Podcast Summary: Crime Junkie – MURDERED: Mary Yoder

Host: Ashley Flowers (with co-host Britt)
Release Date: March 16, 2026
Length: ~38 minutes (excluding ads and outro)

Episode Theme & Purpose

In this gripping episode, Ashley Flowers and Britt unravel the complex and extraordinary murder case of Mary Yoder, a beloved chiropractor from Utica, New York who died suddenly in 2015. What began as a medical mystery quickly spiraled into a tangled web of suspicion, family betrayal, and a hunt for an elusive poisoner—leaving both police and Mary’s family reeling with unanswered questions. The episode lays out the baffling investigation, a suspicious anonymous letter, and the shocking possibility of a frame job, ending with a promise to pick up the investigation’s biggest twists in Part 2.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Sudden Death of Mary Yoder

[01:02 - 05:53]

• Mary Yoder, 60, went from healthy and energetic to gravely ill in under 48 hours. She was hospitalized, her heart failed seven times before she died.
• Her family initially believed she died of ascending cholangitis, but her doctor denies that was a confirmed cause.
• An extensive toxicology report revealed Mary died from a fatal overdose of colchicine, a rare and potent poison typically used to treat gout.

Ashley Flowers [05:56]:
“Colchicine is typically used to treat gout, but Mary didn’t have gout… the amount found in her system was enough to kill her many, many times over.”

2. Suspicions Take Root

[06:12 - 08:39]

• Investigators and poison control consider accidental exposure through gardening or contaminated supplements, but all test results come back negative.
• The medical examiner never notified authorities about Mary’s suspicious toxicology; it’s Mary’s sister, Sharon, who brings the case to the sheriff's office.

3. Shifting the Spotlight to Family

[08:39 - 11:45]

• Police initially focus on Bill Yoder, Mary’s husband of almost 40 years, based on access and motive.
• Discussion of Bill’s background: a sometimes-distant husband who took solo trips and had possible marital issues, according to Mary’s sisters. Yet he was reportedly devastated by her death.

Ashley Flowers [10:43]:
“They had worked together their whole career, but recently Bill had... scaled back some. Mary was seeing more patients... Bill focused on the business side.”

• Bill’s actions while Mary was hospitalized—leaving the hospital, missing urgent calls, and his slow response—strike Mary’s sisters as odd.

Britt [15:36]:
“Yeah, but like, I'm sorry, keep your phone close on you. That seems like such a no brainer thing.”

Ashley Flowers [15:43]:
“His excuse was that Mary had moved the phone charger months earlier... It’s a little bit of a husband answer.”

• Suspicion increases due to Bill’s past in marijuana cultivation and the fact that colchicine can be used for genetically modifying plants.

4. Motive: Was There a Reason for Murder?

[16:47 - 18:36]

• No known life insurance policy or obvious financial benefit to Mary’s death. No history of domestic violence or documented affair.
• Four months after Mary’s death, Bill introduces a new romantic relationship—to everyone’s shock, with Mary’s own sister Kathleen.

Ashley Flowers [19:06]:
“The woman that he is in a relationship with, that he is in love with now, is one of Mary’s own sisters. Yeah.”

• Family wonders if the relationship began before Mary’s death, fueling further suspicion of Bill.

5. Financial & Family Strains

[21:12 - 22:12]

• Mary’s daughters disclose that Bill received a significant inheritance from his father, and he declared to them, “it wasn’t really enough for two people to retire on, it was for one.”
• The investigation seems to be zeroing in on Bill when a dramatic twist emerges.

6. The Anonymous Letter

[24:08 - 27:41]

• On November 23, 2015, both the police and the medical examiner receive an anonymous, typewritten letter accusing Adam Yoder, Mary’s son, of poisoning her with colchicine. The letter details Adam’s supposed confession, motivation, and claims that the poison bottle is hidden in his Jeep.

Excerpt from anonymous letter [24:08]: “Adam Yoder, her son, is responsible. He told me he did and moreover he told me how and where he put the rest of the toxin... Now the colchicine container is under the front seat passenger side of his Jeep.”

7. Adam Yoder Under Scrutiny

[27:41 - 30:19]

• Police interview Adam, who vehemently denies knowing about or ordering colchicine. He consents to a search of his Jeep; a vial of colchicine is found exactly where the letter said, along with a receipt addressed to him.
• Adam maintains his innocence, stating someone must have planted it to frame him. Toll records show he wasn't present when Mary got sick.

Ashley Flowers [28:56]:
“When they look under the front passenger seat, there it is, exactly where the letter said it would be, this small glass bottle of colchicine.”

8. The Case for a Frame-Up

[30:19 - 31:09]

• Detectives suspect the tip-off is too perfect. They begin to believe the true killer might have tried to frame Adam.
• Focus shifts from Bill to Adam—but with skepticism.

9. New Suspect: Caitlin (Katie) Conley

[31:09 - 36:26]

• Investigators turn to Caitlin “Katie” Conley, the Yoder’s office manager and Adam’s ex-girlfriend.
• Katie is helpful and soft-spoken, but provides information that gives her potential access and motive. She recalls a suspicious package for Adam (the colchicine) arriving months before Mary’s death.
• Katie reports past violence and controlling behavior from Adam (including a 2014 sexual assault report), and describes his tense relationship with Mary.
• Investigators pick up on striking similarities between Katie’s statements and the contents of the anonymous letter, wondering if she is its author.
• The episode ends with Katie under police scrutiny and promises a continuation in Part 2.

Ashley Flowers [33:57]:
“Katie tells police she is suspicious of Adam… she actually filed a police report against him in 2014 for sexual assault, though she didn’t end up pursuing charges.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ashley Flowers [01:02]:
  “The story I have for you today is more like ten stories in one—with twists and turns and betrayals that sound like they’ve been ripped from a screenplay.”

• Ashley Flowers [18:41]:
  “Somehow, there is a worse third option that kind of combines both.” [On Bill announcing he is in love with Mary’s sister]

• Britt [20:10]:
  “Dude, I would haunt the [expletive] out of my husband if I’m still around.”

• Ashley Flowers [29:57]:
  “He [Adam] is insistent that this had to have been planted to frame him. And honestly, there is something about how this all unfolded that kind of makes investigators agree.”

Important Timestamps

• [01:02] – Introduction of Mary Yoder’s sudden death and the setting of the story.
• [05:53] – Discovery of colchicine as cause of death.
• [12:15] – Breakdown of Mary’s final days and Bill’s actions.
• [19:06] – Revelation of Bill’s new relationship with Mary’s sister Kathleen.
• [24:08] – Arrival of the anonymous letter implicating Adam Yoder.
• [27:41] – Police find colchicine in Adam’s Jeep.
• [31:09] – Investigators bring in Katie Conley for questioning.
• [36:26] – Detectives confront Katie as a new person of interest; episode concludes with a cliffhanger.

Structure & Flow

The episode expertly layers new information, building a sense of cascading suspicion within the family and the investigative team. With careful pacing, Ashley and Britt guide listeners from medical mystery to murder and finally to a tangled web of interpersonal secrets—with each narrative turn accompanied by the perspectives of those most affected. The conversation is candid, analytical, and occasionally darkly humorous, matching the Crime Junkie style.

Episode Takeaways

• Mary Yoder’s poisoning was not only a rare crime medically, but also catalyzed intense family suspicion and tragedy.
• The initial investigation was muddied by missed communications, missteps, and complicated family histories.
• The arrival of an anonymous letter shifted suspicion dramatically, raising questions about both Adam and the letter writer’s motives.
• Episode ends with the focus tightening on Katie Conley, but with critical questions unresolved—setting up a suspenseful Part 2.

Ashley Flowers [36:26]:
“We're looking at one of three people here. The husband, Adam... You're going to have to help us... [Because] right now there's a lot of things unanswered.”

Tune in next episode for the investigation’s most explosive discoveries.