Investigation: Homicide

Episode #57 — Until they all come home: Updating the Alex Easterling case

Tonight on Investigation: Homicide, we revisit the case of Alex Easterling, a missing man from Pickens whose disappearance continues to raise questions for his family and community.
 
Joining us is his mother, Ashley Martin, who shares the latest developments in her son’s case and the ongoing search for answers. She also discusses new efforts she’s leading to support other families facing the heartbreak of missing loved ones, turning her personal tragedy into a mission to help others.
 
As the investigation continues, Martin speaks candidly about the challenges, the unanswered questions, and why she believes the truth is still out there.
 
Anyone with information about Robert “Alex” Easterling’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 827-4637.
 
This episode is sponsored by Southern Connection Police Supplies, protecting and serving those who protect and servce. We are produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #56 - The last ride: Justice for Sonja

A woman's body is found in the road in Rankin County. No one knows how she got there. Was it a hit-and-run? An accident? Investigators are left with more questions than answers — until the phone rings.
Tonight, hosts Therese Apel and Sara Perkins sit down with Rankin County Coroner David Ruth, who worked the case as a Brandon Police officer, to talk about the night Sonja Stapleton was found and the investigation that followed. What started as a mystery on a dark Mississippi road would eventually lead somewhere no one expected.
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #55 - Malice in Monroe: What happened to Mandy Hsiao?

Tonight on Investigation: Homicide, Therese Apel breaks down the latest developments in the murder trial of Ming Chen Hsiao.
The case centers on Quinton Tellis, also known as the primary suspect in the Jessica Chambers case, as the first week of testimony wrapped Friday in a bench trial that has already raised serious questions.
Joining the conversation tonight is defense attorney Lance Mixon of Stewart and Associates, offering a defense attorney’s perspective on what we’ve seen so far and what it could mean moving forward.
With court now awaiting a date to resume proceedings, what happens next? And more importantly, how strong is the case against Tellis, really?
Therese is joined by co-host Amanda Johansson to walk through the most critical moments from the courtroom, break down the evidence and testimony, and take your questions live.
Join the conversation, tune in tonight and come ready with questions.
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions. 

Episode #54 - Forged in Fire: sheriff Tyree Jones talks about the murder of Lyneil Vaughn

This week on Investigation: Homicide, hosts Therese Apel and Nicole Kral sit down with Sheriff Tyree Jones, who takes us back to his days as a Jackson Police Department detective working the 2007 murder of Lyneil Deshun Vaughn.
Vaughn, who was disabled, was found burned and rolled up in a blanket — the tragic end to a horrific crime that began as a kidnapping. Three suspects were ultimately charged, but the case would test the resolve, instincts, and teamwork of the detectives who worked it.
It’s a story that not only reveals the dark side of human nature but also the strength of those who stand against it. The investigation into Lyneil Vaughn’s murder became a defining moment for a group of detectives who are now leaders across the Jackson metro area — including Sheriff Tyree Jones himself.
🎧 Join us as we revisit a case that still haunts those who worked it, and hear how it helped shape the future of law enforcement in Mississippi.
Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments!
 
This episode, like all our others, is brought to you by The Southern Connection Police Supplies, serving and protecting Mississippi first responders so they can serve and protect us.
 
#InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrimePodcast #JacksonMS #SheriffTyreeJones #LyneilVaughn #MississippiJustice #LawEnforcementStories #TrueCrime
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.
 

Episode #53: Protecting Mississippi's future and other legislative updates.

Mississippi’s fight over first responder retirement benefits is heating up at the Capitol — and tonight we’re breaking down what it means for the people on the front lines.
 
On this episode of Investigation: Homicide, hosts Therese Apel and Nicole Kral are joined by Southern States Police Benevolence Association President Andy Matuszewski, also known to many in law enforcement as “Ski.”
Matuszewski will discuss the progress of several bills currently moving through the Mississippi Legislature that could directly affect first responders across the state. One of the biggest debates centers around Tier 5 of the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS).
 
The changes placed many newer first responders into a 35-year retirement plan with reduced benefits, and law enforcement leaders say that shift is already affecting recruitment and retention in agencies across Mississippi. Matuszewski will explain why public safety organizations believe the system puts officers, deputies and other first responders at a disadvantage compared to previous tiers — and how a coalition of public safety groups has been working to push for reforms.
 
But the conversation doesn’t stop there.
 
Therese and Nicole will also talk with Matuszewski about other key public safety issues making their way through the Legislature, including the ongoing push to allow radar use for sheriff’s departmentsand how proposed laws could impact policing, staffing and community safety statewide.
 
If you want to understand what’s happening behind the scenes at the Capitol — and how those decisions affect the men and women protecting Mississippi communities — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
 
This episode, like all our others, is brought to you by The Southern Connection Police Supplies, serving and protecting Mississippi first responders so they can serve and protect us.
 
New episodes of Investigation: Homicide drop wherever you listen to podcasts.
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions. 

Episode #52: Unjustifiable Homicide: The Jack Donald Cole Case.

On this episode of Investigation: Homicide, Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson sit down with Byron Swilley, sheriff of Copiah County, to take a deep dive into the case of Jack Donald Cole — a case that raises difficult questions about self-defense, property rights and the limits of Mississippi’s Castle Doctrine.
 
Jesse James Chapman knew someone had been slipping onto his property to steal catalytic converters. What he didn’t know was what would unfold the day he came face to face with suspected trespassers. Chapman walked away from that encounter — but weeks later, Cole was dead.
 
This story is about a shooting — was it justified? Or did it cross a legal line?
Sheriff Swilley walks listeners through the timeline of events, the evidence investigators uncovered and how Mississippi law applies when someone claims they were protecting their property. We break down what the Castle Doctrine actually says (and what it doesn’t) in a case that sits at the intersection of fear, firearms and the fine print of the law.
 
It’s a story about confrontation, consequences and the gray areas that can turn a property dispute into a homicide investigation.
 
Many thanks to The Southern Connection Police Supplies for making this important conversation possible.The Southern Connection is Mississippi’s Glock Distributor for law enforcement and specializes in the sale of firearms (new and used), custom vehicle graphics and lighting by an ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician, police supplies, SWAT gear, tactical uniforms, laser engraving, custom embroidery, apparel, patch and badge design, and more. They are Mississippi’s destination for law enforcement supplies and vehicle outfitting!
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode # 51 - Back To Back Murders: Inside the Rapid-Fire Investigation with Rankin County’s Tyler Burnell

August 2025: Two front doors kicked in. Two men shot multiple times inside their own homes. One suspect who would ultimately confess to both killings.
Tonight on Investigation: Homicide, Therese Apel and Nicole Kral Woods sit down with Rankin County Investigator Tyler Burnell to walk through the chilling case that stunned Rankin and Madison counties and ended with a rare courtroom moment: a double guilty plea to murder and capital murder just two months after the crimes were committed.
Investigator Burnell gives listeners an inside look at how the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department and the Brandon Police Department worked together with urgency and precision to build the case and ensure the families saw justice.
This episode is about coordination, confession, and swift closure. Join us as we take you inside the investigation.
This episode is brought to you by The Southern Connection Police Supplies
274 Commerce Park Dr, Ridgeland, MS 39157
www.thesouthernconnection.com
(601) 853-3106
 
#InvestigationHomicide #TrueCrimePodcast #MississippiCrime #RankinCounty #MadisonCountyMS #TrueCrimeCommunity #BehindTheInvestigation #LawEnforcement #JusticeServed #PodcastRelease
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions. 

Episode #50: Human Trafficking in Mississippi: Separating Fact from Fiction

Human trafficking is dominating headlines around the world — dramatic rescues, sweeping arrests, viral claims. But what does human trafficking actually look like here in Mississippi?
On tonight’s episode of Investigation: Homicide, hosts Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson sit down with Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Favian Jones, the supervisor of her Human Trafficking Task Force, for a grounded, no-nonsense conversation about the realities behind the rhetoric.
They break down how trafficking cases really begin, who is most at risk in the Magnolia State, and why some of the most popular narratives can distract from identifying and helping real victims. The discussion also puts large-scale national and international trafficking stories into context — showing where they align with local cases, where they don’t, and why that distinction matters.
If you’re looking to separate fact from fiction and understand what Mississippians should truly be paying attention to, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
 
This episode is brought to you by The Southern Connection Police Supplies at 274 Commerce Park Dr, Ridgeland, MS 39157, Online at www.thesouthernconnection.com (http://www.thesouthernconnection.com/), or Call (601) 853-3106
#InvestigationHomicide #HumanTrafficking #Mississippi #LynnFitch #ThereseApel #AmandaJohansson #FavianJones #TrueCrimePodcast #CrimeAwareness #MagnoliaState #StopHumanTrafficking #PublicSafety #TrueCrimeCommunity
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #49 - Vanished Before Thanksgiving: The Unanswered Death of Angela Shires Barrentine

Tonight on Investigation: Homicide, brought to you by The Southern Connection Police Supplies, we sit down with Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace to revisit a case that, more than two decades later, still weighs heavily on his mind — the death of Angela Shires Barrentine.
In November 2004, the 27-year-old Vicksburg mother left home the evening before Thanksgiving to pick up cigarettes. She never returned. When she failed to show up for holiday dinner the next day, her family reported her missing, launching a search that would stretch on for months.
Angela was last reportedly seen in Edwards on Thanksgiving Day. Investigators explored numerous leads, including questions surrounding her movements and the people she encountered in the hours before she disappeared. Nearly nine months later, as water levels dropped along the Big Black River, a grim discovery brought partial answers. Angela’s 1997 Ford F-150 was found submerged and overturned in a remote area near the Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge. Her remains were inside.
One critical question has never been resolved: Was Angela’s death an accident — or a homicide?
Sheriff Pace joins us to discuss the investigation, the challenges posed by time and evidence, and why this case has never left him. What do investigators know? What remains unanswered? And could advances in forensic science finally bring clarity to a case that has haunted Warren County for more than 20 years?
Join us as we take a closer look at the enduring mystery of Angela Shires Barrentine.
 
Visit The Southern Connection Police Supplies at 274 Commerce Park Dr, Ridgeland, MS 39157, Online at www.thesouthernconnection.com, or Call (601) 853-3106
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #48: Light in The Dark - First Responders and Faith

Tonight’s episode of Investigation: Homicide steps away from case files, crime scenes, and criminals to focus on something many first responders quietly rely on every day: faith.
Tonight, Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson will host Clint Hatch, an investigator with the Rankin/Madison District Attorney’s Office, for an honest conversation about belief, resilience, and the importance of protecting mind and spirit.
Hatch will talk about how his reliance on Christ has helped him navigate the trauma, stress and despair that often accompany the life of a first responder. From scenes that linger long after the job is done to the emotional weight of seeking justice for victims, Hatch will tell us his stories about how faith has been an anchor when the work becomes overwhelming.
The episode will also highlight a project Hatch has been developing that centers on faith-based support for first responders — an effort aimed at helping others in the profession find hope, healing and purpose beyond the badge.
While Investigation: Homicide often focuses on the facts of a case, tonight’s episode looks inward, exploring how belief can sustain those who spend their careers walking alongside tragedy.
 
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.