Forensic Tales

#359 - In August 1987, a freight train struck 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives as they lay motionless on railroad tracks in Arkansas. The medical examiner called it an accident, claiming marijuana had left them too deeply asleep to react. Their families demanded another look.
A second forensic examination uncovered evidence of violence before the train’s arrival, challenging the original ruling and turning the case into a homicide investigation. But answers remained elusive.
This week on Forensic Tales, we examine the evidence, the disputed investigation, and the unanswered questions surrounding the “Boys on the Tracks.”

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.
Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more):
patreon.com/forensictales
Website & Episode Sources:
https://www.forensictales.com/jonathan-luna
Follow Forensic Tales:
Instagram: @forensictales
TikTok: @forensictales
Facebook: Forensic Tales
Contact:
courtney@forensictales.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Sequencing and use my code sequencing.com/FORENSIC10 for a great deal: https://sequencing.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#358 - In December 2003, federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna was found dead in a Pennsylvania creek, far from his Baltimore office. He had suffered 36 stab wounds and drowned. Toll records and banking activity traced a puzzling overnight journey—but couldn’t explain why he’d taken it.
His death was officially ruled a homicide, yet some federal investigators questioned whether his injuries were self-inflicted. This week on Forensic Tales, we examine the evidence, competing theories, and what his long-withheld autopsy report reveals about a case that still leaves more questions than answers.

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.
Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more):
patreon.com/forensictales
Website & Episode Sources:
https://www.forensictales.com/jonathan-luna
Follow Forensic Tales:
Instagram: @forensictales
TikTok: @forensictales
Facebook: Forensic Tales
Contact:
courtney@forensictales.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Sequencing and use my code sequencing.com/FORENSIC10 for a great deal: https://sequencing.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#357 - When Sharon Causse was shot and killed inside her Las Vegas home in 2008, her husband, Thomas Randolph, claimed he had killed the intruder responsible. But the physical evidence raised questions about his story.
From cartridge cases to a ski mask without blood or bullet holes, investigators began reconstructing a suspected staged home invasion—and uncovering the troubling history of a man who had been married six times. This week on Forensic Tales, we examine Sharon’s murder, the case against the so-called “Black Widower,” and the forensic evidence that challenged his account.
Listener discretion: domestic violence
If you recognize parts of your own relationship in this story, or you’re worried about someone you love, support is available. In the United States, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by texting the word START to 88788, or chat online at thehotline.org. 

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.
Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more):
patreon.com/forensictales
Website & Episode Sources:
https://www.forensictales.com/thomas-randolph
Follow Forensic Tales:
Instagram: @forensictales
TikTok: @forensictales
Facebook: Forensic Tales
Contact:
courtney@forensictales.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Sequencing and use my code sequencing.com/FORENSIC10 for a great deal: https://sequencing.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#356 - When 71-year-old Alan Abrahamson was found shot dead near his gated Florida community, the missing weapon pointed investigators toward murder. But unusual purchases, a puzzling timeline, and a digital trail revealed a different story. This week on Forensic Tales, explore how physical evidence and digital forensics helped unravel Alan’s death—and why his life deserves to be remembered beyond the headlines.
Content warning: Discussion of suicide and self-harm.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or text HOME to 741741. 

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.
Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more):
patreon.com/forensictales
Website & Episode Sources:
https://www.forensictales.com/alan-abrahamson
Follow Forensic Tales:
Instagram: @forensictales
TikTok: @forensictales
Facebook: Forensic Tales
Contact:
courtney@forensictales.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Sequencing and use my code sequencing.com/FORENSIC10 for a great deal: https://sequencing.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#355 - In 2015, healthy 60-year-old chiropractor Mary Yoder suddenly became violently ill and died less than 48 hours later. Toxicology revealed that she had been poisoned with colchicine, but identifying who gave it to her would divide her family and community for years.
A suspicious letter, a bottle hidden inside her son’s Jeep, conflicting digital evidence, and touch DNA eventually led investigators to his ex-girlfriend, Katie Conley.
But after two trials, a conviction, and its eventual reversal, one question remains: Who really poisoned Mary Yoder?

Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production, written and produced by Courtney Fretwell.
Support the show on Patreon (get early ad-free access to episodes, monthly bonus episodes & more):
patreon.com/forensictales
Website & Episode Sources:
https://www.forensictales.com/mary-yoder
Follow Forensic Tales:
Instagram: @forensictales
TikTok: @forensictales
Facebook: Forensic Tales
Contact:
courtney@forensictales.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Sequencing and use my code sequencing.com/FORENSIC10 for a great deal: https://sequencing.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy