midwretched

Brian Shaffer vanished without a trace at a point in his life many would think was his prime. A handsome, well liked, successful medical student, Brian went out with friends in the bustling downtown bar district in Columbus, Ohio—in 2006 considered to be “the most surveilled city in America”—-and never made it home. This is a case oft-told, but perhaps, Tommy thinks, underdiscussed. Join us as we examine the disappearance of Brian ...

On June 3, 1997, 19-year-old single mother Rachel Timmerman told her mom she was going on a date with a man she met at work, and that she would be taking her 11-month-old, Shannon, with her. About a month later, Rachel’s chained and bound body would be pulled from Oxford Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan. As this case unfolded, it would become a significant story in the landscape of Michigan criminal justice. Join Tommy and Mick as ...

The history of the Ku Klux Klan is deeply intertwined with the history of the United States and, arguably, there’s no better demonstration of this than the rise and fall of the Indiana Klan—branch of the KKK borne out from one man’s megalomaniacal need for power. When the violent rape and subsequent death of a young female politician happens at the hands of this man, the face of the KKK would be forever altered. Join Tommy as she r...

Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton were last seen playing outside on Thanksgiving Day 2010, appearing as carefree and playful as they normally did to their neighbors in Morenci, Michigan. Less than 24 hours later, the boys were missing and their father was laid up in an Ohio hospital with a busted ankle. The story that follows is one of family drama, pointed fingers, impossible seeming stories, and questions that all boil down t...

In a small town in Michigan, a young girl is trapped in her bedroom, unable to escape while her house catches fire. When Calista Springer lost her life, many initially thought of it as a tragic accident for her family. However, as the investigation unfolded, many in her community came forward to express their long-running concerns about her safety, with mounting accusations of abuse and neglect charged at her parents. Tommy and Mic...

Many people with more than a passing interest in true crime know about the double murder of two young girls in Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana in 2017. What fewer are aware of is the brutal arson a few months earlier that took the lives of four children in a neighboring town. Join in as Tommy leads us through a tough series of questions: what happened to Keyara, Keyana, Kerielle, and Kionnie? Why? How is it being investigated? And,...

In the summer of 2009 and 2010, young girls in Chicago and the southern suburbs are going missing. Despite a clear pattern, little information is available about what is happening. Until a brave teen steps forward to report her attack, leading to the capture of a serial killer living just outside of the city. But despite a quick capture,12 years would go by before Kiara Windom, Kamika Coleman, and Mariah Edwards would get any sense...

On a lovely, typical Saturday in 2015, 21 year old Diamond Bynum and her two year old nephew, King, started their day in their usual way: breakfast with Diamond’s stepmom, warm baths, and a mid-morning nap. When the stepmother woke up, Diamond and King were nowhere to be found. Gary, Indiana police were immediately on alert for the pair, who are considered endangered due to King’s age and Diamond’s unique medical challenges. Join T...

Timmothy Pitzen was a vibrant and well-loved six-year-old living with his family in Aurora, Illinois--until the day that his mother picked him up early from kindergarten and took him on a vacation from which neither would return. What happened to Timmothy Pitzen? Were those final few days in various midwestern resort towns his last ones, or is he out there, alive, well, and with no knowledge of who he is? Join Tommy as she guides M...

It’s one of the most well-known and well-documented exorcisms in history. And yet, we still know very little about the woman known as Anna Ecklund, her life and her experiences. But in a tiny town in Iowa, a woman undergoes the terrifying ordeal of an exorcism for many months. Anna (also known as Emma Schmidt) emerges proclaiming to be saved from the demons. But what really happened during those months in 1928? Mick and Tommy explo...

Villisca, Iowa is famous for one thing and one thing only: the Villisca Axe Murders. On a balmy night in June, 1912, a mysterious predator sat in wait in the attic of the Moore family as they attended a youth service at their local church. When they came home, what unfolded would widely be considered a crime of the century—the brutal slaying of two adults and their four children and two little girls staying with them that night. Li...