Cold Case Stories: Unsolved Crimes, Missing People & New Leads

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin dissects the harrowing abduction of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. in 1932, an event that captivated the world and reshaped American law enforcement. The narrative centers on three pivotal pieces of evidence: a wooden ladder left at the crime scene, a ransom note filled with deliberate spelling errors, and the deafening silence that followed the discovery of the child's body....

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin examines the tragic disappearance and murder of Laci Peterson in Modesto, California. This detailed true crime narrative explores the timeline from Christmas Eve 2002, when Laci was last seen alive, through the intense investigation that uncovered her husband Scott Peterson’s infidelity and eventual arrest. The episode provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence p...

What happened to Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers during the famous Alcatraz escape of June 1962? In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin explores the tense-cinematic details of the night three inmates vanished from America’s most feared prison. This deep dive examines the meticulous planning, the papier-mâché dummy heads used to deceive guards, and the makeshift raft constructed from raincoats that carri...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin explores the enduring mystery of the 1962 Alcatraz escape, where inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin vanished into the freezing waters of San Francisco Bay. This true crime deep dive examines whether the trio drowned in the treacherous currents or successfully fled to anonymity, a question that has haunted investigators for over sixty years. The narrati...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin explores the hidden life of Charlie Watts, the legendary drummer for The Rolling Stones who kept a serious illness secret from the world until his death in 2021. This true crime and mystery deep-dive examines how the man known as the 'steady heartbeat' of rock and roll maintained a facade of calm while battling private health struggles behind closed doors. Listeners will disc...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin dissects the harrowing and enduring mystery of the Lindbergh kidnapping, one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Set against the backdrop of March 1932 in Highfields, New Jersey, the narrative begins with the abduction of twenty-month-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. from his nursery window. The story focuses heavily on the 'ladder'—a crude, homemade tool...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin unravels the enduring mystery of D.B. Cooper, the only unsolved air piracy case in commercial aviation history. On November 24, 1971, a man boarding Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 handed a flight attendant a note claiming to have a bomb. He demanded $200,000 and four parachutes, then, at 25,000 feet over Southwest Washington, he opened the rear airstair and jumped into ...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin examines the harrowing case of John Wayne Gacy, known as the 'Killer Clown,' who murdered thirty-three young men and boys in suburban Chicago between 1972 and 1978. This true crime deep dive explores how Gacy used his charm, his role as a party clown, and his reputation in the community to lure victims into his Norwood Park Township home, where he concealed twenty-six bodies ...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin dissects the enigmatic and terrifying life of Robert Durst, the wealthy heir who vanished twice and left a trail of bodies in his wake. This deep dive into true crime explores how Durst manipulated elite New York society while hiding from the law, examining the psychological fractures that began with his mother’s tragic death and culminated in the murders of Kathleen Mc...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin investigates the chilling and unsolved Villisca Murders that took place in Iowa on June 9-10, 1912. Eight people—Josiah Moore, his wife Sarah, their four children, and two young guests, Ina and Lena Stillinger—were brutally murdered with an axe while sleeping in a house locked from the inside. This true crime deep dive explores the eerie details of the crime scene...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin explores the tragic and high-profile disappearance of Laci Peterson in December 2002. This true crime deep dive examines the life of Laci Denise Peterson, a 27-year-old pregnant woman from Modesto, California, who vanished just days before Christmas. The narrative moves beyond the headlines to humanize Laci, detailing her background as an ornamental horticulture graduate, sub...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin examines the haunting legacy of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the man convicted of kidnapping Charles Lindbergh Jr. in 1932. This narrative goes beyond the basic facts of the 'Crime of the Century' to explore the psychological depth and historical ambiguities surrounding Hauptmann’s life, from his traumatic experiences in World War I to his eventual execution. The episode is...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin investigates the tragic final hours of Marilyn Monroe on August 4 and 5, 1962. This deep dive into true crime and historical mystery explores the complex intersection of fame, mental health struggles, and political intrigue surrounding Hollywood’s most iconic star. Listeners will discover how Marilyn’s battle with depression, insomnia, and substance dependence cre...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin dismantles the persistent and dangerous internet rumor that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has been murdered. This is not a mystery to be solved, but a myth to be unraveled. The episode serves as a critical guide for true crime enthusiasts and music fans alike, addressing the phenomenon of celebrity death hoaxes and explaining why false narratives about living public fig...

This episode of Cold Case Stories explores the harrowing history of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, a serial killer who operated in Cleveland, Ohio, between 1935 and 1938. Host Maria Baldwin examines the brutal dismemberment and chemical treatment of victims, primarily drifters and lower-class individuals living in poverty during the Great Depression. The narrative details how Public Safety Director Eliot Ness attempted to combat...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin investigates the chilling history of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, one of Cleveland’s most infamous unsolved mysteries. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the narrative explores the grim realities of Kingsbury Run, a notorious shantytown known as 'Hobo Jungle' or 'The Roaring Third.' This impoverished district, filled with bars, gam...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin dissects the chilling true crime history of H.H. Holmes, widely known as the 'Devil in the White City' and America's first serial killer. This deep dive explores how Herman Webster Mudgett used his medical training, charm, and a deceptive facade to operate one of the most notorious criminal enterprises in U.S. history. The narrative moves beyond the sensationalized myths of t...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin explores the chilling true story of H.H. Holmes, often cited as America's first serial killer, and his infamous 'Murder Castle' in Chicago. This deep dive examines the life of Herman Webster Mudgett, a con artist, fraudster, and murderer who exploited the chaos of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to lure victims into his labyrinthine hotel. The narrative moves beyo...

In this episode of Cold Case Stories, host Maria Baldwin tackles the viral internet hoax claiming that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has been murdered. This is not a true crime investigation into a cold case file, but rather a deep dive into media literacy, celebrity culture, and the psychology behind why audiences are drawn to sensationalist rumors about living icons. The episode explicitly debunks the 'murdered rock star' m...