Introducing: Five Miles From Home

Summary

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Five Miles From Home – Episode Summary

Podcast: Five Miles From Home
Host: Keith Morrison (NBC News)
Episode: Introducing: Five Miles From Home
Date: May 28, 2026

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Overview

The introductory episode of Five Miles From Home sets the stage for a gripping true crime investigation led by Keith Morrison. The series delves into the disappearance of 16-year-old high schooler Micaela "Mickey" Costanzo in the small casino town of West Wendover, Nevada. Through evocative narration and candid interviews with those closest to Mickey, listeners are introduced to a story marked by shock, heartbreak, betrayal, and haunting questions about what really happened that night beneath the desert sky.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Ordinary Turned Unimaginable

• Setting: The episode begins by highlighting the normalcy of Mickey's routine—walking home from high school ("Such an ordinary thing on an ordinary day to walk home from high school." – Keith Morrison, 00:04).
• Safety Shattered: Family recounts the moment normalcy was upended, expressing disbelief and worry when Mickey doesn’t arrive home as expected.
  • “I thought that everything was fine. Everything was normal.” (Mickey's Family Member, 00:10)

Initial Reactions and Suspicion

• Immediate Concern: The family describes an immediate gut feeling that something is horribly wrong.
  • “In the bottom of my heart, I knew something was really, really wrong.” (Mickey's Close Associate, 00:25)
• Confusion and Fear: The community and investigators are confronted with a mysterious disappearance, vacillating between fears of foul play and the hope that Mickey will return.
  • “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.” (Keith Morrison, 00:29)

The Ripple of Grief and Search for Answers

• Ongoing Suffering: Close associates express the enduring pain and injustice felt in the wake of Mickey’s disappearance.
  • “Not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened.” (Mickey's Family Member, 00:40)
  • “This is not over yet until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice.” (Mickey's Family Member, 00:48)

The Setting: Small-Town Drama

• Unexpected Crime Scene: The podcast emphasizes the shock of such a crime in the close-knit, quiet town of West Wendover.
  • “Nothing happens in Wendover. And something did.” (Mickey's Family Member, 01:04)

From Rumors to Revelations

• Early Theories and Confessions: The story quickly develops with mentions of suspicious texts and confessions that hint at a tangled web of relationships and motives:
  • “I had gotten a text saying that he had had her. And I said, I know where she's at. Let's go.” (Mickey's Family Member, 01:11)
  • “As soon as he actually confessed to doing it, then I knew she had something to do with it.” (Mickey's Family Member, 01:21)

Themes: Jealousy, Rage, and Betrayal

• Escalating Emotions: The narrative explores how jealousy and rage contributed to the tragedy.
  • “The hatred grew more and more. It just escalated.” (Mickey's Family Member, 01:32)
• Story of Deceit: Morrison outlines the episode’s core motifs—betrayal, cover-ups, and the shock of the unexpected.
  • “It's a story of jealousy, rage and deceit... Something that got out of hand, that went very, very wrong. Just went haywire. Disturbing would be the word. Confessions, cover ups and lies.” (Keith Morrison, 01:27-01:35)

Lingering Mysteries and Enduring Questions

• A Crime Without Closure: Those close to Mickey express lingering questions and disbelief, underscoring the enduring uncertainty surrounding the case.
  • “No one would have ever seen this coming. Just isn't possible. I still wonder to this day why. What even really happened?” (Mickey's Family Member, 01:48)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

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

• “In the bottom of my heart, I knew something was really, really wrong.”
  (Mickey's Close Associate, 00:25)

• “Not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened.”
  (Mickey's Family Member, 00:40)

• “Nothing happens in Wendover. And something did.”
  (Mickey's Family Member, 01:04)

• “The hatred grew more and more. It just escalated.”
  (Mickey's Family Member, 01:32)

• “Confessions, cover ups and lies.”
  (Keith Morrison, 01:35)

• “No one would have ever seen this coming. Just isn't possible. I still wonder to this day why. What even really happened?”
  (Mickey's Family Member, 01:48)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:04 – Keith Morrison introduces the seemingly normal day and walk home.
• 00:25 – Family member voices their deep worry.
• 00:29 – Morrison outlines the confusion after the disappearance.
• 00:40 – Family member reveals ongoing grief.
• 01:04 – The rarity of such events in Wendover is highlighted.
• 01:11–01:21 – Family discusses suspicious texts and revelations.
• 01:27–01:35 – Morrison sums up themes of jealousy, rage, and deceit.
• 01:48 – Family member vocalizes long-lasting questions and disbelief.

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Tone and Atmosphere

The episode sets a somber, suspenseful tone—evocative of both profound loss and urgent mystery. Keith Morrison’s signature storytelling weaves together empathy, curiosity, and a slow unraveling of the known and unknown, drawing listeners into a story that promises more twists, emotional moments, and revelations in the episodes to come.

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This introductory episode offers an enticing blend of personal testimony and narrative intrigue, making it clear that the search for justice and answers for Mickey Costanzo has only just begun.

Transcript

[Keith Morrison]

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

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Commercial Narrator]

Came out of the blue.

[Keith Morrison]

I was blindsided.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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

[Keith Morrison]

Who happened to Mickey?

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

Nothing happens in Wendover. And something did.

[Keith Morrison]

Unlikely victim, unlikely suspects.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

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.

[Mickey's Family Member or Close Associate]

No one would have ever seen this coming. Just isn't possible. 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.

[Commercial Narrator]

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