Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Something About Cari
Host: NBC News (Narrated by Keith Morrison)
Episode: A Shot in the Dark
Date: December 11, 2025

Overview

In this gripping episode, Keith Morrison guides listeners through the wild, twisting investigation surrounding the disappearance of single mom Cari Farver. What begins as a missing person case erupts into a sensational saga of taunting messages, stalking, arson, and violence, climaxing in an apparent attempt on a woman’s life. But beneath the surface, nothing is quite as it seems, and as police peel back the layers of lies, they discover a heartland crime of almost unimaginable deception.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shooting at Big Lake Park

• [00:48] On December 5, 2015, Liz Goliar—Dave Krupa’s ex—was shot in the leg at Big Lake Park.
  • Liz claims the assailant was a woman and identifies her as Amy Flora, Dave’s former partner and the mother of his children.
  • Police immediately surround Amy’s apartment.

2. Police Investigation: Amy Flora Under Suspicion

• [04:18] Officers interview Amy Flora, who is visibly traumatized and adamant she’s innocent.
  • Amy fails a polygraph test (she’s nervous and overwhelmed).
  • But evidence casts doubt—her car hasn’t been driven, and neighbors confirm she was home at the time of the shooting.
  • Detective Ryan Avis: “Amy’s afraid to even pick up a pistol, let alone handle one.” [05:43]
  • Dave Krupa also expresses strong doubts about Amy’s guilt, noting her aversion to guns [05:51].

3. Revelations and Red Flags: Liz’s Suspicious Behavior

• [06:54] Todd Butterbaugh, a friend, finds his own stolen laptop in Liz’s possession after she asks him to bring her a device while she’s in the hospital.
  • Liz’s explanation—she picked it up from a pawn shop—rings false [08:42].
• [09:26] Detectives begin to develop suspicion toward Liz, noting inconsistencies in her story and a pattern of chaos surrounding her.
• [11:33] Morrison invokes the phrase “the scales fell from his eyes,” marking the detectives’ growing realization that Liz may be orchestrating a massive deception.

4. Family Anguish: Carrie's Son and Mother

• [12:15] Carrie’s mother Nancy and son Max endure confusion, grief, and mounting suspicion that texts allegedly from Carrie aren’t really from her.
  • Max analyzes the texts’ language and believes someone is impersonating his mother [13:41].
  • Quote – Max: “We pretty much already knew that someone was just posing as my mom on there, which meant… something happened.” [14:23]

5. Detectives Refocus: The Theory Emerges

• Detectives now suspect the pattern points to Liz, not Carrie, as the perpetrator of the harassment and possibly worse.
• Amy Flora has a solid alibi and appears not to fit the behavior [16:06].
• Detective Ryan Avis: “She shot herself is what I thought.” [16:53]
• The detectives speculate that Liz might even have shot herself to further her deception [17:04].

6. Digital Forensics: Unraveling the Web

• Investigators revisit digital evidence—a photo of Carrie’s car on Liz’s phone predates the car’s discovery, indicating Liz had access while it was missing [19:15].
• More digital sleuthing reveals that Liz herself took a purportedly threatening “kidnapping” photo sent to Dave [19:36].
• Detective Ryan Avis: “We know how to pick up a phone and call Tony Kava…” [20:26].

7. Tony Kava—IT Forensics Lead

• Tony Kava, a digital forensics examiner, tackles terabytes of evidence including dozens of email and Facebook accounts [21:37].
  • Kava uncovers that Liz uploaded YouTube videos from the IP address at Todd Butterbaugh's home, implicating her further [22:03].
  • Todd, also an IT professional, is shocked to find his home at the center of the probe [22:50].

8. Physical Evidence: The Smoking Gun

• Investigators match an unidentified fingerprint from Carrie’s SUV to Liz [24:08].
  • Detective Ryan Avis: “This lady who should have had very little interaction with Carrie… now her fingerprint is in her car.” [24:18]
• The evidence points to Liz as the person impersonating Carrie, fabricating threats, and possibly responsible for Carrie’s disappearance.

9. Changing the Narrative: Liz Becomes the Key Suspect

• Detectives and family now believe Carrie is a victim, not a perpetrator.
  • Dave Krupa, Amy Flora, and Carrie’s family realize that for three years, Liz has been orchestrating a criminal campaign—including setting her own house on fire and potentially murdering Carrie.
  • Detective Ryan Avis: “Liz impersonating Carrie for years, sending thousands of texts and emails in her name…” [28:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Detective Ryan Avis on Amy Flora:
  • “Amy’s afraid to even pick up a pistol, let alone handle one.” [05:43]
• Todd Butterbaugh about Liz’s suspicious story:
  • “Should I believe this? At this point, no, I wasn’t believing it.” [08:42]
• Liz describing the only time she met Carrie:
  • “She came out and I was going in and she (Carrie) failed. Smart comment to me.” [31:40]
• Detective Ryan Avis on the fantastical nature of the case:
  • “So suffice to say, now everything… is taking a wild movie-like twist.” [06:54]
• Detective Ryan Avis on digital evidence:
  • “It might take her five minutes to create a fake email account. It might take me… 15 hours to prove that it’s actually her.” [21:57]
• Keith Morrison (narrator), on the twists in perception:
  • “It's about to dive right through the looking glass. And on the other side, well, hard to believe.” [24:46]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:48] Shooting at Big Lake Park
• [03:15] Liz claims Amy Flora is the shooter
• [05:43] Amy fails polygraph; detectives doubt her guilt
• [06:54] Todd discovers his stolen laptop in Liz’s room
• [14:23] Max and Nancy discuss suspicions about who was messaging
• [16:53] Detectives consider that Liz may have shot herself
• [19:15] Forensics—evidence on Liz’s phone predates car recovery
• [21:37] Tony Kava details digital forensics efforts
• [22:50] Todd is investigated as a result of Liz’s digital trail
• [24:08] Liz’s fingerprint found in Carrie’s SUV
• [28:15] Missed family events lead detectives to conclude Carrie is dead
• [29:20] Detectives suspect Liz’s motive is jealousy
• [30:54] Detectives set up a ruse with Liz to gather more evidence
• [31:40] Liz recounts her only meeting with Carrie
• [33:22] Liz agrees to help frame Amy, unwittingly playing into detectives’ hands

Tone & Style

The episode is narrated with Dateline’s signature blend of empathy, suspense, and a hint of noir—Keith Morrison’s delivery is wry and humane, moving from dry observations to poignant reflections. The interview subjects (detectives, family, friends) speak candidly, trying to make sense of a chilling, increasingly bizarre chain of events.

Conclusion

“A Shot in the Dark” masterfully shifts the narrative of the entire case: what appeared at first as a missing person story with a mysterious stalker evolves into a tale of astonishing deception and psychological manipulation. As evidence mounts, the episode leaves listeners breathless, poised at the edge of a new revelation—was Liz Gollier, the purported victim, the architect of all this chaos and violence?

Next time: The investigation veers deeper into uncharted territory—where a horrifying truth finally comes into focus.

For those new to the series, this episode is a pivotal turning point, unraveling years of misdirection and deception and shedding light on the terrifying power of obsession and impersonation.