Crimes and Consequences

Blaze Bernstein was a bright, charismatic college student with a passion for writing, a sharp wit, and a future full of promise. But in January 2018, what began as a visit home to Southern California ended in tragedy when Blaze disappeared after meeting up with a former high school classmate. Days later, his body was discovered in a shallow grave—and the investigation quickly took a dark and disturbing turn.In this episode we explore the heartbreaking murder of Blaze Bernstein, the twisted motives behind the crime, and the questions about hate, identity, and justice that still echo today. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of violent hate crimes and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

On a quiet hill in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright built his dream home — a sanctuary of design and serenity he called Taliesin. But on a warm August day in 1914, that dream turned to ash and blood. This is not just a story of architectural genius or personal tragedy. It’s a chilling tale of obsession, rage, and a massacre that shattered the peaceful facade of one of America’s most iconic homes. A servant with a hidden grudge… a fire with deadly intent… and seven people left brutally murdered, including the woman Wright loved most. SOURCES: 1) "Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders" by William R. Drennan [https://www.amazon.com/Death-Prairie-House-Taliesin-Murders/dp/0299222144/ref=sr_1_1?crid=328IEJUJ72GZH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xSDy-BCCwg1UE_SCoO75kMyLHwlzMtIIALNycljLrjSVHeMctvpmfbzc58yHNUALf-CO5RlNQ2U_D0EBQmjhxMhkcN-i16b9iZRvNHq-96tO0lS5O01Qxq4yNy9DRPkrOzfaMXjnHaihTJeY1aB1-vQDmv356wfPMd5Gg5TDloMEFMIiHP8c3RQAFESdHVQZw9s8oRsYbwce-tmcOy7Cj11ByU2I39yDTMxxPjaaVvQ.rhfGPj03ES0saX6lKeOk-9PnM_huvTAk8Y9hgbNyvPE&dib_tag=se&keywords=death+in+a+prairie+house&qid=1750800823&sprefix=death+in+a+pra%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1]

Tiffany Whitton walked into a Walmart in Marietta, Georgia, one September night in 2013—and vanished without a trace. No calls. No sightings. Just silence. What began as a minor shoplifting incident quickly spiraled into a haunting mystery that left investigators, her family, and the public desperate for answers. In this episode, we unravel the chilling disappearance of Tiffany Whitton—a young mother with a troubled past and a future cut short. Was she running from something… or someone? And how did a case with so many eyes on it slip into obscurity?Follow the strange trail of inconsistencies, false leads, and the unsettling behavior of those closest to her in a case that still raises more questions than answers.

When former state trooper Ronda Reynolds was found dead in her home in 1998, authorities quickly ruled it a suicide. But something about the scene didn’t sit right—not with the crime scene investigators, not with her mother, and not with the growing list of people who believed Ronda had been silenced.  In this episode, we unravel the tangled case of Ronda Reynolds—a woman caught between a troubled marriage, a new beginning, and a chilling end. Was it suicide, as initially claimed? Or was it a carefully staged murder with a cover-up that reached far too close to home?Join us as we examine the twists, the inconsistencies, and the relentless pursuit of justice by one determined mother who refused to let her daughter’s story be buried.

In EP267, we examine the deeply unsettling case of Cary Stayner, the Yosemite Killer. On the surface, Cary seemed quiet--reserved, even overlooked. But behind that silence was a storm of inner torment, obsession, and darkness. What makes his story even more chilling is the irony: Cary Stayner, was the brother of Steven Stayner (who we discussed in EP266), a national hero who survived a childhood abduction. While the world watched one brother's trauma unfold in the headlines, the other battled invisible demons--ones that would eventually erupt in brutal violence. This is not just the story of a killer- it's the story of unresolved trauma, twisted fantasies, and the shadow legacy of a family marked by tragedy. SOURCES:  1) Sund details frantic hunt for wife, daughter: Father-husband testifies during Stayner’s preliminary hearing into slayings of 3 Yosemite visitors [https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/sund-details-frantic-hunt-for-wife-daughterfather-husband-testifies-during/] 2) CBS News: The Yosemite Murders -- in photos [https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-yosemite-murders/8/] 3)Crime Library: Cary Stayner and the Yosemite Murders [https://www.crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/predators/stayner/suspects_2.html] 4) CBS Sacramento: 25 years later: FBI agent shares how he got Cary Stayner to confess to Yosemite killings [https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/25-years-later-fbi-agent-shares-how-he-got-cary-stayner-to-confess-to-yosemite-killings/] 5) SF Gate: Overshadowed All His Life / Low-key Cary Stayner took back seat to kidnapped brother [https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/overshadowed-all-his-life-low-key-cary-stayner-2915936.php] 6) 20/20 Episode: Evil in Eden [https://abc.com/episode/7c2fa0e3-4221-41a7-ad45-b917c991fc81]