Dead Diary

The Murder of Amber Hagerman and the Story Behind the AMBER Alert System

After the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in 1996, her family and the Arlington community were left with a case that has never been solved. The crime was devastating on its own, but it also became the catalyst for a nationwide shift in how the public is alerted when a child is taken. In this episode, we walk through the known timeline of Amber's final afternoon. We look at the witness account that shaped the early investigation, the details surrounding the discovery of her body four days later, and the evidence that has remained central to the case. We also explore how Amber's story led to legislative action, the creation of the AMBER Alert system, and the development of the nationwide framework that continues to help recover missing children today. It is a difficult case to hear. And it raises an ongoing question for investigators and the community. Who took Amber Hagerman, and will advances in forensic science eventually provide the answer that has been missing for nearly three decades? Subscribe for new weekly episodes. Listen to our sister serial podcast, Skeptical, available on any podcasting platform. Find links to listen at murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical [http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical]. Dead Diary is a production of Murder Creek Media, a woman-owned podcasting and media company. Without backing from any production studio or corporate entity, we have the freedom to explore cases thoroughly and tell the stories that matter the most. While this independence allows for creative control, it also means that we rely heavily on listener support to keep the show going. Please visit murdercreekmedia.com [http://murdercreekmedia.com/] to learn more about us, our mission, and how you can support the show. This episode was created with Descript, a podcast editing and transcription tool that’s been a game-changer for our production process. By signing up using our link [https://get.descript.com/deaddiary], you’ll not only get a great tool but also help support our show. Descript link here: https://get.descript.com/deaddiary

Human Statue on Display: The Death of Christopher Erick (Part 2)

After the cyanide poisoning death of 23-year-old Christopher Erick in 2012, his mother, Kim Erick Smith, began a years-long fight for answers. She believes not only that her son didn’t die by suicide, but that key details surrounding his final days point to something far more sinister. In this episode, we walk through Kim’s own archived investigation. She lays out claims involving early warnings, missing toxicology tests, a cremation pushed through before results came back, and a series of messages that repeated the same unsettling phrase about Chris’ death. She also details financial records tied to a cyanide purchase, contradictions in official explanations, and disturbing findings she says she uncovered after viewing the crime-scene photos years later. It’s a heavy, complicated timeline. And it raises the question at the center of this case. Was Chris’ death a suicide? Or was something else happening inside that Midlothian home? Listen and decide for yourself. Subscribe for new weekly episodes. Listen to our sister serial podcast, Skeptical, available on any podcasting platform. Find links to listen at http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical [http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical]. Dead Diary is a production of Murder Creek Media, a woman-owned podcasting and media company. Without backing from any production studio or corporate entity, we have the freedom to explore cases thoroughly and tell the stories that matter the most. While this independence allows for creative control, it also means that we rely heavily on listener support to keep the show going. Please visit murdercreekmedia.com to learn more about us, our mission, and how you can support the show. This episode was created with Descript, a podcast editing and transcription tool that’s been a game-changer for our production process. By signing up using our link, you’ll not only get a great tool but also help support our show.

Human Statue on Display: The Death of Christopher Erick

This week on Dead Diary, we're looking into a case that feels like it shouldn't be real. The story begins in 2012 with the cyanide poisoning death of 23-year-old Christopher Erick in Midlothian, TX. But the real nightmare comes after a paperwork mistake marked his body as unclaimed. His mother, Kim Erick Smith, says she never saw her son's remains again. Years later, Kim came across the Real Bodies Exhibit and recognized one of the plastinated human displays as Christopher. What followed was a decade-long fight to track the body, challenge official explanations, and demand DNA testing. And just when her claims started gaining traction, the body vanished from the exhibit altogether. In this episode, we unpack the exhibit's sourcing of bodies, Kim's detailed paper trail, the disappearance of the plastinated body, and how recent discoveries of hundreds of unidentified cremains in Nevada may be connected. Subscribe for new weekly episodes. Listen to our sister serial podcast, Skeptical, available on any podcasting platform. Find links to listen at [murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical](http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical). Dead Diary is a production of Murder Creek Media, a woman-owned podcasting and media company. Without backing from any production studio or corporate entity, we have the freedom to explore cases thoroughly and tell the stories that matter the most. While this independence allows for creative control, it also means that we rely heavily on listener support to keep the show going. Please visit [murdercreekmedia.com](http://murdercreekmedia.com/) to learn more about us, our mission, and how you can support the show. This episode was created with Descript, a podcast editing and transcription tool that’s been a game-changer for our production process. By signing up using our link, you’ll not only get a great tool but also help support our show.

The Kraus Killings: A Televised Confession

This week on Dead Diary, we’re covering one of the most bizarre and shocking true crime moments to unfold in recent memory - the on-camera confession of 53-year-old Lorenz Kraus, who admitted to murdering his parents and burying their bodies in the backyard of their Albany, New York home. Kraus, a well-educated man with a background in politics, business, and fringe conspiracy theories, emailed a local news station after their remains were discovered, then showed up for an on-air interview and calmly confessed to the killings. In this episode, we’ll walk you through the case details, the stunning televised moment, and the investigation that began with suspected financial fraud and ended with two murder charges. This one is truly something else. Subscribe for new weekly episodes. Listen to our sister serial podcast, Skeptical, available on any podcasting platform. Find links to listen at murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical [http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical]. Dead Diary is a production of Murder Creek Media, a woman-owned podcasting and media company. Without backing from any production studio or corporate entity, we have the freedom to explore cases thoroughly and tell the stories that matter the most. While this independence allows for creative control, it also means that we rely heavily on listener support to keep the show going. Please visit murdercreekmedia.com [http://murdercreekmedia.com/] to learn more about us, our mission, and how you can support the show. This episode was created with Descript, a podcast editing and transcription tool that’s been a game-changer for our production process. By signing up using our link, you’ll not only get a great tool but also help support our show.

The Death of Christine Moyer

This week on Dead Diary, we’re covering a story that’s as tragic as it is senseless — the July 2025 murder of 45‑year‑old Christine Moyer, a respected journalist and communications professional who was shot and killed by her father‑in‑law at a family wedding. Christine was known as a “defender of those who had no voice,” a mother, wife, and community leader who built her life around helping others. But one man’s anger and obsession turned a family celebration into an unthinkable nightmare. We’ll walk you through who Christine was, what happened that night, and the motive prosecutors say drove 76‑year‑old Roland Schmidt to commit a premeditated, execution‑style killing in front of his own family. Subscribe for new weekly episodes. Listen to our sister serial podcast, Skeptical, available on any podcasting platform. Find links to listen at murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical [http://murdercreekmedia.com/skeptical]. Dead Diary is a production of Murder Creek Media, a woman-owned podcasting and media company. Without backing from any production studio or corporate entity, we have the freedom to explore cases thoroughly and tell the stories that matter the most. While this independence allows for creative control, it also means that we rely heavily on listener support to keep the show going. Please visit murdercreekmedia.com [http://murdercreekmedia.com/] to learn more about us, our mission, and how you can support the show. This episode was created with Descript, a podcast editing and transcription tool that’s been a game-changer for our production process. By signing up using our link, you’ll not only get a great tool but also help support our show.