
Conan chats with Trisha in Minnesota about working as an investigative crime reporter on real-life cold cases. Wanna get a chance to talk to Conan? Submit here: teamcoco.com/apply
Loading summary
Conan O'Brien
I'm gonna go out on a ledge here and say, in the olden days people used to go on Amazon to get very specific things. You know, I wanna get a cuckoo clock. It's made of caramel, hardened caramel. And they'd go on Amazon and they'd look it up and they'd order it. But you know what they're forgetting? Amazon is the go to destination for both everyday essentials and those last minute must haves. From detergents to diapers, cookies to pain relievers. Find it all on Amazon and save time. Remember the old days. I gotta get to the store and buy my aspirin. No. Hello, Amazon? Yeah, check out Amazon Basics and Amazon Essentials for quality products you'll love next time you run out of coffee, need a new lipstick, or realize you're out of light bulbs, Guess what? Amazon has you covered. Save the everyday with deals from Amazon. I've always believed that your home should be an expression of who you are. That was my. I have that like tattooed on my low back. Oh, wow. I could have had so many things tattooed down there and that's what I chose down there. Yeah. Anyway, whether you're redecorating a single space or furnishing your entire home, Ashley has styles that balance timeless appeal and modern trends. To bring your personal look home, Ashley offers well crafted, affordable pieces built to stand up to real life, not phony pretend life. They offer fast, reliable white glove delivery right to your door. Ding dong. Hello. Hey, what do you guys wearing white gloves for? We're here from Ashley. Hey, you guys kept your promise. You bet we did. We're Ashley. Visit your local Ashley store or head to Ashley.com to find your style.
Sona Movsesian
Conan O' Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit teamcoco.com call Conan. Okay, let's get started.
Conan O'Brien
Hi Trisha.
Matt Gourley
Welcome to Conan o' Brien needs a fan.
Conan O'Brien
Hey guys, how are you?
Trisha
I'm great. How are you guys?
Conan O'Brien
We are doing pretty well, I think. Yeah, but we are not the focus, Trisha. You are the focus. And you know people are sick of hearing about us. I want to know about you. I've been told, I believe that you're in Minnesota and that your name is Trisha. And that's all I know.
Trisha
Oh, really?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Okay, so maybe you could fill us in about what you do, who you are, you know, likes, dislikes, the whole thing.
Trisha
Right, the whole thing. Yeah. I'm in Montevideo, Minnesota, which is in the southwest corner of the state on the prairie. Okay, so I've been Here about seven years.
Conan O'Brien
All right.
Trisha
Moved here for my husband's job. Had no idea where this place was.
Conan O'Brien
Now, are you, are you a native of Minnesota then? In general?
Trisha
Yeah, I'm from the, yeah, I'm from the north shore of Minnesota up by Lake Superior.
Conan O'Brien
Yep.
Trisha
Yep.
Conan O'Brien
And so did this feel like a come down for you? Like, oh, I gotta go down to the, to the prairie. I gotta go down to the prairie because of my husband. Got a job on the prairie. Is that, Was that your attitude?
Trisha
Seven months pregnant.
Matt Gourley
Oh, my God. Are you guys homesteaders?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Trisha
No.
Conan O'Brien
Can you help me? Can you help me raise a barn? I have a barn raising. On, on. Yeah, I also live on the prairie. It's sort of the prairie. Sort of.
Matt Gourley
I can help pulling a dead buffalo out of a lake.
Conan O'Brien
I'll help you with that. You help me with my barn.
Matt Gourley
Sure.
Conan O'Brien
Well, Tricia, I'm just curious. So what do you do? I know you're a mom, you've got kids. What other things are you interested in?
Trisha
Yeah, I work remotely as an investigative crime reporter. I cover cold cases. Oh, my God, Minnesota.
Conan O'Brien
That's fantastic. I, I, I, I'm fascinated by this. I'm fascinated by murder. Sona, I think you're a big murder buff.
Sona Movsesian
I like murder.
Matt Gourley
Hey, guys. I like murder, too.
Conan O'Brien
Hey.
Sona Movsesian
All right, girls.
Conan O'Brien
No, I like murder so much that I, I'm, I would either like to murder or be murdered. Yes, I'm up for either one. It doesn't matter. Whoa. Yeah, I probably shouldn't put that out there. That's a bad thing. Too late.
Matt Gourley
Too late.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, yeah, you're gonna. They'll replay that if something happens to him with an echo.
Matt Gourley
Although I will say I got dibs.
Conan O'Brien
Okay. Yeah. I'll give you first crack. Okay. That's your investigative crime reporter. And your focus is cold cases. I love it. I love these stories. How far back do you go with a cold case? Usually.
Trisha
Yeah. So the 1970s has kind of become my sweet spot, which is weird because I was born in the 80s, but it was a really, it was a, I mean, it was a decade of mayhem.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. You know, I often think serial killers.
Trisha
Are on the loose.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, I like sometimes, you know, because there's, there are channels for music that just focus on, you know, like it's the 60s channel or it's the 50s channel. Like Sirius XM does that. The 70s one, it says 70s, decade of mayhem. But then they just play the Eagles. And I think, yes, it was a time for killing. Okay, so here's the thing. I think there were. What's intriguing about the 70s is that they didn't have the DNA technology yet, and so people would just go missing, and there wasn't a lot you could do about it. And so to me, it feels like a time of mystery when there's probably a lot of cold cases, right?
Trisha
Yeah, exactly. I mean, and a lot of times two people just. They were considered to be runaways because, like you said, there was no DNA technology. And especially if it was a young woman, it was just, oh, well, she went off, you know, hitchhiking to San Francisco.
Sona Movsesian
Bitches be hitchhiking.
Matt Gourley
Sorry, what?
Sona Movsesian
What did you just say? Hitchhiking?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, that felt like. That felt like the right time to drop in a joke.
Matt Gourley
Someone's trying to solve cold murder cases.
Conan O'Brien
These are young women that went missing and you decide, here's my joke. Opportunity.
Sona Movsesian
All I'm saying is be hitchhi.
Conan O'Brien
Trisha, I'd like to apologize because I think what you're doing is valuable. And if you find someone, These people are in agony because they're wondering what happened to their loved one. Sorry, Sona. I would like to.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, yeah, you care.
Matt Gourley
I would like to at least. Thank you for giving us the title of this episode.
Trisha
I was gonna say bitches be hitchin'.
Conan O'Brien
Bitches be hitchin' See, that would have been cool.
Sona Movsesian
It didn't roll off the tongue when I said hitchhiking. That's why I stumbled a lot.
Conan O'Brien
That was really why I was upset. It wasn't that. It was ins.
Matt Gourley
Bitches be hitching. Got it.
Conan O'Brien
So have you had success with this? I'll wait for the laughter to stop and then say, have you had success finding the bodies of lost women in the 70s? Jesus Christ.
Trisha
Yeah, we have, actually. We've moved. Well, we've moved at least two cases forward. One case, a gal from 1974, Belinda, she went missing and, you know, still hasn't been found, but there is a main suspect. Oh, and have you. I've reopened her case, and so we could be getting answers.
Conan O'Brien
Okay, let's talk about. Because I'd like to help crack this case. The main suspect. Have you spoken with the main suspect? Is the main suspect still alive?
Trisha
Yeah, he's still alive. I have. I met with him for an hour. He's at a secure facility in northern Minnesota for dangerous sexual offenders.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, Jesus. Yeah, okay. And you went there? I mean, that's a creepy place to visit. Was it the kind of situation where he's behind a screen and you. Or. Or a. A clear plastic and you Pick up the phone and he picks up the phone.
Trisha
No, I wish. I wish that were the case, but no. So, you know, when those.
Conan O'Brien
It's disappointing. I love it when they pick up the phone and then they pick up the phone. I want him to be in a.
Matt Gourley
Little mask and he's on a dolly in a straight jacket.
Sona Movsesian
You know, Talk to a guy who may have murdered someone in the 70s, and you're like, what phone did you use?
Conan O'Brien
Well, I just.
Sona Movsesian
How did you communicate?
Conan O'Brien
I just love it. It's always the same thing. One person picks up the phone and then points to it, and the other person then begrudgingly picks up the phone as if it's not clear to pick up the fucking phone. Right. I mean, how else are you going to talk. They always pick it up and point at it. I've seen that in 10,000 movies. And I'm not wrong. It's true.
Trisha
Yeah, that's a good point.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Um, now I'm thinking about. And this is wrong, but now I'm thinking about when people visited serial killers at, like, 1910, 1910, 1911. That one person picks up a candlestick phone and points to the other side of the window, and the other person picks up the candlestick phone and they're like, hello? Hello? Look, I didn't do it, See? I didn't do it. See? And they have to still go through an operator.
Matt Gourley
She had it coming.
Conan O'Brien
Bitches be hitchin' Yeah, I want Wrigley 5025. Enid, can you put me through? Bitches be hitching. Hold on, please. Zing, zing, zing, zing, zing. Okay, you know what, Trisha?
Matt Gourley
You don't deserve this.
Conan O'Brien
This is awful.
Sona Movsesian
This is so stupid.
Conan O'Brien
I hate us, and all three of us are going to hell. And I hope soon, I hope we go before we die just so we can check it out. But, Trisha, this is. I'm going to pull this thing together. I know I can do it. What you're doing is very cool and valuable and. And you talk to this person and tell me what it was like to look into the eye. Do you think this person did it?
Trisha
I mean, I have to. I'm not supposed to say, but, yeah, I do think he did.
Conan O'Brien
You showed a lot of. You showed a lot of restraint there, Trisha. Well, I'm not supposed. Yes. Total murderer. So you look in this person's eyes. Did this person have remorse, do you think?
Trisha
Well, no. So he and I had been writing letters for quite a while, and so that's How I.
Matt Gourley
Unrelated to this?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, I was gonna say. I was gonna say they were pen pals before any of this came up. By the way, what are your hobbies? I'm chilling in the 70s. Hey, maybe I could come by. Do they have a phone there? And a plastic divider. I'll pick it up. But you don't pick it up right away. And then I'll point to my phone. Trisha, I'm sorry. We're gonna get it back. We're gonna get it back. You know what? Can I just say, this is Trisha's fault for calling us.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Conan O'Brien
There are so many legitimate places to call.
Matt Gourley
Actually, could you pick up the phone?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Also, I said for calling us. She's on a zoom. I'm sorry, Trisha. I will rein this in, I promise you. You started writing back and forth, and then you decided to go. What made you want to go and meet with this alleged or possible killer in person?
Trisha
So at that point, we knew I'd been working with Belinda's family, and we knew that he had been named the main suspect. And so we had obtained his police files from. He had three women who escaped from him.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, God.
Trisha
And, yeah, I mean, like, really bad stuff. Like, he abducted them at gunpoint and knife point and had a kill bag. And. And all three of these women lived to tell what happened to them. And so, yeah, I think it was more so out of, obviously, for the story, because, you know, writing a story, writing a series about Belinda, you know, it was only natural to want to go and ask him some questions.
Conan O'Brien
Yep, yep.
Trisha
So, I mean, that's why I went there. Not for kicks, but, you know, you're a crime reporter.
Conan O'Brien
This is. Despite everything we've done in this podcast. This is a real thing you're doing, and it's invaluable, and these are real victims. And I cannot believe I'm transitioning us out of that laughing fit, but I have to, and I hope that everyone listening understands that we're three sociopaths.
Trisha
I was gonna say, though, to make you guys feel better. Like, I laugh with the families all the time. Like, I feel like people have to have some sort of a dark sense of humor. So I think it's all right, you know, now.
Conan O'Brien
So you talk to this person. I'm curious because I have always had an interest in this subject, and I was always wondered how I would do interviewing somebody. You know what I mean? Would I be able to get any information out of them, or would I just go on Too many. T. What's your professional opinion of how I would fair. Would I go on too many, like, comedic tangents or they'd be about to confess to the murder and I'd have a funny idea and start to describe it.
Matt Gourley
Are you thinking of having murderers on this podcast?
Conan O'Brien
Well, it's a big genre in podcast, and if we can combine our humor with murder, we might be the biggest podcast in the entire world. I mean, I know we're close, but we're not there yet.
Trisha
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think number one rule is to make them feel comfortable. I. I think you would be really good at that. And, you know, making them laugh, doing some bits would, you know, get them feeling, you know, loose.
Conan O'Brien
Yep. Yeah. That's key is get them laughing and get their trust. And then maybe they'll tell me something. I mean, I would. Maybe I could come with you some point and just. That might be distracting, you know, I.
Trisha
Think it'd be good, you know, and I've. So I only do interviews by myself, but ideally, you want to do it in a team, because then you have, like, a good cop, bad cop, and then an observer and a very silly cop.
Conan O'Brien
It's good cop, bad cop. Like, we're gonna. I'm gonna five minutes with you. I'm gonna beat your face in if you don't tell us what to do. Hey, man, I'm your friend. Yeah, and I'm here, too. I'm goofy Cop. There's good cop, bad cop, and goofy Cop. Hey, look, I've got antlers on. They're made of foam. I'm headed to Boston soon. Did you know that? East Coast? Yeah. I'm gonna go to the east coast, visit some family, take care of a few things that need to be sorted, as they say in Britain. They say that in Britain a lot. I've got to get some things sorted. Gotta take the Tube. Take the Tube. Back out of town, Back to the rolling hills. That's the who. Boy, did we get off track here. It's an Airbnb ad. And I tell you why it's an Airbnb ad. Because when you're traveling, you should be thinking about renting out your place. That's right. And Blay, you've done this a lot. I do this. And it is really great, because when you're away, you have peace of mind. You're actually making that sweet, sweet dough. You know what? What if I Airbnb your place and stayed there? Wouldn't that be weird? That'd be so cool. And then I like went through your drawers and found things like I hate my boss. You know what I have is a lot of photos of you weirdly in my place. Because that's not weird.
Unknown
Posters.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, well, I guess not for you. Most young men have photo with me. It's just what's true. You would feel right at home. Yeah. If you got a big year of travel ahead of you. Hosting is a pretty cool and unique way to make some money back. 2025 is the year to be financially savvy. That's with two V's. So don't leave money on the table when you travel. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much@airbnb.com host we drink so much water every day and it's just water. And I'm like, hello, Boring. There's gotta be a way to make water more exciting. Well, guess what? Someone cracked it. With authentic flavors and lively carbonation. Waterloo sparkling waters bring full flavor artistry. Blay, you're drinking one right now. Drinking one right now. I got the raspberry nectarine and it is tasty. It's very good. Very tasty. Everyone here in the office has been enjoying them. They're excellent. They are delicious. And you know, you say what's flavor artistry? Some people think. Are you just talking a lot of high class nonsense, Conan? No, it's about custom crafting multisensorial flavor experiences of aroma, taste and mouth feel that make you say wow wow to that sentence. Waterloo waters are crafted, not formulated or off the shelf. Just purified sparkling water and non GMO project verified natural flavors, which I insist on.
Sona Movsesian
Me too.
Conan O'Brien
With zero calories, sugars or sweeteners. I drink water constantly. I just had a couple of glasses of water and it was just regular water upstairs. And I regret that time. It was boring.
Sona Movsesian
You'll never get that back.
Conan O'Brien
I'll never get that time back. Three full glasses of water. I wish it was Waterloo and I could have had. What did you have? Raspberry. You know what, what's that one cracking open a peach right now. Okay, well, you should. You could have offered that to me. You just ate a second when I haven't had one. Oh, sorry. Nice. Thanks a lot. I'm so thirsty. Where are you working tomorrow? Give Waterloo sparkling water a try. Look for Waterloo sparkling Water next time you shop. Learn more about the flavors from Waterloo sparkling water@drinkwaterloo.com beach bodies are cool. I mean, trust me, nobody knows that more than I do. I take my shirt off, I just flex and my shirt rips apart, just flying off my body like there's been an explosion. But guess what? Well, rested bodies are cooler. Way less likely to get sidelined by back pain on a beautiful day this summer. Protect what really matters. Your spine. People think it's all about their tan. It's your spine. That's what people are checking out when you walk down the beach. Because sunburns fades, but bad sleep sticks around. Ready to wake up feeling refreshed? I'm trying to see where this ad is going. Here we go. Jesus. I was on this road, road. It was twisting and turning. I was going deeper and deeper. Some dense woods. And then finally, I'm home. Mattress Firm offers a curated premium selection of mattresses. Make it easy to find the perfect upgrade since there's no one size fits all mattress, Mattress Firm sleep experts trained to match each customer with the right fit. Plus with Mattress Firm's 120 night sleep trial, love it or get your money back if it's not the right fit. Sleep better summer harder. Get matched at Mattress Firm's Fourth of July sale and sleep at night. Text CONAN to 766693 for $100 off your next purchase at Mattress Firm. Restrictions apply. See mattressfirm.com or stores for more details. This is an advertisement from BetterHelp. Men today face immense pressure to keep it all together, but bottling things up can lead to depression or unhealthy habits. It's okay to struggle. Real strength comes from opening up about what you're carrying so you can be at your best for yourself and for everyone in your life. If you're a man, you're feeling the weight of the world. Talk to somebody. Not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. It's convenient, too. You can join a session with a therapist at the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus switch therapists at any time. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. There's no reason not to try. Talk it out with BetterHelp, our listeners get 10% off their first month@betterhelp.com Conan that's betterhelp.com Conan I do think I think I would be pretty good. And I'm fascinated. I am legitimately, all bits aside, fascinated by what you do. And I'm also noticing, I don't know if you've noticed this, too. But there are couples. It's usually a couple, or sometimes it's one person who'd been missing since the 70s, or sometimes the 80s. But a lot of times it's the 70s or even the late 60s. It's this phenomenon that's come up now, and what happens is there'll be a scuba diver in a lake, and they find they're like, hey, there's an old rusty car down there. Oh. And they dredge it up, and it turns out that the person was driving home. And this is more common. These stories pop up in the news. One popped up, like two days ago. It's a couple, I think, that went missing in the 60s. And because more and more people are scuba diving in lakes to sort of poke around, they're finding cars that just. People were driving home and their car went into the water somewhere. They were going over, or their car went in and no one knew about it. And everyone assumed they were the victim of foul play. But that's a thing, too, is just they're more and more finding people. Obviously, the women that you're talking about were abducted. But I'm finding that to be kind of fascinating in this age of. There are, like, scuba sleuths out there, which is weird, but it's true.
Trisha
Yeah, no, I've heard of that, too. And then it's kind of sad, too, because in a lot of those cases, there's like, someone who is accused of doing it, was never convicted. And then after all these years, they were just, you know. In an accident.
Conan O'Brien
Yes, they were in an accident on the way. It always freaks me out. Like, how do you. How does your car go into a pond? And nobody knew it. Nobody knew there was a crime scene. But that's happening more and more where they're finding things just because things turn up. But obviously, these are people that were abducted. And if you. Do you think when you're talking to this person and you interviewed them in jail, do you think this is someone who might be willing to confess? Or would you, if you went back, or if you repeatedly went back a couple of times? Cause what would they have to lose at this point? Why not?
Trisha
Yeah, exactly. I don't know. You know, it's kind of weird because you think they're these masterminds because they've, you know, gotten away with murder, or at least you think they have. But a lot of times they're just kind of dopey. Like, that guy's just kind of, you know, kind of pathetic. At the same Time. He doesn't strike me as someone who's going to just, you know, confess on his deathbed, but I think they're, you know, like, when you look at FBI professionals and their interrogation tactics are much smarter than I am. And I think in that case, yeah, I think it could happen.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. I'm amazed that you got into this. It sounds like you just got into this on your own. And, I mean, when you started making this your beat as a crime reporter.
Trisha
Well, no, I kind of fell into it because, like I said, I moved here. I was taken here when I was seven months pregnant and there's nowhere to work around here.
Conan O'Brien
You said I was like. Were you abducted?
Matt Gourley
No, I didn't want to say it.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, I'm gonna say you were like, I was taken here when I was seven months pregnant against my will to the prairie.
Matt Gourley
Oh, no.
Conan O'Brien
Now I feel like we have to go rescue you. Is your husband in the crime business?
Trisha
No, no, he's a physician.
Conan O'Brien
Working that angle, eh? Okay.
Sona Movsesian
Those are the best murderers.
Conan O'Brien
Best murderers, I can tell you.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Trisha
The physician, they know where to hit.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Okay. Jesus.
Trisha
She's right there with us. Yeah, she gets it. No, so I got into it because, yeah, I had three kids right. In a row. And it was, you know, I never intended on being a stay at home mom. God bless them. It's the hardest thing in the world. But when I was pregnant with my third, I was like, okay, I need to go back to work. And at that point, it was after Covid, so there were more remote opportunities. So I was like, okay, let's look for a job for me. And then I found that one, and it was with a company I used to work for, so it just kind of happened that way.
Conan O'Brien
I completely. We completely support your decision because Sona had twins and offered to go back to work from the hospital.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You wanted to get away during labor. And she said. And she hasn't seen them since.
Sona Movsesian
I don't know where they are. Yeah, no, I don't know where they are.
Trisha
I understand.
Sona Movsesian
I don't know what they're doing.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, she said you said you're willing to meet them when they graduate college.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, I came here and I haven't left. I've just been in the studio.
Trisha
Sona, how old are your twins? You have twins, right?
Sona Movsesian
They're three and a half.
Trisha
Okay. I have a three and a half year old, so. Oh, yeah, I can't imagine too.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, but you said you had three in a row. How quickly.
Trisha
19 months apart.
Conan O'Brien
Fuck. Oh, God. Okay. Jesus, Sona. Let me move on to crime and murder my parents. That's how in my family, there was a child born every four months.
Trisha
Dear God.
Conan O'Brien
For 35 years. Yeah. We were high fiving each other. Other in the womb. Well, I gotta go. I'm shipping out, but I'll see you in a couple of months. They said it was a medical miracle.
Sona Movsesian
And your mom went back to work too, immediately.
Conan O'Brien
She went back to work as soon as she could.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I don't. She went back to work? Yeah. She was a prize fighter, 75 knockouts. Never lost a fight. Well, this is fascinating. I'm really interested. I'm very interested in what you do. And I think it's incredibly cool that you're. That you're doing this. And I wish you the best of luck. It is. I also find the 70s to be such an eerie time. You're familiar with the List case, right?
Trisha
What's that?
Conan O'Brien
The List case. It's a pretty famous case. It's a guy who. The movie the Stepfather was based on the List case, but it was John List. He lost his job. Didn't want to tell his family. They were living in kind of a fancy house. He was trying to keep up appearances. And then he just decided to kill everybody and then disappear. And he went. He disappeared successfully for like 25 years. And they only found him because of America's Most Wanted. And they made a recreation of what he would look like today. And someone said, I know that guy. And it turned out it was him. And I was a writer at Saturday Night Live at the time. And I went to the trial. The trial was in New Jersey. And I would drive in my 1973 Plymouth Valiant over to New Jersey when I wasn't working on sketches and just sit there and look at this guy.
Trisha
Wow.
Conan O'Brien
He had a big family. And he just waited for the kids to come home one by one and killed them. Jesus. Yeah. Wow. And then went and started a whole new life. And when they caught him, he was having financial trouble again. And they were theorizing he might have, if they hadn't caught him, done the same thing again.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, my God.
Conan O'Brien
And his rationale was, they're starting to. It's the 70s. They're starting to wear. My daughter's starting to wear a short skirt. The kids are. I'm gonna kill them so that they don't go to hell. I'll kill them now and they'll go to heaven. That was his rationale. Okay.
Sona Movsesian
Probably a good time for Murdering. Cause there's no DNA stuff, right?
Conan O'Brien
No, exactly. I think it's. Yeah, and I agree with you.
Sona Movsesian
It's the golden age of murder.
Conan O'Brien
I agree with you.
Matt Gourley
You'll never see it again.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, isn't that a shame? It's like the studio system. Oh, they made good movies. Then you can't go home. They. I think, I think you're right. I think it's. You made a really good point, which is people think that if you get away with murder, you're a genius. But no, it's. It's a busy, crazy world out there. And as we saw with the Long island killings, those were all sex workers and sadly they would go missing and the police would go like, eh, it's a sex worker, she's. God knows where she is. And they were treated as second class citizens. And then later on it turned out that this serial killer was extremely prolific, sadly. And so you're right, there is. It's not that this person's a genius. They were just preying on a section of society that was not held in the same regard. Which is too bad.
Trisha
Yeah, exactly. And I mean, it's kind of weird obviously to think about just because most of us would get so much anxiety after killing someone and it would show, you know, but they're able to just, I don't know, go about their day.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. I think that my co workers are pointing at me. They've seen me do terrible bits and then they see that I have no remorse. None at all. Just none. And that.
Matt Gourley
And bits are worse than murder in many cases.
Conan O'Brien
In a way, you're. My bits are. I'm murdering people's peace of mind around me. I'm killing people's sense of a good world that they live in with my bits. So in my own way, I've left a long trail behind me. I don't know, we dipped in and out of. This is a fascinating conversation because we've dipped in and out of laughter and then incredibly dark moments and then back to laughter again, which shows that, well, the three of us need to be jailed.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, we do.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. We need to be in some facility.
Trisha
I mean, I. No, not convincing.
Conan O'Brien
You said that in such a minute. You said also you did that in such a Minnesota way.
Matt Gourley
Ah, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
No, no, you've been on the prairie too long, Trisha. We gotta get you out of there.
Trisha
I know, I have. No, it's a great.
Conan O'Brien
Is your physician husband out delivering a calf right now? What is he doing?
Trisha
Oh my God, a human baby.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, okay.
Trisha
All right.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Okay.
Trisha
More so.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Trisha
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Well, our best to him. And you seem like a very cool person and very. Just really fascinating to talk to you. And thanks for listening to our nonsense. Did you have a question for me before we go?
Trisha
Oh, well, my question you kind of already answered, which would be, you know. Well, actually, no. Let me start over. What advice would you give me? Because you've obviously been known as one of the great interviewers of our country. What advice would you give me the next time I go in and interview a serial killer?
Conan O'Brien
I thought you were going to say, what advice would you give to any killers out there? How to kill and kill again. It's the same thing. I think we talked about it, but I do think it's all about getting rapport. And one way I try. I always try to find common ground with people, which is strange, because if you're talking to a prolific serial killer, it would be weird, but I think I would try and go into it trying to liken what I do to what they do so that we could have a feeling of rapport. Like I've killed in front of an audience. That's what I would do. I would try and find common ground or talk about the time I've murdered. Murdered. But he's.
Sona Movsesian
You're trying to get them to admit they murdered.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
So you can't talk about. Hey, we're both. We both kill, but, yeah, we do.
Conan O'Brien
That's. Most jailhouse confessions are one criminal talking to another.
Trisha
Yeah, that's what I think it is a good strategy.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Thank you very much. Okay, you lose, Sona, I want you.
Sona Movsesian
To go undercover in prison and, like, befriend these people.
Conan O'Brien
Undercover in prison. Oh, that's gonna go well. That's gonna go really well. Hiya, fellas. I'm not Conan o' Brien. My name's Conrad o' Ryan. Well, off to the showers.
Trisha
Oh, man.
Conan O'Brien
Trisha, have a wonderful day, and really good luck to you. And I hope that you're successful and that you get some closure for these people. I really do.
Trisha
Thank you so much. And I do want to say that I listen to you guys all the time and laugh so hard.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, good.
Trisha
Appreciate it. Oh, yeah, it helps when I'm doing the murder stuff.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, well, I like to laugh along with you and then go murder so the same way. All right. You take care, Trisha. Bye.
Trisha
Bye. Thanks, guys.
Conan O'Brien
Bye.
Trisha
See ya.
Matt Gourley
Conan o' Brien needs a fan. With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley, produced by me, Matt Gourley. Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino Take It Away, Jimmy Supervising Producer Aaron Blair Associate Talent Producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm Engineering by eduardo Perez get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up@siriusxm.com Conan please rate, rate, review and subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Fan. Wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.
Unknown
Your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more@doctor Horton.com Dr. Horton America's builder and equal Housing Opportunity Builder how many.
Conan O'Brien
Discounts does USAA Auto Insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi vehicle discount Safe driver discount New vehicle discount Storage discount Legacy how many.
Sona Movsesian
Discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend: Episode Summary – "Bit@#es Be Hitchin'"
In the June 26, 2025 episode of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, host Conan O’Brien engages in a deep and multifaceted conversation with Trisha, an investigative crime reporter specializing in cold cases from the 1970s. This episode masterfully balances humor with the gravity of ongoing investigations, offering listeners a compelling blend of light-hearted banter and serious discourse on true crime.
[01:50] Conan O'Brien:
"Hi Trisha."
Conan warmly welcomes Trisha to the show, immediately setting a personal tone. Trisha introduces herself as a resident of Montevideo, Minnesota, having relocated seven years prior due to her husband’s medical profession.
[03:28] Conan O'Brien:
"So have you had success with this? ... Have you had success finding the bodies of lost women in the 70s?"
Trisha explains her role as an investigative crime reporter focusing on cold cases from the 1970s—a decade Conan humorously refers to as the "decade of mayhem."
[04:15] Conan O'Brien:
"I often think serial killers... were just kind of dopey."
Trisha delves into the challenges faced by investigators in the pre-DNA era, where many missing persons were dismissed as runaways. The lack of advanced forensic technology during the 70s makes solving these cases particularly arduous.
[06:31] Conan O'Brien:
"These are young women that went missing and you decide, here's my joke. Opportunity."
The conversation takes a somber turn as Conan accidentally makes an ill-timed joke about the sensitive nature of missing persons, leading to a moment of reflection on the importance and emotional weight of Trisha’s work.
[06:51] Trisha:
"Yeah, we have, actually. ... I've reopened her case, and so we could be getting answers."
Trisha details her involvement in the case of Belinda, who went missing in 1974. Trisha has identified a main suspect and has engaged directly with him at a secure facility in northern Minnesota.
[07:22] Trisha:
"...he abducted them at gunpoint and knife point and had a kill bag."
She provides harrowing details about the suspect's history, highlighting the brutality of his crimes and the resilience of his victims.
[10:48] Trisha:
"...writing a story, writing a series about Belinda, it was only natural to want to go and ask him some questions."
Trisha explains her motivations for interviewing the suspect, emphasizing her commitment to uncovering the truth for the victims' families.
[12:45] Matt Gourley:
"Are you thinking of having murderers on this podcast?"
Conan contemplates the feasibility of integrating interviews with criminals into his podcast, blending humor with investigative journalism.
[13:14] Trisha:
"...ideally, you want to do it in a team, because then you have, like, a good cop, bad cop, and then an observer and a very silly cop."
They discuss effective strategies for conducting interviews with dangerous individuals, underlining the importance of building rapport to elicit truthful responses.
[25:14] Trisha:
"What's that?"
Conan references the infamous John List case, where List successfully evaded capture for 25 years after murdering his family. This case exemplifies the difficulties faced by investigators during the 70s due to limited technological resources.
[26:39] Sona Movsesian:
"Probably a good time for Murdering. Cause there's no DNA stuff, right?"
Sona humorously remarks on the absence of DNA technology, reinforcing the notion that the 70s were a "golden age of murder" for perpetrators.
Throughout the episode, Conan and his team interweave humor with discussions on serious topics. This dynamic showcases their unique ability to navigate complex emotions and maintain engagement without diminishing the gravity of the subject matter.
[28:16] Conan O'Brien:
"In my own way, I've left a long trail behind me. I don't know, we dipped in and out of. ... which shows that, well, the three of us need to be jailed."
This self-deprecating humor highlights the trio’s awareness of the delicate balance between comedy and the seriousness of Trisha’s investigative endeavors.
[31:24] Trisha:
"... it helps when I'm doing the murder stuff."
Trisha expresses gratitude towards Conan and his team, acknowledging that their support and humor provide her with necessary relief amidst the challenging nature of her work.
[31:32] Conan O'Brien:
"... I like to laugh along with you and then go murder so the same way."
Conan reflects on his own impact, humorously equating his comedic actions to the metaphorical "murder" of peace of mind, further emphasizing the complex interplay between their roles.
As the episode draws to a close, Conan offers heartfelt well-wishes to Trisha, recognizing the importance and impact of her work. The conversation leaves listeners with a profound appreciation for the often-overlooked efforts of investigative reporters who tirelessly seek justice for unresolved cases.
[31:32] Conan O'Brien:
"...you seem like a very cool person and very. Just really fascinating to talk to you. And thanks for listening to our nonsense. ..."
The episode seamlessly merges humor with deep, meaningful discussions, fulfilling its purpose of fostering real friendships and providing an authentic glimpse into subjects that matter.
[04:15] Conan O'Brien:
"I often think serial killers... were just kind of dopey."
[06:51] Trisha:
"I've reopened her case, and so we could be getting answers."
[12:45] Matt Gourley:
"Are you thinking of having murderers on this podcast?"
[25:14] Trisha:
"What's that?"
[28:16] Conan O'Brien:
"In my own way, I've left a long trail behind me."
This episode of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend stands out as a poignant exploration of true crime through the lens of humor and personal connection. By inviting Trisha to share her experiences and insights, Conan not only entertains but also shines a light on the relentless pursuit of truth and justice in the often-overlooked realm of cold case investigations.
For those unfamiliar with the episode, "Bit@#es Be Hitchin'" offers a unique blend of levity and depth, making it both an engaging and enlightening listen.