Introducing: Five Miles From Home

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Introducing: Five Miles From Home”

Dateline: True Crime Weekly | Host: NBC News | Date: June 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode serves as an atmospheric introduction to Dateline's newest true crime investigation series, "Five Miles From Home," narrated by the signature voice of Keith Morrison. The case centers on the sudden disappearance of 16-year-old Mickey Costanzo in the quiet, casino town of West Wendover, Nevada. Through gripping narration, evocative testimony, and snippets of firsthand accounts, the episode sets the stage for a story marked by innocence lost and the dark undercurrents of jealousy and deceit lurking beneath an otherwise tranquil facade. The episode aims to entice listeners to follow the unfolding investigation and the pursuit of justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Vanishing of Mickey Costanzo

• Ordinary Day, Ordinary Town:
  • Keith Morrison emphasizes how routine the day seemed, as Mickey took her usual walk home from high school.

    “Such an ordinary thing on an ordinary day to walk home from high school.” (00:04, Keith Morrison)

  • The host introduces Mickey as “just 16,” highlighting her vulnerability and the apparent safety of her environment.
• Family’s Immediate Doubt:
  • The first signs of distress are evident as a narrator recalls:

    “In the bottom of my heart, I knew something was really, really wrong.” (00:25, Host)

  • Morrison underlines the confusion and dread felt by those close to Mickey:

    “We didn’t know whether she’d met with foul play or if she was being held somewhere. What happened to Mickey, it didn’t make sense. Came out of the blue. I was blindsided.” (00:29, Keith Morrison)

2. Community in Shock & An Unlikely Location

• West Wendover Setting:
  • The podcast situates listeners in West Wendover, painting it as a “tiny casino town tucked away in the desert.” (00:57, Keith Morrison)
  • It’s underscored that “nothing happens in Wendover. And something did.” (01:04, Host)

3. The Unfolding Investigation

• Breaking Developments:
  • New elements in the investigation are hinted at:

    “I had gotten a text saying that he had had her. And I said, I know where she’s at. Let’s go.” (01:11, Host)

  • Morrison queries the responder’s state of mind:

    “What’d you think when you got that call? I thought the worst.” (01:18, Keith Morrison & Host dialogue)

  • The story takes a turn with confessions implicating unexpected suspects:

    “As soon as he actually confessed to doing it, then I knew she had something to do with it.” (01:21, Host)

4. Themes of Jealousy, Rage, and Deceit

• Emotional Escalation:
  • Morrison spells out the psychological arc of the crime:

    “It’s a story of jealousy, rage and deceit.” (01:27, Keith Morrison)

  • The Host describes the evolution of interpersonal tensions:

    “The hatred grew more and more. It just escalated.” (01:32, Host)

5. Larger Questions & Unanswered Mysteries

• Lingering Doubts:
  • Morrison sums up the case as one where things spun out of control:

    “Something that got out of hand, that went very, very wrong. Just went haywire. Disturbing would be the word. Confessions, cover ups and lies. No one would have ever seen this coming. Just isn’t possible.” (01:35, Keith Morrison)

  • Uncertainty and a sense of ongoing grief continue to haunt those affected:

    “I still wonder to this day why? What even really happened?” (01:53, Host)

• A Call for Justice:
  • The Host asserts the need for resolution:

    “This is not over yet. Until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice.” (00:48, Host)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Keith Morrison (00:04): “Such an ordinary thing on an ordinary day to walk home from high school.”
• Host (00:25): “In the bottom of my heart, I knew something was really, really wrong.”
• Keith Morrison (00:29): “What happened to Mickey, it didn’t make sense. Came out of the blue. I was blindsided.”
• Host (01:21): “As soon as he actually confessed to doing it, then I knew she had something to do with it.”
• Keith Morrison (01:27): “It’s a story of jealousy, rage and deceit.”
• Host (01:53): “I still wonder to this day why? What even really happened?”
• Keith Morrison (01:35): “Something that got out of hand, that went very, very wrong. Just went haywire.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04: Keith Morrison’s evocative opening narration
• 00:25: Family’s first intuition that something is wrong
• 00:57: Introduction of the West Wendover, NV setting
• 01:11-01:21: Investigation breakthrough: text message, confessions, suspect revelations
• 01:27-01:35: Articulation of the crime’s emotional drivers — jealousy, rage, deceit
• 01:53: Uncertainty and the drive for closure and justice

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Tone & Narrative Style

The episode maintains classic Dateline suspense, balancing haunting empathy with investigative curiosity. Keith Morrison’s delivery is both gentle and foreboding, matched by the Host’s candid reflections and emotional recounting from involved parties.

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Conclusion

“Five Miles From Home” promises an immersive deep-dive into a perplexing and tragic case. By focusing on the broader human impact, unanswered questions, and twists involving unexpected suspects, the series invites listeners to explore not only the crime but the reverberating consequences for a stunned community.

Listeners can follow the full series on Dateline, with early and ad-free access available for subscribers, as detailed by Morrison at the episode’s close.

Transcript

[Keith Morrison]

Such an ordinary thing on an ordinary day to walk home from high school.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

I thought that everything was fine. Everything was normal.

[Keith Morrison]

Her name was Mickey Costanzo. Just 16. She didn't have far to go. Seemed perfectly safe. Until it wasn't.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

In the bottom of my heart, I knew something was really, really wrong.

[Keith Morrison]

We didn't know whether she'd met with foul play or if she was being held somewhere. What happened to Mickey, it didn't make sense. Came out of the blue. I was blindsided.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

Not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened.

[Keith Morrison]

Who happened to Mickey?

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

This is not over yet. Until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice.

[Keith Morrison]

Our latest podcast takes us to West Wendover, Nevada. Tiny casino town tucked away in the desert.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

Nothing happens in Wendover. And something did.

[Keith Morrison]

Unlikely victim, unlikely suspects.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

I had gotten a text saying that he had had her. And I said, I know where she's at. Let's go.

[Keith Morrison]

What'd you think when you got that call? I thought the worst.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

As soon as he actually confessed to doing it, then I knew she had something to do with it.

[Keith Morrison]

It's a story of jealousy, rage and deceit.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

The hatred grew more and more. It just escalated.

[Keith Morrison]

It's something that got out of hand, that went very, very wrong. Just went haywire. Disturbing would be the word. Confessions, cover ups and lies. No one would have ever seen this coming. Just isn't possible.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

I still wonder to this day why? What even really happened?

[Keith Morrison]

I'm Keith Morrison and this is five Miles from Home, an all new podcast from dateline. Starting Monday, June 8th, you can listen to the latest episodes completely free or to begin listening now, subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple podcasts. Spotify or DatelinePremium.com subscribers get early access to new episodes and can listen to all Dateline podcasts ad free.

[Podcast Narrator/Host]

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