True Crime Obsessed – Episode 473

"The Untraceable Scent: New York Homicide (S1E11)"
December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavoli recap the "New York Homicide" episode titled "The Untraceable Scent." The focus is the chilling and tragic case of Andrea Carruth, a beloved childcare provider in the Bronx, whose sudden disappearance reveals shocking family betrayal. With their signature blend of humor, heart, and candid commentary, the hosts break down the procedural missteps, community response, and grim details of a case that truly rocked its neighborhood.

"We gotta talk about something fun because this one is not." – Patrick Hinds (00:51)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction of the Case & Main Players

• The story centers on Andrea Carruth, a 39-year-old daycare owner known for her deep community commitment and kindness.
• Andrea ran "Kitty College," a legitimate early childhood center in her Bronx home, where she cared for and educated local children, often waiving fees for families in need.

  "If you couldn't pay, she would still take the kids to the daycare. That's how much she cared about, like, educating the neighborhood kids." – Patrick (32:34)

• Andrea's close relationships with friends Ashanti, Elsa, and especially Julia, are emphasized. Julia emerges as a powerful advocate throughout the case.
• She lived with her father William and long-term boyfriend/fiancé Lincoln Grant, whom everyone initially suspects after Andrea goes missing (06:05–06:20).

Andrea's Disappearance & The Immediate Aftermath

• On Sunday, January 3, 2016, Andrea fails to meet Julia for their monthly facials, which is highly out of character (09:30).
• Julia repeatedly calls Andrea without response, grows frustrated, and then worried.
• Lincoln calls Julia from Andrea’s phone the next morning to ask if Andrea is with her, raising suspicions due to his calm tone and possession of Andrea’s phone (10:23).

  "Why are you calling me from her phone? So, like, you don't know where she is, but you have her phone? That's not suspicious at all, Lincoln." – Gillian (11:00)

Community and Police Response

• The police at first refuse to "actively" investigate until 24 hours after the disappearance, despite contradictions from NYC's own missing persons policy (12:54–13:11).
• The community, led by Julia, acts swiftly, organizing search efforts and hounding authorities to pay attention.

  "So Andrea's friends and family get to work. Because they're like, we'll just do it our goddamn selves." – Gillian (13:54)

• Julia calls local news station News 12, escalating public attention, which finally invigorates police actions (15:49–16:13).
• Andrea's pregnancy, withheld by Lincoln in his initial report, raises the urgency level (15:00–15:43).

Suspicions Around Lincoln

• Lincoln comes across as suspicious by:
  • Not mentioning Andrea’s pregnancy
  • Waiting 24 hours to act
  • Taking Andrea’s keys, wallet, and phone to work (27:09)
• The hosts probe (with much humor and skepticism) the plausibility of Lincoln's explanations, while also noting how true crime narratives often target the partner first.

  "You didn't tell us about the pregnancy. You're now saying you never, ever, ever fought, ever, about anything, and you waited, like, a full 24 hours before you started being concerned. Like, what's going on here?" – Gillian (20:17)

Family Dynamics & Focus on Andrea’s Father

• William, Andrea’s father, lives in the basement and is described as entitled, manipulative, and money-hungry.
• Julia lays out William's history of attempting to scam Andrea for money, including engineering fake emergencies with the house boiler (35:13–35:46).

  "He's turning the boiler off himself and then lying for the cash." – Gillian (35:36)

Break in the Case: The Untraceable Scent

• Police and neighbors notice a fluctuating, foul smell in the basement.

• The father burns incense constantly to mask the odor (24:43, 37:33–38:29).

  "Every time they come into this guy's apartment, he's burning incense." – Patrick (37:33)

• Evidence mounts:

  • Trash bags with soiled linens in the basement, explained away by William as post-coital clean-up (34:03–34:08)
  • Cadaver dogs and forensics uncover blood throughout the basement, particularly on garbage bags and the walls (37:06–37:09).
  • A hammer with Andrea’s DNA is found.

• Police discover Andrea’s body in a hidden subfloor space covered by plywood and a tarp (39:19–39:27).

Investigation Resolution

• Forensic evidence ties William directly to the murder (Andrea's DNA under his fingernails; the hammer as the murder weapon). (44:09–44:20)
• Lincoln is cleared, his earlier actions reinterpreted as grief and confusion rather than guilt (44:05–44:09; 41:09–41:18).
• William, confronted, immediately asks for a lawyer before being told his daughter is dead, which the hosts point out is smart but suspicious (40:46–42:29).
• Motive: intense resentment and entitlement, money disputes, and rage over Andrea’s attempt to refinance the house.

Aftermath & Sentencing

• William is convicted of first-degree manslaughter (not murder, as the jury doesn’t find it premeditated) and sentenced to the maximum 25 years in prison (47:03–47:31).

  "The judge is like, you have no remorse at all. I hate you. Get out of my–He'll die in prison." – Patrick (47:29–47:31)

• The hosts mourn Andrea and reflect on her positive influence and the senselessness of her murder.
• They again sing the praises of Julia, whose tenacity was essential to keeping attention on the case (47:48–47:51).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Julia’s tenacity:

  "Get yourself a Julia. Like this Julia." – Patrick (08:47)

• On community response:

  "The community like jumps into action ... they're like, we'll just do it our goddamn selves." – Gillian (13:53)

• On the suspicious dad:

  "He's turning the boiler off himself and then lying for the cash." – Gillian (35:36)

• On investigative missteps:

  "Clearly the scene isn't protected, and clearly it's not that frozen if Lincoln was up in the house and able to like, go get that stuff." – Gillian (27:45)

• On concluding lessons:

  "In conclusion, get yourself a Julia." – Patrick & Gillian (47:50–47:51)

• On the killer’s entitlement:

  "So you were nice to your kids and you punish them for it." – Gillian (44:49) "He was mad that, like, she was in the process of refinancing the house. It's like, okay, and right. Like, again, it's not like she's a deadbeat, even if she was." – Gillian (46:29)

Important Timestamps

• 00:51: Acknowledgment of going into a heavy episode
• 03:11: Introduction of Andrea Carruth and "Kitty College"
• 09:30–11:00: Julia becomes worried; Lincoln calls from Andrea's phone
• 12:54–13:23: Critique of police delay regarding missing person status
• 15:49–16:13: Julia elevates case to local news
• 24:43–25:09: Description of the dad’s basement behaviors and incense burning
• 27:09: Lincoln takes Andrea’s belongings to work—a key suspicion
• 33:06–33:35: The discovery of a foul odor in the house
• 35:13–35:46: Julia details dad’s financial manipulations
• 37:06–37:09: Forensics reveal blood in the basement
• 39:19–39:27: Discovery of Andrea’s body
• 40:46–41:10: Dad immediately asks for a lawyer when approached by police
• 46:02–46:21: Police believe the father lured Andrea downstairs to murder her
• 47:03–47:31: William sentenced to 25 years

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their trademark blend of dark humor, empathy, and irreverence. They handle difficult content with care, humanizing the victim and highlighting the outrage and heartbreak, but also punctuate the story with asides, pop culture references, and their personal takes as New Yorkers and true crime aficionados.

Final Note:
The episode is a chilling reminder of how "the call is coming from inside the house," and the importance of community and relentless friends in securing justice. And, as the hosts say: "Get yourself a Julia."