SPECIAL: Halloween Party Horrors

Murder: True Crime Stories | Host: Carter Roy
Release Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this Halloween special, Carter Roy explores two chilling abductions and murders that occurred on Halloween night a decade apart, focusing on the cases of Cindy Song (Pennsylvania, 2001) and Taylor Van Diest (British Columbia, 2011). Through detailed storytelling, Carter highlights the haunting similarities, the profound impact on victims' families and communities, and the often-elusive search for justice and closure.

Case 1: The Disappearance of Cindy Song (Penn State, 2001)

Setting the Scene

• [05:23] Carter Roy describes a festive college Halloween in State College, PA, full of students in costumes, including Cindy Song, a 21-year-old senior from South Korea dressed as a bunny, out for a night of celebration.

Timeline of Events

• Night of the Disappearance

  • Cindy celebrated with friends at a nightclub and later at a friend’s apartment.
  • At about 4:00 AM, she was dropped off at her apartment complex.
  • “It was the last time anyone would see Cindy Song.” — Carter Roy [06:39]

• Immediate Aftermath

  • Friends assumed she was resting or busy.
  • By November 3, after Cindy missed her restaurant shift, concern turned to alarm.

• Police Involvement & Investigation

  • Detectives found her belongings in her room, including her cell phone and backpack; keys and purse were missing.
  • No evidence of her running away (“She’d already registered for next semester’s classes and had tickets to an upcoming Britney Spears concert.” — Carter Roy [09:06])
  • Family in South Korea was notified and flew to assist.

The Search and Theories

• Physical and aerial searches turned up nothing.
• Investigators considered possible substance use, as mentioned in her diary, but found no leads.
• Abduction Possibility:
  • It was theorized Cindy was abducted after possibly visiting a grocery store post-dropoff.
  • No suspects or motives from her inner circle; explored random abduction.

False Leads and Cold Case

• Philadelphia Sighting: Tip about seeing Cindy fell apart under scrutiny.

• Hoax Call: In January, a cruel prank impersonating Cindy led nowhere ([17:37]).

• “It was looking less and less like Cindy left town willingly.” — Carter Roy [13:14]

• “Her story is a reminder that too often, the real monsters out there don’t wear masks. But their identities remain hidden nonetheless.” — Carter Roy [19:55]

Breakthroughs and Disappointments

• Paul Weekley’s Prison Tip: Linked Hugo Zelensky and Michael Kurkowski to Cindy’s kidnapping and murder.
• Searches at Zelensky’s property uncovered multiple bodies, excluding Cindy’s; tip was likely fabricated to reduce sentence.
• “Now, more than two decades after the disappearance, Cindy’s case remains open and unsolved.” — Carter Roy [19:36]

Case 2: The Murder of Taylor Van Diest (Armstrong, BC, 2011)

Setting the Scene

• [21:32]
  Taylor Van Diest, 18, excited for Halloween and dressed as a zombie, heads out to meet friends. Her text exchanges with her boyfriend reveal her enthusiastic spirit.

Timeline of Events

• Attempted Walk to Friend’s House

  • Taylor sets out at 5:50 PM.
  • Notices a pickup truck following her.
  • Text to boyfriend: “Being creeped.” ([22:50])
  • She fails to respond to his anxious follow-up.

• Community Response

  • Boyfriend and friends search for her.
  • Her phone is found at 7:30 PM near the railroad tracks; body discovered at 8:45 PM, brutally assaulted and barely alive.

Investigation & Break

• Physical Evidence

  • Taylor fought back, DNA under her fingernails.
  • DNA matched a sample from a 2005 unsolved sexual assault in Kelowna.

• Pursuing the Suspect

  • Composite sketch and witness account point to Matthew Forster.
  • When police seek him, he’s vanished — aided by his father, Stephen Forster, who helps procure false documents and guide him in evasion ([25:50]).

• “During hours of conversation, Steven patiently walked his son step by step through the process of how to hide from the cops. Not only that, but he also helped Matthew get access to forged documents…for only $500.” — Carter Roy [27:02]

Arrest, Confessions & Sentencing

• Arrest (April 4, 2012)

  • Police arrest Matthew Forster in Ontario.
  • DNA and witness testimony tie him to both the Van Diest murder and the prior sexual assault.

• Further Confessions

  • Investigators link him to a 2004 home invasion/assault.
  • Forster confesses sequentially, attributing attacks to crushes, drug use, and opportunity, refusing to fully accept responsibility for the violence.

• “A violent struggle ensued, with Taylor fighting back hard. But Matthew was much larger. In the end, he strangled her with his shoelace before fleeing in his truck. The police already knew the rest.” — Carter Roy [35:06]

• Sentencing

  • Multiple convictions, culminating in a life sentence in 2018; eligibility for parole in 2029.
  • Father Stephen receives three years for being an accessory.

Aftermath and Legacy

• Taylor's family finds the court process insufficient for healing, especially as Forster shows little remorse.
• [End] The Armstrong community establishes the Taylor Jade Van Diest Memorial Trail upon the path she walked that night.
• “Her legacy continues to live on in the hearts of those closest to her and the footsteps of everyone who walks the trail.” — Carter Roy [38:57]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Cindy Song’s Disappearance:
  “People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle and an end, but you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon.” — Carter Roy [02:30]

• On Halloween Vulnerability:
  “Every year, calculated killers choose Halloween to seek out vulnerable victims. They target lone partygoers, often young women, and commit unspeakable crimes.”
  — Carter Roy [02:09]

• Taylor Van Diest’s Last Text:
  “Being creeped.”
  — Taylor Van Diest, relayed by Carter Roy [24:01]

• On Closure and Justice:
  “It goes to show that sometimes catharsis can't be found in the courtroom. Instead, it's up to the community…to honor Taylor's memory.”
  — Carter Roy [38:11]

Key Timestamps

• 05:23 — Cindy Song’s Halloween and disappearance
• 13:14 — Shift to abduction theories in Cindy's case
• 19:36 — Cindy’s case remains unsolved after false prison tip
• 21:32 — The story of Taylor Van Diest begins
• 22:50 — Taylor’s chilling “Being creeped” text
• 25:50–27:02 — Wiretap reveals Matthew Forster’s father helps him evade police
• 33:19–36:30 — Matthew Forster’s interrogation, confession, and linking to previous assaults
• 38:11 — Discussing the community’s role in finding healing

Tone and Language

Carter Roy’s narration was haunting yet empathetic, balancing suspenseful detail with respect for victims’ stories. He repeatedly reminded listeners of the profound impact on the victims’ families and the sense of loss that lingers in the community. The episode was marked by a sense of unresolved tension (Cindy Song) and bittersweet justice (Taylor Van Diest).

Summary

This special Halloween edition showcases how an ordinary night of celebration became the stuff of nightmares in two communities. The tragic disappearance of Cindy Song remains an open wound, an enduring mystery illustrating that “the real monsters out there don’t wear masks.” In contrast, the tragic murder of Taylor Van Diest ultimately resulted in justice and a unique memorial, but her family’s pain is far from fully healed.

The episode presents a powerful meditation on danger, grief, community response, and the necessity of remembrance—especially when answers remain out of reach or when the criminal justice system falls short of delivering true catharsis.