Podcast Summary:

Murder, Mystery & Makeup: Do These Fan Theories Solve the Case? True Crime Q&A
Host: Bailey Sarian
Release Date: December 16, 2025
Podcast by: Audioboom Studios

Overview

In this lively, introspective, and deeply engaging episode, Bailey Sarian explores true crime fan theories and answers audience questions in a candid, extended Q&A format. Rather than focusing on a single case, Bailey takes a trip down memory lane, discusses the cases that impacted her most, and breaks down wild, thought-provoking fan theories about infamous unsolved mysteries. Along the way, she sprinkles in reflections on her own life, her creative process, and the evolving world of true crime storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening & Episode Structure

• Bailey introduces a special format: Instead of her standard "true crime plus makeup" episode, Bailey solicits fan questions and theories from Instagram, stating, “Today, doing something a little different, I went on my Instagram — boop boop boop — and I was like, hey, do you guys have any questions? Let's do a little Q&A.” (01:18)

2. Behind-the-Scenes of Bailey’s Process

• Full-time YouTube career: Bailey confirms YouTube is her full-time job, emphasizing the workload and production process.

  "So much work goes into dark history and murder mystery. I got a whole team helping me out here. Editors, researchers, writers. Each episode, an expert reviews to make sure we’re telling the story correctly, then legal reviews it too." (06:35-07:17)

• Makeup inspiration: She’s spontaneous with makeup looks, often choosing colors on the fly. “I’m a free spirit. If I did plan my makeup, it might help. But I don’t.” (08:11)
• Research evolution: Bailey discusses evolving from solo research to having a researcher, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and empathy.

3. Early Fascination with True Crime

• Growing up with true crime: Bailey got into true crime early due to her mom’s job as a 911 dispatcher:

  “My mom was a 911 dispatcher... I would sit in, put on the headphones, and listen to 911 calls coming in. Whoa.” (13:01)

• Morbid curiosity: “I’ve always kind of been a little morbidly curious, I would say.” (15:00)
• JonBenet Ramsey as a pivotal case: The media’s coverage was eye-opening:“That was my first introduction... to the real world.” (13:46-14:49)

4. Cases That Creeped Her Out Most

• The Toy Box Killer (David Parker Ray)

  • “Still... it’s an old episode, the Toy Box Killer. Way back when, did a story about the Toy Box Killer and... this is when I went on that long rant about that little town called Truth and Consequences...” (02:13)
  • Describes the horrific setup, his “creepy ass trailer,” and the infamous tape the victims heard upon waking.
    • [Quote/Roleplay Sample]:

      “Are you comfortable right now? I doubt it. Wrists and ankles chained, gagged, probably blindfolded... you are disoriented and scared too, I would imagine.” (04:53-05:07, quoting the Toy Box Killer’s tape)

  • Notes his quick death after arrest (“As soon as he gets, he gets arrested and like a week later has a heart attack. Lame.”) (05:45)
  • Why this one? “Just knowing there are creeps out there like that... it was disgusting.” (06:05)

• Serial killers who scare her most:

  • Initially, Bailey names Zodiac and BTK as the scariest, due to randomness and stalker tendencies, respectively. On further reflection, she lands between the two.

    “BTK, BTK, Final answer. And Zodiac, we’ll go with that.” (10:58)

5. Professional & Personal Insights

• What she wanted to be as a kid: Daydreamer, poor student, artistic inclinations (“I really enjoyed painting and drawing... then you learn you don’t make money doing that.”), eventually found a home in makeup artistry (22:41-27:48).
• Offbeat hobbies and surprises: Attempted many sports, was a cheerleader, second place in freestyle swimming, played violin, recently had her broken nose fixed (“For the first time since 9th grade, I can breathe out of my nose.”) (33:13-36:55)
• How she spends her time away from filming: Lots of reading (sometimes wild conspiracy books!), art and sketching classes, attempted sewing, watching documentaries (“My takeaway with this current book I’m reading is that aliens are dolphins — that’s the highlight so far.”) (38:40-40:50)

6. The 5 Hardest Cases to Cover

Bailey lists the most challenging stories to research and present:

1. Menendez Brothers: She struggled with the sheer volume and complexity. Filming took hours; condensing was tough. (29:39)
2. Charles Manson: Realized how misunderstood these events are after deep research.
3. Cannibal Cop: The dilemma of fantasy versus action — what deserves prosecution?

   “Should you go to prison for your dark fantasies?” (31:38)

4. Jodi Arias: Surprised by pushback & passionate supporters (“Story wasn’t hard, but the feedback afterwards…”)
5. Terri Schiavo: Emotionally exhausting after reading books from both family and husband’s perspectives. (35:40)

   “Her husband actually was the partner you would hope to have in that situation... everyone just kind of owes him an apology.” (34:57)

7. Listener Questions — Notable Quotes

How are you?

“That’s such a nice question. Thank you. You know, not a lot of people ask.” (16:22)
Discussing grieving her dog and readiness for a new pet: “I would really like a dog again. And I would adopt, don’t shop.” (17:01)

When did you get into true crime?

“I was young, I was like, nine, ten, I don’t know, but I would sit in, put on the headphones, and listen to like the 911 calls coming in. It was like, whoa.” (13:08)

8. Deep Dive: Fan Theories & Audience Discussion

Bailey reviews fan-submitted theories about infamous unsolved or divisive cases, offering her take on each:

Scott Peterson

• Inheritance Plot: Fan suggests Lacey’s siblings and Scott plotted together for inheritance.
  Bailey questions logistics: “Wouldn’t there be a time limit before they get the money? … Did they get money?” (45:35)
• Pregnant Woman Stalker Theory: Fan references unsolved attacks on pregnant women in Lacey’s area.
  Bailey: “Maybe there was someone on the loose, who knows… but then again, you look at Scott and his actions… he had all the motive.” (47:56)

Zodiac Killer

• Friend Group Theory: Several acting as Zodiac? Bailey doubts the secret would last, but entertains the idea.

  “No one can keep a secret. Okay? No one can keep a secret. Someone would have said something by now.” (53:50)

• Arthur Leigh Allen Theory: The main suspect may have been a copycat or obsessed fan, not the killer. Bailey ponders the circumstantial evidence but notes DNA and fingerprints didn’t match.

  “To your point, the DNA and stuff didn’t match… To play devil’s advocate, he could have been using glue on his fingerprints…” (54:28)

  • Netflix doc This Is a Zodiac Speaking made her suspicious.
  • “Who is it? That one definitely kept me up.” (55:38)

Tamla Horsford

• Conflicting theories: Spiked drinks, suspicious security screenshots, possible confrontation between guests leading to death.
• Bailey puzzled: “None of it makes sense. Sorry, I’m just thinking… The police were just too… They just accepted it as an accident.” (57:13)
• On mishandling: “Everything’s been fucking erased… It’s like too late now.” (58:44)

Casey Anthony

• Paternity Theory: Some believe Casey’s brother is Kaylee’s father and family covered it up.

  “Okay, you’re allowed to have that theory. Okay, but… why would Casey in court say her dad was being abusive and not mention her brother?” (61:24)

• Parental Involvement Theory: Suggests Casey’s mom helped dispose of Kaylee’s body.
  • “Wouldn’t you just say she accidentally drowned… wouldn’t that be an easier lie?” (62:55)

Jaleayah Davis

• Passenger Theory: Jaleayah was in the passenger seat, thrown from the car; driver panicked and staged the scene.

  “Probably someone else was driving. They’re panicking, drunk… start putting her clothes on the railing. I think that’s a good theory.” (64:20)

• “Throwing up” Theory: Jaleayah got out to vomit, removed clothes, was hit by her own car.
  • Bailey: “Not a bad theory. But would you take off your clothes to not… I mean, shit, when you’re drunk. Yeah, maybe…” (64:55)

Jack the Ripper

• Mary Pearcey Theory: Some posit a female perpetrator, possibly a midwife.

  “Women killers are usually never that brutal… but anything goes when it comes to Jack the Ripper…” (65:22)

• Entertains other listeners who think a woman killer is possible (“Had to be one angry lady!”).

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Bailey on fan interaction:

  “Looking back, I’ve done so many episodes of Murder Mystery & Makeup, to have a minute to just sit and kind of just really think… I just want to say thank you. I appreciate you guys so much.” (End, 65:15)

• On wanting closure:

  “Sure, we do. We want to know. Will we ever? Who knows.” (Discussing unsolved historical cases)

• On dark curiosity:

  “That’s how people become investigators and shit. It’s the curious ones.” (14:48)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:06 | Bailey introduces special Q&A/fan theory format | | 02:12 | Why she abandons certain cases, preference to avoid stories involving children | | 02:40 | Case that creeps her out most: Toy Box Killer | | 06:40 | Toy Box Killer tape quote (Bailey roleplays) | | 07:10 | Work behind-the-scenes explained: research/writing/production/legal | | 10:54 | What serial killer scares Bailey the most; BTK and Zodiac | | 13:01 | Early fascination with true crime; mom as 911 dispatcher | | 16:22 | How’s Bailey? Grieving a pet, considering adopting, prioritizing mental health | | 21:40 | What did you want to be as a kid? Journey from art to makeup | | 29:39 | Five hardest cases to cover: Menendez Bros, Manson, Cannibal Cop, Jodi Arias, Terri Schiavo | | 33:13 | Surprising facts: sports, violin, broken nose, quitting sports | | 38:40 | What Bailey does outside YouTube: reading, art, weird pseudoscience books | | 45:35 | Beginning of fan theory section: Scott Peterson inheritance | | 53:50 | Zodiac Killer theories (multiple people?)—her skepticism | | 57:13 | Tamla Horsford: security screenshot suspicions, police mishandling | | 61:24 | Casey Anthony: wild fan theories, questioning family cover-ups | | 64:20 | Jaleayah Davis: passenger vs. driver theories | | 65:22 | Jack the Ripper: could it be a woman? | | 65:15 | Bailey’s thanks, reflects on community/support |

Tone and Style

• Conversational, candid, and at times irreverent: Bailey’s tone is playful and personal throughout, often punctuating stories with humor (“That’s psycho. That’s psycho!”), skepticism, or empathy for victims and their families.
• Engaged with her fans: She frequently paraphrases questions, thanks listeners for their engagement, and encourages discussion—even when their theories diverge from mainstream thinking.

Conclusion

This episode stands as a dynamic, thoughtful, and community-driven conversation about the enduring mysteries of the true crime world, the complexity of storytelling, and Bailey’s unique path as a creator. Through audience questions and wild fan theories, Bailey balances dark humor with sensitivity, fostering a space that is as much about engaging with hard questions as it is about connecting with a passionate community of listeners.

Select Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “Are you comfortable right now? I doubt it. Wrists and ankles chained, gagged, probably blindfolded…” (04:53, Bailey quoting Toy Box Killer tape)
• “BTK, final answer. And Zodiac, we’ll go with that.” (10:58)
• “Looking back... I just want to say thank you. I appreciate you guys so much for just being here, subscribing, watching, commenting...” (65:15)
• “If only they would have kept something or… there was blood all over the sidewalk, and some guy got a hose and was just like… and it’s just like, what a bummer.” (Jack the Ripper, 65:45)

This summary covers the episode’s main themes, discussion points, memorable quotes, and listener theories, formatted for clarity and engagement. For comprehensive coverage, refer to the timestamps for specific segment references.