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!
338episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Disturbing Mystery: Husband Finds Psychotherapist Wife Stabbed to Death at Home | Brooke Hanlon
Today00:54:00Summary readyA chilling 911 call made by Conor Hanlon after finding his wife, Brooke Hanlon, stabbed inside their secluded Chester Township, New Jersey, home is raising major questions about the still-unsolved murder. The 35-year-old psychotherapist and new mother was found bloody, unconscious and not breathing on June 6, and while the emergency was initially classified as a cardiac or respiratory arrest, the dispatch record was updated to “suspicious death” just 13 minutes later, according to Fox News Digital. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield examines the frantic call, the delay before Brooke’s wounds are mentioned, the absence of any reference to the couple’s baby and the unanswered questions surrounding forced entry, Brooke’s final movements and Conor’s timeline. Ashleigh is joined by digital journalist Sally Miley, known as True Crime Mama on Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, to break down the Brooke Hanlon murder mystery and why investigators have released so little information. No suspect has been identified, no arrest has been made, and Conor Hanlon has not been accused of any crime or wrongdoing. Anyone who may know something about Brooke’s death can contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit through the Morris County Communication Center at 973-285-2900, Chester Township Police at 908-879-5100 or CrimeStoppers at 973-267-2255. If you know anything about this case, you can also send us a tip at dropdeadseriousinfo@gmail.com.
SummaryBasement Smelled “Horrible”: Jaw-Dropping Details & Trail of Warning Signs | Ohio House of Horror
2d ago01:08:00Summary readyNew details in the Siders family case are raising even more disturbing questions about the Ohio house of horrors where 16 children were found living in filthy, squalid conditions. Authorities say the children, ranging in age from 20 months to 18 years old, were discovered inside a Hamden, Ohio home after deputies executed a search warrant in a separate investigation. Four adults are charged: Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders.In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the latest reporting on the Siders family, including hospital birth records, missing school records, truancy complaints, repeated moves across Ohio, the sealed search warrant, and new accounts from people near the home, including claims of a horrible smell coming from the basement and late-night trips to Dollar General. Ashleigh is joined by Angenette Levy, a seasoned journalist and host of Crime Fix on Law&Crime, who went to Hamden, Ohio, spoke with neighbors and local residents, and uncovered new details about the family’s movements, possible warning signs, and the unanswered question at the center of this case: how did 16 children fall through the cracks for years?Law & Crime: https://www.youtube.com/@LawAndCrimeCrime Fix with Angenette Levy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoW1SIeAWaWaucjKyz7lAmqMxO86PVzZiAngenette Levy:https://www.youtube.com/@Angenette5
SummaryExposed: Brian Hooker’s Behavior May Be His Most Damaging Evidence Yet | Lynette Hooker Missing
3d ago00:49:29Summary readyBrian Hooker’s own behavior may be creating some of the biggest problems yet for his story about what happened to his missing wife, Lynette Hooker, in the Bahamas. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by body language and behavioral expert Scott Rouse, who examines Brian’s network interviews and recorded phone call with friends, including what he describes as fake crying, missing signs of genuine grief, abrupt emotional shifts, past-tense language and repeated attempts to distract from simple questions. Rouse also breaks down why Brian’s unusually detailed explanations, his inability to pinpoint where Lynette allegedly went overboard and his promise to keep searching shortly before leaving the Bahamas could raise serious new questions about whether he was grieving, performing or trying to sell a story that simply does not add up. Brian Hooker has not been charged with any crime and is presumed innocent.Scott Rouse: https://www.youtube.com/@UC5ZB2xWAaqZAsywmpPAj_aA The Behavior Panel:https://www.youtube.com/@UCQiMD0r34vn-d7ZbYzXY_kg
SummaryBreaking: Lynette Hooker Was Dead Before Brian Hooker’s Story Even Began | Missing in Bahamas
6d ago00:57:35Summary readyBreaking new information in the Lynette Hooker investigation is raising major questions about Brian Hooker’s timeline of the night his wife vanished in the Bahamas. Sources close to the investigation say that Lynette Hooker was dead before 8 p.m. on April 4, 2026, which would mean she was already dead before Brian’s story about a dinghy accident, a missing dry bag, lost passports, and an hours-long float to Marsh Harbour ever began.In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh breaks down the newest timeline development in the suspected murder investigation, including evidence that Lynette made it back to the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, signs of a fight and foul play onboard, and why Lynette’s Apple Watch could become a critical piece of evidence in determining her final moments. Ashleigh is also joined by retired Coast Guard Investigative Service agent Eric Gempp, who helped investigate the Nathan Carman “murder on the high seas” case, to discuss the parallels between the two cases, the importance of Brian Hooker’s earliest statements, and how federal investigators build a no-body case at sea.
SummaryExclusive: Detective Who Rescued 13 Turpin Kids Says Ohio House of Horrors is Worse | Siders Family
1w ago01:08:44Summary readySixteen children were found inside a rural Hamden, Ohio home in conditions officials described as “pure evil,” and four adults inside the family are now charged: Gary Siders Sr., 73; his wife, Christina Siders, 67; their son, Gary Siders Jr., 36; and his wife, Elizabeth Siders, 33. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh is joined by retired Riverside County Detective Thomas Salisbury, the detective who helped rescue the 13 Turpin children from their California house of horrors, to discuss why he believes the Ohio case may be even worse and what investigators may be doing now.
SummarySecret Messages, Missing Passports, and Brian Hooker’s Proven Lies | Lynette Hooker Missing
1w ago00:53:53Summary readyExplosive new lies are surfacing in the Lynette Hooker investigation after sources with knowledge of the case said evidence shows Lynette made it back to the couple’s sailboat before she vanished. Now, Brian Hooker’s story about the dinghy, the dry bag, the missing passports, the so-called helpless float to Marsh Harbour, and his alleged search for Lynette are all facing new scrutiny. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield speaks with Lynette’s friend Blaine Stevenson about the new boat evidence, Brian’s alleged lies, the missing passport mystery, and Facebook messages Brian sent to one of Lynette’s childhood friends in the days after she vanished.
SummaryLynette Hooker Bombshell Evidence: “She Made It Back to Soulmate” | Brian Hooker
1w ago00:46:06Summary readyBombshell new evidence in the Lynette Hooker investigation suggests Brian Hooker’s story about what happened the night his wife vanished in the Bahamas was a lie. According to Lynette Hooker’s family, she did not fall off the back of the dinghy as Brian claimed. Instead, sources with knowledge of the investigation say evidence shows Lynette made it back to the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, where there were signs of a fight, evidence of foul play, and evidence that Lynette was dead on board.
SummaryUnbelievable: Guthrie Ransom Hoax Scammer Won’t Spend a Day Behind Bars | Derrick Callella
2w ago00:47:45Summary readyJust days after Nancy Guthrie vanished, a fake Bitcoin ransom scammer tried to exploit her family’s worst nightmare. Five months later, on July 2, Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old man from Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty after prosecutors said he sent Bitcoin-related ransom messages to Nancy Guthrie’s family after she vanished and after an earlier ransom demand had already been made. Derrick Callella is expected to receive 5 years probation, not prison, when he is sentenced on Sept. 10. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield is joined by former homicide prosecutor Matt Murphy, author of The Book of Murder and host of the podcast In The Well on MK True Crime, to discuss whether this punishment fits the crime and what the case could mean for scammers who target grieving families during active criminal investigations.
Summary'Fake' Ransom Note Bombshell: FBI Says Some Demands May Be Real? | Nancy Guthrie Missing
2w ago00:56:37Summary readyThe Nancy Guthrie case just got even more confusing, as the FBI is now pushing back on reports that every alleged ransom note tied to Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother was fake. Reuters reported that FBI sources believe all of the ransom-related messages are bogus, but TMZ’s Harvey Levin says his FBI contacts are telling him something very different: that some of the original ransom demands may still be considered potentially legitimate. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the chaos over the Nancy Guthrie ransom notes, the FBI’s new statement saying the case is still being investigated as a kidnapping for ransom, the role of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and why the alleged messages sent to media outlets have become such a critical and controversial part of the investigation. Ashleigh is joined by James Hamilton, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent and founder of Hamilton Security Group, to discuss how investigators evaluate ransom demands, why different FBI sources may be giving different assessments, and what this latest twist means for the search for Nancy Guthrie.Check out Particle’s Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/banfield and use my code BANFIELD20 for a 20% discount sitewide.
SummaryMurdaugh Retrial Twist: Could Mystery DNA Under Maggie’s Fingernail Could Blow Up the Case? | Alex Murdaugh
2w ago00:52:07Summary readyAlex Murdaugh is heading back to court for a new murder trial in 2027, and one overlooked piece of evidence could become a major problem for prosecutors: unknown male DNA found under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernail. In this episode of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield breaks down the latest pretrial hearing in the Murdaugh murders case with Peter Tragos, host of The Lawyer You Know, including the defense’s argument that Alex Murdaugh’s orange jumpsuit and shackles could poison the jury pool before the retrial even begins, why mystery male DNA under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernail may get new attention with modern testing, how much of Murdaugh’s financial crimes history jurors may hear, the Becky Hill jury tampering fallout, and whether Alex Murdaugh has a real shot at beating the murder charges this time around.Follow Peter Tragos:Lawyer You Know: https://www.youtube.com/@LawyerYouKnowReady 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.
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