Talking Dateline: Murder & Magnolias

Summary

Podcast Summary: Talking Dateline: Murder & Magnolias

Podcast: Dateline NBC
Host: Blaine Alexander
Guests: Keith Morrison (Host, “Murder & Magnolias”) and Carol Gable (Dateline Producer)
Date: February 25, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode of Talking Dateline, Blaine Alexander sits down with legendary correspondent Keith Morrison to break down his original podcast series, "Murder & Magnolias." The discussion delves into the dramatic true crime story of the Latham family in Charleston, South Carolina—a tale of high society, infidelity, murder-for-hire, and Southern charm. Producer Carol Gable later joins for a behind-the-scenes look at bringing this intricate story to light. Listener questions cap off the conversation, offering further personal and professional insights from the team.

---

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Story in a Nutshell

[01:40-03:13]

• Keith Morrison outlines the plot: Chris Latham, a Charleston banker and society figure, orchestrates a murder plot against his wife Nancy during a bitter divorce, recruiting his girlfriend Wendy and a dubious criminal network.
• The plan unravels when Aaron Wilkinson, a drug addict recruited to carry out the murder, gets arrested in a routine traffic stop and exposes the entire plot to police, saving Nancy’s life.
• The case stands out for its "fascinating" cast of characters and rare access to interviews inside and outside prison.
  • “It was a rare situation where we were able to conduct interviews with everybody outside and inside prison. Nancy…became a stand-up comedian for a while after this was all over.” — Keith Morrison (03:01)

---

2. Southern Setting & Character Dynamics

[03:22–05:47]

• The Lathams were Charleston “pillars of society”—he, a well-connected banker, and she, a socialite and hostess.
• The Southern culture and setting amplifies the drama and feel of the story.
  • “I'm not from there. I grew up in Canada, far away from that culture, but I love it.” — Keith Morrison (03:46)
• The archetype of perfect, charming couple hides messy realities beneath the surface.

---

3. Small Incidents, Big Consequences

[05:47–07:48]

• The murder plot was foiled thanks to chance: Aaron’s traffic stop.
• Keith highlights the recurring theme in Dateline stories where a minor event changes everything.
  • “Without that thing, what might have changed? ...The murder may have occurred.” — Keith Morrison (05:59)
• The contrast between Charleston’s wealthy and impoverished areas is embodied in “America Street,” where Aaron was stopped.

---

4. The ‘Hit Packet’ & Investigation

[08:31–09:43]

• A “hit packet” meticulously outlined the murder plot, containing everything needed to plan the crime—and, ironically, everything needed to solve it.
  • “People who set out to become tough guy criminals often aren't the brightest bulbs… The hit packet had everything you would want to know if you were going to have to kill somebody.” — Keith Morrison (08:41)
• The hit packet becomes key evidence.

---

5. Meet Nancy Latham

[09:43–12:06]

• Nancy’s reaction to the threat is explored; she’s portrayed as witty, “spicy,” and resilient. She quips when asked if she was having an affair:
  • Blaine: “Are you having an affair?”
    Nancy: “Are you offering?” (10:23–10:27)
• Nancy copes with trauma through humor, even becoming a stand-up comic after the ordeal.

---

6. Behind the Scenes with Producer Carol Gable

[13:58–19:24]

• Carol explains the lengthy production process and the challenge of earning trust—“getting everyone comfortable with talking to us.”
• Harrowing details: the “hit packet” even included photos of the Lathams’ daughters, chillingly suggesting their safety was expendable.
• Fallout: one daughter never spoke to her father again; another invited him to her wedding (from which Nancy abstained).
• Access to prisoners: interviews took place in the brief window post-conviction but before state prison transfer, requiring negotiation with local authorities.
  • “You want to be on good terms with the sheriff in every county in the country, if you can.” — Keith Morrison (18:25)

---

7. Murder-for-Hire Psychology

[19:24–20:33]

• Blaine asks about killers outsourcing crime:
  • “The people at the top of the pecking order rather like to get other people to do the hard work for them.” — Keith Morrison (19:57)
• “It's always odd math to me…they always seem to think [murder’s] cheaper than just getting a divorce.” — Carol Gable (20:13)

---

8. Aftermath & Ongoing Fallout

[20:35–21:55]

• Although the plotters are now free again, Nancy feels gratitude for surviving and for their convictions—though the story is “never really over.”
  • “For them, the story is never really over. It just enters a new kind of phase.” — Keith Morrison (21:40)
• Nancy has “reinvented herself” as a school IT head, no longer a comic, but is “doing really good.”

---

9. Who Hatched the Plan? (Unanswered Mystery)

[21:55–22:41]

• Investigators never determined whether Chris or Wendy masterminded the plot. Both Morrison and Gable express opinions but stress there is “no way to know.”

---

10. Listener Q&A: The Human Side of Reporting

[24:58–28:31]

• Staying in touch: Both Gable and Morrison form lasting connections with case subjects.
• Career highlights: Morrison didn’t plan for journalism but has 60 years in the business.
• Scariest moments: Gable recounts being rushed by a woman with a shotgun; Morrison recalls intimidating interviews and his riskier overseas reporting.
• On interviewing criminals:
  • “Criminals are people like you and me. Usually they're trying to put on a good impression… I have found interviewing criminals is…a more friendly reception than you do with a great many politicians.” — Keith Morrison (28:05–28:30)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “All lie, probably a lot more than we think we do.”
  — Keith Morrison on human nature in high society divorces (05:11)

• “You can get lost in the witch as soon as you start to describe it.”
  — Keith Morrison on the story’s complexity (03:22)

• (Re: Nancy Latham) “She deals with horror by making fun of it. She doesn’t feel it any less.”
  — Carol Gable (14:09)

• “For them, the story is never really over. It just enters a new kind of phase.”
  — Keith Morrison on the lasting trauma for survivors (21:40)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:49] Story primer with Keith Morrison
• [03:22] Southern atmosphere & character analysis
• [05:47] The fateful traffic stop
• [08:31] The “hit packet” evidence discussion
• [09:43] Keith and Nancy’s rapport—“Are you offering?”
• [13:58] Carol Gable joins—process and emotional fallout
• [18:25] Interviewing in prison—logistics and legal hurdles
• [20:13] Why murder-for-hire instead of divorce?
• [21:40] Long-term effects on the Latham family
• [24:58] Listener Q&A, including scariest moments

---

Tone & Style

• The episode blends serious true-crime analysis with plenty of personality, warmth, and Southern wit. The hosts and guests balance professional detachment with genuine empathy, offering candid behind-the-scenes details and honest reflections on the people involved.

---

Conclusion

“Talking Dateline: Murder & Magnolias” offers a gripping, character-driven breakdown of a Southern murder-for-hire case. It moves fluently from the dramatic surface story—complete with high society, betrayal, and unlikely heroes—to deeper reflections on trauma, justice, and the quirks of human nature. Engaging banter and a strong sense of place make this episode as entertaining as it is insightful, especially for true crime fans and Dateline devotees.

Transcript

[Rebel.com Advertiser]

Did you know you can save up to 70% on your favorite brands every day? From rebel.com has everything for your home, family and life for way less. Every day, Revel drops thousands of new products for up to 70% off brands like UPPAbaby, Nespresso, Caraway, and more. But every listing is one of a kind, so if you see something you love, you have to move fast. Why pay full price when you don't have to? Rebbl helps you save big on the brands you love. Shop now@from rebel.com owning a home is

[HomeServe Advertiser]

full prizes, some wonderful, some not so much. And when something breaks, it can feel like the whole day unravels. That's why HomeServe exists for as little as 4.99amonth. You'll always have someone to call, a trusted professional ready to help, bringing peace of mind to four and a half million homeowners nationwide. For plans starting at just 499amonth, go to homeserve.com that's homeserve.com not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 to $11.99 a month. Your first year terms apply on covered repairs.

[Blaine Alexander]

Hi, everyone. I'm Blaine Alexander, and today we are talking dateline. Today I'm here with Keith Morrison to talk about his original podcast series, Murder and Magnolias. Keith, my friend, it's so good to talk to you.

[Keith Morrison]

It's so delight to see you.

[Blaine Alexander]

Now, if you have not listened to it yet, you need to go do so. We dropped the full series in the DATELINE feed. As a bonus, while DATELINE has been taking a break for these past few weeks for the Winter Olympics. So go there, listen, and then come right back here. And later, we will be joined by DATELINE producer Carol Gable and to share what it was like behind the scenes reporting on this story as it unfolded. And then, as always, we're going to take some of your questions. Okay.

[Greenlight Infinity Advertiser]

Let's talk dateline.

[Blaine Alexander]

Keith, so this story was fascinating for a number of reasons. Can you just give us a quick primer? Just kind of run down what the story was about?

[Keith Morrison]

It's about a very successful couple in Charleston, South Carolina, a banker and his wife. They're society people. They have parties all the time. They seem to have the perfect life. It wasn't perfect. It was a bitter divorce. And then we discovered that the husband was seeing a woman who happened to know somebody who kind of spent some time in the underworld, had spent some time in prison and secretly arranged to have this man kill the wife, Nancy Latham. But the plan would awry. The person who was actually had volunteered to be the trigger man was arrested in a traffic stop. And it turned out he was trying to figure out a way not to do the killing. He was a drug addict and he gave the whole story away. So they were able to, in the end, protect Nancy, get the proof to arrest the husband and the girlfriend, and they went to prison. It was a rich story in its details and the characters were fascinating. And it was a rare situation where we were able to conduct interviews with everybody outside and inside prison. Nancy, of course, who turned out to be a very funny woman. In fact, she later on made a. I don't know if you could say made a living, but she became a stand up comedian for a while after this was all over. But Chris Latham spoke to us, Wendy spoke to us. You know, Charleston has given us a number of really remarkable tales and this is one of them.

[Blaine Alexander]

Let's start with those fascinating characters. I have to say you give a great primer, but there is so much to this story that it's almost impossible to kind of summarize it.

[Keith Morrison]

All right. You get lost in the witch as soon as you start to describe it.

[Blaine Alexander]

You do. But one thing that you can't really describe, even with the rundown that you just gave, I think just the Southern feel of these folks, of these characters, and the fact that it took place in South Carolina somehow just takes the story to another level for me.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah, it did for me too. And I don't live there. I'm not from there. I grew up in Canada, far away from that culture, but I love it. And the producer I've worked with for many years on a number of stories in Charleston, Carol Gable would call me and say, you won't believe the latest. And she had some new nugget about this story over a period of time while we were watching developments before we actually were able to complete doing it.

[Blaine Alexander]

So let's talk about the couple at the center of this, the Lathams. So you mentioned you grew up far away from South Carolina. I'm right next door. I'm in Georgia. I'm not originally from here, but certainly lived in the south long enough to, you know, know it. When you talk about those two, they are kind of like this quintessential, just Southern charm success story. Right. He's the money man, he's got the brains, and she is just a charmer and knows society. And you put those two together and

[Keith Morrison]

you have magic, dynamite. Yep. He was on the board of the SPOLETO Festival, which was the, you know, it's the big, big thing in Charleston every year. And you don't get a role like that unless you're a pillar of society. And she was the hostess who could charm everybody. And so they were. They were great together.

[Blaine Alexander]

Do you find that when there are these people who are pillars of society and, you know, murder plot notwithstanding. We'll get to that in a second. But just when it comes to those folks who are high in society and then divorce happening, there's usually some sort of added drama that's infused.

[Keith Morrison]

There usually is. The thing about people is we're all made of the same stuff. You know, we all have feet of clay. We all lie. We all lie probably a lot more than we think we do. And we try to protect the lives we're living while living the life we fantasize about living on the side. People have been doing that since time began. This was a case, for whatever reason, Chris Latham was so drawn to this Wendy person, fascinating character in her own right, that he was prepared to engage in these terrible acts against Nazi.

[Blaine Alexander]

Of course. Well, let's talk about the thing that kind of sets this whole, at least the storytelling investigation in motion, which is this traffic stop that takes place, which

[Keith Morrison]

this happens in so many of our stories, doesn't it? There's one little thing that happens without that thing. What might have changed? What might have been different, it might have been all different, and the murder may have occurred. So Aaron Wilkinson was a drug addict. Aaron Wilkinson was with his wife and his dog driving through Charleston. He had promised to do this deadly errand for his friend Sam, but he was trying to kill time as opposed to killing the person he was supposed to kill, Nancy Latham, so that by the time he had a deadline to do it, he just was trying to wait out the deadline. And it was the middle of the night, and he was driving down America street, which was another fascinating thing to me, that he was at the end of America street, where there is a tremendous amount of poverty and there are drug addicts and there are people sleeping on the street. At the other end of America street, some of the wealthiest families in Charleston lived, you know, mansions by the sea.

[Blaine Alexander]

Sure.

[Keith Morrison]

Aaron was at the wrong end of the street. He went through a light. He saw a police siren behind him. He had to stop. And then the cop discovered that he was, you know, maybe not all there. And the conversation continued. And Aaron said, you got to listen to me. You got to listen to me. I got a story to tell you. And so that was the opportunity that Aaron took to tell the police that there was a murder plot which he had been asked to be a participant in and didn't want to be. He had to tell the story. It took a while to persuade the cop that he should be believed, but eventually he was.

[Blaine Alexander]

There are several things there. One, just this very small thing. Right. Like you said, in every Dateline story, there's, you know, what it is that kind of helps investigators solve the crime, but in this case, it stopped the crime from happening, which I thought was just so fascinating, and that it was just the most unassuming character who really was the hero in this whole situation.

[Keith Morrison]

He was. And to the point where Nancy Latham went and thanked him at the end and the two of them, you know, had a very nice moment together.

[Carol Gable]

Yeah.

[Blaine Alexander]

One of the things that was a theme through this certainly, when in dealing with Aaron was how do we know that he is to be believed?

[Keith Morrison]

Right.

[Blaine Alexander]

How do we know police can believe him? Will he be believed there?

[Keith Morrison]

He was. Right. He was precisely the sort of person who should not be believed in most cases. Yeah. And the cop recognized he should take him in, listen to his story, see if it went anywhere.

[Blaine Alexander]

I love the juxtaposition, though, as you talk about the two ends of the street, that it was somebody like Aaron who brought down somebody like Chris Latham.

[Keith Morrison]

Right, exactly. Yeah. Part of the little metaphor there.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's talk about this hit packet. In all your years of date lining, have you ever heard of a hit packet?

[Keith Morrison]

You know, people who set out to become tough guy criminals often aren't the brightest bulbs. The hit packet had everything that you would want to know if you were going to have to kill somebody. And they managed to write it down on a piece of paper and then put it in a bedside table where somebody could easily find it.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, the crazy thing, it not only had everything you needed to know if you needed to kill somebody, but it had a lot of things to know if you were trying to investigate the plot to kill somebody.

[Keith Morrison]

I mean, absolutely.

[Blaine Alexander]

Handwriting there was wild to me.

[Keith Morrison]

It was, it was the key to the whole thing.

[Blaine Alexander]

And then, of course, you talk through this hit packet with the investigators. Take me back to that moment. I mean, when you were going through. Was that the actual hit packet you were looking at, by the way?

[Keith Morrison]

I believe? Yes. I think that wasn't exactly the same room, but it was a same hotel and a very similar room. There was some small difference that I can't quite recall at the moment. Sure. But yeah, the detective in There was sort of reliving it, and you could. You could feel he was reliving was one of those fly on the wall moments when you think, okay, I'm kind of witnessing what he was feeling as he did this. It was. It was very cool.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. So, Keith, let's talk about Nancy, because poor Nancy was, of course, the subject of this hit packet. I can't imagine being at home in the bathtub trying to just kind of get your mind right, get yourself together, and suddenly there is a knock at your door, and there are two officers who say, hey, someone's trying to kill you.

[Keith Morrison]

These are things that happen to other people. They never happen to them. And yet here they are happening to this woman who is just very charming and I enjoyed every conversation I had with her.

[Blaine Alexander]

She was spicy. Nancy was spicy.

[Keith Morrison]

Very spicy. Yeah, exactly. Right. Yeah.

[Blaine Alexander]

She was so one. Before we even get to the plot against her, I certainly loved how when you asked her point blank, hey, are you having an affair?

[Keith Morrison]

Were you having an affair?

[Carol Gable]

No, I was not.

[Blaine Alexander]

Are you offering?

[Keith Morrison]

That was her way of doing. She's just, you know, she's bright and comes right back at you when you're

[Blaine Alexander]

kind of like hitting a ball like that across the net with each other. Right. Like, an interview is always kind of like a tennis match or match. When something like that comes at you, how. How do you respond? You're obviously very skilled in interviewing, but

[Keith Morrison]

what do you think that's a skill? I have to say that's the first time it happened. But wait a minute. No, it's actually the second time. But it's, you know, it's. Somebody has just given you a home run, so you're going to use that piece, and they know you're going to use that bit. But, yeah, it also disarmed me because here she had been presented with the possibility that she was, you know, had done some bad things, that she was the cause of the breakup of this marriage, which was the allegation that her husband made. And she had a number of ways to respond to that. She could, you know, say no, no, no, and jump up and down and deny, deny, deny, as most people tend to do when they're accused of such a thing. Or she could simply, as you say, bat it back into my court with something flirtatious and fun. And it worked far better.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, yes, absolutely. It definitely did. I think that gave us a look early on into just kind of her. Her personality and who she was.

[Keith Morrison]

It explains why after a traumatic event like that, she would choose to rebuild her life by making a living as a stand up comic for a couple of years. I think Nancy's way of dealing with traumas is to make light of them. It's just another way to cope with stress and difficulty.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's the way a lot of us deal with tough things, right?

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah.

[Blaine Alexander]

When we come back, we will be joined by DATELINE producer Carol Gable for a behind the scenes look at how this entire story came together.

[Rebel.com Advertiser]

Did you know you can save up to 70% on your favorite brands every day? From rebel.com has everything for your home, family and life. For way less every day, Rebel drops thousands of new products for up to 70% off brands like UPPAbaby, Nespresso, Caraway and more. But every listing is one of a kind. So if you see something you love, you have to move fast. Why pay full price when you don't have to? Rebbl helps you save big on the brands you love. Shop now@from rebel.com hey, it's Olivia from Ollie.

[Olivia from Ollie]

Getting better sleep this year is totally doable. But skip the lettuce tea and the mouth tape. These sleep trends are getting unhinged. Ollie sleep gummies help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed. Just melatonin, l theanine and botanical extracts. No weird wet salad aftertaste. Better sleep can start tonight. Go to o l l y.com to choose your snooze. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Greenlight Infinity Advertiser]

Did you know 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving? Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it' dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be in the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight Infinity's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding and more. These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about safety. Plus, with weekly updates, you can track their progress over time. Help keep your teen safe. Sign up for Greenlight [e-mail] podcast.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, Akeith, you have invoked her name a number of times. I would like to bring in the fantastic producer of this episode, the one and only Carol Gable.

[Carol Gable]

We gotta stop mating like this.

[Blaine Alexander]

Always through boxes, right?

[Carol Gable]

That's right. Little square boxes.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, Carol, it's so lovely to have you join us.

[Carol Gable]

Well, thank you so much. And this brings back a lot of memories because this story took months and months and months to do to get everyone comfortable with talking to us. And one thing about Nancy and Keith is absolutely right. The way she deals with horror is that she makes fun of it. She doesn't feel it any less. And one thing to remember is that in that hit packet, the photograph that Aaron was given included their children. Yes. Like the two daughters were okay. If they were collateral damaged, that didn't matter.

[Keith Morrison]

And that was made clear enough that I think any chance that Nancy or the daughters would have of getting past this was probably eliminated at that point.

[Carol Gable]

Well, and to move ahead, I talked to Nancy last week about a wholly different story. I was going to her hometown for a hearing, but she told me that, you know, she has two daughters, and one of them has never dealt with her father since then. The other daughter has gotten married, had a wedding that she invited the dad to.

[Blaine Alexander]

Wow.

[Carol Gable]

So it's. It's kind of been an interesting ending, although it's probably not an ending. It's probably just a where they are right now.

[Blaine Alexander]

Did the dad come to the wedding? Oh, yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah, sure he came.

[Blaine Alexander]

They were all face to face. They all had to kind of coexist in that wedding.

[Carol Gable]

Wow. Yeah. Well, the person that wasn't there was Nancy. So there's been fallout for years after that.

[Blaine Alexander]

Carol, let me ask you this, because I am fascinated by the fact that you all spoke to every major player in this story. It's something that we don't often see in datelines, but especially in a story like this, when you had to get into prisons, when you were talking to folks who had been involved in different ways. Can you just kind of talk about the process of getting comfortable? How did it go from, hey, I'm Carol with Dateline, to getting these folks to trust you and actually open up? Yeah.

[Keith Morrison]

It's a superpower of some sort. I'll tell you. Don't ever get too close, because the same thing will happen to you.

[Carol Gable]

Now, I invoke Keith's name. That's what I do. I skate by on his reputation. You know, I think I've always believed that if you're in big trouble, almost the best thing you can do is let people know your point of view. And I think that's one thing that I talked about with everyone in the story is, you know, this didn't happen out of thin air. People at home may not agree with you, but if they don't hear what you were thinking, then we don't know, and we can't have a clear picture of the whole story if we don't.

[Keith Morrison]

So Carol and I spent quite a bit of time with these folks, you know, the ones in prison. And, you know, they're all people and they all. Once you meet a person in prison, they have already kind of been torn down to a level that they've never been in before. And they have to recognize their basic qualities, pro and con, as human beings, and they're a little more realistic. And so it's actually very nice to meet people in a situation like that. Nice is the wrong word. But it's illuminating to meet them in a situation like that, because while they are defending themselves and probably not telling you the truth about what they did or didn't do, you see them without the layers of protection that they would normally have that we all try to put up.

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm curious behind the scenes, just very quickly, like, what does it take to convince a correctional facility to allow such? Is it just different state laws? How did you. How were you able to do that?

[Carol Gable]

Well, in South Carolina, once someone is convicted and is put into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, you can't touch them, you can't interview, but there's this little sliver of time between conviction and when they're transported to the South Carolina borough of corrections. So that was my job, to discuss the local. With the local detention facility.

[Keith Morrison]

You want to be on good terms with the sheriff in every county in the country, if you can.

[Carol Gable]

Yes, you totally do. And they were very gracious and very nice, and they allowed us essentially in an unused part of the prison to set up the equipment so we could do these interviews. But in South Carolina, that's the only way you can do it.

[Keith Morrison]

And I will say, just as a little add on above the jail where we conducted the interviews, the sheriff, I think, was justly proud of the facility and we were able to find some good places to do it. But I was struck by the way it was set up. And a lot of jails are this way with the sort of. I wake up at night sometimes thinking about the relative lack of thickness in those little mattresses they put on the concrete and the giant rooms where everybody has to share everything. Yes, it's. If you don't want to go to prison, the best thing to do in advance is inoculate yourself by knowing what they're like.

[Blaine Alexander]

Sure, yeah. I'm curious. When you talk about murder for hire plots, you've done several, right? This is not. Certainly not the first secrets in a small town comes to mind, but. And do you find as you kind of talk to these people or just kind of, you know, cover these types of stories, is there some sort of, like, psychological difference perhaps, that people have when it comes to actually committing a murder themselves versus hiring someone? Do they, do they feel removed? Is it. Is it kind of like a psyching themselves out that maybe I'm not a killer, I just am someone with a lot of money?

[Keith Morrison]

You know, that's a. It's a very good question. I don't know how I'd answer it except that there is a pecking order in society and the people at the top of the pecking order rather like get other people to do the hard work for them. But, you know, it's a good question. It's a good question.

[Carol Gable]

But, you know, it's so always shocking that the people who instigate murder for higher plots always seem to think that's cheaper than just getting a divorce. It's just always odd math to me that they would do that. And of course, if you don't get away with a crime, you're on Dateline.

[Blaine Alexander]

Very true.

[Keith Morrison]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Blaine Alexander]

Carol, you mentioned the fact that you just talked to Nancy last week.

[Carol Gable]

She lives in Florida. She has reinvented herself as an IT department head in a school. She doesn't do open mic stand up much anymore, but she sounds really good.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's wonderful. I'm curious. I mean, all three of these people involved have, you know, they were sentenced to prison. They're now out of prison and among society again. How does she feel about that? Does she have any pause about the fact that these folks are now out?

[Carol Gable]

I think she was so glad, A, that she lived to tell about it and B, that both Wendy and Chris were held accountable.

[Blaine Alexander]

But there's not A, fear. I just wonder. It would be hard were I in that situation. It seems that it would be difficult after going through everything she's gone through, through to, even though situation has changed, just to not be kind of looking over your shoulder or just feeling away that these people who tried to carry out this elaborate plot to end your life are now back out on the street.

[Carol Gable]

Well, they are and they are.

[Keith Morrison]

It's. Yeah. And it's one of the reasons it's interesting to continue to follow the people involved in these stories because for them, the story is never really over. It just enters a new kind of phase. So I'm sure she's probably thinks about it once in a while.

[Blaine Alexander]

We'll go to some viewer questions in a moment, but I'm curious for Both of you all to weigh in on this at the end of the episode. One of the questions that's left is, who hatched this plan? Was it Chris? Was it Wendy? Whose idea was it in the first place? Investigators never quite figured it out. I'm wondering if either of you have your own thoughts.

[Carol Gable]

I'll go first.

[Keith Morrison]

Sure.

[Carol Gable]

There's nothing in Chris Latham's background that we're aware of that would make you go to, as you say, door number two, as opposed to a divorce. What do you think, Keith?

[Keith Morrison]

I don't want to surmise too much because we have no idea what happened or who said what to whom, but it was certainly a reasonable idea that Chris might have said, man, I could kill that woman. And Wendy said, I know exactly who could do that for us.

[Carol Gable]

And ironically, Sam Yenowine. Thank you, Yenowine. Sam Yenawine died in jail under some sort of mysterious circumstances, as people sometimes do as they do.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, this was a fascinating story with unbelievable characters and again, a testament to you both that you made them feel so comfortable that they would share their various parts of the story.

[Carol Gable]

Thank you.

[Blaine Alexander]

With you and with the world. So it was fascinating.

[Keith Morrison]

Well, Carol threatened them. Give it up or else.

[Carol Gable]

All five. Four of me did that. Yes.

[Blaine Alexander]

And after the break, we will answer some of your viewer and listener questions.

[Olivia from Ollie]

Hey, it's Olivia from Ollie. Getting better sleep this year is totally doable. But skip the lettuce tea in the mouth tape. These sleep trends are getting unhinged. Ollie Sleep gummies help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed. Just melatonin, L theanine, and botanical extracts. No weird wet salad aftertaste. Better sleep can start tonight. Go to o l l y.com to choose your snooze. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

[Greenlight Infinity Advertiser]

Ollie, did you know? 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving. Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it's dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be in the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight. Infiniti's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding and more. These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about SAF plus. With weekly updates, you can track their progress over time, help keep your teens safe. Sign up for Greenlight [e-mail] podcast just

[Lemonade Pet Insurance Advertiser]

got a new puppy or kitten. Congrats. But also, yikes. Between crates, beds, toys, treats, and those first few vet visits, you've probably already dropped a small fortune, which is where Lemonade Pet Insurance comes in. It helps cover vet costs so you can focus on what's best for your new pet. The coverage is customizable, sign up is quick and easy, and your claims are handled in as little as three seconds. Pro tips. Lemonade offers a package specifically for puppies and kittens. Get a'llemonade.com pet your future self will thank you. Your pet won't. They don't know what insurance is.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, so we have a lot of social questions. These are from some of our folks who came to Dateline live in Nashville or asked questions. So if you didn't hear your question, then you might hear it right now. Let's get this one from Jessica from Nashville. She says, huge Dateline fan here. Whenever a mystery is solved after 10 plus years of working on it, I Are you ever sad to close that chapter? And the second part, do you stay in close touch with those families? We already know that answer. But do you ever feel sad about closing a chapter?

[Carol Gable]

I don't feel sad, but I do stay in touch with everybody.

[Keith Morrison]

Sure. It's hard to let them go and then you wind up going and doing them again because you find out something new because you, because you can't let them go.

[Blaine Alexander]

Absolutely. Here's another one from someone in Nashville. Okay, Keith, I'll, I'll pitch this one to you. What was your job aspiration or your occupation? Occupation. Before landing with dateline?

[Keith Morrison]

Well, I was in the business for I've been this year. It's 60 years in the television or radio business, which is hard to believe, but. So I've been doing that for a long, long time. But what was my aspiration? I was one of those people without an aspiration. I didn't know what the heck I wanted to do and got a job at a radio station. And there we are, Keith.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, congratulations on that milestone. What are we, what are we doing to celebrate? That's the question I want to know.

[Keith Morrison]

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I shouldn't have even told you.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, too late. Something will happen. Okay, this question is from Jessica C. In Nashville. I love you guys. She says, what is the scariest moment that you've ever experienced while either interviewing or researching Carol? Do you have a scary moment?

[Keith Morrison]

Oh, wow.

[Carol Gable]

Scary moment. Well, I did have a woman who all I really wanted to do is talk to her and she came flying out of her front door with a shotgun. Now, I felt like I was okay because she didn't point it at me, she was only running with it. And then by the time she got to my rental car, we had agreed we might talk first. Yeah, that was it.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, that's quite a moment.

[Carol Gable]

It was.

[Keith Morrison]

That's a good moment.

[Blaine Alexander]

Also, kudos to you for being able to literally disarm somebody in that moment. That's impressive.

[Carol Gable]

Yeah, well, I was hiding behind the door of my rental car.

[Blaine Alexander]

The things we will do to. To bring a story together. How about that? Okay. Keith, do you have one you want to share?

[Keith Morrison]

Oh, no, I mean, I. Look, I've interviewed lots of people. Some of them I would get scared by. Somebody who was, you know, intellectually daunting and who, you ask the wrong question, you're going to get battered about. That would scare me a little bit. And there have been situations like Tiananmen Square and certain wars I went to. But that, that's other. That's not Dateline, that's for sure.

[Blaine Alexander]

But it's life. It's part of your 60 year span as a journalist. Okay, last one. I'll ask you. This one to you, Keith. This one is from Instagram from any day 1985. Who asks, how do you keep your calm when interviewing criminals? I remember Keith with Lori Valo and he was amazing. I don't think I could do it.

[Keith Morrison]

Well, the criminals are people like you and me. And usually they're trying to put on a good impression. They want people to think that they're innocent or if they did do a bad thing, that it was just one time. And they really don't do other bad things ever. So, you know, they're trying to be Mr. Nice Guy. I have found interviewing criminals is you find a more friendly reception than you do with a great many politicians, for example.

[Carol Gable]

Amen.

[Blaine Alexander]

Very interesting. Well, Carol and Keith, this has been a fascinating discussion. I have appreciated you both. Carol, I know you have to get back to court, so we'll let you go. Keith, you've got to do. You've got to tend to.

[Carol Gable]

Finn, I gotta tell you, we need to start planning a party because 60 years is not nothing.

[Keith Morrison]

Oh, stop it now. I shouldn't have said a word.

[Blaine Alexander]

Listen, you've let the cat out of the bag, so prepare.

[Carol Gable]

Exactly.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, that's it for talking Dateline this week. Thank you all so much for listening. You can stream Dateline anytime on Peacock or on our Dateline 24. 7 channel. And drum roll please. We are back this Friday. We're back with an all new DATELINE episode. And it's actually my new episode. So please join me here in Georgia, my state, for a case involving the mysterious death of a husband. It was ruled a suicide, but his family believes there may be more to the story. And after you watch the episode, of course, you can leave us your questions, DM us your audio or video questions on social media datelinenbc. Or you can use the good old landline, leave us a voicemail at 212-413-5252 for a chance to be featured right here. And of course, we'll see you Friday at 9, 8 Central on an all new Dateline on NBC.

[HomeServe Advertiser]

Packages by Expedia. You were made to occasionally take the hard route to the top of the ice tower. We were made to easily bundle your trip Expedia made to travel flight inclusive packages are ator protected.