Podcast
Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Hosted by Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield · EN
I know a thing or two about true crime... I’ve been reporting on it for 36 years. This is the podcast where I take you on a journey through mystery and injustice... and dive deep into critical clues with an irreverent style that I don’t share on TV!
Join me for my personal take on many of these stories and my personal connection to several as well!
I’m Ashleigh Banfield, and I’m Drop Dead Serious!
New Episodes Every Thursday!
Join me for my personal take on many of these stories and my personal connection to several as well!
I’m Ashleigh Banfield, and I’m Drop Dead Serious!
New Episodes Every Thursday!
323episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Bombshell Nancy Guthrie Twist: Ransom Note Claims Nancy Was "Buried With Nature"
Yesterday00:55:09Summary readyA stunning new report is raising disturbing questions in the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, after sources say an old ransom note claimed Nancy was dead and “buried with nature.” In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the unbelievable new reporting around the alleged ransom notes, and the claim that Nancy may have died shortly after she was abducted. Ashleigh also speaks with TMZ’s Harvey Levin, whose team received early communications in the case and worked with the FBI as investigators tried to trace the people behind them. Harvey reveals what TMZ did and did not receive, why he believed one mysterious tipster may have known something, and the moment the FBI suddenly stopped responding. As the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping mystery grows darker, the biggest questions remain unanswered: who took Nancy, where is she now, and did the ransom notes tell the truth?
SummaryDisturbing Mystery: Missing Woman’s Husband Was a Local Deputy for 14 Years | Elena Moore
5d ago00:36:46Summary readyChilling New Details: A body has been found in the search for missing Lexington, South Carolina woman Elena Moore, but the coroner says there was “nothing obvious” at first glance. We've also learned that Elena Moore’s husband spent 14 years as a local deputy before becoming a private investigator. Police said early in the investigation that he was not a person of interest. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by Sergeant Vicki Rains, who was featured in Netflix’s hit true crime docuseries, Missing: Dead or Alive? Rains served for more than 20 years in law enforcement, including with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s Victims Services Unit. She weighs in on the unusual timeline, the strange Ring camera video showing Moore disoriented days before she disappeared, the husband’s law enforcement background, and the questions investigators still need to answer. Previous Video: https://youtu.be/aZ6UHHD29FUElena Katherine Moore, 39, was last seen on June 11 after signing in at Planet Fitness in Lexington. Surveillance later showed her walking near Publix on Old Cherokee Road wearing the same olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants she had on earlier that night. Days later, police said they found a body wearing similar clothing, but official identification and cause of death were still pending.
SummaryDisturbing Mystery: Body Found After Missing Woman’s Strange Doorbell Video Surfaces | Elena Moore
6d ago00:42:12Summary readyBreaking: A body matching Elena Moore’s clothing was found in a wooded area after newly obtained surveillance video showed the missing 39-year-old walking near Old Cherokee Road the night she vanished. Elena Katherine Moore disappeared in Lexington, South Carolina after she was last seen leaving Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way on June 11, wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Police later obtained surveillance video showing Moore walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road around 9:17 p.m., still wearing the same clothes. Days later, investigators say a tip helped lead them to a search area near Old Cherokee Road, where a body was found wearing clothing that matched Moore’s last known outfit. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the strange and troubling timeline surrounding Elena Moore’s disappearance and the unanswered questions now surrounding the death investigation being handled by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Ashleigh also speaks with NewsNation National Correspondent Mills Hayes, who obtained bombshell Ring camera footage from about a week before Moore disappeared. The video appears to show Elena Moore confused and disoriented at a Lexington apartment complex, picking up someone else’s DoorDash order, trying to follow a homeowner inside, and later telling the homeowner, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”Mills Hayes:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MillsHayessTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@millshayesssX: https://x.com/@MillsHayesTVReady to give Toups a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to http://toupsandco.com/banfield, and use code BANFIELD for 25% off your first order.
SummaryNancy Guthrie: Sheriff Flags Disturbing “Wrench Attack” Report To Investigators | 135 Days Missing
1w ago00:45:03Summary readyNancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home more than 135 days ago, and investigators have released almost nothing about what happened to the 84-year-old grandmother. But now, a new cybersecurity report on so-called “wrench attacks” and “proxy target attacks” has raised a disturbing possibility in the case: was Nancy taken not because of what she had, but because of who she was connected to? In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the new report, the brutal rise of crypto-related kidnappings and torture-for-password crimes, and why Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says the task force is aware of the report and has flagged it to investigators. Ashleigh also speaks with security expert Spencer Coursen, a former U.S. Army Ranger and former special deputy U.S. Marshal, about how these attacks work, why criminals are moving from hacking to physical violence, and what families can do to protect themselves from ransom, extortion, and proxy targeting.
SummaryAnna Kepner Case: Teen Stepbrother Sent to Jail As Cruise Ship Murder Case Explodes
1w ago00:50:10Summary readyAnna Kepner was found dead under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship, and now the 16-year-old stepbrother who shared that cabin with her has been sent to jail. Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old accused in the death of Florida cheerleader Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon, has been ordered into U.S. Marshals custody after prosecutors pushed to have him detained. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh walks through the newly unsealed court documents, the cruise ship surveillance timeline, the phone evidence, and the DNA details prosecutors say are central to the case. Former Florida State Attorney Dave Aronberg joins Ashleigh to break down the federal charges, the adult prosecution, and what happens next for a teenager facing life in prison.
SummaryNancy Guthrie Tip Leads Searchers to “Killing Field” Across Mexico Border | 131 Days Missing
2w ago00:55:55Summary readyA chilling new tip has pushed the Nancy Guthrie case across the border and into one of the darkest possible search areas yet. After 131 days with no sign of the missing Arizona grandmother, a volunteer search group in Nogales, Mexico says it received a specific anonymous tip claiming Nancy Guthrie may be buried near Mariposa, an area where searchers have previously found 25 unmarked graves. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the new Mexico search, the anonymous tip, the 25 unmarked graves, the Pima County response, and then sits down with Dr. Tracy “Trace” Sargent, a forensic criminologist, victimology expert, law enforcement officer, canine handler, and missing persons specialist, to talk about what this tip could mean.
SummaryShocker: Husband REFUSES to Cooperate in Suspected Murder Probe of Missing Wife?! | Lynette Hooker
2w ago00:33:22Summary readyBreaking: Brian Hooker is refusing to cooperate in the suspected murder investigation into his missing wife, Lynette Hooker. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh breaks down the latest turn in the Bahamas case and sits down with famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos to talk about what it means when a husband at the center of a suspected murder probe refuses to cooperate with investigators. Brian says Lynette “bounced” off the back of their dinghy in the Sea of Abaco, but the Coast Guard has now searched key areas tied to his timeline, taken possession of the dinghy, and continued following evidence in the case. Lynette Hooker is still missing. Brian Hooker has not been charged with a crime.Try Rocket Money for FREE or unlock more features with premium at: https://RocketMoney.com/dropdeadserious
SummaryBrian Hooker Spotted in Michigan as Family Demands Answers | Missing in Bahamas Lynette Hooker
2w ago00:41:37Summary readyBrian Hooker has been spotted in Michigan, far from the Bahamas where he said he would never leave without Lynette. After weeks of questions about where Brian went after Lynette Hooker vanished in the Sea of Abaco, Brian was seen at a Sierra store in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his daughter Rosie. Ashleigh also breaks down reports of Brian’s movements through California and Oregon, including the family connections that may explain why he has been bouncing from place to place while Lynette’s family is still waiting for answers. Then, Lynette’s father Dan Shepherd and stepmother Kathy sit down with Ashleigh to talk about the Coast Guard search, the dinghy now in federal custody, the evidence investigators say gives them confidence, and Brian’s behavior since the night Lynette disappeared. Dan also has a message for Brian Hooker: if this was not intentional, “step forward and face up. Man up.” But if he planned this, he says, “may you rot in hell.”
Summary“He Took Her Last Breath and Threw Her Away Like Trash”: Lynette Hooker’s Mom Speaks After Search
3w ago00:28:25Summary readyLynette Hooker’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, and her husband Bill sit down with Ashleigh after the latest search in the Lynette Hooker suspected murder investigation, reacting to the dinghy now in Coast Guard hands, the evidence turned over by Bahamian police, and the new route information that appears to blow up Brian’s story about drifting helplessly across the Sea of Abaco. Darlene and Bill also reveal what they know about a secret “off-the-grid” cabin tied to Brian’s family and deliver a chilling warning to Brian Hooker and the people around him: watch your back.Brian Hooker says Lynette “bounced” off the back of their dinghy and vanished. Darlene says she is not going away, the Coast Guard is not going away, and if Brian knows anything, it is time to come forward. Brian Hooker has not been charged with a crime.
SummaryExclusive: “Devastating” Evidence Secured, But No Remains Found | Lynette Hooker Missing in Bahamas
3w ago00:30:50Summary readyLaw Enforcement: "He's F*cked" | No remains were found in the search for Lynette Hooker, but sources say the Coast Guard still left the Bahamas with evidence that could be devastating for Brian Hooker. After three days of sonar, drones, divers, and Maggie the cadaver dog searching the Abacos, the Coast Guard did not recover Lynette’s remains. But this suspected murder investigation is far from over. Sources say the trip was “well worth it,” with investigators securing Brian and Lynette Hooker’s dinghy, receiving critical evidence from Bahamian police, and identifying key pieces that were not where Brian’s story says they should have been. Brian Hooker claims Lynette “bounced” off the back of their dinghy in the Sea of Abaco before he drifted for hours to Marsh Harbour. But Coast Guard investigators have now retraced his alleged route, searched around Soulmate, examined areas tied to GPS data, and taken possession of the dinghy that has been central to his story since day one.Go to http://vanman.shop/banfield and use code BANFIELD for 15% off your first order.
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