Dateline NBC: "Secrets in the Ashes"

Episode Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Andrea Canning
Reporter/Contributors: Lester Holt, Mike Shepard, Narrator/Interviewer

Episode Overview

This episode of "Dateline NBC" unravels the dark, layered true-crime saga of Patricia Lee Mills’ death in a 2003 Texas house fire, the controversial investigation that followed, and the disturbing aftermath spanning nearly two decades. The story uncovers two sinister murder plots linked by one woman—Allison Newman Salinas—whose alleged involvement in arson, murder, and repeated scams ripples from Texas to Illinois. With new recordings, witness interviews, and a shocking web of deception, the episode probes the limits of justice and the shadows left behind by unresolved trauma.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Fatal Fire and Its Victim

• Incident Details

  • In June 2003, 31-year-old Patricia Lee Mills died in a house fire in Goliad, Texas. Her 6-year-old son, John Michael Burdett, narrowly escaped after tossing his toy box out his window and climbing to safety ([04:50]).
  • Bystander Mildred Pugh found John almost naked and traumatized outside, while Patricia’s pleas from inside quickly went silent ([04:00–05:57]).
  • The only available exit was through the front room, which was engulfed; a rear door was locked from the outside with a padlock ([05:34]).
  • "That baby was watching his mama die." — James Turrentine ([06:02])

• Aftermath for the Family

  • John was taken in by his aunt, Sharon, providing a caring home amidst the trauma.

2. Early Suspicion and Flawed Investigation

• Initial Findings

  • Investigators ruled the cause as "inconclusive" ([12:46]).
  • Delbert Mills, Patricia’s husband, claimed the decorative kerosene lamps were not used—but family insisted they were a key part of daily life.
  • "Those lanterns were used, like, all the time…There was a lot." — John Michael Burdett ([13:05–13:26])

• Family’s Doubts and Delbert’s Behavior

  • Delbert quickly remarried, taking Allison Newman as his wife just six weeks later and spent Patricia’s life insurance payout ([20:06]).
  • Suspicion among Patricia’s family deepened, especially given Delbert’s abusive history and rapid transformation post-fire ([20:16], [23:06]).

3. Patterns of Abuse and a Deliberate Cover-up

• Allegations Against Delbert

  • Family members recall abuse, with Delbert once breaking Patricia’s nose ([22:41]).
  • “Delbert is a very narcissistic person. Very selfish, very abusive in every way possible.” — Jessica Lefferts ([23:06])

• A Chilling Threat

  • “Delbert spoke up and said the only way [Patricia] would be leaving is in a body bag.” — Jessica Lefferts ([23:24])

• Missed Opportunities in the Investigation

  • Despite family pressure, officials declined to reopen the case due to Delbert’s workplace alibi; no physical evidence was ever collected ([21:20], [28:55]).

4. The Case Reopens: New Voices, Old Secrets

• Allison’s Shifting Statements

  • Allison Newman (Salinas) told detectives Delbert admitted to setting up the fire using a cigarette and kerosene before leaving for work, but she later recanted, citing fear for her and her kids ([25:05], [26:09]).
  • “He told me that...he purposely set his cigarette, a lit cigarette, I guess, up against her by some wiring...took one of the kerosene lamps and poured it around the area.” — Allison (as reported by James Turrentine) ([25:05])

• Dogged Determination

  • Patricia’s sister, Sharon, never surrendered, building her own case as Delbert built his new life ([23:37], [27:16]).
  • With a change in local law enforcement, Constable Mike Thompson took over, pursuing leads through interviews due to the absence of physical evidence ([28:55], [29:12]).

• Damning Testimonies and Polygraph

  • Multiple witnesses recalled Delbert boasting about "getting rid" of his wife via fire; Allison, now divorced from Delbert, confirmed her original statement under Thompson’s questioning ([31:43]).

• Police Interrogation and Arrest

  • Delbert repeatedly shifted his story under interrogation, failing a polygraph, and eventually admitted to details only the arsonist would know ([33:14–35:10]).
  • “He pinpointed the origin of the point of fire…Only the killer would know that.” — Mike Shepard ([35:17])

• Conviction

  • Delbert was arrested in 2011 and eventually convicted, receiving a life sentence for Patricia’s murder ([35:37], [42:22]).

5. The "Other Woman" and a Trail of Scams

• Allison’s Reinvention and Suspicion
  • After Delbert’s conviction, Allison moved, remarried (as Allison Salinas), and became a public figure in Illinois—an entrepreneur, podcaster, and aspiring politician ([45:33]).
  • She fostered a web of alleged cons: fake fundraisers, questionable cancer claims, and unpaid business debts. Kate Elliott, with a background in criminology, and James Turrentine exposed her schemes ([47:44], [49:39], [52:02]).
  • “I found Facebook pages online where people complained about her by the hundreds.” — Andrea Canning ([45:01], [47:53])
  • Evidence of her manipulation included canceled events and unpaid workers ([53:21], [53:39]).

6. A Second Murder Plot

• Solicitation of Murder

  • While pretending to rekindle a romance with James Turrentine, Allison repeatedly solicited him (and urged him to find someone) to murder her second husband, Patrick Salinas ([57:21], [59:07]).
  • “She wanted me to kill her husband...she sent me a picture like, here he is. Go get him.” — James Turrentine ([57:21], [59:13])
  • James recorded damning phone calls, in which Allison meticulously plotted alibis and lamented her “widow process.” ([62:05], [64:39])
  • “It can’t go down as a homicide. It can’t go down as anything but an accident.” — Allison Salinas ([43:41], [66:43])

• Police Inaction and Social Media Pressure

  • Despite providing evidence to police, James and Kate felt ignored until they posted the recordings online, tagging the police. This forced action, leading to Allison’s swift arrest ([67:06], [68:13]).

7. The Aftershocks: Confrontation and Denial

• Community and Family Reaction

  • Patricia's and Allison’s families saw Allison's solicitation arrest as a kind of karma or poetic justice ([70:42], [82:27]).
  • “Karma’s a bitch. You get what you deserve.” — John Michael Burdett ([82:30])

• Allison’s Defense

  • From jail, Allison insisted she never intended harm, blaming James for manipulating her. She denied all accusations—of murder plotting, cons, and faking illness ([73:38–79:10]).

• Delbert’s New Claim

  • In a stunning final interview, Delbert Mills attempted to implicate his son John Michael—then only six—as the fire starter, citing a decades-old ambulance conversation. The Dateline team and John Michael dismissed this as impossible, infuriating, and deeply cruel ([83:38–86:44]).
  • “If you can blame a 6-year-old for killing his mother, when you’re the one that actually did it…that’s the most cold-hearted thing you can do.” — John Michael Burdett ([86:27])

• Justice and Finality

  • Allison pled guilty to solicitation of murder, accepting a 16-year prison term ([82:01]). She was never charged in Patricia Lee’s arson-murder due to lack of admissible evidence ([41:43], [87:01]).
  • “Is she diabolical? … I just use the word evil.” — John Michael Burdett ([82:37–82:43])

8. Reflections and Healing

• John Michael’s Resilience
  • After substance struggles, John Michael found stability as a husband and father—never forgetting his mother but choosing life and growth over darkness ([66:05], [87:23]).
  • “She was the first person to show me what love was…She might not be here physically, but she’s here in my mind. She’s here in my heart.” — John Michael Burdett ([87:45])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• "That baby was watching his mama die."
  — James Turrentine ([06:02])

• "Delbert is a very narcissistic person...physical, mental, sexual. Like any abusive way that he could be, he was."
  — Jessica Lefferts ([23:06])

• "Delbert spoke up and said the only way she’d be leaving is in a body bag."
  — Jessica Lefferts ([23:24])

• "He told me...before he left for work...he purposely set his cigarette...by some wiring...[and] poured [kerosene] around the area."
  — Allison (reported by James Turrentine) ([25:05])

• "Put my cigarette in the ashtray...when I slammed the door that lamp failed...I think that's what started the fire. It's still hard to admit that I may have started that fire."
  — Delbert Mills ([34:45])

• "Delbert wasn’t smart enough for that. Allison was."
  — Jessica Lefferts ([39:50])

• "If you can blame a 6-year-old for killing his mother, when you're the one that actually did it, that’s the most cold-hearted thing you can do."
  — John Michael Burdett ([86:27])

• "Karma’s a bitch. You get what you deserve."
  — John Michael Burdett ([82:30])

• "She was the first person to show me what love was...She might not be here physically, but she's here in my mind. She's here in my heart."
  — John Michael Burdett ([87:45])

Important Timestamps

| Segment/Topic | Timestamps | |:--------------------------------------------|:-------------| | The fire and escape | 03:38–06:12 | | Family grief and suspicion | 07:27–13:42 | | Immediate remarriage & life insurance | 14:05–20:16 | | Reports of Delbert’s abuse/threats | 22:33–23:24 | | Allison’s first confession (recanted) | 24:46–26:09 | | Evidence-gathering & polygraph failures | 31:01–35:37 | | Delbert’s conviction | 36:12–42:31 | | Allison's scams and community alarm | 45:33–53:11 | | Murder-for-hire plot against Patrick | 57:21–66:43 | | James & Kate use social media as leverage | 67:06–68:38 | | Allison's arrest & family reflections | 68:58–75:43 | | Confrontations, denials, and blame-shifting | 82:01–87:14 | | John Michael’s closing reflections | 87:23–88:04 |

Conclusion

"Secrets in the Ashes" is a harrowing tale of generational trauma, denied justice, and the chilling banality of evil. It exposes not just a single murder and botched investigation, but a pattern of manipulations, scams, and attempted murder—all linked by Allison Salinas. With voices ranging from traumatized survivors to relentless amateur sleuths, the episode is a stark reminder that some wounds never heal, justice sometimes limps, and evil can take many forms—while redemption remains always on the horizon for those, like John Michael, who choose it.