Family Betrayal: The Susie Newsome Lynch Story (Pt 2)

Summary

Summary of "Family Betrayal: The Susie Newsome Lynch Story (Pt 2)"

The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told, Season 2
Host: Mary Kay McBrayer
Release Date: May 27, 2025

Introduction

In the second installment of the three-part series, "Family Betrayal: The Susie Newsome Lynch Story," host Mary Kay McBrayer delves deeper into the chilling events surrounding the Newsome family murders. This episode intricately weaves elements of Southern Gothic traditions, exploring themes of aristocratic decay, racism, paranoia, and familial feuds that culminate in a harrowing tale of betrayal and murder.

Recap of Part One

Mary Kay briefly recaps the events leading up to the multiple murders at the Newsome household. After Susie Newsome Lynch's contentious divorce from Tom Lynch in 1980, familial tensions escalated, setting the stage for the tragic events that unfolded years later.

The Murders: Detailed Account

[07:15] Mary Kay McBrayer:
"It's Sunday afternoon, May 19, 1985, and Alice asks her husband Rob Newsom why his parents are still out, given their initial agreement to move in with Nana. Unbeknownst to them, Florence and Bob Newsom, along with Nana, are brutally murdered in their Greensboro home."

Mary Kay meticulously narrates the discovery of the murders, highlighting the initial confusion and horror experienced by Rob and Alice Newsom upon finding the crime scene. The violent nature of the killings, particularly the overkill inflicted upon Florence and Nana, raises immediate suspicions about the motive and the perpetrator's identity.

Investigation and Unraveling Motives

[18:34] Ian Perkins (Interviewee):
"How did this happen?"

The episode transitions into the investigative phase, where Detective Sergeant Allen Gentry leads the inquiry into the Newsome killings. Key evidence points towards internal family conflicts and past grievances. The detectives uncover that the Newsome family had recently been involved in legal battles over child custody, with Tom Lynch seeking increased visitation rights — a pursuit that Susie fiercely opposed.

[25:50] Key Evidence Unearthed:

• Empty Briefcase: Bob Newsom's empty briefcase raises questions about the possible motives behind the killings.
• Staged Scene: Nana’s body is arranged to appear as if she was praying, suggesting an attempt to mask the true nature of the intrusion.
• Letters: Discovery of letters between Tom Lynch and other family members hint at underlying tensions and potential motives for murder.

Susie Newsome Lynch: The Prime Suspect

As forensic evidence mounts, suspicions increasingly fall on Susie Newsome Lynch and her cousin Fritz. Susie's vehement opposition to Tom's custody attempts and her association with Fritz, a known survivalist with dubious credentials, make her a focal point of the investigation.

[32:49] Interaction with Susie:
"Sergeant Allen Gentry and Tom Sturgill arrived at Susie's house unannounced on the morning of May 28, ten days after the multiple murders. Fritz’s suspicious behavior and rigid security measures — including motion detectors and booby traps — raise red flags for the detectives."

The Role of Fritz and Ian Perkins

Fritz’s background as a self-proclaimed physician and survivalist is scrutinized. Detective Gentry uncovers Fritz's dubious claims and his involvement with Ian Perkins, a young man aspiring to join intelligence work. Their association hints at a possible conspiracy or coordinated effort behind the murders.

[37:26] Critical Breakthrough:
Ian Perkins provides a confession that implicates Fritz in the murders, revealing discrepancies in Fritz’s alibi and his behavior during the time of the crime. This pivotal moment shifts the investigation towards solidifying Fritz’s involvement, yet uncertainties remain about Susie’s direct role.

Climax and Cliffhanger

The episode builds suspense as detectives gather sufficient evidence to link Fritz to the murders. However, Susie's charm and calculated demeanor complicate the case, leaving listeners eager for resolution in the forthcoming episode.

[48:05] Mary Kay McBrayer:
"Join me next week on the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told for the finale of the Susie Newsome Lynch Story. Expect revelations that will challenge everything you thought you knew about this Southern Gothic tragedy."

Notable Quotes

• Mary Kay McBrayer [07:15]:
  "This wasn't the type of thing Florence would do. She wasn't sleeping. She was dead."

• Sergeant Allen Gentry [25:50]:
  "Why was the storm door broken while a key was left in the back door lock? Something doesn't add up here."

• Ian Perkins [32:49]:
  "Fritz was the only one I trusted to teach me everything. I wanted to prove myself worthy."

Insights and Themes

The episode explores the destructive power of familial discord and the lengths to which individuals may go to protect their interests. It also delves into the impact of societal roles and expectations, particularly in the context of Southern aristocracy, where reputation and legacy weigh heavily on personal actions.

Conclusion

"Family Betrayal: The Susie Newsome Lynch Story (Pt 2)" masterfully builds tension and complexity around the Newsome family murders. Mary Kay McBrayer's compelling storytelling and the intricate weaving of evidence and character motivations keep listeners thoroughly engaged. The episode sets the stage for the dramatic conclusion in Part 3, promising answers to the lingering questions about Susie's true nature and Fritz's sinister involvement.

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Sources and Inspirations: Mary Kay credits Jerry Bledsoe's nonfiction book "Bitter: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder" and the episode "Kissing Cousins" from the docu-series Southern Fried Homicide as primary inspirations for this gripping true crime narrative.

Production Credits:

• Produced by: Emma DeMuth
• Edited by: Antonio Enriquez
• Theme Music by: Tyler Cash
• Executive Producer: Scott Waxman
• Production Company: Diversion Audio

---

Note: This summary is crafted to provide an in-depth overview of the podcast episode, capturing the essence and key elements of the Susie Newsome Lynch story for listeners who have not yet experienced the content.

Transcript

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bonnie Moving]

Bring along an American Express card to open the door to rewards wherever you go. Morning coffee run with an old friend. Earn cash back. Weekend getaway. Earn miles. Dinner at the hottest restaurant in town. You get the idea, no matter the place or the plan. Amex rewards your inner explorer. See if you pre qualify for an American Express card with no impact on your credit score. Learn [e-mail] check for offers. Your credit score may be impacted. If you accept a card, terms apply. Are you obsessed with true crime? Then you're gonna love True Crime Tonight. I'm Bonnie Movin.

[Courtney Armstrong]

I'm Courtney Armstrong.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And I'm Stephanie Lydecker. We've all worked together for years, and now we're trying something brand new.

[Courtney Armstrong]

We're unpacking all the latest true crime headlines.

[Bonnie Moving]

We'll be covering all the major trials that are heating up this summer.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And yes, we'll also be covering scandals that we're all obsessed with.

[Bonnie Moving]

He pulls out of his backpack, syringes. What?

[Courtney Armstrong]

Wow.

[Bonnie Moving]

It's completely bizarre.

[Courtney Armstrong]

Listen to True Crime Tonight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or where get your podcasts. You can get True Crime Tonight completely ad free. That's with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So open your Apple podcast app, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe. Today.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

It'S April 2020. A woman announces on Facebook that she has Covid and won't be seeking medical attention. I didn't want to be talked out of this plan. Then she disappears.

[Andrea Gunning]

Anyone else think this is strange? I just had to know, how did this happen?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

Listen to what happened to Talina zar on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel Kern]

I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast Betrayal. Police Lieutenant Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone, most of all his wife, Caroline.

[Andrea Gunning]

He texted, I've ruined our lives.

[Bonnie Moving]

You're going to want to divorce me.

[Joel Kern]

How far would he go to cover up what he'd done?

[Caroline]

The fact that you lied is absolutely horrific. And quite frankly, I question how many other women are out there that may bring forward allegations in the future.

[Joel Kern]

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

Diversion Audio.

[Andrea Gunning]

A note this episode contains mature content and quite graphic descriptions of violence that may be disturbing for some listeners. I mean it, y' all. This episode especially. Please take care and listening. It was Sunday afternoon, May 19, 1985, and Alice asked her husband Rob Newsom. What could be keeping her in laws so late? Rob hadn't realized how late in the day it was. She was right, he thought. His parents would be back home hours ago. And here it was, almost 4pm Rob and Alice had been living with Rob's parents, Florence and Bob in their two story upper class brick house in Greensboro, North Carolina for two years. Their own three children stayed in the house as well, and they hadn't been planning on all of them bunking together for so long. The situation was always supposed to be temporary. Actually, that's what Florence and Bob had gone to see about this weekend. The plan was they'd move in with Bob's beloved widowed mother Nana in Winston Salem to help care for her as she got on in years. But before they did that, the house renovations needed to be completed. And you know how that goes. One contracting fail cascades into another rework job until here you are two years later having to stand on top of the professionals to make sure they're actually showing up while your 85 year old matriarch cooks on a hot plate in the breezeway because y' all have torn up her kitchen without a plan to fix it. Now the renovations were only a couple weeks away from being finished and Florence and Bob were already carrying some of their things over in anticipation of their movement. But they were supposed to pick up Rob and Alice's eldest daughter Paige from her other grandparents in the early afternoon on their way back into town. So when Alice's mother called around 5 to say they hadn't come to get her yet, Alice was worried. Alice called Nana's house, but no one answered. Rob drove to his dad's office to check if he'd just forgotten the plan, but no one was there. They kept calling for two hours. Still no answer. By 10 o' clock, Rob couldn't stand it. I'm going over there, he said. But Alice said to wait. Let's call the Suttons first. Homer Sutton was the family doctor. If something had happened, Homer would know about it. And if he hadn't heard anything, well, the Suttons lived nearby and they could drop by to check on them much quicker than Rob could get there. When they called, Homer and Katie Sutton had heard nothing and they agreed to drive up to the old brick shuttered house under the huge oak trees. Homer's headlights fell across all three family cars, which made him assume all three of the family were home. Then as they walked up to the patio, they saw that the storm door's glass was broken. The steps were covered in its shards. Homer said, something bad has happened here. And he was right. Through the living room window, he saw a lamp on and the TV was playing softly. Nana lay on a walnut framed antique sofa in a beige nightgown covered with a plaid afghan. Florence lay on the floor on her right side wearing a white skirt and knit top with no shoes. She might have been sleeping, but they knew Florence. This wasn't the type of thing she'd do. She wasn't sleeping. Homer realized all at once that they were dead. But where was Bob? Was he dead? Was he the killer? Could the killer still be here? The Suttons retreated to their car and drove to the closest neighbor's house to report a multiple murder. Welcome to the greatest true crime stories ever told. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer. Today's episode we're calling Family Betrayal the Susie Newsome Lynch Story. It's part two of our three part story of Susie Newsome lynch and it has everything you'd expect from a Southern Gothic, aristocratic families, Old south, racism, paranoia, a feud, and of course, murder. I'll tell you all about it after this quick break. Welcome back to part two of the Susie Newsome Lynch Story, listeners. That's right, this episode is part two of a three part miniseries about this story. So if you haven't heard part one, pause me here, go back, listen to part one and then come back here. I promise you'll be glad you did because this story is action packed. When we last left the Newsoms, Florence and Bob's daughter Susie had divorced her husband, Tom lynch in 1980. Susie returned to North Carolina where she stayed with her parents for a while with the boys. Susie got full custody of Jim and John in the divorce settlement and Tom got two weeks summer visitation. Naturally, Tom wanted to see his children more than that. So he kept asking Susie for more visitation. She responded by keeping the kids from Tom altogether. At one point in time, he actually didn't get to see his children for two years. Tom also never actually asked for custody. He just wanted more visitation. Plus, back then, it was super uncommon for the father to get any type of custody at all, no matter the circumstances. More visitation wasn't a lot to ask, but Susie wasn't allowing it. She told her lawyer to hold Tom up in court for as long as he wanted. Their linchpin argument was that the children were too young to transfer planes on their own and there were no direct flights from North Carolina to Albuquerque. So if Tom wanted to see the kids more, he'd have to either come to North Carolina himself, which he couldn't do since he ran his own practice in New Mexico. Or he could meet the kids at their connection and escort them to the next flight. Or he could pay to have Susie fly out to see them on their connection round trip. Basically it was going to cost Tom an extra fortune for the chaperone. And while he was doing all right financially, it was still a lot of money. Not to mention the court fees. In July of 1984, Tom Lynch's family, his mother Dolores and his sister Janie were murdered execution style in their home in Louisville. And this happened while Tom's kids were visiting him in New Mexico. It was a horrible thing and still unsolved these months later. And Susie's parents sent Tom a bouquet of sympathy flowers. That gesture opened communication between them and Tom. After a few correspondences he asked Bob that Susie's dad if he'd be willing to testify to his character in the court custody hearing. And Bob agreed to do it. Because Susie had been acting really weird. She had always been a high maintenance snob, but now she was going camping and she had gotten way too close to her first cousin. And as if them being first cousins wasn't reason enough not to get involved with him. That cousin Fritz was a weirdo gun freak survivalist who had been lying about having medical credentials. And that whole wing of the family was openly racist. In fact, Susie's mother Florence confronted her about potentially having a romantic relationship with her cousin. Susie was very offended at the suggestion and although she found the idea repulsive, she moved out of her parents house as a result of the argument. And then Fritz moved in with her. So yeah, Bob agreed to testify for Tom. Plus they never saw the kids now either. And when they did, the children looked so sallow and scared that he knew something had to be off. And now Bob and Florence as well as Bob's mother Nana had been murdered in their family home. Kind of like with the lynch murders of Dolores and Janie. Their friends and family didn't see the newsoms for a couple of days. And that was unusual. Bob and Florence did usually stay with Nana over the weekend. But it was not like them to come back home so late, let alone without a courtesy phone call and much less without any communication at all. So Rob and Alice, their son and daughter in law, tried to track them down. They sent the Suttons family friends over to check on them. Through the front window they could see that Florence and Nana had been killed. And then they left to call the police, which is exactly the right call. I mean, not only would entering the house have contaminated the crime scene, but they didn't know where Bob was or where the killer was or if Bob might be the killer. So they went to the nearest neighbor's house to call it in. It took several calls and over an hour for the police to show up. And when they did, it was just a guy in a patrol car, no siren on or anything. The first officer was still in the house when four more officers pulled up. Nobody seemed to be in charge or know what to do. Not until Sergeant Allen Gentry of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department arrived, and he put things in order. Just inside the back door was the body of Bob Newsome. He had been shot three times in the abdomen, once in the right forearm, and once in the back of the head. It seemed like he had been trying to flee when the killer ended his life. Six inches from Bob's feet was a hole burned into the carpet. It was 30 inches across and in the circle. There were bits of charred paper in the ashes. Officers also realized that Florence's throat had been cut, and she had two stab wounds in the right side of her neck and one in her right shoulder. Three more deeper stabbings were in her back. One of them had severed her aorta. She also had a single shot in her chest and one in her left temple. Her wedding band was bent, and her ring finger was cut and broken, like someone had tried to remove it. Her diamond engagement ring was gone. One thing they would wonder was why the blatant display of overkill, especially when the other victims had nowhere near as gruesome deaths. Nana had been shot three times. One bullet grazed the side of her head, the second hit her lower right side, and the third fatal shot entered her right temple and lodged in her left shoulder. Officers thought the clasped hands under her chin indicated that she had been praying when the intruder was in her house. But later evidence showed that she had been staged as praying after her death. Most of the shots appeared to have been fired from near the breezeway door, Though Florence's engagement ring had been stolen. There were wads of cash in clear view and jewelry where thousands of dollars lay untouched as well. In an upstairs bedroom, Bob's open briefcase was empty. Bob and Florence's son Rob was the first family member notified, so he was the first one to arrive at the scene. Sergeant Allen Gentry had lots of questions that needed answers, like, quote, why was the storm door broken while a key was left in the back door lock? Had one of the victims been surprised by the murderer while entering the house? Why was another set of keys found between the two cars? Was that footprint in the sand by one of the new windows at the back of the house significant? Why had Florence Newsome been so savaged, a blatant example of overkill? Why had the fire been set in the hallway? Was it an attempt to burn down the house and cover the murders? If so, why hadn't it been fueled by the paint thinner and other volatile substances so handily available in the part of the house that was being remodeled? Had the purpose of the fire been only to burn a specific item or items? Had the killer or killers only come to find and destroy such items? Had they been found in Bob Newsome's briefcase? Why was the briefcase empty? But he couldn't just ask the bereaved all that point blank. He started with the easy matter of fact questions like ages, addresses, occupations. When did Rob last see them? How had he learned they had died? Rob recapped all that I just told you. Then Allen asked if Rob knew why anyone would want to kill his parents and grandmother. Rob said he didn't know. Had there been any, quote, problems or any unusual events in the family? That's when Rob said, well, last summer my sister's former mother in law and sister in law were murdered in Kentucky.

[Ian Perkins]

We've all heard the stories. Missing persons, double lives, suspicious basements. But here's one mystery you don't need in your life. Why can't my kid learn to ride a bike? For a lot of families, it turns into a saga. Meltdowns in the driveway, scraped knees and frustrated parents googling how to teach a kid to ride a bike without losing your mind. That's where Guardian Bikes comes in. Their bikes are lightweight, low to the ground and built to help kids find their balance fast. Most are riding confidently in just one day. No training wheels, no tears, just high fives and I did it moments. It's everything. Learning to ride should be simple, smooth and actually fun. So skip the struggle and start with a bike that's made to make it easy. Guardian bikes go to guardianbikes.com you'll save hundreds when comparing Guardian to its competitors. Plus get a free bike lock and pump a $50 value with your purchase when you join their newsletter. That's guardianbikes.com.

[Bonnie Moving]

Are you obsessed with true crime? Then you're gonna love True Crime Tonight. I'm Bodi Moving. You might remember me from the Emmy Award winning documentary Don't F with Cats.

[Courtney Armstrong]

I'm Courtney Armstrong, host of the Number one podcast, the Piketon Massacre and the Idaho Massacre.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And I'm Stephanie Lydecker. I head up KT Studios, where we make true crime podcasts and documentaries, and now we're even making movies. We've all worked together for years and now we're trying something brand new.

[Courtney Armstrong]

We're unpacking all the latest true crime headlines with our team of experts.

[Bonnie Moving]

We'll be covering all the major trials that are heating up this summer. And there's a lot.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And yes, we'll also be covering some of the scandals that we're all obsessed with. And you need to join the conversation.

[Bonnie Moving]

True Crime Tonight.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

We're talking true crime all the time.

[Bonnie Moving]

He pulls out of his backpack, syringes and tries to inject her.

[Andrea Gunning]

What?

[Bonnie Moving]

It's bizarre. It's completely bizarre. And they have to investigate it.

[Courtney Armstrong]

Listen to True Crime Tonight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get True Crime Tonight completely ad free with an I Heart True Crime plus subscription that's available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus, you'll get ad free access to all the previous seasons of the Python massacre and murder 101. So open your Apple podcast app, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe. Today.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

It's the early days of COVID April 2020. A woman in a small town in Oklahoma makes a strange post to Facebook and then disappears. I'm on day nine of this virus and I am pretty sure it has reached my lungs. I made the decision at the onset that if it got bad enough, I would not go to the hospital. Pretty quickly, a ragtag group of women on the Internet start their own investigation.

[Andrea Gunning]

It felt like I was living out.

[Bonnie Moving]

One of, like, my fantasy dreams of being a detective.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

But the world they uncover is beyond their wildest imagination.

[Andrea Gunning]

How did this happen?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

Listen to what happened to Talina zar on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel Kern]

I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast Betrayal. Police Lieutenant Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone, most of all, his wife, Caroline.

[Andrea Gunning]

He texted, I've ruined our lives.

[Bonnie Moving]

You're going to want to divorce me.

[Joel Kern]

Caroline's husband was living another life behind the scenes. He betrayed his oath to his family and to his community.

[Andrea Gunning]

She said you left bruises, pulled her.

[Ian Perkins]

Hair, that type of thing.

[Andrea Gunning]

No.

[Joel Kern]

How far would Joel go to cover up what he'd done?

[Caroline]

You're unable to keep track of all your lies, and quite frankly, I question how many other women may bring forward Allegations in the future.

[Joel Kern]

This season of Betrayal investigates one officer's decades of deception, lies that left those closest to him questioning everything they thought they knew. Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Andrea Gunning]

Later, Bob and Florence's other children would walk through the house with detectives. The eldest, Francis, met the two agents at the house on Tuesday morning. They wanted her to tell them if she saw anything out of the ordinary at the house. I don't mean to interrupt myself, but how smart is this move? Get the eldest girl child to tell you if anything in her mother and grandmother's house is out of place, because you know, who would know the answer to that for sure? The eldest daughter. Anyway, Frances did exactly what they asked. They told her, you talk, we'll listen. So she narrated as they guided her straight to her grandmother's bedroom. Just nine days before, she'd sat there with Nana, sifting through her belongings together. Nana had said, I sure hope, honey, that you don't have to come in here and take care of all this stuff if something happens to me. So that had to have been a horrific recovered memory. Frances noticed an expensive gold and pearl bracelet on the floor that she knew to be worth thousands of dollars. So her intuition had been right. This was no robbery. When they guided her upstairs, she noticed her dad's open, empty briefcase on the floor. She said, it's empty. He would never carry an empty briefcase. What was in here, they didn't know. Later, they would surmise that it might have been the papers the killer set on fire at Bob's feet. While Frances walked through the house, her eldest daughter, Nancy, noticed a stack of letters in nan knitting basket. They were copies of exchanges between Tom and Kathy lynch, her grandmother Florence, and her aunt Louise. Nancy didn't know about the upcoming custody hearing, but as she read through the letters, she learned that her grandparents had been planning to testify on Tom's behalf. Francis said to detectives, here it is. This is it. Take these. This is the motive right here. Have you read these? The detectives had been hoping one of them might notice while tending to her after learning the news of her family's deaths, one of Susie's friends asked if someone needed to call to notify Tom Lynch. Susie said, that son of a bitch can learn it from his lawyers. And that was exactly how Tom learned the news. Tom actually called his lawyers to make sure the custody hearing was still on. He hadn't bought his plane ticket yet because he expected some kind of fuckery from Susie. When his lawyer Told him someone had been killed at the newsom house in winston salem. Tom hung up immediately and called rob. After talking to rob, he knew that susie and fritz were responsible. It was too big a coincidence. Then he called the kentucky state police. The agent who took tom's call was excited. He connected with the north carolina police to compare notes. Sergeant allen gentry in north carolina was following up on all leads. When he tried to coordinate an interview with susie, she said, sorry, not today. But she sounded, quote, perfectly chipper and happy. He thought that was weird. If his parents and grandmother had just been murdered, he'd have at least moved his other appointments around. She had also seemed hyperactive to her sister frances. At the funeral home, Allen talked to tom lynch, too, and tom told him all about the murders of his mother and sister, as well as how much susie loathed his mom. He also mentioned that bob was supposed to testify in the upcoming hearing. Plus, susie was acting weird, and she had an unusual relationship with her first cousin fritz. And although he didn't really know fritz, he did know he was a survivalist and a gun collector who thought of himself as both a doctor and a military man, Although he was, in fact, neither. Maybe the detectives should check him out. This was the first time allen had heard of fritz. He definitely planned to look into that lead. First, he asked rob if anyone in the family had an unusual interest in guns. He thought it was weird that that was the first time rob had mentioned fritz. But at the time, fritz was still hanging around rob's house, Still a potential danger to his family. When it came down to it, Nancy, susie's niece, and her brother and sister all told police they thought susie was somehow responsible for the murders. They had even thought someone should have questioned susie about the lynch murders Back when they happened. Nancy said, nobody ever asked us, so we thought we were crazy. Alan gentry and another detective went to susie's apartment to interview her. They were very friendly because they wanted her to talk. Susie was charming, they said. Bubbly, bouncy. She invited them into the living room and introduced her cousin fritz. The detectives noticed fritz wore a folded knife on his belt. They were also shocked about the incredible clutter of the apartment. Big piles of military field gear. They asked susie to recount her weekend, and she did, as if nothing at all was bothering her, like nothing had happened to her. On their way out, the front door was rigged with a motion detector and booby trapped with a huge floodlight and strobe to blind intruders. There was a gas grenade above the door. Allen asked for fritz's contact information, Fritz gave him his mother's address and number. Allen asked, what kind of work do you do? Fritz said, I'm a physician, but I'm not licensed in this state right now. Naturally, the detectives followed up with Fritz's mother, Annie hill. She told them that the boys were what caused the break between Susie and her mother. Now she. Annie hill was more like Susie's mother, too. Annie hill said that her husband had helped out Susie and her kids financially when he was alive, but not so much after death, since he hadn't had any investments. Now fritz was trying to help them, and she gave no thought to the idea that there was more to their relationship, not even though she knew Fritz stayed at Susie's. Sometimes it was just to look after them. Detectives thought he might belong to some mercenary or commando group, so they asked Annie hill about it. She was completely snowed over. She said, no, it's government. Annie hill also said that she thought they went out of town to atlanta one weekend during the boys visitation with tom. Detectives noted that would have left Susie available to go to Kentucky with Fritz, too. And what about this past weekend? Annie told them Fritz came by on Friday to tell her he was going camping in Virginia with Ian, the son of a family friend from down the street. Ian called her to say Fritz hadn't arrived at roanoke mountain. And then Fritz called to say he couldn't find Ian. And Annie hill told him that Ian was going on to the hotel room, and then on Sunday, he went to eat with Susie and the kids. He'd probably have a credit card receipt for that. Fritz's alibi was convenient. Too convenient. Toward the end of the interview, Annie hill mentioned that the only commonality between the two murder cases with Susie's children. Allen wanted to talk to Ian Perkins right away, but the lead state bureau of investigation agent in Winston salem, Tom sturgill, said maybe they should hold off. He said, let's let Fritz tell us his alibi Rather than just taking his mother's word for it.

[Ian Perkins]

We've all heard the stories. Missing persons, double lives, suspicious basements. But here's one mystery you don't need in your life. Why can't my kid learn to ride a bike? For a lot of families, it turns into a saga. Meltdowns in the driveway, scraped knees, and frustrated parents googling how to teach a kid to ride a bike without losing your mind. That's where guardian bikes comes in. Their bikes are lightweight, low to the ground, and built to help kids find their balance fast. Most are riding confidently in just one day. No training wheels, no tears, just high fives and I did it moments. It's everything. Learning to ride should be simple, smooth, and actually fun. So skip the struggle and start with a bike that's made to make it easy. Guardian bikes go to guardianbikes.com you'll save hundreds when comparing Guardian to its competitors. Plus get a free bike lock and pump a $50 value with your purchase when you join their newsletter. That's guardianbikes.com.

[Bonnie Moving]

Are you obsessed with true crime? Then you're gonna love True Crime Tonight. I'm Bodi Moving. You might remember me from the Emmy award winning documentary Don't F with Cats.

[Courtney Armstrong]

I'm Courtney Armstrong, host of the number one podcasts the Piketon Massacre and the Idaho Massacre.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And I'm Stephanie Lydecker. I head up K2 Studios where we make true crime podcasts and documentaries and now we're even making movies. We've all worked together for years and now we're trying something brand new.

[Courtney Armstrong]

We're unpacking all the latest true crime headlines with our team of experts.

[Bonnie Moving]

We'll be covering all the major trials that are heating up this summer. And there's a lot.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And yes, we'll also be covering some of the scandals that we're all obsessed with. And you need to join the conversation.

[Bonnie Moving]

True Crime Tonight.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

We're talking true Crime all the time.

[Bonnie Moving]

He pulls out of his backpack, syringes and tries to inject her. What? It's bizarre. It's completely bizarre and they have to investigate it.

[Courtney Armstrong]

Listen to True Crime Tonight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get True Crime tonight completely ad free with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription that's available exclusive exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Plus you'll get ad free access to all the previous seasons of the Piketon massacre and murder 101. So open your Apple podcast app, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

Today.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

It'S the early days of COVID April 2020. A woman in a small town in Oklahoma makes a strange post to Facebook and then disappears. I'm on day nine of this virus and I am pretty sure it has reached my lungs. I made the decision at the onset that if it got bad enough, I would not go to the hospital pretty quickly. A ragtag group of women on the Internet start their own investigation.

[Andrea Gunning]

It felt like I was living out.

[Bonnie Moving]

One of like my fantasy dreams of being a detective.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

But the world they uncover is beyond their wildest imagination.

[Andrea Gunning]

How did this happen?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

Listen to what happened to Talina zar on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel Kern]

I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast Betrayal. Police lieutenant Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone, most of all his wife, Caroline.

[Andrea Gunning]

He texted, I've ruined our lives.

[Bonnie Moving]

You're going to want to divorce me.

[Joel Kern]

Caroline's husband was living another life behind the scenes. He betrayed his oath to his family and to his community.

[Andrea Gunning]

She said. You left bruises, pulled her hair, that type of thing. No?

[Joel Kern]

How far would Joel go to cover up what he'd done?

[Caroline]

You're unable to keep track of all your lies, and quite frankly, I question how many other women may bring forward allegations in the future.

[Joel Kern]

This season of Betrayal investigates one officer's decades of deception, lies that left those closest to him questioning everything they thought they knew. Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Andrea Gunning]

Sergeant Allen Gentry and Tom Sturgill arrived at Susie's house unannounced on the morning of May 28, ten days after the multiple murder. They wanted to talk to Fritz. Susie invited them in, and Fritz came out of the bedroom yawning in a flight suit. When they told him they wanted to interview him, he changed into khakis, sheathed a knife on his belt, and stuck a flashlight into his back pocket even though it was late morning. He corroborated his mother's story. The previous weekend, he went camping with Ian Perkins at Roanoke Mountain. He used his credit card to call his mother and said he was running late. That's when she told him that Ian had gone back to Lexington. They drove out to the park afterward and set up camp near dawn. He had the campground receipt in his wallet on his person. They slept till 2pm ate lunch at the lodge, and then took a night hike. They didn't get back to the campsite till after midnight. Next day, he ate lunch with Susie and the boys. Right after that is when they learned about the murders. The detectives knew something was off, especially when he proclaimed himself a gun enthusiast and collector and he had a handcuff key on his key ring. They then asked about Ian. Were they close? They'd gotten close in the past year or so, he said. They went camping together and such. So the detectives went to Ian and they weren't really sure what they'd find. From the Reidsville Police Department, the detectives called Ian's house. His mother answered. She said he was at school when she realized who was calling. She asked. This doesn't have anything to do with the Newsom murders, does it? Ian Perkins had joined the National Guard as a freshman at Washington and Lee University. He was patriotic and religious, and when he ran into Fritz shortly after his training in 1984, he told him all about it. Fritz spent hours, quote, instructing Ian on what he should have learned but wasn't taught. His mother said Ian looked up to Fritz like an uncle. They were 11 years apart in age when Ian said he was interested in going into intelligence work. After college, Fritz took Ian to Lee Chapel and told him that he was a contract agent for the CIA, that he'd been recruited a long time ago. Fritz swore him to secrecy, and Ian obliged. He wanted to be a company man, too. Maybe he'd want to accompany Fritz on a mission, a sort of test run that could help Ian prove himself worthy. It would be support, only he wouldn't have to do any of the killing himself. This is what Ian confessed to the detectives almost immediately. He went with them to the car, lit a cigarette, and as he smoked it through his jitters, he told his version of the story. It was very close to Fritz's, only the times were off. Alan Gentry said, something's wrong here. Fritz claimed that y' all left out on your hike about 8. You said 5. Fritz said that y' all didn't go to bed when you got back, that you just laid around and talked. You said you went to sleep. Which way is it? After a pause, he continued. In the time you say it took for this hike, y' all could have driven to Winston Salem, murdered three people, and returned to Virginia. Ian started sobbing. Neither detective expected him to cave this easily. Usually they had to get a little rough, a little ugly, but this kid spilled right away. Ian said it was true that they had gone to Winston Salem that night, but he didn't know about a plan to murder the Newsoms. He recounted the whole story of how he wanted to become a secret agent, and Fritz invited him on a CIA mission. The detectives kept looking at each other, but Ian was so sincere that neither detective doubted him. After questioning him further about times and locations, they were able to put together the exact route Fritz took across Winston Salem. Ian even told them about Fritz getting pulled over by a police car, and that was really exciting. Surely there would be some record of that and maybe the officer would remember Fritz. After the mission, Fritz had told Ian his bosses at the CIA were impressed with how he'd handled himself, and he changed the slide on the pistol. He gave Ian. The detectives thought Fritz might have put the slide from the murder weapon into Ian's pistol, and they resolved to check it against the ejection markings on the casings found at the Newsom home. The officers followed up with the policemen on patrol in the area of Winston Salem before midnight on May 18. He had no idea where they were taking him. He had no idea why they were talking to him, whether he was in trouble or what they had to treat him like the witness he was. He didn't remember anything until they mentioned the Blazer, the car Fritz was driving. Yes, he had stopped a Blazer going especially slow. The driver said it was engine problems, and he remembered the motor knocking. He wasn't able to run a license or car tag because his computer was down, but he couldn't pick Fritz out of a lineup. He also didn't know that under his windbreaker, Fritz had held a.45 that he planned to shoot Hull in the head with if he had asked him to step out of the vehicle. Without much to go on, detectives turned to Fritz. Maybe Ian could help them gather more evidence. They told Ian they believed him, however incredulous his story was. But they didn't think a jury would believe his story when the case inevitably went to court. It might strengthen Ian's case if he could help them out more. Would Ian be willing to wear a wire? Ian couldn't agree fast enough. Here was the plan. Ian would call Fritz. He'd say that three detectives had come to question him on Friday. They told him to take a polygraph test, and he was to tell Fritz that he was scared, he needed to talk, and Ian asked to meet Fritz in the mall's parking lot. Meanwhile, for his protection, five unmarked police cars would be standing by, and an observation plane would be overhead. They'd also send undercover detective Steve Carden to pose as Ian's friend from college, since he looked young enough to pass as a student. The officers told Ian that Fritz would be less likely to harm Ian if he knew someone else knew about the meeting. Ian had a recorder taped to his back under his shirt and a tiny transmitter on his belt. The officers informed Ian of the risk he was taking. If Fritz learned about the devices. He could possibly kill Ian before anyone could get to him to do anything about it. Ian knew this, and he was eager to atone for his part in the crime. When officers asked for a check of Ian's transmitter, Ian said, say a prayer for me. And then they were off to the races. Join me next week on the Greatest True Crime. Stories ever told. For our third episode, the finale of the Story of Susie Newsome Lynch. The ultimate Southern Gothic tale full of everything you'd expect from the Southern Gothic. I'd like to shout out my main source for this episode series, Jerry Bledsoe's nonfiction book Bitter A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness and Multiple Murder. I really can't recommend it enough. It is incredible. I also heavily drew from the episode Kissing Cousins of the docu series Southern Fried Homicide. The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told is a production of Diversion Audio. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer and I hosted this episode. I also wrote this episode. Our show is Produced by Emma DeMuth and edited by Antonio Enriquez. Theme music by Tyler Cash Executive producer Scott Waxman. With a team ready to conquer the grandest stage, immortality wins. The stakes do not get any higher. The two very best in the NBA, an unforgettable journey is nearing its finale. The NBA Finals. Presented by YouTube TV Pacers Thunder game one Thursday on ABC.

[Bonnie Moving]

Are you obsessed with true crime? Then you're going to love True Crime Tonight. I'm Bonnie Moving.

[Courtney Armstrong]

I'm Courtney Armstrong.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And I'm Stephanie Lidecker. We've all worked together for years and now we're trying something brand new.

[Courtney Armstrong]

We're unpacking all the latest true crime headlines.

[Bonnie Moving]

We'll be covering all the major trials that are heating up this summer.

[Stephanie Lydecker]

And yes, we'll also be covering scandals that were all obsessed, obsessed with he.

[Bonnie Moving]

Pulls out of his backpack, syringes. What? It's completely bizarre.

[Courtney Armstrong]

Listen to True Crime Tonight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You can get True Crime Tonight completely ad free. That's with an I heart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So open your Apple podcast app, search for iHeart True Crime plus and subscribe today.

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

It's April 2020. A woman announces on Facebook that she has Covid and won't be seeking medical attention. I didn't want to be talked out of this plan. Then she disappears. Anyone else think this is strange?

[Andrea Gunning]

I just had to know. How did this happen?

[Mary Kay McBrayer]

Listen to what happened to Talina Czar on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel Kern]

I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast Betrayal Police. Lt. Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone, most of all, his wife, Caroline.

[Andrea Gunning]

He texted, I've ruined our lives.

[Bonnie Moving]

You're going to want to divorce me.

[Joel Kern]

How far would he go to cover up what he'd done.

[Caroline]

The fact that you lied is absolutely horrific. And quite frankly, I question how many other women are out there that may bring forward allegations in the future.

[Joel Kern]

Listen to betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Courtney Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.