Investigation: Homicide

Episode 35: The Disappearance of Gregory Varnado

A missing man. A burned-out car. And a quiet Mississippi county holding its breath.
 
Gregory Varnado vanished in August 2024. Weeks later—his remains were found in the ashes of his burned-out vehicle.
 
Now, Lawrence County Sheriff Ryan Everett takes us inside the investigation… and the unanswered question: What happened to Greg Varnado?
 
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This is Investigation: Homicide. New episode streaming now, brought to you by Daniel Anderson and Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #34 – Hate, a bathtub, and a stubborn coroner

On May 24, 1992, 39-year-old nurse and mother of two, Gail Mosby, was found dead in her bathtub in Jackson, Mississippi. Initially believed to be a suicide, the scene raised red flags—shallow water, blood in the tub, and a small bruise on her body. Investigators soon uncovered a chilling truth: Gail's death wasn’t self-inflicted but the result of a deadly conspiracy.  
 
Our friend, Retired JPD Detective Charlie Smith, joins us to discuss this case that was featured Sunday on Oxygen's "Snapped," and to give us the story behind the story.
 
This podcast is produced by Daniel Anderson and Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 33 - Building Bridges: Crime Prevention & Community Outreach with Captain Christian Vance

In this episode of Investigation: Homicide, Nicole and Amanda sit down with Captain Christian Vance of the Jackson Police Department, a dedicated law enforcement leader passionate about reducing crime and strengthening ties between officers and the community they serve.
 
Captain Vance shares his insight on the challenges facing Jackson, Mississippi, including rising crime rates, youth involvement in criminal activity, and the importance of early intervention. He discusses innovative youth outreach initiatives, community-driven policing strategies, and the vital role of trust between citizens and law enforcement in solving crimes and preventing violence.
 
From personal stories in the field to practical solutions aimed at steering young people away from dangerous paths, this conversation offers a unique look at how collaboration, empathy, and proactive policing can help make our communities safer.
 
This podcast is produced by Daniel Anderson of Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode #32 - Fleeing the Scene: The Hunt for Yerby Hughes

This week, join the ladies of Investigation: Homicide as they sit down with Walthall County Detective Justin Dyar to dig into the chilling case of Yerby Hughes, the man who murdered Chad Bryant and then vanished into the woods of rural Mississippi.
How did Hughes slip through law enforcement’s fingers after leaving the scene in his victim’s truck? And what led to his dramatic capture in an abandoned shed—just 48 hours after the crime?
Investigator Dyar recounts the twists, the tracking, and the team effort that brought a killer to justice.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Anderson and Audio Alchemy Productions.

Episode 31 -- "Beneath the Surface: The Case of Wayne 'Kysten' Fiddis"

Oxford is a college town full of all kinds of people from all over the state. Sometimes that can make certain crimes harder to investigate in the cross-section of Mississippi humanity. Tonight, Therese Apel and Nicole Kral look into the investigation led by Oxford Police Department’s Lt. Mark Hodges, who found himself unraveling a case of attacks, burglaries, and other odd occurrences in Oxford and neighboring Union County.
Wayne “Kysten” Fiddis of Holly Springs appeared to be just an average guy, fairly unassuming, and mostly off the radar. But when police realized the connections between several burglaries and assaults in 2020, one victim’s razor-sharp memory and the work of a gifted police sketch artist set the case into motion. As Lt. Hodges and his team followed the trail, DNA evidence and a pattern of similarities across cases began to emerge.
Join us as we explore how persistence, intuition, and a few key breakthroughs led authorities to uncover the truth behind the man who could easily disappear into the background.
This podcast is produced by Daniel Anderson and Audio Alchemy Productions.

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.