Transcript
Kendall Ray (0:01)
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Christina Redone (0:30)
M oh, what you eating?
Kendall Ray (0:32)
The new banana split cookie from AM pm. All freshly baked with real butter with banana, chocolate and strawberry flavors.
Christina Redone (0:38)
Wow, that sounds amazing. Can I have a bite?
Kendall Ray (0:40)
I'm sorry but no. But you can't split the banana split.
Christina Redone (0:44)
Not even a little.
Kendall Ray (0:45)
Not even a crumb.
Christina Redone (0:46)
What if.
Kendall Ray (0:47)
No, please mine when it's too legit to split. That's cravenience. Get a 3 pack for 99 cents with our app ampm. Too much good stuff. Plus tax where applicable. Prices and participation may vary in terms of conditions apply.
Christina Redone (1:06)
Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Ray. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. Well, guys, today I'm going to be telling you about a case that is very active and very recent. This just happened in June of 2025. Today we're going to be talking about the very upsetting murder of a very young woman, only 18 years old. Her name is Marissa DiNapoli. And God, this one is just absolutely devastating. And this actually came in as a suggestion from so many of you. And as soon as I looked into the case and read some of the details, I knew I wanted to shed some light on this case. Marissa's life was just starting when it was taken from her. And the circumstances really bring up a conversation that I feel you can really never have too many times. And that is surrounding domestic violence. And every time we go over a case where domestic violence comes up and we discuss it, the comments on these episodes just destroy me. I mean, the things that so many of you guys have been through and your survival stories, it just makes me so emotional. And I just in advance want to say thank you for sharing your stories as well, because it helps so many others that are still going through it or have been through it and want to have support and it just means so much. And before we get into today's case, I do want to go ahead and reach out to Marissa's family. If you see this, we've already reached out to you as well via email. My team has but we do want to offer you a HOPE Grant if you're interested. Now, you'll hear me explain later in the episode that they're not necessarily looking for financial support and they have publicly said that. So if you guys are not interested, we totally understand. But we are here and want to support you guys in whatever way we can if you need or want it. And if you're new here and you don't know what I'm talking about. A HOPE Grant is something that I offer victims families through my foundation, Higher Hope. I started my foundation in September of last year and we offer one time financial assistance to victims and families of victims of violent crime, as well as other nonprofits who work in the victim advocacy space. So if you ever hear me mention that I'm offering a family a HOPE Grant, that's one of two grants we offer through the foundation. The other type of grant we offer is called an Empower Grant and that goes towards other nonprofits. And if you're interested in finding out any more information about Higher Hope and the work we do, and also ways to get involved and donate, we would greatly appreciate it. You can do so by clicking the link in my description box. And 100% of donations goes directly to support victims of violent crimes and their families. So we're very, very grateful for all the support we've gotten so far. And if you're up for helping us continue our work, that would mean a lot to us. You can learn more by going to higherhope.org or following our Instagram account at Higher Hope. Org. So so as most of you guys know, I really like to start these episodes by telling you as much as I possibly can about the victims for many different reasons. Obviously I want to highlight who they were as a person, not just focus on their murder. But also I just think it helps to feel a little more connected to them and really understand and honor their lives. Unfortunately, with Marissa's case, it's a bit challenging because this is so recent. There isn't that much information available about her. But there are a couple things I can tell you though, starting with the fact that Marissa was born on May 14, 20002007 and she was the youngest of eight siblings and the DiNapoli family was actually her adoptive family after she and her siblings spent some time in foster care due to some challenges that their family was facing and they grew up in the beautiful San Francisco South Bay area, specifically in Morgan Hill. And if you've been tuning into this show for a while that might actually ring a bell. And that's because Morgan hill is where 15 year old Sierra Lamar was murdered back in 2012 and I covered her case a little less than a year ago and man, that has just always stuck with me. It's such a heartbreaking case. And to this day, you guys, her body has never been recovered. Luckily there was an arrest in the case, but her family still doesn't have total closure. And I'll be sure to link that episode in the description or show notes of this episode if you haven't tuned into that yet. So I have been in therapy on and off throughout my entire life, starting from when I was in like first or second grade. And I completely depend on it. I know when I get to a point where I'm gonna need it and it always comes through for me. There are so many reasons to get therapy, but the problem is it's not always accessible. And that's why I love living in the age of telehealth therapy. I personally see a therapist both in person and virtually, and I love getting to pick which one is going to be better for me given that scenario or given that time in my life. And telehealth overall has just made mental health care more convenient and accessible for millions of people. However, critical changes like find a suitable therapist or scheduling appointments or the expensive out of pocket costs still keep many people from getting the care they need. So today's sponsor rula, is on a mission to make high quality mental health care from a licensed professional easy and affordable for everybody. Rula's got you covered. They take most major insurance plans and the average CO Pay is just $15 per session, which is incredible. You can now get the quality care that you need when you need it at a price that you can afford. So RULER partners with a network of over 15,000 therapists and psychiatrists nationwide, enabling you to find your personalized solution in the right therapist for you based on your needs, preferences and state requirements. And RULA is committed to supporting you and staying with you every step of the way on your mental health journey. From finding the right therapist to helping you schedule appointments and monitoring your progress. And what's great is they also offer medication management. With its diverse network of licensed, experienced professionals, rula's therapists and psychiatrists make it easier for you to get the care that you need. Thousands have already trusted RULA to support them on their journey toward improved mental health and overall well being. Head on over to rula.comtckr to get started today. After you sign up, they're gonna ask you where you heard about them. Please support my show and let them know that I sent you. Just go to r u l a.comTCKR to take the first step towards better mental health Today. You deserve quality care from someone who cares. So as you can imagine, the community of Morgan Hill has been through a lot. I mean, both Sierra and Marissa were very young women just starting out their lives when everything was taken from them. And that is something that Morgan Hill will really never be able to forget. And in Marissa's case, she had just graduated from opportunity Youth Academy on June 5th of 2025 and had her whole life ahead of her. She was registered to attend Gavilan college right there in Santa Clara county and had been working reliably as an employee at a local Starbucks. And I was able to find this quote from a teacher of hers. And wow. I mean, I just couldn't help but tear up when I first read this. It's really, really powerful, and I think it really speaks to who Marissa was. She said, every student in my class touches my heart, but her especially, she had the brightest smile that would light up every room. She was friends and friendly with everyone that came into our classroom. She's just one of those kids that leaves a mark on your heart. And I have a broken heart right now. I consider her one of my own children. I just thought that was so powerful coming from a teacher. For her to bas feel that she is one of her own children. I mean, it really does tell you a lot about the type of person Marissa was. And she also said that Marissa was someone who did kind things for people in the community. And one specific example she gave was that Marissa would bring food to the homeless. And there was also a quote from a classmate of hers who said she was such a sweet individual. She never had any hate in her. She was very genuine, always had a smile on her face. She has been described by her loved ones as ambitious, as caring, resilient, very, very sweet. And I think all of those qualities about her would have really set her up to live a very successful, happy life had she been given the chance. But on June 29, 2025, her life was stolen from her because of one evil, sick human being. So going back to late June, which just feels like yesterday, I mean, it was literally less than two months ago, like I said, Marissa graduated high school and was working a job at a local Starbucks. And I feel like a lot of us who are over the age of 18 can look back at being 18 and sort of vividly picture ourselves and what that time was like. I mean it's summer break so there's a bit more freedom. You can kind of come and go more freely. And from what I can tell, that's kind of what it was like for Marissa around this time. On Saturday, June 28 at 9:16pm, she texted her parents that she was staying at a friend's house that night. But she said she'd be home by 8 the following day. However, the next day, the 29th, she never comes home and she completely missed her shift at Starbucks which was completely out of character for her. It seems that she was a very responsible person and wouldn't just not show up somewhere where she was supposed to be. So On Monday the 30th, family members ended up reporting her missing to the Morgan Hill Police Department. And it didn't take long for a person of interest to be identified. And that was her on again, off again boyfriend, 20 year old Martin Mendoza.