Murder Sheet: More Questions and Answers to Close Out 2025

Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Áine Cain (A) and Kevin Greenlee (B)

Overview

In this special year-end Q&A episode, Áine and Kevin dive deep into listener questions—covering wrongful convictions, memorable cases, behind-the-scenes podcasting challenges, personal stories, and future plans. The episode is characterized by their trademark blend of journalistic rigor, legal insight, and witty banter. While the conversation flows between true crime topics and lighthearted personal anecdotes, the hosts maintain a thoughtful, nuanced approach throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Requests and Upcoming Documentary Coverage

• Áine agrees to consider a Spin Docs episode on the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya,” emphasizing the need for careful research into the contentious medical and legal aspects.

  “I definitely want to come into it with some better understanding of the issues at play because neither of us are medical professionals.” (A, 03:30)

2. Wrongful Convictions: Complexity and Media Narratives

Discussion on wrongful convictions is detailed, critical, and reflective:

• Examples from Past Cases:

  • Prestoza Case (Hawaii): Early episode on a likely wrongful plea bargain, featuring "key witness having kind of a breakdown on the stand" (B, 04:47).
  • Sharon Myers/Jason Hubble case (Columbus): Conviction likely overturned due to police mishandling—hosts believe Hubble is indeed guilty, but the trial was unfair.

    “He did not get a fair trial.” (B, 06:10)

• Rare but Real:

  • Kevin: Truly innocent wrongful convictions are rare. The proliferation of less valid claims makes finding actual ones difficult.

    “The absolutely true and valid cases get harder and harder to find because of all of the ones that just don't hold up.” (B, 07:05)

  • Áine: Media and “wrongful conviction industrial complex” can distort reality, hurt victims’ families, and mislead the public.

    “I personally believe there aren't enough clear-cut wrongful convictions to necessarily go around so that all these people have a podcast episode ready to go every week.” (A, 08:45)

• Advice for Listeners:

  • Scrutinize "blazingly obvious" injustice stories—a defense-side narrative dominates, and prosecutors rarely comment until cases are resolved.

    “The answer is you're not getting a full picture, and the defense attorneys or whoever are trying to present things in a certain way to draw you to that conclusion.” (B, 11:27)

3. The Fort Wayne Osborne Family Murders (1983)

• A listener asks about Kevin's interest in this unresolved family murder.
  • Kevin shares his lingering "serious questions" about the confession and the case circumstances; admits the case "haunts" him but emphasizes he has no firm conclusions yet (B, 13:08–15:35).
  • Áine would also like to investigate further, acknowledging they may approach it from different perspectives.

4. Dr. Jeff Smalldin’s True Crime Encounters

• Smalldin, forensic psychologist and author, corresponded with notorious serial killers and had a personal connection to the 1983 unsolved murder of two cancer researchers in Columbus, Ohio.

  “He is very much someone who's a kindred spirit with us...He corresponded with Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, like all of these high-profile serial killers, and he got some interesting insights...” (A, 19:12)

5. Interviewing Jurors in True Crime Cases

• On the difficulties of interviewing jurors outside the Delphi case:
  • Juror names are not public; verification is challenging, especially with modern digital manipulation (B, 21:14–24:06).
  • Áine reflects on the O.J. Simpson jury:

    “O.J. Simpson was very clearly guilty. Like, there's no question about it. And it seems like with the jury, there were...things that were difficult for them.” (A, 23:23)

6. Temujin Kenzu Case: Reporting, Context, and Criticism

• Responding to criticism that their coverage of the Scott Macklem murder is unfairly character-focused:
  • Áine explains that evidence of Kenzu's pattern of abuse is “not just us saying, oh, because he's bad. It's...directly relevant to what happened.” (A, 27:54)
  • Context for including testimony and background on Crystal, as her credibility has been attacked unfairly by “Team Kenzu.”
  • They emphasize the need to debunk myths and present underreported facts, especially when the prevailing narrative is misleading.

7. Colonial Parkway Murders & Áine’s Journalism Roots

• Yes, Áine previously covered the case via a college newspaper podcast (The Flat Hat, William & Mary).
• She notes the recent development that DNA linked one of the cases to a suspect, and reflects on her own ambivalence about returning to the case (A, 38:18).

8. Personal Q&A: Backgrounds, Traditions, and Favorite Things

• Áine’s Journalistic Path: Shares her history with the William & Mary college newspaper, her love for writing since youth, and decisions shaped by both passion and economic realities (A, 43:54–49:17).
• Holiday Traditions:
  • Baking highlights: Kevin’s mom’s addictive Christmas cookies (“the Walter White of baking” – A, 51:26), simmer pot for holiday scents, and Christmas tree debates.
• Music & Culture:
  • Kevin prefers classics like Sinatra and Springsteen (“Nebraska” his favorite Springsteen album; B, 67:23–67:53).
  • Áine gets emotional over The War on Drugs' “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” as a cathartic song related to the Delphi case and chooses “One Headlight” as a theme for 2025.

9. Personal Quirks and Stories

• Favorite Condiments: Áine – sour cream; Kevin – homemade Big Mac sauce (57:21–58:55).
• Midnight Snacks: Áine now prefers hot chocolate, formerly cheese (64:10), Kevin enjoys sugar-based snacks without chocolate.
• Dog Lani: The story of how Kevin’s dog Lani was adopted and unwittingly responsible for Kevin’s path back into the Burger Chef case (and meeting Áine); jokes about her being a fugitive dog add levity.

10. Professional & Personal Future Plans

• Books: No new book officially in the works, but discussions are ongoing with their agent about future ideas (A, 73:10–74:26).
• Fiction Writing: Both try their hands at fiction; Áine leans toward murder mysteries, Kevin to darker tales inspired by Delphi experiences.

  “For a while there, I felt like I lost the ability to write fiction...but it's been fun.” (A, 76:36)

• Podcast Evolution:
  • They’d like to cover another trial or major case with genuine investigative impact.
  • Exploring more video/YouTube/Apple-exclusive content to reach wider audiences (B, 85:01–A, 85:36).
• Professional Goals: Continue nonfiction books (often together), branch into fiction (individually), and grow the podcast technically and editorially.
• Personal Life: Baby plans are discussed with humor and hope (“I've definitely been going baby crazy this year”—A, 88:30), and a hypothetical about being replaced by a talking husky dog (92:18–93:48).

  “Can you imagine, like, what if we had a baby and it was like, a jock? That would be the twist.” (A, 90:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Media’s ‘Wrongful Conviction Industry’:

• “There's more fallout than just that. And I think it's also a bastardization of justice in this country.” (A, 08:45)

On True Crime Reporting:

• “Both sides are trying to sell you something. So being somewhat skeptically neutral from the beginning is a good thing.” (A, 12:40)

On Handling Criticism in Reporting:

• “If you want to be upset with somebody, be upset with ... people who did not accurately put this out there.” (A, 34:39)

On Their Future:

• “We want to honor [your support] and, you know, not waste your time and, you know, give you stuff that's entertaining but also factual and interesting.” (A, 94:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Wrongful Convictions and Media Narratives: 04:18–12:52
• The Osborne Murders Q&A: 12:54–16:26
• Dr. Smalldin and Hospital Double Murder: 18:20–19:53
• Interviewing Jurors Discussion: 21:02–25:02
• Temujin Kenzu Case Criticism Response: 25:02–37:44
• Colonial Parkway/Journalism Roots: 37:44–43:36
• Personal Stories & Traditions: 43:36–56:33
• Music of 2025: 67:15–71:24
• Future Plans & Goals: 73:07–87:20
• Podcast Evolution: 84:08–85:56
• Baby/Pet Banter: 88:18–93:48
• Final Thanks & Reflections: 93:48–end

Tone and Style

• The episode maintains a warm, conversational tone, with plenty of back-and-forth banter. Áine tends toward passionate, direct speech, while Kevin is methodical and dryly humorous. Both balance heavy subject matter with lighthearted asides and self-deprecating humor, making complex true crime content accessible and engaging.

Conclusion

This rich Q&A is a blend of serious reflection on true crime reporting ethics, specifics of past and future cases, and candid glimpses into the lives behind The Murder Sheet. For listeners seeking thoughtful legal analysis, nuanced discussion of wrongful convictions, and personal vignettes from Áine and Kevin, this episode delivers a satisfying capstone to the year.