Small Town Murder – "Bloody Plot Twists: Minden, Nevada"

Podcast: Small Town Murder
Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Episode Date: December 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a bizarre and tragic murder in Minden, Nevada. The hosts analyze what makes the small town tick, then unravel the intricately tangled murder of Benjamin “Ben” Oxley, a beloved local, with their signature blend of thorough research, jaw-dropping details, and sharp comedic wit. Through deep family dysfunction, legal twists, failed alibis, and a truly shocking immunity deal, James and Jimmie walk listeners through a real-life small town crime that brims with wild turns—scandal, murder-for-hire gossip, a devoted stepmother, and generational cycles of tragedy.

Setting the Scene: Minden, Nevada (04:51–10:24)

• Location & Demographics
  • Minden: western Nevada, near California border, 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe, 50 minutes to Reno.
  • Population: 3,335 – “Very small.” (05:47)
  • Median home price: $649,700, thanks to proximity to Tahoe.
• Town History
  • Founded 1906 by Heinrich Dangberg, named after his German hometown.
  • Had a sundown siren (from 1917–2021) with a racist history: “[It] signaled that members of the Washoe Indian tribe were required to leave town or face jail time.” (07:04)
• Cultural Flavor
  • Town praised for “country” sensibility, “safe place to live,” and farming roots.
  • Hometown festival includes the Carson Valley Days and the Rubber Duck Derby.
  • Not much diversity in food or events: “Can we have a Chinese food place here, please?” (08:22)

Meet the Victim: Ben Oxley and His Family (10:24–19:27)

Ben Oxley: The Man

• Background: Born 1972, West Covina, CA; moved to Hawaii at age 10; loves beach life, has many siblings including twin brother Bill (“What is up with all the twins lately on this goddamn show?” – James, 11:10).
• Athletics: Played football (barefoot kicker!) and soccer (12:03–12:44).
• Personality: Social, outdoorsy, worked at Penielo Country Inn before moving to mainland.

Ben’s Relationships

• First wife: Dawn Leanne Mitchell
  • Married 1999, divorced 2004, one daughter together – Alyssa.
  • “This is a pretty rocky relationship … not doing well together.” (14:56)
  • Ugly custody battle; Dawn described as unstable, in and out of legal trouble, substance abuse issues.
• Second wife: Melissa
  • Met online, early bonding over Ben’s daughter: “Look, if you’re going to be with me, you gotta be with my daughter too—dating us both.” (16:07)
  • Early resistance from Alyssa: “Don’t talk to my dad.” (16:52)
  • Melissa wins Alyssa over with compassion and a “family of three” mentality; Melissa legally becomes Alyssa’s full-time guardian after Dawn loses custody (17:55–19:27).
  • Melissa’s teenage brother, Craig, also lives with them.

The Murder: A Night of Blood and Confusion (19:27–27:30)

Events of February 21, 2008

• Melissa’s 911 Call (~3:30 AM): "It's really, really bad ... there's blood everywhere." (21:10)
• Her Account to Police:
  • Woke up hearing a noise and smelling gun smoke.
  • Saw the front door wide open.
  • Tried to wake Ben, discovered him shot in the head.
  • Grabbed Alyssa and locked themselves in Alyssa’s room before calling 911.
  • "She didn't realize, she said, that the sound that woke her up was a shotgun blast ... which is fucking loud." (22:58)

First on Scene

• Police find teenage Craig in his bedroom, confused, having slept through the gunshot and police shouts (24:00–24:50).
• Melissa and Alyssa: found in the hallway, Melissa covered in blood and in shock.
• Ben: found dead, killed by shotgun blast to the back of the head while sleeping.
• No signs of forced entry; police describe it as "one of the most horrific crime scenes [I’ve] ever seen." (25:46)

A Web of Suspicion (27:30–35:26)

Suspicion Swirls

• Police puzzled by Melissa claiming not to hear the shotgun:
  • “That’s sound as fuck, man…if you blasted a shotgun a foot from my fucking head, I’d probably wake up.” (27:49)
• Craig’s bedroom: shotgun shells found, plus family shotguns in garage.
• Police interrogate both Melissa and Craig; both deny involvement and claim to be sound sleepers. Gunshot residue tests NEGATIVE for both.

Early Suspects

• Melissa suggests Dawn’s ex-boyfriend, but:
  • He was out of town at the time.
• Dawn’s new boyfriend: James Kenneth Matleen (b. 1986, 15 years younger than Dawn), multiple felonies before age 19.
  • Alibi initially holds: “We were sitting here drinking and watching movies all night together.” (38:03)
  • Police verify with show/movie times.
• Dead ends: focus shifts back to Melissa, rumors swirl in small town.

Shocking Motives and Legal Snarls (39:03–56:30)

Insurance and Rumor

• Melissa is revealed as the beneficiary of Ben’s $400,000 life insurance, which she claims she didn't know about and never tried to claim (39:03–41:39).
• Town gossips escalate, targeting her as a “money hungry murderer.”
• Police, unsatisfied, circle back to Dawn.

The Real Web: Dawn’s Dysfunction

• Dawn: history of neglect, drug abuse, child endangerment, unstable relationships, and criminal record.
• Friends and relatives recall kids being abandoned, asking for food.
• Police, lacking physical evidence, painstakingly review surveillance footage from local stores.
  • Breakthrough: 7-Eleven footage shows James Matleen making purchases the night of the murder, contradicting his alibi (44:00).
• Six months of police surveillance and intimidation tactics.

The Break in the Case

• Dawn's Drunken Confession: Calls police while drunk and says, “I never asked James to kill him.” (45:43)
• Not admissible due to inebriation.
• Later, Dawn arrested for DUI (46:36), and her teenage son, Devin, comes forward:
  • Testifies he overheard Dawn and James speaking openly about wanting Ben dead the night before the murder, hoping to regain custody and avoid child support ($250/month). (47:42)
  • “What $250/month is worth murder?” (47:42)
  • James stated at the time that Dawn wanted Ben to “just die in a random spontaneous burst of flames. Or for James to just go out and kill him.” (48:03–48:29)
• Deal with the Devil: Dawn given immunity for testifying against James (“It was like making a deal with the devil.” – Ben’s brother, 49:19)

The Murder and (Im)morality Play (56:30–65:43)

How It Went Down: James’ Confession

• Dawn and James spent the night drinking and taking mushrooms, discussing the murder in detail.
• “Dawn kept saying she wanted Ben dead. I told her I would do it.” (56:10)
• Dawn urged the killing of both Ben and Melissa, even drew a diagram of the house.
• James: “I shot Ben and got so afraid, I ran out the front door. I couldn’t shoot Melissa.” (56:30)
• Dawn almost took Alyssa with her, but James talked her out of it.
• Aftermath: destroyed the murder weapon, agreed on a fake alibi.
• Dawn remains legally untouchable due to complete immunity.

Fallout for Dawn

• As her son Devin testifies, her parental negligence surfaces in court:
  • Used own 15-year-old daughter for drug deals (63:17).
  • Judge: “I want you to sit there and tell her this is all mom’s fault. You did nothing wrong.” (63:07)
  • Receives 90 months in prison.

The Sentencing and Aftermath (65:58–74:50)

James Matleen’s Fate

• DA does not seek death penalty, as facts don't meet statutory aggravators. Life without parole.
• In a display of maturity and compassion, 10-year-old Alyssa asks to see James:
  • “I told him that I decided to forgive him and I wanted him to have hope.” (68:16)
  • James: “I am taking full responsibility for what I did. Dawn needs to take full responsibility for what she did.” (69:00)
• Melissa and Alyssa become inseparable; Melissa emerges as a guardian angel, not only to Alyssa but eventually to Alyssa’s half-sister Brandi (taken in due to Dawn’s continued dysfunction).

Notable Quotes

• “You, Melissa, get the like, murder story Participant of the Year award from our show.” (74:21)
• “She poured sugar in the gas tank of her life, and you’re going through it with a fucking strainer.” (73:12)

Memorable Moments and Quotes With Timestamps

• On the odds of twins in murder:
  “What is up with all the twins lately on this goddamn show?” – James (11:10)

• On the life insurance theory:
  “Melissa claimed to not know the policy existed.” (39:07)

• On Dawn’s logic:
  “I didn’t say I wanted Ben dead. I said I wanted him to fall off the face of the earth...Is he alive if he’s out in the atmosphere? Probably not.” – James, summarizing Dawn (50:16)

• On Alyssa’s strength:
  “I told him that I decided to forgive him and I wanted him to have hope.” – Alyssa to her father’s killer (68:16)

• On Melissa’s heroism:
  “Melissa, you...you get the, like, murder story Participant of the Year award.” (74:21)
  “You’re fixing Dawn’s life one child at a time...going through it with a strainer, trying to get it all out, putting a new motor in it." (73:07)

Segment Timestamps

• [04:51] – Deep dive into Minden’s demographics and history
• [10:24] – Introduction of Ben and family dynamics
• [19:27] – The night of the murder and initial investigation
• [27:30] – Police probe Melissa & Craig, suspicion and confusion
• [39:03] – Life insurance and shifting suspicion
• [43:30] – Surveillance breakthrough, targeting Dawn and James
• [47:42] – Key witness Devin reveals murder plot
• [56:10] – James’s confession, events of the murder night
• [63:07] – Court’s view of Dawn’s generational dysfunction
• [65:58] – James’s sentencing and Alyssa’s forgiveness
• [72:32] – Melissa adopts Brandi, the cycle of rescue continues
• [74:21] – Hosts praise Melissa, close out episode

Tone and Takeaways

• Comedic, irreverent banter blends with sobering analysis.
• Hosts repeatedly express awe at Melissa's compassion and the sheer dysfunction of the Oxley/Mitchell/Mattleen family web.
• Deep empathy for Alyssa and praise for her poise and forgiveness.

Conclusion

“Bloody Plot Twists: Minden, Nevada” chronicles a truly wild small town murder—replete with heinous family drama, a murder-for-money allegation, an immunity deal more outrageous than fiction, and some of the most selfless acts of love you’ll find on any true crime podcast. The hosts’ blend of humor, outrage, and sincerity ensures every shocking turn lands with impact. Melissa, for her decency and resilience, becomes the story’s true hero.

For more: visit shutupandgivememurder.com or listen to Small Town Murder for bonus content, live show tickets, and more mayhem with James and Jimmie.