Podcast Summary: Talking Dateline: The Girl in the Blue Mustang

Podcast: Dateline NBC
Episode: Talking Dateline: The Girl in the Blue Mustang
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Andrea Canning, Keith Morrison
Guests: Clint Ehrlich, (clips from Raymond Jennings)
Theme: A behind-the-scenes discussion of Keith Morrison’s original podcast series chronicling the long, tumultuous case known as “The Girl in the Blue Mustang”—the murder of Michelle O’Keefe, the wrongful conviction of security guard Raymond Jennings, and the life-altering impact truth-seekers and family endured along the way.

Episode Theme & Purpose

This “Talking Dateline” episode delves into the riveting story covered in Keith Morrison’s podcast, "The Girl in the Blue Mustang," focusing on the 26-year-old murder case of Michelle O’Keefe. Host Andrea Canning and Morrison dissect the twists, investigative pivots, and emotional turmoil of a case involving a young woman found murdered after attending a music video shoot, the confounding conviction (and eventual exoneration) of security guard Raymond Jennings, and the role of a dedicated Dateline viewer who upended the status quo. They discuss what it's like to follow a story for decades, highlight the toll on families and communities, and reflect on the flawed pursuit of justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Overview of the Case

• The Victim: Michelle O’Keefe, a radiant and joyful young woman, excited for Hollywood opportunities (05:01), was murdered in her blue Mustang after appearing in a Kid Rock music video.
• The Conviction: Security guard Raymond Jennings, tried three times, was eventually convicted, primarily based on the perception that he "knew too much" (06:11), but later exonerated.
• A Case Turned Upside Down: Clint Ehrlich, a self-taught legal mind, discovered the case via Dateline, found problems with the prosecution, and catalyzed Jennings’ release (01:41, 14:39).

2. Michelle O’Keefe’s Premonitions

• Michelle had several eerie premonitions: a haunting comment about dying early, telling her brother he would outlive her, and noticing her Mustang’s license plate included code “187”—police slang for homicide (03:20).
  • Andrea Canning: “I was so taken aback by this premonition that she had... How did she know that? I would never have known something like that as a teen.” (03:04)

3. The Importance of the Blue Mustang & Stick Shift

• Michelle’s pride in her manual-transmission Mustang proved vital to the investigation, as knowledge of how to operate a stick shift became a clue (05:03).
  • Keith Morrison: “The fact that it had a stick shift was so instrumental in this story.” (05:03)

4. Suspects and Tunnel Vision

• Police focus soon narrowed on Raymond Jennings because “he knew too much.” He waived legal protection, seeking to be helpful, which worked against him (06:28).
  • Keith Morrison: “It was a perfect example of why even if you want to be helpful and you’re not guilty, it’s a wise thing to have an attorney there.” (07:27)
• Jurors, swayed by his detailed account, sidelined other suspects; accusations of ‘tunnel vision’ were prevalent (08:31).

5. Trials, Juries, and the Justice System

• Jennings was tried three times: two hung juries in LA, a conviction in Palmdale, reflecting differing civic attitudes toward law enforcement and evidence—echoing broader national trends post-O.J. trial (10:32).
  • Keith Morrison: “Palmdale is a different kettle of fish than Los Angeles. LA juries do not have the same attitude toward the police…” (10:32)

6. The Power of Belief vs. Evidence

• Morrison and Canning discuss how often convictions (and acquittals) rest more on belief and human bias than on hard evidence (12:17).
  • Keith Morrison: “Belief is a scary thing… Evidence is pretty dry and often leads in a slightly different direction than belief does.” (12:16)

7. Clint Ehrlich: The Accidental Advocate

• Ehrlich, a law-savvy autodidact with no particular agenda, was drawn in by Jennings’ unwavering statement of innocence and faith at sentencing (14:39, 16:44).
  • Clint Ehrlich: “Either this was an innocent man or this was a sociopath who deserved an Academy Award. And I just had to know which one.” (16:45)
• His intervention led to Jennings’ exoneration, sparking reflection on how “Dateline” can catalyze real-world change.
  • Keith Morrison: “Who among us would… upend his whole life and spend several years trying to show the verdict… was wrong?” (19:10)
  • Andrea Canning: “To think that Dateline sparked all of this… does it always amaze you when the show reaches certain people and makes a difference?” (19:27)

8. The Enduring Agony of the O'Keefe Family

• Michelle’s murder devastated her family: her parents divorced, her brother later died by suicide after addiction struggles, and ongoing legal turmoil compounded the pain (22:46).
  • Andrea Canning: “How much can one family endure?” (23:24)
• Her father persists in his belief that Jennings is guilty, illustrating how trauma can calcify perceptions even in the face of contrary evidence (23:51).

9. Raymond Jennings’ Reflections on Innocence and Suffering

• Excerpts from Morrison’s interview show Jennings wrestling with “Why me?” and ultimately embracing faith and the broader ripple effects of the tragedy (24:25).
  • Raymond Jennings: “Sometimes you have to take yourself out of that box we put ourselves in and look at the ripple effects… Both families were destroyed… These are things we can never get back.” (25:03)
  • Keith Morrison: “He doesn’t hold grudges… it’s always such an inspiration to see that.” (26:02)
• Jennings was fully exonerated and strives for a peaceful, constructive life post-release (26:42).

10. The Case Remains Unsolved

• Despite Jennings’ exoneration, the ultimate question—who killed Michelle?—remains unresolved. Even within local law enforcement, opinions are divided, and Morrison doubts a satisfying conclusion is forthcoming (19:46, 26:59).
  • Keith Morrison: “But the tale of the girl in the blue Mustang is not satisfactorily ended, in my opinion.” (19:46)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Michelle’s Premonition:
  • Andrea Canning (03:04): “I was so taken aback by this premonition that she had… the digits on her tags for her Mustang were 187. And she knew that meant homicide. How did she know that?…”
• Tunnel Vision:
  • Keith Morrison (07:27): “It was a perfect example of why… even if you want to be helpful… it’s a wise thing to have an attorney there with you so you don’t get yourself into trouble like he did.”
  • Andrea Canning (08:31): “Of course, there’s the big accusation of tunnel vision, that the other potential suspects just fell away.”
• Trials & Jury Culture:
  • Keith Morrison (10:32): “Culturally, Palmdale is a whole other kettle of fish than Los Angeles. So two trials in LA… LA juries do not [have the] same attitude toward the police, toward evidence, toward anything…”
• Belief vs. Evidence:
  • Keith Morrison (12:17): “You can believe all kinds of stuff… Evidence is… pretty dry and… often leads in a slightly different direction than belief does.”
• Clint Ehrlich’s Motivation:
  • Clint Ehrlich (16:45): "Either this was an innocent man or this was a sociopath who deserved an Academy Award. And I just had to know which one."
• Ripple Effects & Forgiveness (Raymond Jennings):
  • Raymond Jennings (25:03): “You’d look in that mirror and I’d be like, why me?... but… look at the ripple effects… People’s lives have been changed forever… Both families were destroyed… I know it turned out for my good.”
• Lingering Injustice:
  • Keith Morrison (19:46): “But the tale of the girl in the blue Mustang is not satisfactorily ended, in my opinion.”
• Sense of Loss:
  • Keith Morrison (28:01): “I find myself thinking about young Michelle O’Keefe, who will never, never grow old, never have grown children, never be married… all of those things… she will not have.”

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:41 | Morrison’s case recap | | 03:04 | Michelle’s premonitions | | 05:03 | The blue Mustang and the stick shift detail | | 06:28 | Focus on Raymond Jennings—“the man who knew too much”| | 08:31 | Tunnel vision and abandonment of other suspects | | 10:32 | Impact of jury culture and trial locations | | 12:16 | Discussion on belief vs. evidence | | 14:39 | Clint Ehrlich discovers the case | | 16:44 | Clint’s turning point after hearing Jennings speak | | 19:10 | The rarity of a viewer turning into a change agent | | 22:46 | The devastation of the O’Keefe family | | 24:25 | Jennings on suffering and faith | | 26:42 | Jennings’ attitude post-exoneration | | 26:59 | Morrison on the unresolved nature of the case | | 28:01 | Reflections on loss and longing for justice |

Tone and Style

• Respectful & Empathetic: Andrea and Keith deeply empathize with both the victim and the wrongfully accused.
• Inquisitive: Both hosts probe the complexities of police work, the justice system, and personal motivations.
• Reflective: Repeatedly, they contemplate the unpredictable and sometimes unsatisfying nature of true crime stories.

Conclusion

This episode provides both an emotional and analytical journey through the labyrinthine saga behind “The Girl in the Blue Mustang.” It invites listeners to ponder questions of justice, the fallibility of human belief, and the far-reaching impact of tragedy on victims, families, and even those wrongfully accused. The power of media to spark real-world change is front and center, as is the enduring pain and hope that still envelop Michelle O’Keefe’s family. For those seeking closure, the case’s end still feels distant—its story, heartbreakingly, not yet closed.