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- [00:01]
Heidi Wong
Crime House has the perfect new show for spooky season Twisted Tales. Hosted by Heidi Wong, each episode of Twisted Tales is perfect for late night scares and daytime frights, revealing the disturbing real life events that inspired the world's most terrifying blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original.
- [00:25]
Katie Ring
Powered by Pave Studios.
- [00:27]
Heidi Wong
Listen wherever you get your podcasts New episodes out every Monday.
- [00:41]
Katie Ring
This is Crime House. Happy Halloween everyone. Today we're covering two cases that are making headlines. First is the murder of 16 year old Lizbeth Medina, a popular high school cheerleader whose death was tragic and terrifying because her killer was someone she'd never met. Then I'll cover the murder of 19 year old Sade Robinson who went on a first date with a man she met on an app. But unfortunately it would be her last. Let's get into it. A 16 year old cheerleader was found murdered at home.
- [01:19]
Experian Ad Voice
Tragic murder that shocked the town of Edna was delayed in court. 24 year old Rafael Romero is accused of killing Lizabeth Medina.
- [01:29]
Katie Ring
Foreign hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening, and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on today's biggest cases. Every night, Nightwatch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, this is the place for you. Follow Crime House Daily wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review and for ad free listening. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video, check out our YouTube channel, Crimehouse Daily. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [02:47]
Lemonade Pet Insurance Ad Voice
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- [02:49]
Katie Ring
Congrats.
- [02:49]
Lemonade Pet Insurance Ad Voice
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- [03:24]
Katie Ring
Okay, before we get into our main cases today, I came across a perverted case I not only want to tell you about, but also warn you about. Authorities in Iowa say a man has been arrested for allegedly planting hidden cameras inside porta potties at public events. And those cameras reportedly recorded dozens of people, including children. Police say the man's name is tyler Pavlick. He's 32 years old and is from Des Moines, Iowa. He was arrested on October 15 after investigators linked him to multiple incidents where small cameras were discovered at local events. The first camera was found earlier this month on October 4th at the Harvest and Handmade Fair at Waterworks park in Des Moines. People noticed something off inside of the portable bathrooms, and they looked closer and realized there was a camera hidden underneath the toilet seat. Like, who even wants to see that? That's the most unattractive thing ever. There are some serious weirdos out there. And it wasn't just taking random shots. Police say the camera was positioned to record people's faces as they entered the porta potty and while they used the toilet. Just a couple of weeks later, the Marshall County Sheriff's Office got a similar report, this time at the Lincoln Valley Golf Course and State center. That's about 40 minutes away. Now, here's where it gets even worse. That event was a school cross country meet. We're talking middle school and high school students from several districts all competing. That day, a group of participants noticed what they thought was a hidden camera in one of the porta potties near the starting line. They took it out and turned it over to the police. From there, investigators compared notes and found that both incidents looked eerily similar. Eventually, digital evidence allegedly linked everything back to Tyler. Now Pavlik's facing a massive list of charges, 98 in total. That includes seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, dozens more of invasion of privacy, and additional charges for allegedly promoting or distributing the footage. Authorities believe he may have recorded people at up to 90 different locations, which means there could be more victims out there who don't even realize that they were filmed. The sheriff's office says they're still sorting through evidence and may bring more charges as new victims are identified. They're asking anyone who used the porta potties at the cross country event to come forward and submit a tip through the Marshall County Sheriff's Office. Our first case today is the tragic death of lisbeth Medina, a 16 year old high school cheerleader from Texas who was murdered in her own home. When Lisbeth didn't show up to cheer in her town's Christmas parade, her mom knew something was wrong. But when she rushed home, she came across a sight no parent should ever have to see. Her daughter was in the bathtub and had been stabbed to death. The man who killed Lisbeth, Rafael Romero, may have been stalking her for weeks before the attack. In late September, Romero accepted a plea deal. Let's take a look at Lisbeth's life before it was tragically taken away. Lisbeth Medina is born in 2007 and grows up in Grand Island, Nebraska, a city of about 50,000 residents. Lisbeth's father isn't in the picture when she is a kid, so she and her mother Jacqueline do everything together, like going to the movies or shopping. They consider each other best friends and When Lizbeth is 16, they move 900 miles away to the even smaller town of Edna, Texas, about an hour and a half outside of Houston. Lizbeth immediately excels in her new environment. She does very well at Aetna High School, making tons of friends and starring for her cheerleading team. Everyone who knows Elizabeth describes her as a bubbly, funny and incredibly generous girl. On her birthdays, she asks people to donate to charities instead of getting gifts. She doesn't seem to be interested in material things anyway. Lisbeth's happy place is Shelby park in Edna where she goes for runs to De Stress. She spends most of her free time there. At the same time, life in Edna isn't completely carefree for Lisbeth and Jacqueline. On November 13, 2023, their apartment is broken into. Fortunately, they're not home at the time, so no one's hurt and only a few small things are missing. Still, they file a police report, but for a few weeks it seems like a one off incident. On December 5, 2023, Jacqueline leaves early for work. She says goodbye to Lisbeth and tells her she'll see her later that night at the town's Christmas parade. Jacqueline is excited because her daughter is marching with her cheer team in the parade. But later that night, as Jacqueline watches the cheerleaders march down the street, Lisbeth isn't with him. Jacqueline turns to one of Lisbeth's friends in the crowd and asks if she can see her. But the friend doesn't see her either. They're both concerned about what's going on. It's super Unlike Lisbeth, to miss something like this. They call her phone, but no one picks up. Now Jacqueline is afraid something's really wrong, so she rushes home to see if Lisbeth is there. Inside the apartment, she calls out Lisbeth's name, but there's no response. Jacqueline begins checking each room, and when she enters the bathroom, she sees Lisbeth in the bathtub. There's blood everywhere, and Jacqueline notices what looks like multiple stab wounds. The distraught mother immediately calls paramedics, who arrive at 6:57pm but there's nothing they can do. Lisbeth is pronounced dead on the scene. Later, authorities determine that she died sometime around 10am and that her killer maybe wasn't expecting her to be home. They also confirm that Lisbeth was stabbed to death. Lisbeth's murder shocks the town of Edna, even though she hadn't lived there long. The community is filled with grief on the day of the big playoff game where Lisbeth was supposed to lead the cheer team. Players, cheerleaders and people in the crowd wear purple, Lisbeth's favorite color, in her honor. Meanwhile, police are hard at work trying to track down Lisbeth's killer. They compile security footage from the apartment building and spot something suspicious. A few weeks after the break in at Jacqueline and Lisbeth's apartment in November, there's a young man with a tattoo behind his ear spotted on the property. It's not clear exactly what he's doing there, but investigators find him suspicious. That hunch only gets stronger when they find additional footage. This time, cameras show a silver Ford Taurus speeding through the apartment complex. Investigators connect that vehicle to a man named Rafael Romero, who matches the description of the man seen in the earlier footage. Romero is a 23 year old migrant worker who's most likely on the authorities radar already because his work visa has expired. Police also find other evidence tying Romero to the crime scene and have enough to arrest him. They realize he'd stolen Lisbeth's cell phone. And on December 9, 2023, just one day after identifying their suspect, Edna, police and Texas Rangers used the phone's location data to track down Romero in Schoellenberg, Texas, about an hour away from Edna. The same time a candlelight vigil for Lisbeth is taking place. Police take him into custody. When police interrogate Romero, he admits to the crime. As they speak with him, more authorities start to believe Romero stalked Lisbeth before he killed her. With this case still ongoing, authorities haven't released details yet of what kind of behavior he engaged in. And for Jacqueline, this is as baffling as it is frightening. She says she's never even seen Romero before. He's a complete stranger to her. It's still unclear whether Romero was connected with the November break in at the apartment, but authorities speculate that he was. He initially was charged with capital murder and his bail is set at $2 million. Later. He's also charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and burglary. Three months after Rafael's arrest in March 2024, his arraignment is held at the Jackson County Courthouse. Jacqueline, who has since moved away, returns to Edna for the first time since leaving. She's haunted by what happened to her daughter, but is ready to face the man who's responsible. But the opportunity is quickly taken from her.
- [12:21]
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- [12:54]
Katie Ring
In March of 2024, Rafael Romero is scheduled to appear at his arraignment hearing for the murder of 16 year old Lisbeth Medina. In 2023, Lisbeth's mother, Jacqueline, gears up to face her daughter's killer in court, but she doesn't get the chance because Raphael waives his appearance. After that, bureaucratic delays continue to push the trial date. Back in December 2024, Romero's attorneys take advantage of the extra time and try to enter an insanity plea. This doesn't sit right with Jacqueline, who says that Romero knew what he was doing. In her mind, the insanity plea is just his attempt to avoid consequences. Finally, after almost two years of waiting, a trial was set for October 2025. However, on September 24, 2025, the Jackson County DA's office announces that Romero has accepted a plea deal. In exchange for his guilty plea, Romero is given two life sentences with the possibility of parole after 30 years instead of the death penalty. To many, the news brings a close to the horrific chapter. But for Jacqueline, the plea deal feels like salt in the wound. Based on social media posts from the DA's office, she believes Romero wasn't given a harsher sentence because the county simply didn't have enough money to to pay for the process of a jury trial and possible capital conviction. Even though legal proceedings have come to a close, Romero still hasn't offered up an explanation for his actions. But Jacqueline at least finds comfort in the fact that Romero didn't get away with what he did. Jacqueline and the rest of Lisbeth's family can hopefully still find closure. Perhaps in time, more pieces of the truth will come to light and any additional information will help her loved ones find some peace. Our next case unpacks another tragic murder of a young woman who had her whole life in front of her. On April 1, 2024, 33 year old Maxwell Anderson took 19 year old Sade Robinson on a first date, but unfortunately it would be her last. Authorities tracked down Maxwell, who had a years long criminal record and discovered that he had killed and dismembered Sade. After his sentencing, Sade's family filed a wrongful death suit against him, but before proceedings could begin, Maxwell was transferred to an undisclosed facility. Despite all of the mystery on his whereabouts, a restitution hearing was held on October 16 and Maxwell was ordered to pay Sade's family a standard fee of over $90,000. And there's still more to come. With the civil suit moving forward, let's dive into how the case got here. Sade Robinson is born on May 10, 2004 in Mississippi. Just before she turns two, she moves with her mother Sheena to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sade's father Carlos lives in Florida so she splits her time between the two states. But in 2019, when she's 15 years old, she starts living full time with her mother. As she gets older, Sade becomes a bright student at Riverside High School. She has a passion for criminal justice and advocates for missing black, brown and indigenous women. She graduates from high school a semester early and enrolls in Milwaukee Area Technical College where she studies criminal justice. She wants to turn her advocacy into a full time career in the military. In May of 2024, Sade is in her last semester of college. She's also working at a restaurant called Pizza Shuttle on Milwaukee's east side as well as the Wisconsin Country Club. She helps her younger sister Adriana get a job there as well. With all she's got going on, Sade still wants to find love and joins a dating app where she matches with 33 year old Maxwell. Please to any young girls watching, if a 33 year old man is going after a 19 year old, it's not because you are mature for your age. It's because they are either a predator who wants to take advantage of your lack of experience in relationships and boundary setting, someone who can't attract mates closer to his age, or in this case, something much more sinister. Maxwell has worked as a bartender and security guard at a variety of Milwaukee bars. His former employers described him as well liked. However, when he meets Sade, Maxwell is hiding a history of violence. After a year long stint in the US Navy, Maxwell was arrested for multiple violent altercations with family members while under the influence of drugs, as well as a battery charge that was later dropped and multiple DUIs. But unfortunately, Sade doesn't know any of this and on April 1, 2024, they set up a first date. Maxwell suggests meeting at a restaurant called the Twisted Fisherman where he used to work. The two meet there around 5.20pm and enjoy drinks and dinner together. About an hour later, they leave in Sade's car to go to another bar. While there, Sade sends a Snapchat to her friend. A little later on that night, Maxwell invites Sade to his house and they go there around 9:20pm after that, Sade's friends don't hear from her anymore. It's not until a series of frightening events takes place in Milwaukee the next day that people begin to piece together what's happened to her. On the morning of April 2, at 7:29am Witnesses spot a car on fire on the north side of town. They also see a white male wearing a gray hoodie walking away from the scene. When the Milwaukee Police Department arrives, they put out the fire and then they search the car where they find women's clothing and a cell phone. Soon the car is identified as Sade's Honda Civic. That same day, Sade's friends report her missing after she fails to show up to work and doesn't answer phone calls. Police barely have time to look into either of these incidents before an even more chilling discovery is made. That afternoon, a human leg belonging to a black female is found at the lake and at Warnamont Park. Before the remains are identified, officers from the Milwaukee Police Department go to her apartment to check on her, but she's not there. They are able to speak with her neighbors, who say they haven't seen her since the evening of April 1st. The neighbors also say that Sade was heading out for a date with a man named Maxwell Anderson that night. Authorities are becoming suspicious, and then the DNA results for the leg come back and confirm that it belongs to Sade. The police now have a murder on their hands and all Signs are pointing to Maxwell Anderson.
- [19:57]
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- [20:25]
Katie Ring
Experian In April of 2024, police in Milwaukee began investigating 33 year old Maxwell Anderson for the murder of 19 year old Sade Robinson. Now that they've connected Maxwell to Sade, they need more evidence to support their theory that he's the killer. So they obtain Sade's cell phone location data as well as surveillance footage from the night of April 1, 2024, which was the last time anyone saw Sade alive. And this is what they find. Around 9pm, Sade's phone is near Maxwell's house on Milwaukee's south side. Surveillance footage also shows two figures walking in that area. At the time. The footage isn't clear, but authorities are almost certain it's Sade and Maxwell. About three hours later, Sade's phone begins traveling throughout the city, stopping at various parks and other public spaces. Eventually, her phone dies at 4:31am just after leaving the Lake Michigan beach at Warnamont Park. After that, video footage shows Maxwell getting onto a bus and captures him returning home on April 4, 2024. Shortly after, authorities piece all of this together, Maxwell is pulled over and arrested. When the police search his car, they discover a hoodie matching the description of the white male who burned Sade's car. When officers bring Maxwell in for questioning, he claims that someone must have kidnapped Sade after she left his apartment on the night of the first. He says someone committed the arson in order to frame him for the murder. But investigators see right through his lies. And when they search Maxwell's home, they find more evidence to suggest he's got something to hide. In the basement of Maxwell's house, officers discover a quote unquote sex dungeon and there's blood all over the walls. Authorities quickly test the blood. They expect it to be a match for Sade. But the results only add a strange twist to the case. Apparently the blood belongs to a dog. This doesn't add anything to their understanding of what happened to Sade. Fortunately, they have everything they need to charge Maxwell with her murder. On April 12, 2024, Maxwell is charged with first degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson. His bail is set at $5 million. He pleads not guilty to all of the charges. And at his first court appearance, Sade's mother, Sheena, calls him sick. She tells the court that Sade never hurt anyone. Three days later, on April 15, members of the Milwaukee community continue to honor Sade's memory and show their support by constructing a memorial to Sade on the front lawn of Maxwell's home. They cover the lawn with pink balloons, stuffed animals and posters. It's Sade's favorite color. One of the organizers says they're turning a place of darkness into a place of light. However, there are still more dark revelations to come. A few days later, on April 18, a passerby walking along Lake Michigan discovers a torso and arm floating in the water. DNA testing proves they belong to Sade. Another arm appears on the shore a month later, also belonging to Sade. Sadly, her head has never been found. But those who love her refuse to let her image be defiled. A large mural of Sade is painted near Pizza Shuttle, where she used to work. In addition, Milwaukee county supervisors propose using public funds to construct a memorial for her in Warnamont Park. However, the project is dropped after they receive dozens of racist complaints about it. County officials call the complaints disgusting. Fortunately, private funds come through and construction begins on a memorial in a nearby location. It's a small act of justice, but the real justice comes on May 27, 2025, when Maxwell finally goes to trial. About a week later, he's convicted on all charges. At Maxwell's sentencing hearing, Sade's family makes impact statements detailing how hard her death has been on them. Sade's sister Adriana has also described how Sade, quote, changed people's lives with her smile or her laugh. And Sade's best friend says she was confident in the best way possible. She was unstoppable, and not in an arrogant way. Then, at the sentencing hearing, Maxwell speaks on his own behalf, claiming his innocence and his intent to appeal his conviction. His testimony doesn't seem to move the judge, who calls him unrepentant. Ultimately, the judge sentences Maxwell to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It's a relief to know he'll be unable to harm anyone else. And Sade's mother, Sheena, also files a civil suit against him. Then, in September 2025, after spending just a few months in Wisconsin's Dodge Correctional Facility, Maxwell is moved to an unknown out of state prison. Maxwell's attorney submitted the request citing safety concerns, and he says he won't disclose where Maxwell ended up. Sade's family has been critical of this decision to transfer Maxwell, but it's not stopping him from facing accountability. The civil suit against him is still moving forward after being ordered to pay the standard restitution fee of over $90,000. The next hearing for the civil suit against him is scheduled for November 7, 2025. We'll be here to bring you all of the major updates about this case as they come in. What did you think of today's cases? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. Have a safe and spooky Halloween. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel @Crime House Daily and follow us on social media rimehouse247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops.
- [26:49]
Heidi Wong
Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong is perfect for spooky season.
- [26:53]
Katie Ring
Dive into the real events behind the.
- [26:55]
Heidi Wong
World'S most terrifying blockbusters and beyond. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday.