Podcast
Never Light Up A Room Podcast
Hosted by Never Light Up A Room Podcast · EN
We all know the cliche "they lit up a room". On this true crime podcast, we will explain why you should stay safe and never "light up a room"! We aim to shine a light on the well known cases as well as the overlooked or forgotten stories. Join us each week as we cover a new investigation and illuminate the darkness that surrounds us.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 111: The Murder of Rebecca Schaeffer
1w ago00:43:26Tap to summarizeA rising young sitcom star with a bright future ahead of her is gunned down at her own front door, sending shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. What began as harmless fan mail slowly spiraled into a terrifying obsession that exposed just how vulnerable celebrities could be behind the scenes. In this episode, we unravel the tragic story of Rebecca Schaeffer, the warning signs that were missed, and the case that would forever change stalking laws in America. Sources: Silverman, Leah, “Inside Rebecca Schaeffer’s Murder At The Hands Of Her Stalker”, All Thats Interesting, December 29, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/rebecca-schaeffer, Accessed May 28, 2026 Gurley, Alex, “Rebecca Schaeffer Was Preparing to Audition for Francis Ford Coppola When an Obsessed Fan Killed Her. Inside the Chilling Crime”, People, July 18, 2025, https://people.com/rebecca-schaeffer-death-everything-to-know-11766223, Accessed May 28, 2026 Mehrotra, Kriti, “Rebecca Schaeffer Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?”, The Cinemaholic, August 20, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/rebecca-schaeffer-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/, Accessed May 28, 2026
Transcribe →Leave the Light On May 2026
1w ago01:36:48Tap to summarizeWe're back with our twenty seventh Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!References: Russo, Christine; “"Dom and Davion's Law" - Victims Before Influencers: Modernize Son of Sam Laws”; Change.ord; https://www.change.org/p/dom-and-davion-s-law-victims-before-influencers-modernize-son-of-sam-laws; accessed May 30, 2026. Sederstrom, Jill; “Mackenzie Shirilla’s Dad Placed on Administrative Leave From School After Speaking Out”; Oxygen True Crime; May 19, 2026; https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/mackenzie-shirillas-dad-steve-shirilla-put-on-administrative-leave; accessed May 31, 2026. Osborne, Mark; “Alex Murdaugh murder convictions overturned by South Carolina Supreme Court, new trial ordered”; CBS News; May 13, 2026; https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-murder-convictions-overturned-south-carolina-new-trial/; accessed May 30, 2026 Vaidyanathan, Vaishnavi; “Stabbing at NBHA Las Vegas show? Multiple horses reportedly injured in shocking incident”; Hindustan Times; May 30, 2026; https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/news/stabbing-at-nbha-las-vegas-show-multiple-horses-reportedly-injured-in-shocking-incident/ar-AA24rqqH?ocid=BingNewsSerp; accessed May 30, 2026.
Transcribe →Episode 110: The Yuba County 5
2w ago01:21:35Tap to summarize5 friends. One basketball game. And a late-night drive that ended with their car abandoned deep in the snowy mountains of Northern California. In this episode, we unravel the haunting mystery of the Yuba County 5 , a case filled with baffling decisions, missed opportunities, eerie sightings, and questions that have remained unanswered for decades. Sources Gorney, Cynthia; “5 'Boys' Who Never Come Back”; The Washington Post; July 5, 1978; https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/; accessed May 24, 2026. Dillon, Lauren; “What Happened to the Yuba County Five?”; Historic Mysteries; Nov 15, 2022; https://www.historicmysteries.com/unexplained-mysteries/yuba-county-five/28692/; accessed May 24, 2026. “When the System Breaks – The Yuba County Five Investigation”; Veriarch; Aug 13, 2025; https://veriarch.com/jurisdictional-chaos-yuba-county-five-investigation; accessed May 24, 2026. “The mysterious case of the Yuba County Five”; Strange Outdoors; June 2024; https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/2017/12/7/mathias-group-from-yuba-city; accessed May 24, 2026. Morgan, Amber; “Inside The Bewildering Case Of The Yuba County Five And Their Unsolved Disappearance”; All That’s Interesting; April 25, 2023; https://allthatsinteresting.com/yuba-county-five; accessed May 24, 2026.
Transcribe →Episode 109: The Disappearance of Joan Risch
3w ago00:50:34Tap to summarizeOn a quiet October afternoon in 1961, 31-year-old Joan Risch vanished from her home in Lincoln, leaving behind a scene that investigators still can’t fully explain. Blood was found smeared across the kitchen, the phone had been ripped from the wall, and strange sightings of a disoriented woman nearby only deepened the mystery. More than 60 years later, the disappearance of Joan Risch remains one of the most chilling unsolved cases in Massachusetts history. Sources: Kabra, Prathamesh, “What Really Happened to Joan Risch, the Massachusetts Housewife Who Vanished Without a Trace in 1961?”, Thar Tribune, August 15th, 2025, https://thartribune.com/what-really-happened-to-joan-risch-the-massachusetts-housewife-who-vanished-without-a-trace-in-1961/, Accessed May 18th, 2026 “Joan Carolyn Risch” The Charlie Project, Last updated December 5, 2018, https://charleyproject.org/case/joan-carolyn-risch, Accessed May 18th, 2026 City Towner, “The Disappearance of Joan Risch in Lincoln Massachusetts” City Towner, September 26, 2024, https://citytowner.com/lincoln-ma-joan-risch-disappearance/, Accessed May 18th, 2026
Transcribe →Episode 108: Chicago Tylenol Murders
4w ago01:16:49Tap to summarizeIn September 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking cyanide-laced Extra Strength Tylenol capsules, sparking one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history. The victims ranged from a 12-year-old girl to parents and working professionals, all unknowingly poisoned after using a trusted over-the-counter medication. As panic spread, Johnson & Johnson issued a nationwide recall and introduced tamper-proof packaging that permanently changed the pharmaceutical industry. Investigators pursued multiple suspects over the years, but no one has ever been charged with the murders. In this episode, we examine the victims, the investigation, the leading theories, and the lasting impact of the Tylenol murders. Sources: Ganger, Brigitte; “Remembering the Victims of the Chicago Tylenol Murders”; Beyond the Dash; Sept 29, 2021; https://beyondthedash.com/blog/remembering/remembering-the-victims-chicago-tylenol-murders/7360; accessed May 9, 2026. Petros, Michael; “People, politics and poison: the Tylenol® murders revisited forty years later”; The University of Illinois Chicago; May 31, 2022; https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/people-politics-and-poison-the-tylenol-murders-revisited-forty-years-later/; accessed May 9, 2026. Simpson, Michael Lee; “POISONED PILL My cop dad’s deathbed confession to the 7 unsolved Tylenol murders tore me apart – he left key evidence for me to find”; The U.S. Sun; Sept 28, 2025; https://www.the-sun.com/news/15253060/tylenol-murders-chicago-cops-deathbed-confession/; accessed May 9, 2026. Waxman, Olivia B.; Netflix's Tylenol Murders Doc Dives Into a Chilling Unsolved Crime; Time; May 26, 2025; https://time.com/7287680/tylenol-murders-documentary-netflix/; accessed May 10, 2026. “Who Committed the Tylenol Murders? After More Than 40 Years, the Case Remains Unsolved.”; WTTW; https://www.wttw.com/chicago-stories/inside-the-tylenol-murders/who-committed-the-tylenol-murders; accessed May 10, 2026. Clark, Josh; Dove, Laurie L.; “10 Notable Copycat Killers”; How Stuff Works; June 7, 2024; https://people.howstuffworks.com/5-copycat-killers.htm; accessed May 10, 2026. “Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol Crisis: A Lesson in Ethical Crisis Management”; Journalism.University; Jan 24, 2026; https://journalism.university/media-ethics-and-laws/tylenol-crisis-ethical-management-lessons/; accessed May 10, 2026.
Transcribe →Leave the Light On April 2026
May 701:06:14Tap to summarizeWe're back with our twenty sixth Leave the Light On episode where we recap the cases covered in the previous month, discuss true crime headlines from the month, and give you a sneak peak at what is coming up in the next month. If we know!References: Acevedo, Nicole; “DNA testing confirms Ted Bundy killed Utah teen in 1974 cold case”; NBC News; April 1, 2026; https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dna-testing-confirms-utah-teen-was-killed-ted-bundy-1974-rcna266279; access April 28, 2026. Sheehan, Kevin; Cruz, Brandon; Propper, David; Fitz-Gibbon, Jorge; “Smirking Gilgo serial killer reveals how he murdered 8 victims as their horrified relatives gasp in court during guilty plea”; New York Post; April 8, 2026; https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/us-news/gilgo-beach-slayings-expected-to-end-with-accused-serial-killer-rex-heuermanns-guilty-plea/; accessed April 28, 2026.
Transcribe →Episode 107: The Disappearance and Murder of Dorothy Scott
Apr 2900:48:02Tap to summarizeAfter taking a coworker to the hospital one night in 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott stepped into a parking lot and vanished without a trace. In the weeks before she disappeared, she had been receiving unsettling calls from someone who seemed to know her every move, calls that didn’t stop after she was gone. As the mystery deepens, one question lingers: who was watching Dorothy, and why did they never let her go?Sources: Vanapalli, Viswa “Dorothy Scott Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?”, The Cinemaholic, October 17, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/dorothy-scott-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/, Accessed April 23, 2026 Kettler, Sara, “A Single Mom Was Captured from a Hospital Parking Lot After Receiving Calls from a Stalker”, A&E, January 27, 2026, https://www.aetv.com/articles/dorothy-jane-scott-killed-stalker-cold-case, Accessed April 23, 2026 Nucleus, “#0220 Dorothy Scott Orange County Murder Mystery”, True Crime Database, November 7,2020, https://www.thetruecrimedatabase.com/case_file/dorothy-scott/, Accessed April 23,2026
Transcribe →Episode 106: Twilight Zone: The Movie Tragedy; The deaths of Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh Le, and Renee Shin-Yi Chen
Apr 2200:55:38Tap to summarizeThe making of Twilight Zone: The Movie became overshadowed by a tragic accident that killed actor Vic Morrow and two young children, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. They were filming a climactic rescue scene involving explosions and a low-flying helicopter during a nighttime shoot when a catastrophic crash claimed all three lives. The deaths of Vic, Myca, and Renee made it one of Hollywood’s most infamous tragedies and prompted lasting concerns about on-set safety and accountability.Sources: Rubio Hancock, Víctor; “‘Keep Rolling’: The Decision That Resulted in the Tragic Deaths of Two Children and a Hollywood Actor”; EL PAÍS English; Aug 29. 2023; https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-08-29/keep-rolling-the-decision-that-resulted-in-the-tragic-deaths-of-two-children-and-a-hollywood-actor.html; accessed April 20, 2026. “The Heartbreaking Truth About the Twilight Zone Disaster”; Factinate; https://www.factinate.com/things/outrageous-facts-about-twilight-zone-disaster-hollywoods-wake-call; accessed April 20, 2026. “My‑ca Dinh Le (1975–1982)”; Find a Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7288675/my-ca_dinh-le; accessed April 20, 2026. “Renee Shin‑Yi Chen (1976–1982)”; Find a Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19758/renee_shin-yi-chen; accessed April 20, 2026. “Vic Morrow – Biography”; IMDb; https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607558/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm; accessed April 20, 2026. “Gruesome Final Moments of Hollywood Legend and Child Star Decapitated in On‑Set Horror”; Irish Mirror; 23 May 2019; https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/world-news/gruesome-final-moments-hollywood-legend-36838392; accessed April 20, 2026. “Child Actor Laws in California: Permits, Hours & Earnings”; LegalClarity; https://legalclarity.org/what-are-the-child-actor-laws-in-california; accessed April 20, 2026. National Transportation Safety Board; “Aircraft Accident Report”; Oct 30, 1984 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8414.pdf; accessed April 20, 2026. Robinson, Gregory; “Actor Vic Morrow had chilling last words before dying in a helicopter accident on set of Twilight Zone”; Unilad; Aug 8, 2023; https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/news/vic-morrow-death-twilight-zone-helicopter-crash-120468-20230808; accessed April 20, 2026. Hammer, Alex; “Why an A-list director was blamed for horrific decapitation of star actor and deaths of two children on Twilight Zone: The Movie set”; Daily Mail; June 15, 2024; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13522227/twilight-zone-movie-accident-helicopter-director-death.html; accessed April 4, 2026. Margaritoff, Marco; “Inside The Horrific Twilight Zone Movie Accident And The Manslaughter Trial That Followed”; All That’s Interesting; Aug 15, 2024; https://allthatsinteresting.com/twilight-zone-movie-accident; accessed April 20, 2026. “Twilight Zone: The Movie”; Center for Progressive Reform; https://progressivereform.org/incidents/twilight-zone; accessed April 20, 2026. “Twilight Zone Accident”; Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident; accessed April 20, 2026.
Transcribe →Episode 105: Darlie Routier
Apr 1500:55:16Tap to summarizeA quiet suburban night in Rowlett turns into a nightmare when a frantic 911 call claims an intruder has attacked a young family; but the story quickly begins to unravel. As investigators dig deeper into the case of Darlie Routier, troubling inconsistencies and unexpected evidence raise more questions than answers. What really happened inside that home may not be what anyone first believed. Lamoureux, Aimee, “What Really Happened The Night Darlie Routier’s Two Sons Were Murdered?”, All Thats Interesting, April 2, 2026, https://allthatsinteresting.com/darlie-routier, Accessed April 13, 2026 “Darlie Routier killed her two young boys”, Crime Library, https://crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/women/routier/, Accessed April 13, 2026 Mcnally, Cynthis, “38 Facts About Darlie Routier”, Facts, September 30, 2024, https://facts.net/history/people/38-facts-about-darlie-routier/, Accessed April 13, 2026 Mehrotra, Kriti, “Where is Darlie Routier Now?”, The Cinemaholic, May 27, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-darlie-routier-now/, Accessed April 13, 2026 Mehrotra, Kriti, “Where is Darin Routier Now?”, The Cinemaholic, May 27, 2021, https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-darin-routier-now/, Accessed April 13, 2026
Transcribe →Episode 104: The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan
Apr 800:56:15Tap to summarizeOn January 25, 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergan set out on a dream scuba diving trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but it ended in tragedy when they were left behind in the open ocean. Stranded miles from shore; the couple endured days alone at sea before anyone realized they were missing. This episode explores the chilling timeline, unanswered questions, including a haunting message later discovered, and the devastating consequences of human error. Sources: Currell, Rob; “Horrifying final moments of couple left behind in shark-infested water after trip forgot about them”; The Mirror; May 20, 2025; https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/horrifying-final-moments-couple-left-1140809; accessed April 2, 2026. “The Mysterious Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The Couple Left Behind at Sea”; Nolazine; https://www.nolazine.com/post/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-tom-and-eileen-lonergan-the-couple-left-behind-at-sea#google_vignette; accessed April 2, 2026. Goldfarb, Kara; “Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The Young American Couple Who Disappeared In The Great Barrier Reef”; All Thats Interesting; Feb 2, 2026; https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan; accessed April 2, 2026. Boyle, Darren; “ABANDONED AT SEA: THE COUPLE LEFT TO DIE ON A DREAM SCUBA TRIP”; DailyMail; Jan 25, 2026; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15174667/lonergan-disappearance-shark-waters-scuba-timeline.html; accessed April 2, 2026. Adam, David; “The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan”; Harrison Biography; Oct 22, 2025; https://harrisonbiography.com/the-disappearance-of-tom-and-eileen-lonergan/; accessed April 2, 2026.
Transcribe →