300. The Man Who Ruined Christmas - The Murder of Kristine Larson

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Murder With My Husband

Episode 300: The Man Who Ruined Christmas – The Murder of Kristine Larson
Release Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Peyton Moreland & Garrett Moreland

Overview

In episode 300, Peyton and Garrett delve into the shocking and heartbreaking case of Kristine Larson, a 19-year-old mother from St. Paul Park, Minnesota, whose murder just days before Christmas 2007 shattered a family and shocked a close-knit community. Framed as a cautionary holiday tale, the episode explores themes of trust, the dangers that can lurk within seemingly close relationships, and the ripple effects of domestic violence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Kristine’s Life and Community

• Kristine Larson was described as an "angel on earth"—the youngest in a big family, a devoted young mother, and a beloved member of her Minnesota suburb, St. Paul Park (04:52).
• After becoming pregnant at 17, she put her education on hold, determined to provide for her son with support from her mother Deb, stepfather Dan, and sometimes the child’s father, Zachary Matthews.

The Holiday Tragedy Unfolds

• December 19, 2007: Kristine’s day was meticulously planned—helping a friend, job search, co-parenting duties, and a cherished cookie-making tradition with her mother (11:22).
• She leaves home at 1:20pm, seen last around 2:15pm after a job interview at a convenience store. After that, she goes radio silent.

Discovery and Investigation

• That evening: A burning car, registered to Kristine’s mother, is found abandoned in an upscale Minneapolis neighborhood (14:44).

  • Police discover Kristine’s body, partially burned and showing signs of strangulation, in the backseat—no jacket or shoes, and a chillingly empty car seat (15:08, 19:56).

• Family Reaction: The news is delivered to Christine's devastated parents early the next morning. Zachary, the ex-boyfriend and father of Kristine's son, reacts with apparent genuine distress—collapsing in grief at their home (23:25).

  • Notable quote:

    "Can you just imagine getting a call like that? ... That is life changing, life altering, life shattering news for real people." — Peyton (21:01)

Reconstructing Kristine’s Final Day

• Friends and Alibis:
  • Friend Marcella corroborates Kristine's movements (24:33).
  • Zachary and Kristine's split had been amicable on the surface, but Marcella nervously suggests to police that Zachary be considered a suspect (26:19).
  • Zachary provides an alibi: claims he was at a toy drive with their son, backed up by a social worker and time-stamped evidence (27:05–30:36).

Love, Jealousy, and Motive

• A New Relationship:
  • Kristine had recently started seeing another man, Derek. He claims heartbreak, and his alibi holds—cell phone data clears him (31:03, 33:44).
  • The investigation circles back to Zachary when discrepancies in his story and disturbing details about his possessiveness and prior violence surface (41:13–41:48).

The Break in the Case

• Clues Mount Against Zachary:
  • Phone records and security footage place him near the crime scene, contradicting his original account (37:52–39:03).
  • Peyton:

    "He wasn't at home with his son, if you are going off his cell phone." (39:03)

  • A search of his apartment (on Christmas Eve) yields phone books matching those used to light the fire, blood stains, a shoe missing a lace (the likely murder weapon), and an angry letter to Kristine (42:09–44:36).

Confession and Conviction

• Under pressure, Zachary admits to moving Kristine’s body and staging the scene, though he denies the murder itself and shockingly confesses to leaving his two-year-old son home alone during this act (45:20–46:30).

  • Garrett:

    "The amount of people that do this, it's just... so disrespectful." (45:40)

  • He is charged with first-degree murder and ultimately convicted, receiving life without parole.

• The probable sequence: An argument turns violent after Kristine’s late arrival; Zachary pushes her, inflicts a head wound, strangles her with a shoelace, and later, in panic, attempts to destroy evidence by setting the car alight.

Aftermath

• Kristine’s family receives full custody of her son, left to grapple with trauma and holiday sorrow.
  • Peyton shares:

    "That one magical time of the year... will never be the same for the Tilson family... But the Tilsons are doing their best to make sure their grandson can find some joy in it all." (49:15)

• The episode closes with reminders about the unseen victims—children—of domestic violence and encouragement for those suffering abuse to seek help.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of tragedy:

  "When somebody is killed, it's not just one person that is affected. Now a kid has to grow up without both parents. It's just a chain of people that it affects. And it's just so... It's just horrific." — Garrett (49:59)

• On family trust:

  "I'm scared for the baby. ... you might be living with your daughter's killer." — Peyton (42:06–42:12)

• On behavior after trauma:

  "He was hysterical on the floor of the Tilson's home..." — Peyton, discussing Zachary's initial display of grief (30:36)

• On investigating loved ones:

  "It's easy when you're not the one in the situation." — Peyton (26:51)

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Timeline and Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:41 | Introduction to Kristine’s background and family life | | 09:59 | Kristine and Zachary’s on-off relationship overview | | 11:22 | The plan for Kristine’s final day | | 14:36 | Discovery of the burning car and Kristine’s body | | 19:56 | The car seat detail and initial police concern | | 21:01 | Family notified, emotional impact | | 24:33 | Autopsy confirms homicide | | 26:19 | Friend Marcella's suspicions about Zachary | | 27:05–30:36| Police investigate Zachary and check his alibi | | 31:03 | Introduction of new boyfriend, Derek | | 33:44 | Derek’s alibi and dead end | | 37:52 | Surveillance footage points back to Zachary | | 39:03 | Cell phone pings contradict Zachary’s story | | 41:13–41:48| Details of Zachary’s troubling past and violent behavior | | 42:09 | Police search Zachary’s apartment | | 44:36 | The confrontation and partial confession | | 46:30 | The shocking admission: leaving his child alone | | 48:20 | Charge, conviction, and sentencing | | 49:15 | Kristine’s family, the holidays, and the lasting trauma | | 50:49 | Broader discussion on domestic violence and children |

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Tone & Language

• The hosts’ signature style balances empathetic storytelling (mostly Peyton) with irreverent commentary (mostly Garrett)—the “wife who loves true crime” and “husband who hates it.”
• Jokes and lighthearted banter occasionally punctuate the heavy content, giving listeners moments to breathe.
• The episode maintains deep sympathy for the victim and the surviving family, with a steady undercurrent of horror at the senselessness and impact of domestic violence.

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Final Reflections

The murder of Kristine Larson is presented both as a deeply personal family tragedy and a community warning about the dangers that can exist even among those we trust most, especially during what should be the happiest time of year. The episode closes reinforcing support for abuse survivors, a reminder of the show's ongoing advocacy:

“If you are in a relationship where you are experiencing domestic abuse, domestic violence, please reach out for help.” — Peyton (50:49)

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For listeners seeking detailed resources or help, the hosts note that links are included in the episode’s description.

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Transcript

[A]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy paycheck to paycheck Anxiety. Anyone worrying doesn't help. Earn in does. Earn in is an app that lets you access your pay as you earn it up to $300 a day with a max of $1,000 between paydays. Just download the Earn in app and add in your information and they start accessing your pay as you work. And you can leave an optional tip to keep the app running for everyone. Any money you access plus tips are automatically repaid from your next paycheck. So Earn in is the app that helps millions of Americans take charge of their pay and avoid falling into debt traps. I know that there have been times in my life where I was seriously going paycheck to paycheck and I was like, I can't wait two weeks. I can't wait two weeks. I need groceries. And I think that's why Ernan is so amazing, because it lets you keep living instead of having to wait for money you are working for you've earned. Earn In's mission is to make financial momentum accessible to everyone. It's your money. Put it in your hands with Earn In. Download Earn in today, spelled E A R N I N in the Google Play or Apple App Store. And when you download the earnnnn app, type in Murder with My Husband under podcast when you sign up. It really helps the Murder With My Husband show and lets them know we sent you Again, Murder with My Husband under podcast. Earn in is a financial technology company, not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Standard cash out takes one to two business days with no mandatory fees. Expedited transfers available for a fee. Tips are voluntary and don't affect the service. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit Earnin.com for full details. Download Earn in now and take control of your payment. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hi everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[B]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[A]

And he's the husband.

[B]

And I'm the husband.

[A]

Happy holidays.

[B]

Happy holidays, Christmas, whatever you're celebrating.

[A]

Eric just informed me it's actually Christmas this week. I thought we saw it a whole month.

[B]

Hey, I had no Idea. She's like, it's Christmas next week. Yep. Peyton and I don't do gifts for each other usually.

[A]

Garrett always gets me.

[B]

I end up getting her something anyways. And she. Yeah, she enjoys it. I don't know.

[A]

Auntie stuff.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Undies, lots of cool stuff. And you know what else? I have to send his Christmas list to everyone because he's like, I don't want any gifts. So that is work enough.

[B]

It's true. I just don't. What's the word? I don't really care for gifts.

[A]

Sometimes I don't even think you like them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because honestly, anything I've ever gifted you, you don't like. Sweet thing, interact with.

[B]

I'm just batted it. I don't know. I prefer like a kiss and a hug or, like, I don't know, something else. Anyways, we're ranting, so welcome back. Thank you for being here. Thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. We love you guys. I think for my 10 seconds this week, I'm gonna do a hot take. Sometimes you guys like those hot takes. So my hot take this week is Chipotle sucks. Chipotle's garbage. Chipotle has completely. Listen, growing up in high school, I would go to Chipotle with all my friends probably three times a week, and it was amazing. I don't know what's going on with Chipotle, but as I've gotten older, it has completely tanked in quality. I'm more of a Costa Vita or Cafe Rio type of person. Actually. Costa Vida. If you don't know what Costa Vita is, look it up. There's also this place, Qdoba. I do like Qdoba more. More than Chipotle? There isn't one here, but I've been. If you don't know what Chipotle is, you're not missing much, so that's okay. If Chipotle wants to sponsor us, I will consider retracting the statement. Maybe even though you guys would all get mad at me, I would consider it. So you don't act like you wouldn't consider it as well if someone gave you a little bit of cash. Anyways, that's what I got for you guys this week. Let's hop into this week's case.

[A]

Our sources for this episode are oxygen.com govinfo.com findagrave.com twin cities.com startribune.com investigationdiscovery.com dailymail.co.uk mn.gov inquisitor.com new yorkdailynews.com republicaneagle.com and as always, every single case source is listed in our episode notes. Okay, you guys. The holidays are supposed to be a time when we let everyone in. A time when friends become family, where we make peace and break bread. We set aside our differences and count our blessings. They are supposed to be peaceful, joyful, filled with tradition. But sometimes those people that we let into our lives, the people we consider family even year round, are not who we thought them to be. Which is why today's story is a cautionary tale. One that shows sometimes the people sitting across from us at holiday dinners can have dark secrets that will actually cost a family everything. Today we are headed to a quiet suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota called St. Paul Park. This is a close knit little community right along the Mississippi river that loves nothing more than to celebrate the holidays. Traditions are big for St. Paul Park. People brave the freezing cold temperatures to string up their lights all in the name of the holiday spirit. One of those families belongs to 19 year old Christine Larson. So by 2007, 19 year old Christine has a lot to be thankful for. She is the youngest of a very large family. She has supportive, loving parents like her mom, Deb Tilson and her stepfather Dan. And she actually has a two year old son of her own who her parents have really stepped up to help her out with. So everyone at this point in her life described Christine as this angel on earth, the kind of person who lit up a room with her thousand watt smile, according to her sister Michelle, someone who was so loving and accepting and forgiving, probably because she knew what it was like to go through a challenging time and she knew how important love and support truly was. See, Christine was an excellent student in high school, but life sort of sidetracked her academic career. When Christine was just 17 years old, she ended up getting pregnant. She put her high school education on hold. Instead, her new priority was providing a stable, loving home for her son and getting a job to make that happen. She also tried hard to make her son's father, Zachary Matthews, a part of their lives. Even though they were teenage parents, Christine and Zachary were actually good friends before things had turned romantic. The 18 year old Zachary didn't really have a stable home or family. So in 2004, Christine asked her mother Deb if he could come stay with them for a while. And Deb and her husband Dan were more than happy to help out. Over time, Zachary and Christine became more than just roommates and love blossomed between the two. And this was something that Deb and Dan were actually okay with because they came to love and adore Zachary like he was their own son. So when Christine and Zachary welcomed their son In February of 2006, Zachary was more than just Christine's boyfriend. He was now the father of their grandchildren. But soon, Zachary and Christine were ready to brave parenthood on their own. So they decided to get their own place, move out of Christine's family's home and try to become official adults with a child. But things get a lot more complicated between the two. Christine said Zachary was still interested in partying more than he was interested in providing a life for his new family. And so by 2007, she decided she just wanted space. So she moved back in with her parents and she and Zachary split their time with their son. Okay, so that summer, the summer I turned pretty. Mm. So that summer, the summer of 2007, 19 year old Christine actually went back to high school. She got her diploma, she started taking bartending classes so she could find a well paying job that helped support her little family. And meanwhile, she and Zachary tried to work it out a few times, basically on and off again, trying to make this whole family thing work. But by the winter of 2007, they were no longer romantic, which, I mean.

[B]

It'D be hard as teenage parents. Absolutely. That's a lot going on.

[A]

Also, they kind of grew up together, seeing as he moved in her house before they were even boyfriend, girlfriend, Just a lot.

[B]

It's a lot to take on at once.

[A]

So they've tried. They decided not to do it. And Christine has actually started seeing other people. They are learning how to co parent. The three of them actually even took a trip to the children's museum that December. But it was clear that Christine was still on Zachary's mind. On December 18, he posted on her MySpace page.

[B]

MySpace. Time out. I had a MySpace. You were too late, correct?

[A]

No, MySpace. Like people my age had MySpace. I wasn't allowed to. I was in elementary school.

[B]

Oh, okay. Yeah, because I was. Because I'm older than Peyton. For those who didn't know. I'm like what, 26 years older than.

[A]

Yeah, about.

[B]

Anyways, I'm older than Peyton and yeah, I had a MySpace. Good times.

[A]

If you're on audio. That was a joke.

[B]

It was a joke. I'm not. I'm three years older. Four years older than Peyton.

[A]

Three.

[B]

Three and a half.

[A]

What can I say? I love a good old daddy.

[B]

Exactly, exactly.

[A]

Okay, so, yes, MySpace. Even though they're like broken up, still trying to co parent. He posts on Christine's page December 18, 2007. It's a picture of a rose with a caption saying, just dropping by to show some love to my friend. Though the following day, any plans Christine had for the future came to a screeching halt. On the afternoon of of December 19, just one day after that MySpace post, Deb and Christine had plans for a mother daughter Christmas tradition. They were gonna make cookies just like they did every year. Apparently, Deb had been trying to nail Christine down to make these cookies for a while now, but Christine had just been so busy, she was putting it off. So she promised her mom, Deb, today was the day they were gonna get these cookies done. And Deb was really looking forward to it. But Christine had promised her friend Marcella that she would drive her to work that day to a local convenience store and gas station. In fact, the plan was actually to stop in and talk to Marcella's boss to see if Christine could actually get an application to work with her friend. And then after that, she was going to go to Zachary's apartment to pick him and her son up so that they could go to a toy drive. Christine said she would be home that evening to make the cookies, so her whole day is planned out. Got it?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Now, around 1:20pm Christine left her home and dropped Marcella off at the convenience store, where she was seen inside. She even got an interview on the spot that day with the manager. Now, sometime around 2:15pm Christine left the convenience store alone. But it's kind of after this that Christine goes radio silent. 6:30 came and went, and then seven. And Deb is starting to worry about her. She should have been here by now to make these cookies. And unfortunately, she couldn't call Christine's cell phone because she had lent it to a friend temporarily. So Deb calls Zachary instead. Now, remember, Zachary has kind of become like her own son. Even if the two of them have broken up, she still helped raise Zachary in his teenage years. Yeah, again, he is the father of her grandchild. So she calls Zachary and she's like, hey, where is Christine? Did you guys go to the toy drive? And he's like, no, she never made it to my house today to pick me and our son up.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

And he says, I've actually been worried about her too, because we had plans. So now Deb was wondering, okay, did she run out of gas somewhere? Did she get into an accident? So this is when her stepfather Dan, steps in and tries to calm Deb down. He's like, listen, maybe she's an adult. Maybe she's got caught up somewhere. Maybe she isn't able to call you. She will probably come strolling into the house later tonight. And so the two eventually actually go to bed, trusting that Christine is an adult, she knows what she's doing, and she will come home now. Meanwhile, over In Minneapolis, a 911 call comes in at around 8pm this call is in a nice neighborhood, a pretty white collar community. So police are shocked to HEAR what the 911 caller has to say.

[B]

Hey, I think there's a car on fire in the alley behind the house. I'll go check it out. Okay.

[A]

Apparently, a woman came home to find that a strange car was sitting in her driveway, and there was smoke coming out of it.

[B]

What the.

[A]

So she ran and knocked on a neighbor's door, who grabbed a fire extinguisher and. And put out a small blaze that was in the front seat. And that's when the neighbor saw a woman.

[B]

No way.

[A]

Slumped over in the back of this strange car. So the neighbor tries to pull her out of the car to help her, but after he gets her out, he realizes that the woman in the strange car in the driveway was already dead. So police respond to this scene. It's no longer just a fire. It is a homicide. And when they get there, they find a woman lying on the cold ground. She appears to be in her early 20s. She's partially burned. She's not wearing any shoes or a jacket, which, in the middle of winter in Minnesota.

[B]

Yeah, it doesn't happen.

[A]

It's incredibly odd.

[B]

All right, guys, we're jumping into an ad real quick.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Oh, no, don't tell me. I don't want you to tell me. Do not tell me there's a baby in that car.

[A]

An empty car seat. Okay, now keep in mind, these cops don't know who this is. The driveway where the car's parked, the woman that it belongs to is like, I don't know who this. I don't even know who this car is. And they see this car seat. Now, luckily, there's no indication a child has been harmed. They're wondering, okay, well, where is the child? Was this a kid? Like a murder kidnapping, Is the child in danger of being harmed? So they immediately begin working to identify the victim to in hopes figure out who this car seat belongs to. They run the Buick's license plates and find that it's registered to Deb Tilson. This is Christine's mother.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Then they find an ID in the car with a picture that clearly matches the victim that was found in the backseat. 19 year old Christine Larson. Which means the next step is getting a hold of Christine's family, figuring out if there's a baby.

[B]

I just. Can you just imagine getting a call like that?

[A]

Horrific news?

[B]

I cannot.

[A]

And like you went to bed thinking she's okay.

[B]

I just can't imagine that. I don't want to imagine it. Insane.

[A]

You know, I know we cover these cases day to, you know, week, week to week.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But like the reality of receiving that phone call is not just another case, another week. You know what I mean? That is life changing, life altering, life shattering news for real people. And it's just heart wrenching and devastating. So they notify Christine's family and they make sure that whoever the car seat belonged to is safe, that there is no kidnapping. So a few officers make their way over to Deb and Dan Tilson's house and other detectives learn a few other interesting details while they're investigating. For one, the owner of the home who found the car. So they were actually only gone from home for a short amount of time. They left around 7:30pm and were back home by 8.

[B]

What?

[A]

That means there was only a half hour window for this random car to arrive, pull into the driveway and then be set on fire.

[B]

And not only that, the chances that they passed each other have to be extremely high.

[A]

Well, and if Christine wasn't the one who set the fire, someone else had to have driven the car there with her body inside. They would need a way to escape. So they either walked, stole a vehicle, rode a bike. Weird. Police begin looking to see if there was any reported stolen vehicles in the area and they find that there was one reported stolen around the same time. A gold pickup truck.

[B]

So super low key.

[A]

Not knowing if this is even relevant, they decide to put out an apb thinking, okay, there is a possibility that whoever did this might be driving this stolen car. So it is around 4am when police finally knock on Christine's parents door and tell them the devastating news. This is the last thing you want to hear before Christmas. That their young daughter is dead. And they also need to know that the baby is okay. So they then call Zachary right away and he's like, no, yeah, our son is here with me. I'm the father, all is good.

[B]

Oh, okay, I didn't know that.

[A]

But Zachary is incredibly distressed over the news. Like when he gets this call from Christine's parents, he is on. Well, so much so that Christine's stepdad, Dan offers to go over there and just.

[B]

Poor guy.

[A]

Get, get him and the son, bring them back to the house. They can all be together, they can process this information together. No one should be alone.

[B]

Which is interesting because I think first thoughts were Zachary's involved, but I don't think so.

[A]

But probably not for parents who helped raise him and love him.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, true.

[A]

So by the next day, pathologists are working on Christine's autopsy and they do confirm what police feared. This is 100% a homicide. Christine did have ligature marks around her neck that came from a small rope or a piece of fabric of some kind of. She had blood all around her nose and a cut on her forehead along with burn marks on her face, her hands and her feet. She also suffered a blow to the head before being strangled to death.

[B]

Dude, what in the world?

[A]

So now, knowing this wrong with people, police start putting together Christine's steps throughout her final day. You need to figure out exactly how she ended up this. In the car, in the driveway. They realized that one of the last people to reportedly see her was her friend Marcella. So they knock on her door to try and get more details about that trip to the gas station. She says Christine dropped her off at work, went into the store and had an interview with her manager. That day. But Marcella said Christine left right after this interview, sometime around 2:15pm and she didn't hear from her ever again. So they go to the convenience store and get the security footage to confirm Marcela's story. And sure enough, Christine is seen going into the store that day. She buys a couple things and then goes outside and gets into her car alone. She does exactly what everyone had said she did. And then she is seen driving away on those cameras headed in the direction of St. Paul, where, according to friends and family, she was supposed to meet Zachary at his apartment for that Toys for Tots event. All right, so police feel confident that Marcella told them all she knows about that day and she's being truthful. Marcella is seen on surveillance at the store from 2pm to 10pm Working her shift, confirming that she didn't, like, leave with Christine. But when they're talking to Marcela about all of this, she actually tells police, hey, she's supposed to be headed to Zachary's house. And I just want to, like, as a friend of Christine's, let you know that I think it's worth looking into Zachary.

[B]

No way.

[A]

For my friend's homicide.

[B]

Okay. Which is interesting because just how you explained how he reacted, it seemed genuine. Granted, I don't. I can't see the tapes. I don't see his exact reaction, but a lot of the times we get reactions that are very odd. Odd, but not odd. Like, very underwhelming, I guess. Yeah is a good word to use. Yeah. It's just so hard, like, sorry, you can't ever judge. I know it's the news, but you. You do. You do. You do judge people and how they react to this type of news. You just do.

[A]

It's easy when you're not the one in the situation.

[B]

100. Yeah.

[A]

Sidebar. I was watching an interview with the. What is that? That group of men that prank each other. They're, like, older. They've been doing it for so long. They have a TV show.

[B]

Oh, I've never watched. I've never really gotten.

[A]

Anyways, I was watching an interview with one of them, and he was talking about, like, the most traumatic prank that he had been through over the 14 years. And he said that on that prank, he. He actually finally realized what frozen in fear meant.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because he said he couldn't respond. He wasn't acting correctly. And it made me think about all these cases where, like, people don't respond correctly in traumatic situations. And I'm like, it's just real. Like, our nervous Systems are crazy. So she basically, Marcella, she tells police, hey, yeah, I think you should look into him because from what I understand, Zachary and Christine didn't really have the best relationship. So on December 20, Zachary comes into the police station and he tells police this just for a formal interview. Christine was supposed to pick him and her son up around 2pm and take them to that toy drive in Minneapolis. Only Christine never showed up. He said he called her around 2:15pm and then waited a while longer before deciding that she wasn't coming and he was just going to take their son without her. He said that he and his son hopped on the bus that day around 3pm and got to the toy drive around 4 4. Says they didn't stay long, barely an hour. And they were home by 6, 6:30pm that night. After that, he says he and his son stayed home for the entire night. They never left his place again. Zachary also says his social worker can confirm that he was at the toy drive. So police are like, okay, here's your story. You know, they then ask him about his relationship with Christine, and he seems to lay it out on the table. He says that after being on and off for some time, they decided to call it quits for good. Zachary said he, like, admittedly was still in love with Christine. He wasn't thrilled that she was seeing new guys recently, but he knew that they had tried. They weren't right for each other, at least for now. He said at this point in time, it was just better that they do things on their own. And he believed maybe one day they would find their way back to each other.

[B]

Okay. Pretty upfront about everything.

[A]

Yeah. So after speaking with Zachary, the first thing police do is see if his story checks out. They speak to the social worker who confirms Zachary was at the toy drive. There was even a sign in sheet which supposedly confirmed what time Zachary had arrived. And he even took a selfie of him and his son on the bus together that day. The social worker also vouches for Zachary to police, saying, you know, I understand that, like, you're looking into him for homicide for murdering Christine, but Zachary's kind. He's a mellow guy. And the same goes for Christine's family. When police talk to them, Deb and Dan say Zachary was so in love with Christine, they don't believe he would have ever done anything to hurt her. And they knew him well. He had lived with the family for some time. The morning they found out Christine had died, Zachary was hysterical on the floor of the Tilson's home. So investigators feel like, okay, we're still going to look into the boyfriend shoe, but we also think we need to start looking for other suspects. This just isn't feeling as strong as we would like.

[B]

Okay, so else, I mean, obviously a guy she's probably seeing. I'm sure that's who we're going to talk about next, correct?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right.

[A]

So after speaking to those closest with Christine, they learned she really had moved on from Zachary at this point. She had been seeing someone else for the last week and a half, and it already was kind of serious. His name was Derek, and he was the first person Christine really felt excited about.

[B]

Freaking Derek Marie.

[A]

The two were actually even talking about moving in together already. Things were, of course, still very fresh. But police knew Derek was a lead worth pursuing, so they go to track him down. They show up at his place of work, but learn that he actually didn't show up for work that day.

[B]

What a coincidence.

[A]

And so when they call him, Derek doesn't answer the phone either. But eventually, police do get in touch with him through one of his friends, and he agrees to come into the station to talk to police. He says the reason he had been MIA Was because he was heartbroken after learning about Christine's death. That while the relationship was new, he was already falling in love with her. So he was distraught he had seen a future with her. So he comes in and police ask him about the day that Christine was killed. Like, yep, just protocol. We need to know what you were doing when, where. Do you have an alibi? Derek says he hadn't heard from her at all that day, which he did think was strange, especially when he ran into her, coincidentally that afternoon in St. Paul. So immediately, police now realized someone besides Marcella had seen her. The last person now who had seen her, he said Christine happened to be stopped next to him at a red light. So he rolled down his window. They chatted for a minute. He asked her where she was headed, and she said to pick up her son. She told him she would call him later that night, and they parted ways. This was around 2:15, so right after she left the gas station convenience store. And then Derek said he went to his brother's house where he spent the the night alone. And he never heard from Christine again after that. And then he learned the heartbreaking news. But police do find this story a little strange. Like, what are the odds that he ran into her on the road?

[B]

I was. I was literally just thinking that. I'm like, okay.

[A]

Putting himself as the last person to see her, but just randomly at a.

[B]

Stoplight, and then is at his brother's alone for the rest of the night.

[A]

And this is hours before she turned up dead. All right, so they think maybe somebody had seen them together. Possibly. And so this was his way of explaining it, like, well, I told you, I saw her after she left the store. But there's one other big red flag about Derek. He actually was living with another girl when he and Christine had started dating.

[B]

Here comes the motive.

[A]

And when she found out that Derek was talking to another woman, Christine, she kicked him out of the house. This is why he was even staying at his brother's place in St. Paul, which was why he and Christine had already talked about moving in together, because he needed a new place to live. His girlfriend kicked him out for cheating. So the police are like, we need to check his alibi. He said he was home alone the night Kristen died. So the best way to do that is to check his cell phone records. And they find that he does seem to be telling the truth. Whoever killed and left Christine's body in that car would have been in that Minneapolis neighborhood between 7:30 and 8pm that night. And according to Derek's cell phone, he wasn't even close. So detectives start to think maybe he really did just have a random encounter with Christine right before she died. And if it isn't Derek who killed her, then who is it? So detectives are still wondering, okay, does that gold pickup truck have anything to do with this? Did the suspect steal that truck to flee the scene? I mean, they never really heard anything, but that's their only next lead to follow up on. When they follow up on that loose thread, they learn it was completely unrelated. It was just a few kids who were messing around in the area that night and stole a car and went for a joyride.

[B]

No way.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So other than that, that's crazy.

[A]

There chances were no reports of any other stolen vehicles. Which leaves us again with Garrett's question. How did the suspect, the person who left Christine in that burning car dead, get away?

[B]

Walked. I do have to walk.

[A]

Did they make it home? Was there a car waiting? Is this more than one person? So detectives think, okay, one way to get away from the crime scene, if it wasn't via a stolen car, would be on foot. And if the suspect was trying to get out of the city, they likely would have taken the bridge on Interstate 94. So they take a shot in the dark and see if anyone reported someone walking on the highway that night. Turns out there was a 911 call in the system from the night Christine died saying that someone was walking in the dark on the side of the freeway. DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse is the one stop shop for all your footwear needs with sneakers, boots and everything in between for every style, mood and occasion. You'll definitely find shoes that get you at prices that get your budget. DSW has what you need, but more importantly, they have what you didn't even know you wanted. You. You never know what you'll find at dsw. Find the shoes that get you at prices that get your budget at DSW stores or dsw.com all right, guys, we're.

[B]

Jumping into an ad real quick. When I think about the holidays, I think about tiny moments with Daisy, the ones that make the season bright. That's why we are joining Chewy Claus, who's out here making pet wishes come.

[A]

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[B]

Peyton and I are both big fans of this. We love Chewy in general. We've been using them for years. We back them. So go and check this out. Every pet deserves a wish come true. Send your pet's wish to chewy.com chewy claws and it might become a reality. Plus, your wish means Chewy will donate five meals to pets in Need.

[A]

So police pull up the security footage along the area and there is an image of someone walking east towards St. Paul. Now, this direction where this person is walking is actually towards where Zachary lived. And the person seen on this footage actually fits the description of Zachary. So although they had originally kind of ruled him out, they decide to look into Zachary's cell phone records from that evening. And they find that that night, about 45 minutes before Christine's body was found, his phone pinged a tower going westbound into Minneapolis and then again between 8 and 9:30pm headed eastbound out of the city. So they started with Zachary, left and went to Derek.

[B]

Now they're back to Zach.

[A]

Now they are back to Zachary because he lied. He wasn't at home with his son. If you are going off his Cell phone.

[B]

I think it's so funny when people. I mean, I guess this is a little bit ago where you maybe you weren't fully aware yet that that could be done, that your phone could be pinged like that. Now I think we're all aware, like, if you lie and the police take your phone, they're gonna know everything about you.

[A]

Messages are never erased. And your location. You leave your phone or turn your phone off, they're gonna know where you were.

[B]

And the thing is, they know when you turn your phone off.

[A]

Yeah, that's the other thing. It's like when you do turn your phone off, they're like, well, they turned the phone off right when it was pinging before the city, and then turned it back off on right when it was pinging after. This is what happened in the Idaho four case.

[B]

And look, it doesn't bother me. It only bothers people that are doing bad things. So I could care less.

[A]

So now Zachary Matthews is back at the top of the suspect list. But police are also wondering, if he was so in love with Christine, if the her parents don't even believe that he could have done this, what was his motive? Well, it seems when they start looking into Zachary more, he had been dealing with some mental health issues for a while. He had been diagnosed with a few different things, including multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia at the time. He also, kind of a big deal, had a very troubled upbringing. That didn't help. Before he moved in with Christine, he was in foster care until he was 16 years old when he finally emancipated himself. And ever since then, he had been on his own, which was why Christine's family took Zachary under their roof in the first place. The Tilsons didn't notice any suspicious behavior from Zachary while he was in their home. But when Christine and him moved in together, just the two of them, she shared a few scary stories with close friends. She told one person that ever since moving, Zachary was insanely possessive. And he would call Christine at all hours of the night when she wasn't home. He would punch holes in the walls of their apartment. He removed doors from their hinges.

[B]

That's. That's insane.

[A]

That's wild fits of rage.

[B]

Come on, man.

[A]

And eventually told a friend Zachary hit her harder than anyone else ever had in her life. Now, when Christine told him the relationship was done In May of 2007, Zachary climbed over the railing of a bridge and threatened to jump into the Mississippi River. So when police realized that this is how volatile he had been in the relationship, they are now fully zeroing in.

[B]

On Zachary and this stuff always comes out.

[A]

Also learning what he was struggling with, they decide they need to move pretty fast to get him into custody because Dan and Deb, Christine's parents at this point had basically brought Zachary and their grandson back to their house. They were living there for safety.

[B]

I'm scared for the baby.

[A]

And also this would mean that you might be living with your daughter's killer.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

So in hopes of gathering more evidence, the police execute a search warrant on Zachary's apartment on Christmas Eve. And right away they noticed something suspicious. Phone books. Exactly like the ones that were found in Christine's car and used as kindling to set that fire. They also found a wall post in the kitchen that had a tiny smear of blood on it. Now remember, Christine's autopsy said that she had suffered a blunt force injury to the head before her death. So investigators are like, okay, maybe Christine did make it to the apartment and maybe she was shoved and hit her head on this wall right here. And when they run it under blacklight, they also learn there's more blood that looks like it had tried to be cleaned up. There's also blood on the bedding and the mattress in Zachary's room. But that wasn't even the biggest clue they found. In the closet, they saw one shoe that was missing an entire shoelace. It was the perfect size to match the ligature wound around Christine's neck. And even more damning, a four page letter was found hidden in Zachary's closet. It was a letter that was written to Christine. It talked about how she had done Zachary dirty. He was furious over the breakup. He blamed her for everything that was going wrong in his life. Basically the complete opposite of what Zachary had told police in his interview. That they were both happy, they were going to move on, they were going to co parent. He thought they would eventually get back together, but everything was chill. So within the hour, Zachary is called down to the station for a second interview. The police feel like they just need one more piece of evidence to seal the deal. They want a confession if they can get one. So this interview, Zachary has read his rights and police plan to confront him with all of the evidence they found in his apartment. But before they do that, they give the 21 year old Zachary a chance to just speak. They're like, listen, we have evidence, we know things. We're going to give you a chance to help yourself out and just talk. What, what do you have to tell us? At this point, he still denies killing Christine.

[B]

It's crazy. It's crazy. The amount of people that still, when they're backed into a corner, deny, deny, deny.

[A]

He tells police the same story. Christine was supposed to take them to the toy drive. She never showed up that day. So detectives slowly start telling him what they know. Little by little, they're like, well, we understand you're saying you came home and never left, but we got a hold of your cell phone pings and they weren't at your house. They're trying to slowly give him information to see if he will change his story. The more they share with Zachary, the more guilty he looks. He asks for his coat, he starts putting his head down. He won't look them in the eye anymore.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

He is cracking like Garrett said, and he says, okay. Finally he says, okay, detectives, here is what happened. I came home that day and wasn't at my apartment and Christine showed up to take us. I actually came home that day and found Christine already dead in my apartment.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. The amount of people that do this, it's just, he tells, so disrespectful police.

[A]

I found her. She had been strangled to death and placed in the kitchen closet. I panicked. I put Christine's body in her car and. And I drove it to Minneapolis because he said he knew the crime rate was higher there. And then he left it in a random driveway and walked back to his apartment. That's why his phone pinged. That's why he was on surveillance. But just to be clear, I was not the one that killed her in my own apartment. And I was not the one who set the car on fire. Oh, and when police are like, great, so this is your story. Your two year old son at home, who did you call to watch him while you left to dump his mother's dead body? And he's like, oh, I didn't call anyone. I just left him home.

[B]

Holy crap, Al words.

[A]

Home alone at 2. Police are like, okay, Zachary, that's awful. But we also are not believing this version either. At this point, they tell him, you're really the only one with motive and means. You are too closely tied to this. The letter proved the idea. He had like, kind of this overall feeling of, if I can't have you, no one else can. Like, if you're gonna break up with me, you can't be dating new people. You're supposed to be with me. You're ruining my life type vibes. But confession or not, Zachary had just implicated himself in covering up Christine's murder. Even if he didn't say, yeah, no matter what, it's still, you can't move a dead body. So that day on Christmas Eve, Zachary is charged with two counts of first degree murder. One for premeditation and another for an act of domestic abuse. And this is when detectives finally put together what they believe actually happened. Since Zachary isn't copying to the full story. They believe that Christine was late to pick up Zachary and her son after going to that interview. And when she showed up, the two got into a fight about it, like Zachary saying, where were you? Who were you with? Or something else regarding the relationship. But either way, they do believe a fight broke out and that Zachary turned violent. He pushed her against the wall as the fight moved into the bedroom. And then Zachary eventually grabbed that shoelace and strangled Christine to death in the bedroom. And then, panicking, he moved her into her own car later that night and tried to cover up the crime by hoping she and any evidence would burn in the vehicle. And in between this, he goes to the toy drive to try and create an alibi for himself.

[B]

I also just can't believe, like, Zach was hitting her and doing all this stuff as her family raised him, and it's just. It's insane.

[A]

So. Zachary Matthews went to trial in the fall of 2008 for Christine's murder. There, the state introduced all of the evidence found at Zachary's apartment, as well as the testimony from two fellow inmates who claimed to Zachary had actually told them about killing Christine. Again, I don't really love inmate confessions.

[B]

It's always like a.

[A]

It's always a test with a grain. Assault.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The blood found in Zachary's apartment was also tested for DNA, and experts said they could not rule Zachary or Christine out as contributors, so they couldn't directly say that was Christine's blood. That October, Zachary was found guilty of first degree murder on both accounts. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Now, since Zachary's incarceration, Christine's family has been awarded full custody of raising their grandson. She goes on to say that he has issues with control, and she believes it's because he had witnessed all of this and he was powerless. She says, we've had a long road with him. He's come a long way, and I gotta tell you, we wouldn't trade it for the world. However, that one magical time of the year that we are all in right now will never be the same. For the Tilson family, the season now brings up a lot of difficult emotions for everyone. But the Tilsons are doing their best. To make sure their grandson can find some joy in it all. And that is the murder of Christine Larson.

[B]

It's just so sad because once again, when somebody is killed, it's not just one person that is affected. Now a kid has to grow up without both parents. It's just a chain of people that it affects. And it's just so. It's just horrific. It's so sad.

[A]

So I think there are a lot of children who are wrapped up in the murders that we cover, who are innocent bystanders of parent on parent murder. The human psyche, as a child trying to fathom one parent hurting another parent to the point of murdering them has got to be so impactful on their mental state throughout their life, because that's just not how we're made. Like, we're not made to deal with that kind of information.

[B]

Once again, if you are in a relationship where you are experiencing domestic abuse, domestic violence, please reach out to help. We'll put some links down in our description. And we love you.

[A]

All right, you guys, that was our episode for today, and we will see you next time with another one. Happy holidays.

[B]

I still love it and I still hate it.

[A]

Goodbye.