The Murder In My Family

Murder is a crime of many victims. It affects not only the murdered, but also those who loved them. The Murder in My Family tells the effects of murder from the perspective of the family members of the victims and shows how they, too, are victims in this terrible crime.

Juan Leon Laureles Rewind 04/20/2024

Raymond Saenz 03/23/2024

James 'Jimmy' Townsend 02/24/2024

James 'Jimmy' Townsend Episode 149 James 'Jimmy' Townsend In 1985, 13 year old James 'Jimmy' Townsend was a popular boy in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. He was a friendly and gifted athlete who played a variety of sports and excelled at them. By September of that year, Jimmy had become involved in boxing, but that wasnt all that was new for Jimmy. He was also a new father to a baby girl; Kristy. Being a father at 13 was certainly going to be a challenge for Jimmy, but he was ready to take it on. Sadly, he'd never get the chance. On September 28th, 1985, Jimmy along with a couple friends went to a local fair, and while there, they got into an altercation with a group of seven young men and boys, thought to be members of a local gang. Jimmy fought back before he and his friends ran for their lives. Sadly, Jimmy couldn't outrun his attackers, and he was savagely beaten to death. Although police had the accounts of multiple witnesses, and names of suspects, the case was never resolved and remains unresolved to this day. The mother of Jimmy's daughter Kristy wound up giving her up for adoption when she was just eleven months old so she never got to know her father. As she grew up and began to wonder about her roots, Kristy was upset that her father's murder forever changed the outcome of her life. She was determined to get justice for her father, and has helped to re-ignite a fresh look into the case. In this episode, Kristy discusses her father's tragic and violent murder, and how her life was affected by it. Kristy is personally offering a reward of at least $1000 for information that leads to a conviction in her father's case. If you have any information or tips, please call Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-CASH or the Monroe PD at 318-329-2600. To learn more about the case, be sure to visit the set up by Kristy. You can also Kristy kicked off in order to get her father's case looked at with fresh eyes. to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/30087343

The Hanson Family Murders 02/10/2024

The Hanson Family Murders Episode 148 The Hanson Family Murders In December, 2021, a shocking triple murder happened in Milbank, SD. 29 year old Jessica Hanson, her unborn daughter Annika, who she was 9 months pregnant with, and her 59 year old husband Clyde were murdered in their residence in separate attacks in an act of domestic violence at the hands of Clyde's brother, Brent Hanson. The attacks were brutal; while Jessica was at work, Clyde was beaten to death with a baseball bat in his bed while the Hanson's young son Ty slept nearby. When Jessica returned home from work, she was attacked with a machete, and both she and her baby Annika were killed. Brent Hanson admitted to police that he had committed the murders saying that he 'lost it'. It came to light that proceeding the murders, Brent who was living with Jessica and Clyde, had violently attacked Jessica, and when her husband Clyde came to her defense, he too was attacked. Despite the attack on his brother and sister in law, Brent Hanson remained a free man. Following the domestic violence, Jessica and Clyde understndably did not feel safe living with Brent, but he and Clyde co-owned their home, so they decided to essentially sub-divide the residence, and live in one section while Brent lived in another. Sadly, the new living arrangements did not keep them safe from Brent. Following the tragedy, Jessica's sister Jasmine King tried to adopt her nephew Ty who had survived the ordeal, but South Dakota CPS stepped in and adopted Ty out to another family. To make matters worse, although Jessica's family was pushing for the death penalty, prosecutors without consulting them, agreed to a plea deal with Brent Hanson, and instead of the death penalty, he was sentenced to life in prison. This story is tragic all the way around, and has devastated Jessica's family. Despite Jessica's son Ty surviving the violence, they feel he was stolen away from them. In this episode, Jessica's sister Jasmine King discusses the tragic details of this case, and the aftermath which has left her heartbroken. If you or someone you know needs help escaping a domestic violence situation, you can seek help by calling the National domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233 to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/29885603

Listen Now - Dr. Death: Bad Magic 01/22/2024

Kendrick Jerry 01/13/2024

Kendrick Jerry Episode 146 Kendrick Jerry Kendrick Jerry was a man who had a troubled past, but was working to turn his life around. He was focusing on family. The 47 year old father of five sons was excited to find out he had a sixth child on the way; a daughter with his fiancé Arin. Arin was due in October, 2023, but sadly, Kendrick would never see his daughter born. On June 25,2023, Kendrick was shot to death in front of witnesses following an altercation at a Chevron gas station in Columbia County, Florida. The shooter, Michael Smith, was questioned by police at the scene and then released without being charged. The lack of an arrest was shocking to Kendrick's grief stricken family. They reached out to various officials, including the governor in an effort to see Michael Smith charged in Kendrick's case. Eventually, a grand jury indicted Smith, and he was arrested and charged with manslaughter, and for using a gun with the serial number filed off of it. Smith posted bail, and was released to await trial. But Kendrick's family feels that there is more than meets the eye here, and that the encounter between Smith and Kendrick was not random. It turns out, Smith was the ex boyfriend of Kendrick's fiancé, Arin. Arin had alleged that she left him following an abusive relationship, and that she received texts from Michael Smith that threatened both her, and Kendrick. Is this a case of planned or pre-meditated murder? Kendrick's family thinks it may be, and they are seeking justice. In this episode, Kendrick's sister Miranda discusses this frustrating case. to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/29473568

Robert Gonzalez 12/10/2023

Zachary 'Zack' Flyte 11/26/2023

Zachary 'Zack' Flyte Episode 144 Zachary 'Zack' Flyte In January, 2017, 21 year old Zachary Flyte, or Zack as he was known, was excited to embark on a new chapter in his life. He was going to take a test to get into the police academy. He felt it would be an excellent way to take care of his 3 young children. By all accounts, he was excited for the opportunity, but he would never get the chance. Days before he was supposed to take the test, his mom Jamie would get a heartbreaking phonecall that her son was in the hospital fighting for his life after being shot in the head. According to Zack's girlfriend, Dominique, Zack was at her parents home and had gotten upset over a text she got, and suddently shot himself. Zack died in the hospital after Jamie turned off life support, allowing Zack to help others via organ donation. But things began to trouble Jamie. Doctors found a laceration and bump on his head possibly indicating a struggle before he was shot. She was also concerned that it had taken well over an hour to get Zack to the hospital despite him being 10 minutes from it when he was shot. She also never got his cell phone back even though it was with him when he was shot, and as far as she knows, gun residue tests were never performed on Zack, or on Dominique. These qyestions continue to haunt Jamie. Is she on to something? Could there be more than meets the eye and police rushed to a ruling of suicide, or is she just a grieving mother, unable to accept her son's suicide? In this episode, Jamie discusses the troubling things in Zack's case, and her efforts to find out what really happened. If you or someone you care about is struggling with thoughts of suicide, there is help. Call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/28789378

Leslie Rodriguez 11/12/2023

Leslie Rodriguez Episode 143 Leslie Rodriguez 27 year old Orlando, Florida resident, Leslie Rodriguez by all accounts was a positive force and good friend to those that knew her. She always had a smile, and brought happiness and positive energy to every situation. Described as a 'ray of sunshine', Leslie was a new mom to a young son, Roman and was looking to the next chapter in her life after breaking off a relationship with Roman's father, 28 year old Devin Griggs. Leslie's mom Eileen, and stepfather moved from Chicago to be closer to Leslie & Roman, and it should have been a great time for their family. But Devin was struggling leading up to the breakup with Leslie, and after, and had gone awol from the military before winding up in Orlando. Leslie had left him after he changed, and he began to act paranoid, and claimed people were watching him. Although Devin had never been violent with Leslie, that would all change on May 9, 2022 when he showed up at Leslie's apartment. Leslie let him in thinking he was there to see Roman, but he had other ideas. He pulled out a gun and shot Leslie multiple times, killing her. He then called 911 and told them what he had done, and that he was about to take his own life. Police raced to the scene but when they arrived, they found both Leslie and Devin dead. Miraculously, little Roman was physically unharmed, but sadly, he witnessed the violent deaths of his parents. The senseless and tragic deaths have left two families devastated. Eileen had moved to Florida to be close to her daughter, and instead, she had to make funeral arrangements for her. Now she's focused on raising Roman, and ready to support him with any lingering effects from what he witnessed, and to answer the questions he will surely one day ask. Eileen discusses this tragic case, and whether or not it could have been prevented, and if there was any warning that this might happen. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. They also have a . Veterans can also reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line responder. To text, send a message to 838255. If you or someone you know needs help escaping from a domestic violence situation, please visit This episode is sponsored by the . Access your pay within minutes of earning it, not weeks. When you download the Earnin app, type in MY FAMILY under PODCAST when you sign up, it really helps this podcast to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/28597688

Darrell Holderman 10/28/2023

Darrell Holderman Episode 142 Darrell Holderman On June 1st, 2022, 78 year old Darrell Holderman was working a job as a security guard watching over a prisoner at a Dayton, Ohio area hospital. He wasn't supposed to work that day, but he picked up an extra shift. Despite his age and declining health, Darrell was a hard worker. The beloved father and grandfather had served his country proudly in Vietnam, and just a month a way from his 79th birthday, he had no intentions of slowing down as he was focused on working hard to provide for his family. Without warning the prisoner he was guarding, 30 year old Brian Booth, who was in the throws of detoxing, attacked Darrell and beat him. Darrell who walked with a cane and was losing his eyesight was no match for the prisoner and he was badly beaten and suffered skull fractures before Booth took his gun and shot him in the neck before fleeing with the gun and taking his own life in the hospital parking lot. Sadly, Darrell Holderman did not survive, and his family was devastated by his senseless murder. To make matters worse, in the aftermath, blame seemed to be directed towards Darrell due to his failing health which made things even worse for his family. In this episode, Darrell's daughter Nikkie discusses her father's tragic death, and how it has affected his family. This episode is sponsored by the . Access your pay within minutes of earning it, not weeks. When you download the Earnin app, type in MY FAMILY under PODCAST when you sign up, it really helps this podcast to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/28446986

Rusty Meye 10/14/2023

Rusty Meye Episode 141 Rusty Meye Rusty Meye was a man who was down on his luck. Living alone in a rented Vero Beach, Florida mobile home, he had battled depression, drinking and overuse of medication brought on by a terrible foot injury he suffered that left him disabled. Rusty had made the decision to stop drinking and not rely on his medications anymore, and was making progress in his life. However, one thing he still faced was financial issues, and an ongoing butting of heads with his landlord who wanted Rusty to find a new place to live. Rusty recounted to people close to him that his landlord constantly verbally abused him, and even threatened to burn the trailer to the ground with Rusty inside it. According to Rusty, the landlord would come into the trailer when he wasn't home. Things were clearly not good for Rusty. Then, on October 17, 2020, 59 year old Rusty Meye was reported missing by his landlord of all people. All of belongings were left behind in his trailer, including his phone, keys, and a wallet with cash inside. Outside of the trailer, Rusty's cars were there. The only thing missing was Rusty himself. When Rusty's sister Roxanne traveled to Florida to go through Rusty's things, she was surprised to learn that Rusty's trailer had not been sealed up as a possible crime scene. Inside the trailer, she found blood that had previously been missed by police. Due to the fact that the trailer was no treated as a crime scene, and because of the missed blood, Roxanne quickly came to believe that the investigation into Rusty's case had been bothced, and that her brother was the victim of foul play. Incredibly, the trailer was removed, and according to Rusty's landlord, it was sold. Roxanne has actively been trying to keep Rusty's case in the spotlight, and figure out what happened to him. She recently attended Crimecon in an effort to network with people that may be able to help in Rusty's case. Just recently, she found out that Rusty's case has moved from a missing persons investigation to a homicide investgation. In this episode that is a crossover episode with , Roxanne discusses her brother's case. When Rusty vanished he was described as being 5ft9 and 180 lbs. He wore glasses, and had Brown Hair and Brown eyes. He has a tattoo of a lion on his upper right arm, and one of an American flag on his upper back. He walks with a limp. If you have any information about Rusty Meye, please call the Indian River County Sheriff's office at 772-569-6700. There is a reward in this case. To learn more about the case, visit his . This episode is sponsored by to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content.To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/28316465

Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza Part 2 09/16/2023

Introducing Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University from Wondery 09/12/2023

Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza 09/02/2023

Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza Episode 139 Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza Part 1 of 2 On the morning of January 25,2019 just before sunrise, 29 year old Elizabeth 'Liz' Barraza was setting up for a garage sale in her yard in Tomball, Texas. She and her husband Sergio were about to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary with a vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, so the extra cash from the sale would come in handy. Sergio had just left for work when a Black Nissan truck pulled up and turned around before parking in front of the Barraza's home. After parking, the driver got out and walked toward Liz, and she said good morning to them likely expecting her first customer of the day. However, this person wasn't out bargain shopping, they were targeting Liz. They pulled a revolver and after several seconds of interaction with Liz, they shot her three times. When Liz fell to the ground, the shooter stood over her and shot her a fourth time before jumping back into the Black truck and fleeing the scene. Although there were no witnesses to the shooting, a combination of grainy video and distorted audio surveillance from both the Barraza's home, and a neighbor's captured the events of that morning. The shooting, the killer, and their vehicle were all caught by the surveillance systems, but frustratingly, the shooter has not been identified. Seconds after the shots rang out, a neighbor called 911, and as they looked out to see what was going on, the Black Nissan drove back by the Barraza's, and the caller was able to give the description of the truck to the 911 dispatcher. A BOLO of the truck was quickly issued, and police and first responders descended on the scene. Moments later, a truck fitting the suspect vehicle description was spotted and pulled over by police not far from the Barraza home, but the driver supposedly had a legitimate reason to be in the area, and was let go. Meanwhile, Liz Barraza was life-flighted to a hospital for the four gunshots she had suffered, but sadly she wouldn't survive, and passed away in the hospital. When police searched area surveillance cameras close to the Barraza's home, they discovered that the Black Nissan truck had stalked the area hours before the shooting driving slowly past the Barraza's home. Moments before the shooting, other surveillance tracked the movements of the truck before it headed to the Barraza's home, and it was clear from the footage that the driver was waiting for Sergio to leave for work in order to attack Liz. Since there was no clear motive in the shooting, finding a suspect has been difficult. Liz was well-liked and sociable with no known enemies. She volunteered her time for children at the local hospital, and was a member of the 501st Legion, a group dedicated to Star Wars Cos-play. Although many people have pointed the finger at Liz's husband Sergio, he has cooperated with police and taken and passed at least one polygraph, and a close look at Liz and Sergio's lives and marriage by police, found no evidence of financial issues, infidelity, or any other clue that would establish a motive. The best clue in the case may be the Black Nissan truck driven by Liz's killer. Police describe it as a Nissan Frontier Pro 4X edition crew cab, model year 2013 or newer with a Pro4X sticker on the rear of the truck. Details of the shooter are not exact due to the poor quality of the video footage, and it's not even clear if the shooter is a man or woman. In the video footage, they appear to be wearing a long robe, coat, gown, or dress and what looks to be thigh-high White Go Go boots. They appear to either have long hair, or they are wearing a wig. The gun used to kill Liz is believed to be a .380 revolver. There is currently a reward of up to $50,000 for information in this case. If you have any details about the murder of Elizabeth Barraza please call (713) 222-TIPS and share what you know. You can also go to crime-stoppers.org to submit your tip. In this episode, Liz's parents Robert and Rosemary Nuelle discuss the tragic death of their daughter, and their efforts to see her killer brought to justice. They talk about the many issues they have faced in the aftermath of Liz's murder, and some of the resources and allies that they have turned to for help, including Andy Kahan, director of Victim services & advocacy of Houston, who also joins us in this episode to talk about the work he does in support of people like Liz's family. Because Liz's case has gotten a lot of media and online attention, some rumors and inaccuracies in the case have made their way out there. For the most updated, accurate, and complete information about Liz's case, I highly recommend visiting the set up and run by Liz's parents. To learn more about Andy Kahan's work at Crimestoppers Houston, be sure to . To support and listen AD-FREE to every single epsiode of not only The Murder in My Family, but also to every other show on the , consider an . You can start with a free trial, and then for just $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, you'll get not only AD-FREE listening to hundreds of episodes, but also early-previews, and access to bonus content. To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit Follow us on social media on or /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/27923409

Introducing AbJack Insider 08/28/2023

Robert 'Robbie' Lamp 08/19/2023

Robert 'Robbie' Lamp Episode 138 Robert 'Robbie' Lamp In 1981, 27 year old Robert Lamp, or Robbie as he went by seemed to have a lot of things going for him. He was a young husband and father, and had recently purchased a home in a great neighborhood in Pennsylvania. Robbie was a successful manager of a Grand Union Super Market; in fact, he has done such a great job, that the company asked him if he'd work at their store in Hillandale, Silver Spring, MD- a store that was in need of a good manager to help run it. It was a good opportunity for Robbie, but since he has just settled his family in Pennsylvania, he decided that he would travel back and forth from Pennsylvania to Maryland instead of uproot his family. By March, 1981, Robbie had settled in to his position at the new store alongside his co-workers, but a violent robbery of a Safeway store just down the street in which a store manager was shot, was on Robbie's mind. He requested security guards from corporate for the store, but his request was denied. Robbie instead had to rely on his training which taught him that in the event of a robbery, to fully cooperate and hand over the money in order to keep himself, his employees, and customers safe. Unfortunately, on March 27th of that year, Robbie's Grand Union store was robbed, and despite cooperating fully with the robbers, Robbie was shot to death as he lay helpless on the floor alongside store employees and customers. His killers fled from the store and escaped, leaving Robbie's family to deal with the aftermath. Later that year, Police connected two men to not only Robbie's murder, but to the earlier Safeway shooting, and other crimes. Arrested were 22 year old LeRoy Jenkins and 25 year old Jerome Dudley. Robbie's family assumed that justice would be done and Robbie's killers would be in prison for the rest of their lives. Years later, they were shocked to find out that the suspects in Robbie's murder had never even been indicted for murder in Robbie's case, and although one of the two suspects had died, the other was still alive and was a free man. Robbie's brother Olen Lamp set out to get to the bottom of what happened. He sought out and teamed up with Tom Ponton, who was a co-worker of Robbie's and was on the floor next to Robbie when he was killed. Together, Olen and Tom filed FOIA requests, and sought out the help of reporter Paul Wagner of NBCNews4 out of Washington DC in an effort to shine a brighter light on just what happened and how suspects in Robbie's murder case were able to somehow slip through the cracks. To date, Robbie's murder case remains officially unsolved, and noone has been prosecuted for it. In this episode, you'll hear from both Robbie's brother Olen who discusses how his brother's murder affected their family, and his efforts to get justice. You'll also hear from Tom Ponton, Robbie's co-worker who walks us through the tragic events of that fateful night in March 1981, and how he came to team up with Olen to find out the truth. If you have any information about the March, 1981 murder of Robert 'Robbie' Lamp in Silver Spring MD, please reach out to his brother Olen at the he runs for the case, or to reporter To support this podcast with a donation, you can do so via Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheMurderInMyFamily or through Paypal at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/AbJackEntertainment To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit: TheMurderInMyFamily.com Follow us on social media; Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Murder-in-My-Family-True-Crime-Podcast-998674943627334/reviews/ Twitter- @MurderinMyFam /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/27796047

Kristie Gunderson Lee 08/05/2023

Kristie Gunderson Lee 20 year-old Kristie Gunderson Lee was a young wife, and new mom living in Pompano Beach, Florida in 1994. She was a friendly and popular hairdresser who was not known to have enemies, but on March 31st of that year, she died a violent death in her apartment. She was bludgeoned and strangled to death. Initially, it seemed like a burglary gone wrong, but police ruled that out and instead investigated the murder as a crime of passion. As in most cases involving a crime of passion, detectives looked closely at Kristie's husband Jeff Lee, but learned early on that he was at work when the murder happened and had an air tight alibi. Police quickly turned their suspicion to Kristie's in-laws, Kay and Joe Petralia, who had discovered Kristie's body and called 911. Their timeline of events didn't match up with witness statements in the case, and as police looked closer, they found that Kristie & Kay had been at odds with each other over the raising of Kristie & Jeff's son Zachary. They had heated arguments, and at least once, got into a physical altercation. Police asked the Petralias to take polygraphs, and they both refused. Eventually, the Petralias became the prime suspects in their daughter in law's murder, and even their son Jeff came to believe that they were responsible for Kristie's murder. But to date, no charges have ever been filed in relation to Kristie's murder. Kristie's good friend Emily, who runs a and has been advocating for her friend for 30 years, discusses Kristie's case in this episode. If you have any information about the murder of Kristie Gunderson Lee, you can contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or go to browardcrimestoppers.org To support this podcast with a donation, you can do so via Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/TheMurderInMyFamily or through Paypal at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/AbJackEntertainment To contact the podcast or learn more about the case we discuss, please visit: TheMurderInMyFamily.com Follow us on social media; Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Murder-in-My-Family-True-Crime-Podcast-998674943627334/reviews/ Twitter- @MurderinMyFam /episode/index/show/da0a78c8-3793-49ae-9219-d51e7a7df129/id/27667638