Mom Who Wrote Children’s Book on Grief Convicted of Poisoning Husband | Crime House 24/7

Summary

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Crime House 24/7 Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Mom Who Wrote Children’s Book on Grief Convicted of Poisoning Husband
Host: Vanessa Richardson
Date: March 18, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, host Vanessa Richardson delivers an in-depth update on several breaking true crime cases, centering on the headline-grabbing conviction of Corey Richins—a Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death, only to be found guilty of poisoning him. The episode also covers significant developments in a Massachusetts antifreeze poisoning trial, a murder case cracked by a garage-floor search, and a road rage shooting identified through a Hello Kitty sticker. Richardson concludes with a segment discussing infamous body disposal methods and why “perfect” plans so often fail.

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Main Story: Corey Richins Murder Conviction

Case Recap and Background

• [03:01] On March 16, 2026, a Utah jury found Corey Richins guilty of aggravated murder in the death of her husband, Eric Richins, who died in Camas, Utah, on March 4, 2022.
• Eric was found with “roughly five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.”
• The night before his death: “he and Corey had celebrated a real estate achievement together over drinks, a Moscow mule and a lemon drop shot.”
• Corey self-published a grief book for their children and advocated publicly for loss and healing, including a TV appearance in April 2023.

Prosecution’s Case

• Corey was convicted not just of aggravated murder, but also attempted murder for an earlier Valentine’s Day poisoning, forgery, and insurance fraud.
• Jury deliberated for only three hours after a 13-day trial with over 40 prosecution witnesses.
• Financial motive: Eric’s life insurance amounted to $2.2 million; Corey’s net worth was negative $1.6 million, with a collapsing real estate business.
• Messages with a boyfriend, Robert “Josh” Grossman, pointed to an affair and dreams of a future together.
• Quote, prosecuting attorney Brad Bloodworth ([05:51]):

  “She was unhappy. She wanted to leave Eric Richins, but did not want to leave his money. She did not have the money to leave Eric or the money to salvage her business. There was a way forward. Eric had to die.”

• Prosecutors argued Corey first tried to poison Eric by lacing a sandwich with fentanyl on Valentine’s Day, which he survived after telling friends he “felt like he was dying.”
• She “learned from the Valentine’s Day failure,” and weeks later mixed fentanyl into his drink.
• Testimony from housecleaner Carmen Lauber described Corey seeking illicit pills, corroborated by cell phone data.

Digital and Documentary Evidence

• Forensic searches of Corey’s phone (retrieved after she swapped devices) showed chilling search terms:
  • “What is a lethal dose of fentanyl?”
  • “If someone is poisoned, what does it go down on the death certificate as?”
  • “How investigators recovered messages,” and “what women’s prisons in Utah are like.”
• Authorities also recovered a handwritten letter from her jail cell instructing her brother to try to shift blame:
  • Quote, Brad Bloodworth ([09:25]):

    "Four months after she’s been arrested for Eric Richins’ murder, a year and a half after she murdered him, she knows that she bought fentanyl and she has to explain it. And how does she explain it? She blames it on Eric."

Defense Arguments and Verdict

• The defense called no witnesses, argued the investigation was “sloppy and biased,” and insisted ingestion method was unproven.
• The jury disagreed: Corey faces life in prison without parole.
• Sentencing set for May 13 at 9:30 am.

Family Response

• After the verdict, Eric’s sister Amy Richins ([10:55]):

  “Our focus is now on honoring Eric’s life and supporting his boys as we all continue to heal.”

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Other Major Crime Stories

[Salem, MA] Poisoning Trial of Judy Church

• [11:15] Jury selection underway in the murder trial of Judy Church, a teacher accused of poisoning boyfriend Leroy Fowler with ethylene glycol (antifreeze).
• Fowler’s family said he suspected Church of poisoning him (“He named her. He said it out loud, and he still did not make it out of the hospital”).
• Evidence includes photos/videos on Church’s phone of Fowler’s suffering—recorded before she called 911.
• Insurance policy in Fowler’s name taken out a year prior; jealousy over his “second girlfriend” noted as a potential motive.

[Tingsborough, MA] Garage Floor Murder Discovery

• [13:26] Arrest in disappearance of Jill Kloppenberg (missing since Jan 2025):
  • Shawn Sullivan charged after a confession to a friend led police to search his garage—where ground-penetrating radar led to discovery of remains pending DNA confirmation.
• Details of last contact: Friends hadn’t seen Jill since Aug 2024; last phone activity was Jan 14, 2025.

[Tucson, AZ] Road Rage Shooting Caught by Hello Kitty Sticker

• [16:36] Two teen girls were shot in a road rage incident on March 14; distinctive Hello Kitty sticker identified shooter’s vehicle.
• Suspect David Sedeno arrested; bond set at $75,000.
• Memorable twist, as Richardson notes:

  “What could have been an unsolved case came undone because of a sticker on a back windshield.”

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Special Segment: “Perfect” Body Disposal Methods—Why They Fail

• [21:22] Richardson transitions into a thematic deep dive on how killers throughout history have tried to dispose of bodies:
  • John Haigh: dissolved bodies in acid—traces of fat and bone led to conviction.
  • Dennis Nilsen: tried to flush remains—clogged pipes led authorities to his door.
  • Robert Pickton: fed remains to pigs—site ultimately yielded DNA and body parts.
  • Jeffrey Dahmer: used chemicals—remains and evidence found despite destruction attempts.
  • Robert Durst: dumped dismembered body in ocean—remains recovered, case investigated.
  • H.H. Holmes: sold remains as skeletons to medical schools—fraud investigations led to murder discoveries.
• Theme: Modern forensic science detects what criminals think is undetectable, and patterns of behavior and circumstantial evidence can unravel even the “perfect” crime.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brad Bloodworth (prosecutor) on Corey Richins’ motive ([05:51]):

  “She was unhappy. She wanted to leave Eric Richins, but did not want to leave his money.”

• Closing from Eric’s sister Amy ([10:55]):

  “Our focus is now on honoring Eric’s life and supporting his boys as we all continue to heal.”

• Comment on the Hello Kitty sticker ([18:30]):

  “What could have been an unsolved case came undone because of a sticker on a back windshield.”

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Important Timestamps

• [01:05] Show begins; major case headlines.
• [03:01]–[11:10] Corey Richins murder conviction coverage.
• [11:10]–[12:56] Judy Church poisoning trial update.
• [13:26]–[16:36] Jill Kloppenberg discovery and arrest.
• [16:36]–[19:09] Tucson road rage shooting and Hello Kitty clue.
• [21:22]–[30:32] Deep dive: “Perfect” body disposal methods across history.

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Tone & Style

Richardson adopts a matter-of-fact, urgent, and informative tone—emphasizing the importance of detail and forensic science in unraveling even the most carefully concealed crimes.

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Episode Utility

This episode is ideal for listeners seeking concise but detailed true crime coverage and analysis—combining dramatic courtroom events, forensic breakthroughs, and criminological insight with broader reflection on historical patterns of criminal behavior.

Transcript

[Vanessa Richardson]

Hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, there's a new Crime House original you should check out. It's called the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah's an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001. And Courtney is a true crime storyteller who's seen firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, examining the moments just before a person disappears. The routines, the timelines, the small details that often get overlooked because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal. Until it doesn't. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.

[Crime House Announcer]

Foreign. This is Crime House.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about and we're starting with the biggest one. A mother wrote a children's book to help her sons grieve the death of their father. Yesterday a jury decided she's the one who killed him. The verdict in the Corey Richin's case is in and it took the jury just three hours to make a final decision. This is Crime House 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

On March 16, a Utah jury found Corey Richards guilty of aggravated murder in the death of her husband. Eric Richins died on March 4, 2022 in the couple's home in Camas, Utah. An autopsy revealed he had roughly five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system. He was found dead in the early morning hours the night before, he and Corey had celebrated a real estate achievement together over drinks, a Moscow mule and a lemon drop shot, according to writings found in the family home. On March 7, 2023, she self published a children's book, are you with me? A grief guide written to help their three young sons cope with losing their father. In April of 2020, appeared on a local television program, Good Things in Utah to promote it, speaking publicly about loss and healing. Then on May 8, 2023, she was arrested and charged with his murder. And on March 16, 2026, a jury of eight people deliberated for approximately three hours and decided she did it. In addition to aggravated murder, the eight person jury convicted Corey Richards of attempted aggravated murder for an earlier alleged attempt to poison her husband on Valentine Day 2022, just 10 days after a life insurance policy on Eric took effect. She was also found guilty of forgery and two counts of insurance fraud related to Eric Richen's life insurance coverage. The trial stretched over 13 days. Prosecutors called more than 40 witnesses building a portrait of a marriage in serious trouble, financial, romantic and otherwise. Eric Rich's life was insured for approximately $2.2 million across several policies. Time of his death, Corey Richards had a net worth of negative $1.6 million, according to a forensic accountant who testified at trial her real estate house flipping business was, in the accountant's words, imploding. Meanwhile, she was exchanging affectionate text messages with a boyfriend, Robert Josh Grossman, about their imagined future together. Prosecutor Brad Bloodworth told the jury in closing arguments on Monday, quote, she was unhappy. She wanted to leave Eric Richards, but did not want to leave his money. She did not have the money to leave Eric or the money to salvage her business. There was a way forward. Eric had to die, end quote. Prosecutors argued Corey first attempted to kill her husband on Valentine's Day 2022 by lacing a sandwich with fentanyl. Eric called two friends that day saying he felt like he was dying after eating it. He survived. Weeks later came the drinks and then his death. Prosecutors argued Corey had learned from the Valentine's Day failure. Bloodworth told the jury, quote, you throw a lemon drop shot back. By the time Eric would notice, the shot was in. It was in his body, end quote. A house cleaner named Carmen lber testified that Corey had asked her for illicit pills several times in early 2022. Laer said she bought pills from a man named Robert Croer at a gas station in Draper, Utah, twice before Eric's death, once shortly after. Cell phone data placed both Lauber and Croer near that gas station on February 11, February 26 and March 9, 2022. Perhaps the most incriminating evidence came from Corey Richen's own phone. After switching to a new device In April 2022, investigators recovered dozens of online searches, including what is a lethal dose of fentanyl. If someone is poisoned, what does it go down on the death certificate as and searches about how investigators recovered messages and what women's prisons in Utah are like. Prosecutors also presented a handwritten letter recovered from her jail cell in September 2023, which they say detailed a fabricated story she wanted her brother to relay to her attorney, one that attempted to shift blame for the drug purchase onto Eric himself. Bloodworth said, quote, four months after she's been arrested for Eric Rich's murder, a year and a half after she murdered him, she knows that she bought fentanyl and she has to explain it. And how does she explain it? She blames it on Eric, end quote. The defense rested without calling a single witness. Attorney Wendy Lewis argued the investigation was sloppy and biased and that prosecutors couldn't prove how Eric ingested the fentanyl. The jury disagreed with the verdict now in the case moves towards sentencing scheduled for 9:30am on Wednesday, May 13. A pre sentence investigation report will be ordered ahead of that hearing. Corey Richards faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole on the aggravated murder charge alone. After the verdict was read, Eric's sister Amy Richen spoke outside the courthouse in Park City making clear where the family's focus now lies. She said, quote, our focus is now on honoring Eric's life and supporting his boys as we all continue to heal, end quote. The Corey Richards case is not the only poisoning trial making news this week in Massachusetts. A very different but one with its own deeply troubling details is just getting started. Jury selection was underway March 16 in Salem, Massachusetts in the murder trial of 64 year old Judy Church, a fourth grade teacher of 31 years. Church is charged with first degree murder in the November 2022 death of her boyfriend, 55 year old Leroy Fowler. Prosecutors allege she poisoned him with ethylene glycol, a chemic found in antifreeze and Deicing fluid that can be ingested without a person's knowledge due to its sweet flavor. A small dose, investigators noted, can be fatal. On November 11, 2022, Church called 911 and told dispatchers, quote, my boyfriend must have ingested something, end quote. When EMS arrived, Fowler was in obvious medical distress. He was transferred through multiple hospitals, from Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, and finally to Beth Israel Hospital, where He died on Nov. 13. A doctor at Mount Auburn told detectives he believed this was a case of antifreeze poisoning. Hospital staff told Fowler's family his kidneys had been severely damaged and that they believed he had ingested poison. When detectives returned to Church's home on Central Avenue, she pulled up while they were standing outside. She got out of her Jeep with two pizza boxes and a bag, and when she opened the door to her son's first floor apartment to drop off the food, court documents show, she said, quote, the state police are here. This keeps getting better and better, end quote. Detectives asked to come inside to talk, Church declined, saying her house was dirty and they had arrived unannounced. Church eventually told investigators Fowler had woken up around 4:30am that morning, did some work around the house and appeared tired and winded, leaning against the wall at times to collect himself. Detectives then spoke with Fowler's family. His son, also named Leroy Fowler, told investigators his father had been living with Church for years, but also had a second girlfriend going back and forth between the two women. Church, according to the family, was jealous of the other woman. Fowler's son also noted that his father had a pacemaker and that in the past, Church would notify the family almost immediately if anything came up medically. But when Fowler needed an ambulance on November 11, Church waited approximately 12 hours to tell his family. Fowler's son also told detectives that Church had taken out a life insurance policy in Fowler's name roughly a year before his death. According to the police report, Fowler had told his own family he suspected Church was poisoning him. He named her. He said it out loud, and he still did not make it out of the hospital. Investigators also found photos and videos on Church's cell phone showing Fowler suffering from the effects of poisoning before she ever called 911, a detail that is likely to figure prominent when testimony begins. Church has maintained her not guilty plea since 2023. As of March 16, jury selection is still underway. Once a jury is seated, opening statements are expected to follow later this week, at which point we'll start hearing the full picture. Prosecutors have built around this case from one trial just getting started to a case that just broke wide open. Our next story takes us to another area of Massachusetts where investigators spent the weekend cutting through a garage floor.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

On March 16, Middlesex District Attorney Marion Ryan and Tingsborough Chief of Police Sean woods announced a major development in the disappearance of 47 year old Jill Kloppenberg, who was last seen leaving her home in Lowell, Massachusetts on January 2, 2025 and has been missing for 14 months. 40 year old Shawn Sullivan has been charged with murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, causing serious bodily injury and improper disposal of human remains. The case broke open on March 10 when a man identifying himself as a friend of Sullivan's walked into the Nashua Police Department in New Hampshire and told officers that Sullivan had called him and said he allegedly killed a woman named Jill. According to D A Ryan, Sullivan allegedly told the friend the crime took place at his Tingsborough home in or around January 2025 and that he had shot her before burying her under the floor of his garage. Nashua police cross referenced that information in a national database and found the existing missing persons report for Jill Klopp, who'd been reported missing to the Tewksbury Police in February 2025. Friends of Kloppenberg had not physically seen her since August 2024. The last time anyone spoke with her BY text was November 20, 2024 and the last known activity from her cell phone was January 14, 2025. On March 15, detectives from the Tingsborough Police Department, the Tewksbury Police Department and Massachusetts State Police executed a search warrant at Sullivan's property. They a large patched area in the garage floor. The area was scanned using ground penetrating radar, which confirmed something was buried beneath it. Investigators cut through the flooring and recovered a plastic bag containing what the medical examiner's office has confirmed are human remains. As of this recording, the remains have not been officially identified as Kloppenberg's. DNA testing and an autopsy are still pending and the victim is being referred to as Jane Doe until a formal identification. Kloppenberg's uncle, Stephen Kloppenberg, said on his Facebook page that while investigators were highly confident the remains were hers, official confirmation still requires the DNA process. Sullivan and Kloppenberg were known to each other and according to police, the two were friends. Kloppenberg had been inside Sullivan's home on prior occasions and the pair had reportedly been seen together not long before she disappeared. Sullivan is scheduled to be arraigned March 17th in Lowell District Court. Once he's formally charged before a judge, the case will move into the pre trial phase, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will begin exchanging evidence. The official identification of the remains and the results of the autopsy will also be critical to how this case is built going forward. For the Kloppenberg family, who've been waiting 14 months, those results cannot come soon enough. From a tip that cracked a murder case in Massachusetts, we head west to Arizona, where it wasn't a confession that caught a suspected shooter, but a hello kitty sticker. On March 14, a road rage incident in Tucson, Arizona, near Golf Links and Kolb roads left two teenage girls with gunshot wounds. On March 16, the suspect appeared in court and the detail that helped police find him in the first place is one for the books. 29 year old David Anthony Sedeno was arrested on March 15th and booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Center. The two teenage victims, whose identities have not been publicly released, told investigators they remembered two things about the vehicle Sedeno was allegedly driving, a custom license plate and a hello Kitty sticker on the back windshield. Police used that description to track him down. According to investigators, the teens attempted to switch lanes when a car Sedeno was driving cut them off. They ended up behind his vehicle, noticed the hello Kitty sticker and when both cars turned onto Golf Links Road and pulled up side by side, the teens spotted Sedeno with a handgun. They heard gunshots and discovered both had been struck in the leg. Sedeno allegedly told police he heard shots from the victim's vehicle first and responded accordingly. But a woman named Heather Allen, who was allegedly in the car with him, told investigators she did not see or hear anything suggesting a gun in the other car. When police arrived at Sedeno's residence, that same woman allegedly admitted to removing the hello Kitty sticker from the vehicle after the shooting, an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. On March 16, a Pima county judge read the charges aloud in court. Five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated assault with serious physical injury, one count of drive by shooting, one count of discharging a firearm at an occupied structure, and one count of discharging a firearm within city limits. Sedenyo's bond is set at $75,000. With Sedeno now formally charged and in custody, the case moves into the pre trial phase. What started as a routine drive turned into a shooting in a matter of seconds, and what could have been an unsolved case came undone because of a sticker on a back windshield. This is your fix.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I am your host, Stassi Schroeder. Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast. What's the most unhinged thing of season three?

[Vanessa Richardson]

Steven because he's so evil, I do

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[Vanessa Richardson]

It's intoxicating.

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The writers just know how to trick.

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Tell Me Lies, the official podcast January 6th and stream the new season of Tell Me Lies January 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, there's a new crime house

show for you to check out.

It's the new Crime House original series, the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 20011 and Courtney is a true crime storyteller and investigator who witnessed firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, looking not only at what happened,

but what led up to it.

Each episode examines the moments just before a person disappears. The routines, the timelines and the small details that often get overlooked. Because every disappearance has a moment where everything stops, still feels normal. A text that doesn't raise concern, a routine that goes unchanged, a door that closes just like it always has. Until it doesn't. The final hours puts those moments under a microscope, because when it comes to justice, there's no such thing as overanalyzing. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. New Episodes Episodes every Monday.

Before you go, let me tell you what else is happening at Crime House today on Clues we look at the disappearance of Gail Katz, Beer and Baum, a case that puzzled investigators for years. Gail vanished from New York in 1985, and for a long time there was no body, no clear crime scene, and very little physical evidence to explain what had happened to her. What investigators eventually uncovered suggested a chilling possibility that her husband may taken her body aboard a small private airplane and disposed of it over the ocean. If that theory is correct, it represents one of the most unusual disposal methods investigators have ever encountered. The open ocean leaves almost nothing behind. No burial site, no physical remains, just a vast stretch of water where evidence can vanish forever. Throughout criminal history, some killers have believed they found similarly perfect ways to make bodies disappear. In many cases, those methods seem seemed clever at first. But investigators often discovered that even the most carefully planned disposal leaves traces behind. Let's take a look at some killers who believed they'd found the perfect way to hide their crimes. John George Haig Dissolving Bodies in acid in the 1940s, English murderer John George Haig believed he had discovered a foolproof method for eliminating evidence. After killing his victims, Haig placed their bodies into steel drums and filled with concentrated sulfuric acid. The acid would dissolve soft tissue and break down bones, leaving behind little more than a thick liquid residue. Haig assumed that without a body, prosecutors would have no murder case. For several years, the method appeared to work. Victims vanished, and investigators struggled to prove what had happened to them. But chemistry left clues Haig hadn't anticipated. When police finally searched his workshop shop, forensic specialists discovered traces of human fat and bone fragments that the acid had not fully destroyed. Those remains became crucial evidence during his trial. Haig's attempt to erase his victims ultimately became the very detail that exposed him. Dennis Nilsson Flushing evidence away Scottish serial killer Dennis Nelson believed the plumbing system of his London apartment could serve as the perfect disposal route after murdering several young men between 1978. In 1983, Nielsen attempted to dismember the bodies and flush portions of the remains down his toilet. For a time, the plan seemed to work. The victims were never reported missing immediately, and the apartment building showed no obvious signs of violence. But human remains do not disappear easily through ordinary plumbing. Eventually, pipes in the plumbing became clogged. Maintenance workers investigating the blockage discovered decomposing human tissue in the drainage system. What Nielsen thought would wash away the evidence instead instead led investigators directly to his door. Robert Pickton Feeding Victims to Livestock In British Columbia during the 1990s and early 2000s, pig farmer Robert Pickton was linked to the disappearance of dozens of women from Vancouver's downtown east side. Prosecutors later argued that Pickton believed his farm offered an ideal place to dispose of bodies. According to testimony during the investigation, Pickton attempted to destroy evidence by feeding human remains to pigs and mixing remains with other animal waste on the property. The rural setting and the presence of livestock initially made the site difficult to investigate. But when police eventually conducted an extensive search of the farm, forensic teams uncovered human remains and DNA evidence tied to multiple victims. What Pickton believed was the perfect rural hiding place became one of the largest crime scenes in Canadian history. Jeffrey Dahmer Chemical Destruction Jeffrey Dahmer attempted to eliminate evidence by dissolving victims remains in large containers filled with chemicals. Inside his Milwaukee apartment, Dahmer stored acid and used it to break down bones and tissue after his murders. Like Haig decades earlier, Dahmer believed chemical destruction would erase evidence of his crimes for a period of time. The plan delayed discovery, but chemical containers, preserved body parts and lingering odors eventually drew attention when one of Dahmer's intended victims escaped and led police back to the apartment, investigators discovered a scene filled with forensic evidence that the chemicals had failed to eliminate. Despite his efforts to destroy remains, the physical evidence left behind ultimately documented the full scale of his crime. Robert Durst Dismemberment and the Sea Real estate heir Robert Durst believed that dismembering a body and disposing of the remains in the ocean would prevent investigators from proving a homicide. In 2001, Durst killed his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas. Durst dismembered the body and placed the remains into garbage bags, which he then dumped into the bay. For a time, the plan nearly succeeded. Durst was initially acquitted of murder after claiming self defense. But pe pieces of the remains were eventually recovered in the water, and the case remained one of the most disturbing chapters in a series of suspicious deaths surrounding Durst. The ocean may have hidden much of the evidence, but it did not erase the investigation. H.H. holmes selling bodies to medical schools in the late 1800s, Chicago murderer H.H. holmes believed he'd found a disposal method that would not only eliminate evidence, but also turn a profit. Holmes owned a hotel and business complex that later became infamous as the Murder Castle, A labyrinthine building filled with hidden rooms, soundproof chambers, and secret shoots. After killing several victims inside the building, Holmes used his medical training and connections to dissect the bodies and strip the skeletons of identifying features. At the time, medical schools frequently purchased anatomical skeletons for teaching purposes, and regulations governing those transactions were often loose. Holmes took advantage of that demand by cleaning and preparing the remains. He was able to sell skeletons to medical institutions, passing them off as legitimate specimens. Because the bodies were reduced to anonymous anatomical displays and distributed through legitimate channels, Holmes believed the victims would never be traced back to him. For a time, the scheme appeared to work. Victims vanished, and their remains were literally absorbed into the medical system as teaching tools. But investigators eventually uncovered Holmes broader pattern of fraud and murder While examining a series of suspicious insurance schemes tied to missing associates. As detectives dug deeper into his business operations, they discovered evidence of the grisly process inside the building. What Holmes believed was the perfect way to erase a body ultimately became one of the most disturbing details of his crimes. A method that demonstrated just how far he was willing to go go to conceal them. Why perfect disposal methods rarely Work the idea of a perfect body disposal method Appears frequently in criminal planning. Whether it involves chemicals, remote locations, or attempts to scatter remains, the goal is always the eliminate the evidence before investigators can find it. But reality rarely cooperates with those plans. Modern forensic science can detect microscopic traces of human remains, chemical residues, and DNA long after a crime occurs. Even when bodies are never recovered, patterns of behavior, witness accounts, and circumstantial evidence can still reveal the truth. What seems like a foolproof strategy often becomes the very detail Investigators focus on most closely. The disappearance of Gail Katzburenbaum remains one of the most unusual cases investigators have ever faced. If the theory about the airplane is correct, correct, it would represent a chilling attempt to make evidence vanish into one of the most difficult environments on earth. To search for the full story behind Gail's disappearance and the letter that later raised new questions about the case, listen to today's episode of Clues because in criminal investigations, even the most carefully planned disappearance rarely stays hidden forever. You've been listening to crime house 247 bringing you breaking crime news news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

hi, it's Vanessa. If you're drawn to true crime stories about disappearances, check out the new Crime House original the Final Hours hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.

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