutally murdered, and her killer attempted to erase every trace of evidence by setting her on fire.
What followed was a years-long investigation that left a quiet community shaken. Police quickly focused on two suspects who pointed fingers at each other, but with crucial forensic evidence destroyed, the case stalled. It wasn’t until a determined mother, new forensic findings, and unexpected jailhouse confessions that prosecutors finally had enough to bring Katie’s killer to justice.
This is the story of Katie Hamlin, the search for truth, and the fight to bring her killer down.
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Christmas Doe
#295 - In December 1988, a road crew in rural Ware County, Georgia, discovered an abandoned television console on the side of Duncan Bridge Road. Inside was a black suitcase. Inside that suitcase, a duffel bag. And inside the bag — the body of a little girl.
For decades, no one knew her name. She was remembered only as “Christmas Doe.”
Thirty-four years later, advances in forensic genealogy finally gave her identity back. Now, investigators say they know who is responsible for her death.
This episode follows the heartbreaking story of Christmas Doe, the decades-long mystery of who she was, and how modern forensic science finally brought her justice.
Support
If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.
Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales
Support the show for as low as $3/month.
Credits:
Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell
Rockefeller Audio production
For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Patricia Meehan
#294 - In 1989, 37-year-old Patricia Meehan crashed head-on into another car on a Montana highway. She calmly stepped out, stared at the other driver—and walked away into the night. She was never seen again… or was she?
Over the years, thousands claimed to spot her across the country, yet not a single sighting was confirmed. Was it amnesia, a planned disappearance, death in the wilderness, or something darker? Decades later, her fate remains one of America’s strangest mysteries.
Support
If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.
Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales
Support the show for as low as $3/month.
Credits:
Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell
Rockefeller Audio production
For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor
#293 - In the early 1970s, two young women from Stanford University—Leslie Perlov and Janet Taylor—were strangled and left in remote areas just miles apart. Despite extensive investigations, both cases remained unsolved for decades.
Nearly 50 years later, a stunning breakthrough in forensic genealogy revealed their killer: John Getreu, a seemingly ordinary man with a violent past. Hidden behind the mask of a family man and community volunteer was a predator who had escaped justice for far too long.
This episode explores how preserved DNA evidence, advanced technology, and determined investigators finally brought long-overdue answers to two grieving families—and exposed a serial killer hiding in plain sight.
Support
If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales.
Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new episodes, have access to exclusive bonus content, snag exclusive show merch or just want to support what I'm doing, please visit our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/forensictales
Support the show for as low as $3/month.
Credits:
Written and produced by Courtney Fretwell
Rockefeller Audio production
For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit forensictales.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not all stories have happy endings... A weekly true crime podcast with a forensic twist. Each episode features real stories highlighting how forensic science was used. From fingerprinting to criminal profiling to familial DNA, we have every investigative angle covered.
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