Ep. 116-Mackenzie Shirilla Case: How Do You Prove Intent Before Impact?

Ep 120- Woman In The Trunk: The Unsolved Murder Of Betty Thomas

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2444974/fan_mail/new] A car doesn’t just “sit there” for two days without someone noticing, especially not a white Jaguar in a busy Austin hotel parking lot. When police finally open the trunk, they find 45-year-old Betty Thomas bound with duct tape, blindfolded, gagged, wrapped in bedding from her own home, and killed with an execution-style shot to the back of the head. That single discovery turns a quiet April week in 1988 into one of the most unsettling unsolved murders tied to Lakeway, Texas.  We trace Betty’s last known timeline, from an ordinary night alone at home to the evidence investigators find inside the house: signs of a struggle, blood evidence, and a scene that doesn’t look like a burglary gone wrong. We also talk about the uncomfortable realities of homicide investigations, including why a spouse is often looked at early as standard procedure, and how internet speculation grows louder when law enforcement can’t name a suspect. Then there’s the eerie family echo: years earlier, another Thomas family member is shot and never gets justice either. Coincidence, connection, or something no one has pieced together yet?  The story shifts when forensics catches up. Preserved evidence allows investigators to develop a partial male DNA profile, but it still doesn’t hit in CODIS. That’s where modern tools like forensic genealogy can change the game, using DNA matches to build family trees, narrow leads, and confirm identities the old way. If you’re fascinated by cold cases, forensic DNA, and the question of why someone would move a victim to a hotel lot, you’ll have plenty to think about here.  Subscribe, share the episode with a true crime friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. If you have tips, updates, or a “Sweet Tea After Dark” story, email us at hold my sweet tea podcast at gmail.com or message us on social media. Special Note: This case remains unsolved. If you have information related to the murder of Elizabeth "Betty" Thomas, please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency. Even decades later, new information can help bring answers to a victim's family. Sources & Further Reading: Courthouse News Service – Historical coverage and court records research courthousenews.com Texas Department of Public Safety – Cold Case Program dps.texas.gov Travis County historical records and public archives countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov Austin History Center Collections library.austintexas.gov Newspapers.com archival newspaper database newspapers.com NewspaperArchive historical newspaper database newspaperarchive.com

STAD Ep 6-A Quiet Drive To Snake River Canyon Turns Chilling

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2444974/fan_mail/new] He doesn’t come off charming. He doesn’t look like trouble. He just seems normal, and that’s exactly why this story hits so hard. We’re Holly and Pearl, and we’re sharing an anonymous listener submission that takes us to Idaho, where Kara works nights at a truck stop diner outside Twin Falls. She’s a caring single mom, and when a quiet guy from a local feed store asks her out, she gives him a chance. Dinner is mostly boring, until the questions start getting too personal: where she lives, whether she’s alone, where she goes, what her routine looks like. When she asks about him, he redirects right back to her, like he’s collecting details instead of getting to know her. Then he suggests a drive to Snake River Canyon to watch the stars. The sky is beautiful, the truck is parked, and the silence stretches until he asks, out of nowhere, “Do you think people know when they’re about to die?” The vibe shifts so fast it’s physical. Kara finds a way to leave without setting him off, but the fear lingers in the days that follow with texts, random silent calls, and the uneasy feeling of being watched. Months later, the TV news brings the confirmation no one wants: a man arrested in connection with missing and murdered women, and Kara recognizes his face. One chilling line from that night seals it for us: slowing down near a missing person flyer, he says, “They always look in the wrong places.” We unpack the red flags, talk dating safety strategies that actually work, and remind you to trust your gut before your mind talks you out of it. If this episode rattles you, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave us a review so more listeners find Sweet Tea After Dark.

Ep. 119-Two Young Lives Lost In Unsolved Alabama Murders: Christian Boyle and Kandace Faulk

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2444974/fan_mail/new] Two young people in Alabama are gone, and the silence around their cases is the part we can’t accept. We’re sharing two separate cold cases that don’t have a lot of public detail, which is exactly why they can slip out of the spotlight. Christian Boyle was 18 when he disappeared along with his car in Blount County. Days pass with no calls, no social media activity, and no sign of where he went, until Christmas night 2017 when his vehicle is spotted on Cold Branch Road and he’s found shot to death near it. Investigators have talked about suspects and tested DNA, but years later the case still needs the one piece that turns “maybe” into “enough.” Then we head to Huntsville, where Kandace Faulk, 22, is found shot to death inside her apartment after friends discover her and call police around 2:30 a.m. Authorities have suggested it may have been a domestic dispute, yet there’s been no publicly named person of interest and very little information released. We talk about what that lack of detail can do to a case, and why apartment living also means someone usually hears something: yelling, footsteps, a door slam, a car taking off, a voice that doesn’t belong. Kandace’s story also includes a detail that stopped us cold, a grand jury indictment for theft filed a year after she died. We unpack what that says about broken notification systems, how legal processes can keep moving without common-sense checks, and why it matters to families who are already carrying grief. If you know something about either case, we share where to send tips, and we’d love to help amplify other cold cases too. Subscribe, share this with one person, and leave a review so more listeners can help keep these names alive.

Ep. 118-The Priest, The Parishioner, and the Killer: The Antonio Tyson Case

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2444974/fan_mail/new] Two beloved members of a small Louisiana community are gone, and the path from a quiet neighborhood to a brutal double homicide is almost impossible to wrap your head around. We’re talking about Covington, Louisiana, where Ruth Pratt and Reverend Otis Young were known for service, faith, and the kind of warmth that makes a town feel like home. Their deaths didn’t just make news, they stunned people who drive those streets, worship in those pews, and expect that a knock at the door is just a neighbor in need.  We retrace what investigators pieced together step by step, from the early hit-and-run report tied to Ruth’s vehicle, to the missing phone found discarded, to the security camera footage that becomes the backbone of the case. We also dig into who Antonio Tyson is, including his earlier violent convictions, what records show about his time in prison, and how surveillance, forensics, and tracking connect the dots after the killings.  Then we get into the part that raises the biggest questions: the legal endgame. Tyson’s May 2026 guilty plea comes with a rare set of terms, including “death row equivalent housing” at Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola and a waiver of appeals and release options. We talk through why prosecutors cite Atkins v. Virginia standards around intellectual disability, and why the families choose a deal designed to deliver the harshest life sentence possible without decades of courtroom fights.  If you care about true crime that keeps the victims at the center, and you want to understand how evidence, sentencing, and real-world safety collide, hit play. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Sources: wdsu.com Author: Erin Lowrey Date: May 5, 2026   WDSU wdsu.com Author: Aubry Killion Date: February 9, 2023   WDSU wdsu.com Author: Erin Lowrey Date: February 2, 2024   WDSU Victim Background & Community Impact nola.com Author: Staff reporting / NOLA.com Date: December 5, 2022 oxygen.com Author: Oxygen Staff Date: December 2022 fox8live.com Author: FOX 8 Staff Date: August 16, 2024

STAD Ep.7- The "LIGHT" Man

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2444974/fan_mail/new] A little kid looks past her mom’s shoulder, smiles at the dim hallway, and says, “There’s a light man.” That’s how Eleanor’s listener submission starts, and it’s the kind of paranormal story that can go two ways fast. Pearl and Holly brace for something creepy, but what unfolds is softer, sadder, and weirdly comforting: a shining visitor who seems to know Eleanor’s private childhood memories better than anyone living ever could.  As Liz keeps chatting with this “light man,” the details get sharper and more personal, from warnings about brushing hair too hard to a line that stops Eleanor cold. When Eleanor finally asks a question only one person could answer, the response lands like a punch and a hug at the same time: “My little bird.” The story turns into a grief-and-afterlife gut check, touching on themes people search for when they’re hurting: visitation dreams, signs from loved ones, spirit visits, and what it means when an encounter doesn’t feel scary, just real.  We also talk candidly about our own experiences dreaming about parents, grandparents, and pets who’ve passed, that heavy-but-not-bad feeling you wake up with, and why sleep can feel like stepping onto another plane. Then we swing back into Sweet Tea After Dark chaos with podcast milestone talk, a quick zodiac tangent, and a little rant therapy about dealing with rude people in the wild.  If you’ve ever smelled a familiar scent out of nowhere, heard a voice in your head, or woken up whispering “thank you for visiting,” you’ll feel seen here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves paranormal podcasts, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.