Investigation: Homicide

Episode 30 - Can One Leader Save a City? Chief Joseph Wade and the Fight to Restore JPD

Jackson, Mississippi — a city long marked by both triumph and turbulence — has seen its share of highs and lows. At the heart of its evolving story stands the Jackson Police Department, an institution as tested as the city itself. After years of strain under a troubled administration that many within law enforcement say pushed the department to the brink, a new chapter is underway at City Hall.
 
With the retention of Chief Joseph Wade at JPD, optimism is cautiously building Chief Wade has been tasked with — and is succeeding at — restoring stability to the department, rebuilding morale, and addressing a growing need for accountability and public trust.
 
Tonight, on Investigation: Homicide, Chief Wade sits down with us to talk about his plans to recruit new and veteran officers, strengthen partnerships with neighboring agencies, and reestablish confidence in Jackson’s police force.
 
As the city looks to the future, the question remains: can one strong leader bring lasting change to a department — and a community — in need of both?
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 29 — Justice Delayed Still Comes: Serial Rapist Daniel Ray Skaggs

In this true story from Rankin County, Mississippi, Chief Medical Examiner David Ruth tells us how a decades-old mystery was finally solved through groundbreaking forensic genetic genealogy. Follow the harrowing 1990 case of a young waitress known as “Jane,” whose courage helped crack open a serial rapist’s identity after years of silence. Discover how science, perseverance, and a fight for justice converged to bring resolution to a survivor and accountability to a predator. Also, we find out how it's connected to the infamous Shondra May case.
Justice may be delayed, but it isn’t denied.
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 28 - Prescription for Murder: The Starkville Walmart Shooting of Dr. Shauna Witt

In 2018, a peaceful afternoon inside a Starkville, Mississippi Walmart turned into a nightmare. Dr. Shauna Witt, a beloved optometrist, was gunned down while seeing a patient in her clinic just shortly after ending her relationship with William “Tommy” Chisholm.
 
In this episode, we sit down with Sergeant John Michael Lay, the lead investigator who supervised the scene and directed the collection of key evidence that helped secure a capital murder conviction. He walks us through the critical first moments after the shooting, how the crime scene was processed, and the chilling timeline that unfolded inside those Walmart walls.
 
It took jurors just 26 minutes to return a guilty verdict. But behind that swift justice was a meticulous investigation and a story of heartbreak, obsession, and a woman who tried to move on.
 
This case is as public as it is personal. And it’s one Mississippi won’t forget.
 
#InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrimePodcast #ShaunaWitt #JusticeForShauna #StarkvilleMS #DomesticViolenceAwareness #HomicideInvestigation #WalmartShooting #CapitalMurder #MississippiCrime
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 27 - Guarding the Interstates: The Madison/Rankin County Criminal Interdiction Team

Every day, hundreds of thousands of vehicles travel Mississippi’s interstates. Most of them are occupied by honest, well-meaning citizens, but a small percentage contain cartel drugs, kidnapped minors, and wanted suspects. The members of the Madison Rankin County Criminal Interdiction team encounter them all. Well, what they do is largely misunderstood; it is vital. Today Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson talk with members of the team about what a normal day looks like.
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 26 -The Heather Spencer Case: Justice on Trawick Drive

In 2007, a chilling discovery shook Jackson, Mississippi. The body of Mary Heather Spencer was found inside a home on Trawick Drive, a property tied to her boyfriend’s family. What began as a tragic crime scene quickly unfolded into a high-profile homicide investigation that would become a landmark case in the conversation around domestic violence.
In this episode, we sit down with former JPD Homicide Investigator Derrick Jordan, the man who helped bring the truth to light and put Heather’s killer behind bars. He takes us through the intense investigation, the key moments that broke the case, and the legacy Heather left behind through the work of “Heather’s TREE,” a group that continues to raise awareness about domestic violence today.
This story is gripping, heartbreaking, and deeply important.
#InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrimePodcast #HeatherSpencer #DomesticViolenceAwareness #JusticeServed #JacksonMississippi #HomicideFiles #ColdCaseCracked #HeathersTREE
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 25 - Talking through it: The role of the Crisis Intervention Team

The situation is chilling: A suspect has barricaded himself in a building and he has hostages. Law enforcement need to resolve the problem quickly and without any injuries, but it seems a daunting task. Today, Therese Apel talks to co-host Amanda Johansson and Sgt. Terri’s Thomas about the work they do on the Crisis Intervention Team — the job more commonly known as “The Negotiator.”
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 24 - It still echoes

In this riveting episode of Investigation: Homicide, District Attorney Brendon Adams joins us to discuss a case that rocked Lincoln County to its core. Corey Godbolt went on a killing spree during the memorial Day weekend of 2017, and by the time he was done, 8 people were dead, including Lincoln County Deputy William Durr. But before the day was over, he confessed to Durr’s murder on Therese Apel‘s camera. Godbolt got what was coming to him at trial in 2020, ending up being sentenced to four life sentences and four death sentences.
Adams walks us through that harrowing weekend and the impact of those events on the community.
 
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2017/06/06/see-uncut-footage-arrest-alleged-spree-killer-cory-godbolt/375399001/
 
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2017/05/28/man-sought-death-lincoln-deputy-multiple-others-allegedly-has-16-year-old-hostage/352133001/
 
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ms-supreme-court/115910331.html
 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/30/mississippi-shooting-hero/353528001/
 
https://www.wlbt.com/2020/02/25/closing-arguments-happening-today-godbolt-trial/?outputType=amp
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions

Episode #23, Behind the Badge: The Sacrifice of Service with Detective Charlie Smith

May 15 marks National Peace Officers Memorial Day—a time set aside to honor those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. In this special episode, retired Jackson Police Department Detective Charlie Smith sits down with hosts Therese Apel and Nicole Kral to reflect on what it truly means to serve and protect. From high-stakes investigations to the personal toll that comes with wearing the badge, Detective Smith shares powerful stories from his decorated career and the deeper cost of standing in the gap between right and wrong.
This episode is a tribute not just to the fallen, but to every officer who answers the call with courage and commitment.
#InvestigationHomicidePodcast #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay #LawEnforcementLife #TrueCrimePodcast #BehindTheBadge #JacksonMS #DetectiveCharlieSmith #PoliceStories #ThinBlueLine
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 22: Investigation: Homicide—The Walter Simpson Case Unveiled

In this gripping episode, Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson sit down with Madison/Rankin County DA Bubba Bramlett and Assistant DA Scott Rogillio to unravel the chilling case against Walter Simpson. Driven by rejection and resentment, Simpson’s carefully crafted alibi couldn’t withstand the relentless detective work that exposed his involvement in the 2018 murders of Falonda Jobe-Simpson and her daughter Davonda Washington. Join us as we delve into how justice was served through dedication and skilled investigation.
 
Click HERE for all podcast and social media links! https://linktr.ee/investigationhomicide
 
#InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrime #WalterSimpson #FamilyTragedy #Justice #CrimePodcast #MurderCase #DetectiveWork #LegalJustice #TrueCrimeCommunity
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions. 

Episode 21: Cold Case Cracked—The Arrest in Shondra May’s 40-Year Mystery

For nearly four decades, the murder of Shondra May has haunted central Mississippi—until now. In this powerful new episode of Investigation: Homicide, Sheriff Mike Lee and Chief Deputy Brad Ellis return to the studio to sit down with Therese Apel and walk us through the shocking arrest of Rubin Weeks, a former suspect who had vanished into the shadows… until justice came knocking. Weeks, found living in Madison, was previously imprisoned in Missouri for a crime eerily similar to Shondra’s case.
 
From early suspicions to groundbreaking developments, discover the behind-the-scenes strategies, gut instincts, and relentless pursuit that finally brought a suspect into custody.
 
Join us live at 5 and bring your questions—this is one case you don’t want to miss.
 
#ColdCaseSolved #ShondraMay #RubinWeeks #ScottCountySheriff #InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrimePodcast #JusticeForShondra #ColdCaseBreakthrough #ThereseApel #MississippiCrime #HomicideInvestigation
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.