Luminol on the Wall

160. First, let me Pray: HOMICIDE

Today on LOTW, Becky and Bevy discuss a case that unfortunately has a motive that is all too common. Laura Ackerson was a young mother caught in the middle of a custody battle that consumed her life. She tried to balance raising her children with the tension of a fractured relationship, navigating visits and exchanges that were anything but ordinary. One summer day, she agreed to a home visit that seemed out of place — a decision shaped by the push and pull of control, promises, and pressure. What happened after that visit would leave investigators piecing together a story of love, conflict, and violence that stretched far beyond the walls of that house.

159. The Silent Witness: HOMICIDE

This week on LOTW, Becky and Bevy examine how love, jealousy, and control collided in one tragic night. Tawnee Baird was 21, a student with big plans and a tight bond with her family. She’d been in a relationship for years, one that her parents thought they understood — even welcoming her partner into their home as if she were another daughter. But behind closed doors, the relationship was volatile, marked by jealousy and control. On a drive home from visiting friends, an argument spiraled, and Tawnee never made it back. What unfolded in that car would shock her family, her community, and anyone who believed love could protect her.

158. Grand Rapid Killer: HOMICIDES

This week on LOTW, Becky and Bevy revisit two murders in Grand Rapids that sat cold for decades.In Grand Rapids, Michigan, two young women were murdered three years apart. In 1976, Kathy Darling — a pregnant mother with her toddler nearby — was killed inside her home. In 1979, Diane Holloway, also pregnant, was attacked and murdered in the same city. For decades, the cases sat cold, disconnected files in separate drawers. It wasn’t until a multijurisdictional cold case team revisited the evidence that these cases were solved.

157. On the Line with the Killer: HOMICIDE

This week on LOTW, Becky and Bevy discuss a case that begins with two best friends and a walk that should have ended with both of them getting home safely. Tanya Smith and Misty Cockerill were teenagers growing up in Abbotsford, British Columbia — best friends navigating the ordinary things that come with being young: nights out, friendships, and the freedom that comes with feeling safe in your own community. But one October night in 1995, after heading out together, something interrupted what should have been a routine walk home. And what followed wouldn’t just change two families — it would leave an entire community looking over its shoulder for months. Sources * YouTube: “Tanya Smith and Misty Cockerill Case” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMoe_0kElrY&t=70s] * CBC [https://www.cbc.ca] * Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org] * Reddit [https://www.reddit.com] * Vancouver CityNews [https://vancouver.citynews.ca] * Mystery Delver [https://mysterydelver.com]

156. The Christmas Tree: HOMICIDE

This week on LOTW, Becky and Bevy walk through the night four adults met under circumstances that would later draw police attention. Heidi Carter was staying in a small home in Evansville, Indiana, where she often -maybe too often- allowed her boyfriend, Casey Hammond, stay the night. Their relationship was volatile, marked by drug use and frequent arguments. They also were not monoganous with one another, and Heidihad recently started looking for companionship online, connecting with Amanda Siebe. One night, Amanda and her boyfriend, Tim Ivy, drove to Heidi’s house after plans were made for the four of them to meet. Casey wasn’t initially comfortable with the Tim being there but changed his mind at the last minute. Inside that house, the mix of drugs, strained relationships, and shifting boundaries set the stage for what would unfold next.