The footprint that doesn't close: the Heam-Söring case

Natalia: five profiles, a killer State

Natalia: five profiles, a murderous State. The case of Natalia Melman, the teenager who disappeared. February 3, 2001. A 15-year-old student leaves two bars in Mar del Plata and never returns. Five distinct genetic profiles will appear on her body. The same police officers who led the search were her murderers. A forensic investigation reveals an institutional cover-up so systematic that it took 22 years to achieve definitive sentences. In this episode, we explore the impossible contradictions that define this homicide: how Natalia's body was found 800 meters from an area that the police claimed to have thoroughly searched, why a fifth DNA profile remains unidentified decades later, and how the Argentine State murdered one of its citizens and directed its own investigation. From the prohibition of disseminating images to post-mortem cut nails and a police van repainted white, every detail exposes a perfect crime that was not so perfect. Victim: Natalia Melman Date: February 3, 2001 Location: Mar del Plata, Argentina Status: Multiple convictions; one unidentified fifth suspect - Five distinct genetic profiles on the body, but none of the culprits acknowledged their actions or apologized. - The body was found exactly 800 meters from the area that the police claimed to have meticulously combed for days. - Sergeant Ricardo Panadero remained active in the police force for seven years after his DNA matched 97 percent with forensic evidence. - A law reduced El Gallo's sentence from 19 years to 4 years, while the three police officers received reductions that sparked Saturday marches for years. Natalia Melman, Mar del Plata 2001, murder, corrupt police, DNA, institutional cover-up, forensic investigation, imperfect crime, Argentine justice, criminal minds, homicide, unsolved mystery, true crime Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast without ads and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written authorization from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

Two bodies, three convicted, four DNA profiles unanswered.

Two bodies, three convicted, four DNA profiles unanswered: The homicide of Marina Menegaz and María José Coni Two young Argentine women wrapped in plastic, found 40 meters apart with two days between their deaths. When the police discovered Marina on February 25, 2016, María José was possibly still alive somewhere nearby. A forensic mystery that begins with a decision to hitchhike and ends with an investigation riddled with inconsistencies. In this episode, we explore the contradictions surrounding the case: the toxicology revealing benzodiazepines in both victims, the inexplicable change in the date of death of María José between autopsies, and the three genetic profiles found at the crime scene that were never identified. Do three convicted individuals really explain everything that happened that night, or does the true criminal network remain hidden? Victims: Marina Menegaz and María José Coni Date: February 22-27, 2016 Location: Montañita, Santa Elena Province, Ecuador Status: Convicted; case technically open - Benzodiazepine administered to both victims nullifies consent explanation in taxi - Second autopsy changed María José's death from February 22 to 25 without public justification - Three unidentified DNA profiles found at the scene not linked to any of the convicted - Femur fracture in María José incompatible with confessed version of crime in single dwelling Marina Menegaz, María José Coni, Ecuador 2016, homicide, serial killer, forensic, mystery, investigation, true crime, criminal minds, true crime Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written authorization from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

The phone that confessed a crime in the desert

The phone that confessed a crime in the desert: The murder of Leslie Palacio A disposable phone lights up in Valley of Fire, Nevada. A voluntary confession to a friend. A request for gasoline to avoid cameras. The suspect was never apprehended. How is it possible that a man who confessed to a murder to a witness, left video of his crime, geolocation, and DNA, has been on the run for over four years? In this episode, we explore the clues that point directly to Eric Rangel: the neighborhood video that captures the transfer of Leslie's body in the trunk, the blood in his room, and the recorded confession that was never enough. While the police waited 72 hours, the family investigated their own death. The question that haunts the case: why does the cause of death remain undetermined three years later? Victim: Leslie Palacio Date: August 28-29, 2020 Location: Las Vegas and Valley of Fire, Nevada Status: Suspect at large; accomplice partially convicted - Neighborhood video documents the transfer of the lifeless body in the trunk at 6:30 in the morning - Eric's disposable phone lights up in Valley of Fire the same day, with a recorded verbal confession - Cause of death remains officially "undetermined" despite toxicology pending since 2020 - Eric's father served only 8 months of a 728-day sentence for complicity Leslie Palacio, Las Vegas murder, 2020, forensic investigation, unsolved mystery, criminal truth, homicide, true crime, disappearance, incomplete justice, true crime Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and have access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written authorization from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

Throw yourself or I’ll throw you: The secret of the seventh floor

Throw yourself or I'll throw you: The secret of the seventh floor: The murder of Iván Ortiguera in Pergamino, Buenos Aires Iván Ortiguera, 16 years old, falls from the seventh floor at 9:40 AM on January 6, 2012. His boyfriend Fabián Núñez, the father of his girlfriend, admits to having shouted "throw yourself or I'll throw you" moments before. The problem: the autopsy reveals that the boy fell unconscious, making it impossible for him to jump voluntarily. How does someone who is unconscious commit suicide? In this episode, we explore the deadly contradiction that destroys the official version. Two neighbors describe from the balcony how Núñez holds Iván by the neck with half of his body outside the window, blood on his head, with no reaction whatsoever. The facial fractures prior to the fall, Tamara's scream ("don't hit him anymore"), and the forensic reconstruction reveal a brutal chase inside the apartment. Why did it take only 48 hours to release the main suspect? Victim: Iván Jesús Ortiguera Date: January 6, 2012 Location: Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Goyenas Salas 440, 7th floor) Status: Qualified homicide with premeditation. Life imprisonment (February 2014). - Neighbors Rosario and Norma heard glass breaking and the command "throw yourself or I'll throw you" from the adjacent room. - The autopsy determined fractured jaw and nasal septum before the impact, evidence of prior violence and loss of consciousness. - Núñez admitted in an interview with Clarín that he hit Iván but maintains that he jumped voluntarily. - Forensic Director Marcelino Cotier reconstructed a push by an external agent after a chase and cornering. Iván Ortiguera, Pergamino Buenos Aires, 2012, murder, investigation, forensic, mystery, homicide, autopsy, eyewitness testimony, true crime, premeditation, Spanish true crime If you want to listen to this podcast without ads and have access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written authorization from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].

The pastor who paid 400 dollars for his wife

The pastor who paid $400 for his wife: The murder of Sara Mariano in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil On the night of October 24, 2023, Sara Mariano got into a vehicle believing she was attending a women's meeting at her church. Minutes later, her body was dragged into a nearby forest. The inexplicable: her husband, Pastor Ederlan Mariano, was recording videos crying on social media asking for her to come home, while his accomplices were burning her body just minutes from their house. In this episode, we explore how a revered religious leader with 100,000 followers on Instagram orchestrated a homicide for less than $400, the network of hitmen who executed the crime, and the contradictions that unraveled his alibi: the absence of a non-existent religious event, the deleted cellphone, and the coordinated confessions of three accomplices. The church, the image of a perfect family, and social media were not tools of salvation, but of cover-up. Victim: Sara Mariano Date: October 24, 2023 Location: Salvador de Bahia, Brazil Status: Three detained; no trial date - Ederlan Mariano paid 2,000 reais (approximately $400) to three men to murder his wife after discovering an alleged infidelity. - Sara had confessed to her mother days before that she would make "a decision" about her marriage; she was later found charred on a wooded road. - The pastor recorded videos in national media asking for her to appear while her body was burning in a second burning operation ordered by him. - Víctor Gabriel, who physically restrained Sara during the stabbing, voluntarily came forward and confessed, but was released due to the absence of an arrest warrant. Sara Mariano, Salvador de Bahia, murder, evangelical pastor, femicide, 2023, criminal minds, investigation, homicide, true crime, hitmen, forensics, corruption, true crime in Spanish If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: business@obomedia.com [business@obomedia.com].