Crime Junkie Episode Summary

Episode: MURDERED: Jodine Serrin Part 1
Date: August 25, 2025
Hosts: Ashley Flowers & Brit Prawat

Overview

In this intense and haunting episode, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat delve deep into the Valentine's Day 2007 murder of Jodine Serrin, a 39-year-old woman with developmental disabilities living in Carlsbad, California. The episode not only details the nightmarish discovery made by Jodine's parents but also follows the decade-spanning investigation, the emergence of cutting-edge forensic and genealogical techniques, and the shocking truth behind the identity and double life of the killer. The story re-examines how advances in investigative genetic genealogy brought overdue answers—though not all the closure anyone hoped for.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Discovery (02:00–07:16)

• Valentine’s Day Visit: After an anxious dinner and movie, Art and Lois Serrin head to check on their daughter Jodine around 10PM, unable to reach her all day.
• Disturbing Entry: Finding the door chained—a rare occurrence—they break in and discover what at first appears to be Jodine in bed with a man. Upon returning, they find only Jodine, deceased and violently assaulted, her body cold and lifeless.
• Chilling Crime Scene:
  • The perpetrator meticulously arranged the scene: covered windows, a repositioned mirror, and Jodine’s body desecrated after death.
  • Ashley describes it as “one of the most haunting images that I've had to convey in probably over 600 episodes.” (02:11)
  • The assessment is that Jodine died around noon, hours before her parents arrived.

Early Investigation and Evidence (07:16–14:42)

• Immediate Police Response: DNA, blood, and partial fingerprints are collected, plus the killer's sneakers left at the door—placed neatly, following Jodine’s house rules.
• No Forced Entry: Indicates the killer was likely invited, with “dishes for two in the sink” suggesting possible consent or familiar company. (11:50)
• Art’s Initial Description: Art, Jodine’s father, initially believes he saw a “kind of chubby guy...about six feet tall” (12:52), but no suspects match DNA from the crime scene.
• Database Dead End: Despite viable DNA entered into national databases, “this dude is a ghost. He’s not in any database.” (13:41)

The Suspect Pool and The Frustration of a Cold Case (14:42–18:39)

• Widening the Net: Detectives exhaust a list of over 50 local men, collecting DNA samples, all yielding no match.
• Profiling Attempts: Consultants from groups like the VDOC Society lend their expertise, but the killer’s identity remains elusive, “the department-wide white whale.” (18:00)

Forensic Breakthroughs and Genealogy (19:56–25:56)

• Phenotyping with Parabon (2016): DNA imaging produces a composite “nondescript white guy with bluish green eyes, dirty blonde hair, fair skin, and some freckling” (21:07), but it doesn’t narrow things significantly.
• Y-STR Testing: Y-chromosome profiling suggests a last name—Miracle—but leads nowhere, hinting at possible adoptions or infidelities breaking the paternal line.
• Golden State Killer Moment (2018): Inspired by the GSK capture, investigators use Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) via GEDmatch, leading to a new shortlist of possible surnames.

The Final Reveal: The Mabrido Connection (27:07–41:48)

• Barbara Rae-Venter’s Expertise: The genealogist who helped crack the Golden State Killer case identifies a link between the Miracle and Mabrido families due to a double adoption.
• Focus on Three Men: The investigation zeroes in on Robert Mabrido and his sons, Steven and David, with a heavy focus on David.
• Gathering Family DNA: Police approach David’s ex-wife, Marissa, and son (under a pseudonym “Dan”) for DNA, initially cloaking their true suspicions. Marissa is stunned and resistant when the focus turns to David.
• Breakthrough Evidence: A pair of sneakers at the scene, recognized by Marissa as the pair she once bought David, solidifies the connection. “It’s a photo of the suspect's sneakers, of David's sneakers. And Marissa was sure of it because she was the one who bought those sneakers for him.” (35:49)
• David's Suicide and a Critical Clue: David died by suicide in 2011, after giving a DNA swab to police due to a mistaken-identity bank robbery. His bizarre behavior in the days after the swab, like “rubbing spices all over his face,” retrospectively hints at paranoia about being identified. (38:41)
• Direct DNA Match: The 2011 swab, finally tested, is an exact match for the DNA at the crime scene. After 11 years, the case is finally solved.

Unanswered Questions and Emotional Fallout (41:48–44:16)

• No Known Connection: “His name never so much as came up in the case file...not on their radar at all” (40:50). No proven link between Jodine and David, though possible overlap at a nearby substance abuse clinic remains speculation.
• Family Impact: The episode concludes on the emotional toll this knowledge takes on David’s ex-wife Marissa. In an upcoming paired episode on The Deck, listeners will hear Marissa’s story in her own words, revealing the incomprehensible struggle to reconcile the man she knew with the horror of his crime.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ashley Flowers, on finding Jodine:
  “What was done to the victim and how she was found is truly one of the most haunting images that I've had to convey in probably over 600 episodes at this point.” (02:11)
• On killer’s methodical nature:
  “Sheets and blankets had been placed over the windows...a full length mirror was moved next to the bed so this guy could see what it was he was doing to Jody.” (07:54)
• On DNA dead ends:
  “But any hopes of a quick slam dunk get crushed. Because even though they had the DNA...this dude is a ghost. He’s not in any database.” (13:41)
• Ashley on the power—and limitations—of new forensic tech:
  “So Jodi’s case was actually the first time that Carlsbad PD ever used this kind of technology. And Lieutenant Kovanda says he’s sort of treating the composite as a filter.” (20:23)
• Brit, on the agony of cold case stasis:
  “And it’s so much more frustrating when you have all this DNA on file and...they’ve already tested it against 50 guys and the database, and like, and nothing is hitting.” (18:26)
• Ashley, on confronting family with the ugly truth:
  “If you want to get something solved like the GSK case, why not go to the exact person who helped solve it, and that is Barbara Rae Venter.” (27:07)
• Marissa, grappling with revelation:
  “He was my family. He’s my son’s dad, gave me the best thing in the world and did the most horrific thing to somebody in the world. I don’t know how to reconcile those two.” (43:39)

Timestamps for Significant Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|------------| | Introductions & Warnings | 02:00 | | Art & Lois discover Jodine’s body | 02:00–07:16| | Crime scene details and forensic clues | 07:47–10:17| | Initial investigation, elimination of suspects| 11:50–14:42| | Use of DNA phenotyping and genealogy | 19:56–25:56| | Golden State Killer and IGG context | 24:30–25:56| | Barbara Rae Venter and genealogy breakthrough| 27:07–31:37| | Approaching the Mabrido family | 31:37–38:52| | Discovery of the 2011 DNA swab; direct match| 39:56–40:45| | Aftermath, unanswered questions, family pain| 41:48–44:16| | Marissa’s emotional reflection | 43:39–44:16|

Tone & Style

• The episode maintains Crime Junkie’s signature measured yet suspenseful storytelling, balancing empathy for the victim’s family with curiosity about the unfolding investigation.
• Ashley’s delivery is somber, direct, and respectful, ensuring listeners understand both the horror of the crime and the human cost involved.
• Brit offers empathetic, grounding reactions, often voicing the audience’s emotional response and practical curiosities.

Conclusion

This episode is a compelling case study in forensic persistence, technological evolution, and the devastating ripples of violent crime through families and communities. The story is unresolved in many ways—not all questions are answered, but the journey to truth stands as a testament to hope, science, and never giving up, no matter how cold the trail.

To hear Marissa Mabrido’s perspective, listeners are pointed to a companion episode on The Deck podcast, providing an intimate exploration of what it means to discover evil in someone you thought you knew.

For further resources and source material, visit crimejunkiepodcast.com.

[All commercial breaks, advertisements, and promotional segments were omitted from this summary.]