True Crime Garage Episode 913: Surrounded by Evil /// Part 1

Main Theme and Purpose

In Episode 913, “Surrounded by Evil /// Part 1,” Nic and the Captain take a deep dive into the 2015 disappearance of Leah Martin, a young mother from Graham, Texas. The episode is a methodical, detail-rich exploration of Leah’s sudden vanishing under suspicious circumstances. The hosts dig into her last documented movements, personal relationships, evidence found at the scene, and the unfolding investigation, weaving together both the emotional impact and methodical detective work with their trademark mix of sharp banter, dark wit, and respect for the victim.

Case Introduction and Background

[04:17]

• Leah Martin: 22-year-old mother who disappeared on May 29, 2015, in Graham, Texas (a small town northwest of Fort Worth).
• The hosts walk listeners through Graham’s geography and small-town feel, underlining how a disappearance here is a community-shaking event.
• “A young mother and working professional, Leah Martin, goes missing after receiving threatening calls... Her vehicle and purse are quickly recovered and fresh blood is found nearby.” – Nic [04:17]

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Leah Martin’s Last Day: Sequence of Events

[10:06 - 15:46]

• Leah attended her cousin’s graduation, texted her father about picking up his medication at Walmart, and planned to drop by her workplace (EC’s Auto Repair) to pick up personal items (shoes, clothing).
• She dropped off her two-year-old daughter Avery at her ex-boyfriend Aaron Blair’s place. Aaron is also the son (adopted) of EC Blair, Leah’s boss.
• Leah’s father, Billy, checks her room at 4am and finds her missing. Initially believes she stayed with Aaron and Avery, but this proves false.
• Leah’s vehicle is found at the auto shop, her purse inside, and her shoes at her desk—personal belongings left behind, no sign of Leah.
• “The other items that she was believed to be retrieving were found at the office or at some location inside the shop as well... But his daughter, 22 year old Leah Martin is missing.” – Nic [15:45]

2. Early Investigation and Family/Friends’ Search

[16:47 - 20:10]

• Friends and family, then police, begin searching. Timeline is complicated by overlapping efforts from loved ones, law enforcement, and, eventually, the Texas Rangers.
• The car and purse found at work are troubling indicators; the last ping from Leah’s phone is at the shop, whereupon it goes dead.
• Early theories considered: Did Leah run off? Was this foul play, possibly linked to rocky relationships?

3. Suspicious Circumstances and Threatening Phone Calls

[19:36 - 23:55]

• Leah’s father and boss both note she received multiple threatening phone calls, apparently from a female caller (blocked number).
• “They said something like, ‘we’re going to get your ass or we’re going to get you’... the caller, the threatening phone calls, or at least that one in particular, came from a female.” – Nic [21:34]
• Police begin examining phone records; last traceable call points to Wichita Falls.

4. Forensics, Blood, and the Cell Phone Trail

[23:00 - 24:02, 31:35 - 34:40]

• Leah’s physical phone is missing; last cell ping was at the auto shop. No activity since.
• Family finds “fresh-looking blood” on a bridge near the shop, but police quickly determine it’s snake blood from local kids, not Leah’s.
• Security camera systems at EC’s Auto Repair failed the night of Leah’s disappearance. Surveillance at a business across the street captures part of the scene, but details are grainy.

5. Surveillance Footage and Timeline Reconstruction

[36:06 - 39:02]

• Surveillance shows:
  • An SUV pulls up at the auto shop, a person enters via the garage bay.
  • Leah’s truck arrives later; a person believed to be Leah gets out and enters the same bay door.
  • The SUV departs, Leah’s truck never leaves.
• “In the video, a figure was observed getting out of an SUV and opening one of the multiple garage bay doors before walking into the building. Another vehicle, presumably Leah Martin’s, pulled into the parking lot a short time later, and that person entered... but never came out.” – Nic, quoting Graham Police/Lt. Toby Catlin [38:10]

6. Unraveling Relationships and Motives

[41:16 - 48:30]

• Police uncover Leah had an affair with her coworker, Raphael Winder, at the shop. He’s since married a woman named Samantha (possible source of the threatening calls).
• Leah and Samantha argued in public; Leah reportedly vandalized Raphael’s belongings.
• Both Raphael and his wife have solid alibis backed by restaurant and Walmart footage.
• Hosts discuss how the shop, its staff, and tangled relationships dramatically raise the stakes and suspicion.
• “Leah was a young woman in some pretty complicated, high-risk personal dynamics.” – The Captain [49:37]

7. Shocking Reveal: Leah’s Secret Relationship with Her Boss

[47:36 - 51:07]

• Leah’s mother, searching her daughter’s email post-disappearance, discovers Leah had a romantic relationship with her boss, EC Blair (who is also her ex’s adoptive father and her child’s grandfather).
• “He was a married man and he was messing around with a 22 year old girl and leading her on. It takes a very sick twisted human being to even think of getting involved with your son’s girlfriend.” – Leah’s mother, Stacy Martin, quoted by Nic [49:44]
• EC Blair becomes less cooperative with police after this comes to light; his wife Lisa knew about the affair, wanted Leah fired, but asserts she’d moved on after finding out.

8. Narrowing the Suspect Pool

[53:05 - 54:43]

• Focus tightens on individuals at the shop who would have access to the building and potential knowledge of disabling the security system.
• Texas Rangers and police decide to question two additional employees, Ross Helms and Billy Minkley, as potential persons of interest.
• The episode ends with the investigation about to probe deeper into the people connected to the shop.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the broken cameras:
  “Good news, EC shop, it has security cameras. Bad news, bad news. The cameras had failed the night in question, so...” – Nic [34:40]

• On tangled romance and risk:
  “...it kind of reminds me of the detectives talking about the Tip City murder, where they go...the victim in that case was living a low risk lifestyle. And I’d say in this case, because of these relationships that Leah was having, this puts her in the possibility of high risk lifestyle.” – The Captain [49:37]

• On investigation strategy:
  “What the investigators are doing here and doing successfully in a pretty quick amount of time is checking boxes...So what you have to do is look at everyone…who’s tied to the where and then eliminate them as a suspect.” – Nic [45:10]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:17] – Introduction of Leah Martin’s disappearance and initial facts
• [10:06] – Leah’s last known actions and her family’s involvement
• [19:36] – Discussion of threatening phone calls
• [23:00] – Cell phone forensics and investigation steps
• [31:35] – Family and community search efforts, finding the blood (false lead)
• [34:40] – Camera failure and grainy surveillance footage
• [36:06] – Breakdown of evidence from across-the-street video
• [41:16] – Discovery of Leah’s affair with a coworker
• [47:36] – Leah’s secret relationship with boss EC Blair revealed
• [53:05] – Focus shifts to new persons of interest at the shop

Episode Tone and Style

• Casual, sharp, and darkly witty: The hosts balance professional, methodical case breakdowns (“Let’s tackle this sort of in the reverse order…” [20:15]) with candid, even comedic asides (“Yeah, I’d be walking around that place going, smells like fish sticks in here. Something’s fishy.” – Captain [35:58]), offering moments of levity while maintaining gravity for the case.
• Insightful but accessible: The hosts carefully guide the listener through police work, family dynamics, and interpersonal drama, making the episode as much about “armchair detective” work as respectful storytelling.

Conclusion

Episode 913 lays out a complex, multi-suspect mystery surrounding Leah Martin’s disappearance—one with intertwining relationships, leads that come up dead ends, and an ever-tightening suspect pool inside a Texas auto shop. As the episode concludes, the hosts set up Part 2, promising a deeper look into new potential suspects and further unraveling of this small-town enigma.

For more information, listen to Part 2, and remember:
“Be good, be kind, and don’t litter.” – True Crime Garage