Shows
Nightwatch Files#38: The Privilege of Pain: From Mormon Mommy Vlogger to Convicted AbuserA high-definition window into a life of absolute order was broadcast to millions, presenting a vision of modern parenting that many sought to emulate. This digital storefront sold a brand of intentional living where every movement was tracked and every child followed a clockwork routine. While the daily uploads showcased a picture of stability, the internal dynamics of the household were undergoing a cold transformation.The 6:30 a.m. rehearsals and rigid preparation cycles provided the foundation for a domestic hierarchy where authority became the only metric that mattered. This account follows the transition from a highly disciplined home...
2026-02-081h 38
Nightwatch Files#37: City Under Siege - The Search for The Phoenix Serial ShootersContent warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence against humans and animals.Between May 2005 and August 2006, Phoenix, Arizona lived in fear as two men in a silver Toyota Camry hunted victims at random. They killed eight people and countless animals in what they called "Random Recreational Violence"—shooting pedestrians, bicyclists, homeless men, dogs, and horses across the metropolitan area.The breakthrough came from an unlikely source: Detective Cliff Jewell, known as the "pet detective," matched .22-caliber shell casings from a dog shooting to those found at human murder scenes, proving the animal attacks and ho...
2026-01-311h 56
Nightwatch Files#36: The 1980s Burger King Shooting of Marie GrossmanIn 1987, Marie Grossman was the embodiment of the American dream: a trailblazing attorney, a devoted mother, and a woman who had meticulously built a life of stability and purpose. But on a foggy December evening, a routine stop for fast food on her way to her son's wrestling match placed her directly in the path of two men with a loaded revolver and a terrifying history of "asset card" abductions.This episode explores the intersection of two vastly different lives—a high-achieving professional and a nineteen-year-old former basketball star who believed the rules no longer applied to him. Wh...
2026-01-251h 56
Nightwatch FilesBonus: The Mother Who Hunted a Deadly Cartel in Search of her Daughter’s CaptorsWhen her daughter was kidnapped by the notorious Zeta cartel, Mexican mother Miriam Rodríguez embarked on a relentless quest for justice. Armed with disguises, determination, and unwavering courage, she tracked down those responsible, confronting one of Mexico's most dangerous criminal organizations.This episode delves into Miriam's extraordinary journey, following her transformation from caring mother to fearless vigilante.Join us as we explore the true story of Miriam Rodríguez, a tale of love, loss, and the indomitable spirit of a mother who refused to back down.For more information on this case, we re...
2026-01-101h 36
Nightwatch FilesA quick note from the host with some news about the show.A quick note from the host with some news about the show. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNW
2026-01-0703 min
Nightwatch Files#35: Bonnie and Clyde - The Unglamorous Truth Behind the Folk HeroesIn the depths of the Great Depression, two young people from the West Dallas slums began a crime spree that would captivate a desperate nation. Bonnie Parker was a nineteen-year-old waitress with dreams of becoming a poet. Clyde Barrow was a twenty-one-year-old car thief who had just emerged from one of Texas's most brutal prison farms.What started as petty theft in 1930 escalated into a two-year rampage of bank robberies, kidnappings, and violence that spanned five states. As bodies accumulated and law enforcement agencies struggled to coordinate across jurisdictions, the couple became front-page news. The media transformed them...
2025-12-211h 46
Nightwatch Files#34: The Slenderman Case - A Dark Side of CreepypastaOn May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a twelve-year-old girl was found lying on a trail, bleeding from nineteen stab wounds. She told the cyclist who discovered her that her two best friends had lured her into the woods and attacked her. When asked why, the girls gave an explanation that seemed impossible: they said they had done it for Slenderman—a fictional character created on an internet forum years earlier.This is the story of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, two children who became convinced that a creepypasta legend was real. It's the story of how online fiction can bl...
2025-12-141h 55
Nightwatch Files#33: Murder in Belle Haven - Who Killed Martha Moxley?On Halloween morning in 1975, fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley was found dead beneath a tree in her family's yard in Belle Haven, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Greenwich, Connecticut. She had been beaten to death with a golf club the night before, just hours after participating in harmless Mischief Night pranks with friends.The murder weapon was traced to a set of clubs belonging to a wealthy neighboring family with connections to American political royalty. Multiple witnesses placed Martha with members of that family on the night she died. But as detectives began their investigation, they encountered resistance...
2025-12-061h 46
Nightwatch Files#32: The Wallace Case - Britain's Impossible MurderOn a cold January night in 1931, William Herbert Wallace returned to his Liverpool home to find his wife Julia brutally murdered in their parlor. The investigation seemed straightforward at first—a mysterious phone call had lured Wallace across town while the killer struck. But as police dug deeper, they uncovered a web of contradictions that would make this case one of the most controversial in British legal history.Was Wallace a devoted husband caught in an elaborate trap, or a calculating killer who orchestrated the perfect alibi? The evidence pointed in both directions. Witnesses saw Julia alive when Wa...
2025-11-231h 17
Nightwatch Files#31: The Many Lives of Lori Erica KennedyOn Christmas Eve morning, 2010, a family in East Texas makes a devastating discovery in their driveway. But the tragedy is only the beginning.When relatives search the deceased woman's home days later, they find a locked strongbox hidden at the bottom of a craft supplies container. Inside are documents, photographs, and cryptic scraps of paper.What follows is a years-long investigation involving a determined federal agent, cutting-edge forensic science, and thousands of amateur detectives on the internet, all trying to answer a seemingly simple question: Who was she?The trail leads through stolen identities...
2025-11-151h 13
Nightwatch Files#30: Justice For Bonnie 17 Years LaterOn September 28, 1994, eighteen-year-old Bonnie Craig disappeared while walking to catch the bus to her classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage. That afternoon, her body was discovered floating in the water at McHugh Creek. Alaska State Troopers initially ruled her death a hiking accident, but her mother Karen knew immediately—this was murder.When Karen received the devastating phone call at 3 AM while on a boat in Florida, more than 3,000 miles from home, she demanded answers. Despite evidence of sexual assault, defensive wounds, and eleven blunt force trauma injuries to Bonnie's head, the case went cold. For seventeen ye...
2025-11-091h 34
Nightwatch Files#29: The Man Named JohnSecurity cameras capture a silver vehicle following a woman from a church parking lot, maintaining a careful distance. Seventeen seconds after she leaves, the car pulls out behind her. When she arrives home and opens her garage door, what unfolds in those next moments will nearly cost her everything.What investigators will later uncover is a plot involving multiple criminals, millions in embezzled money, and someone determined to make her death look like an accident. But as detectives trace prepaid phones and cash transactions back through time, they discover the conspiracy didn't start recently—it began while she wa...
2025-10-1851 min
Nightwatch Files#28: The Woman They Could Not SilenceA brilliant young woman becomes the principal of a prestigious school by age nineteen. Her crime? Using her mind too well.When she dares to challenge her husband's authority in public, voicing opinions that contradict his teachings, he finds a legal solution to silence her permanently. In 1860s America, disagreeing with your husband could be diagnosed as insanity. No trial was required. No defense was permitted. A signature was all it took.Locked away in an asylum, she discovers she's far from alone. Hundreds of women have been committed for similar "symptoms"—reading novels, expressing political op...
2025-10-1156 min
The UnderdogEpisode 440: A Potentially Horrible NightOpening & Phillies Recap (00:41–07:30)Chris and Matt open the episode reflecting on Philadelphia sports emotions. They recap the previous night’s Phillies win over the Dodgers, focusing on Bryce Harper’s home-run drought, solid offensive output versus Yamamoto and Kershaw, and pitching confidence in Christopher Sanchez. They note Phillies’ +114 underdog status at the oddsmakers, and Harper’s +320 home-run odds. Matt jokes about betting winnings funding a $1,500 LAB putter.Philly Sports Triple Threat Night (07:30–15:00)Discussion shifts to the rare night featuring Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers all playing. Matt worries about “a perfect storm of sadness” if al...
2025-10-0933 minNightwatch FilesHarper has a brief update for listeners.A quick note from the host with some news about the show.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNW
2025-10-0801 min
Nightwatch Files#27: Death in Central ParkIt started as a typical summer night at an Upper East Side bar. By morning, one teenager would be dead and another would be under arrest.The case would become a media sensation, sparking fierce debates about wealth, privilege, and justice. It would expose the dark underbelly of Manhattan's prep school scene. And it would introduce a controversial legal defense that would divide a city and change the conversation about violence forever.But what actually happened between the bar and the crime scene? The truth is far more complex than the headlines suggest.Become...
2025-10-041h 06
Nightwatch Files#26: The Temple Family Tragedy - A Football Dynasty's Darkest HourIn January 1999, a 911 call shattered the quiet of a Texas suburb. A high school football coach returned home to find his pregnant wife shot dead in what appeared to be a burglary gone wrong. The victim was eight months pregnant, beloved by her students as a special education teacher, and preparing excitedly for the birth of her daughter.The husband was local royalty—a former star linebacker turned respected coach from a football dynasty family. The community rallied around him in his darkest hour, supporting a man they saw as the embodiment of their values: tough, dedicated, and ho...
2025-09-271h 10
Nightwatch Files#25: Craigslist Nightmare - When Online Ads Turn FatalWhen a young woman from Las Vegas checked into an upscale Boston hotel in April 2009, she thought she was just conducting business as usual. Instead, she found herself zip-tied on a hotel room floor, staring down the barrel of a gun held by a tall, well-dressed man who spoke with unsettling politeness while systematically robbing her.Five days later, another woman would cross paths with the same predator. This time, the encounter would end in murder.Both victims had one thing in common: they had posted advertisements on Craigslist.Within hours, surveillance photos emerged...
2025-09-201h 22
Nightwatch Files#24: Murder on the Cliff - The Hart Family CaseOn March 26, 2018, emergency responders discovered the wreckage of an SUV at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff along California's Pacific Coast Highway. Inside were the bodies of two adults and three children. Three more children remained missing and unaccounted for.What initially appeared to be a tragic accident would soon reveal itself as something far more sinister—the culmination of a decade-long pattern of systematic abuse that had been hidden behind a carefully crafted public image of love and acceptance.This case exposes the catastrophic failures of America's child welfare system, examining how six vulnerable children we...
2025-09-071h 22
Nightwatch Files#23: Betsy Faria: Murder, Deception, and an Unlikely SuspectA chilling crime, a wrongful conviction, and secrets hidden in plain sight.In December 2011, Betsy Faria was found murdered in her Missouri home. What followed was a case filled with shocking twists — wrongful convictions, hidden motives, and a story that captured national attention.This episode examines the murder of Betsy Faria, the investigation that went off course, and the chain of events that exposed one of the most notorious true crime stories in America.Was justice served, or did the real story remain hidden for years?Join us as we unravel the murder of Be...
2025-08-301h 34
Nightwatch Files#22: Murder at Loose Chippings: Death, Lies, and an International ManhuntA brutal double homicide that spiraled into betrayal, confessions, and an international manhunt. In the mid-1980s, a well-to-do couple were found savagely murdered inside their quiet Virginia home. Both had been stabbed dozens of times in what investigators described as one of the most vicious crimes the region had ever seen. Their daughter quickly became central to the investigation, along with her boyfriend, a foreign exchange student.What began as a shocking double homicide soon spiraled into an international case involving confessions, retractions, claims of innocence, and decades of legal battles. The murders remain among...
2025-08-161h 44
Nightwatch Files#21: The Murder That Revealed a Daughter’s Secret LifeA life built on lies, a murder that shocked the world—uncover the truth behind one of the most disturbing family crimes in recent history.A woman is found dead inside her home—stabbed multiple times, left in a pool of blood. Her daughter, who is believed to be severely disabled and dependent on a wheelchair, is missing. So is the chair. An alert is issued, and fears quickly grow: has she been abducted, or is she in danger herself?When authorities finally locate her, the scene is not what anyone expected. She’s walking—unaided—and health...
2025-08-021h 19
Nightwatch Files#20: The Mother and the Midnight Road - Shots in the Dark"A mother’s story. A quiet road. And a truth no one wanted to hear."May 1983 – Springfield, Oregon.A red car pulls into the emergency bay of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital. Inside are three young children—each shot at close range. One is dead on arrival. Another is paralyzed. The third is barely clinging to life. Their mother, 27-year-old Diane Downs, tells staff they were ambushed on a dark, rural road by a man who stepped into their path, demanded her car, and opened fire.News of the shooting spreads quickly. A mother attacked. Her children the vi...
2025-07-121h 05
Nightwatch FilesBefore the Silence: A Message You’ll Want to HearAn important message from show host Harper Finley.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining...
2025-07-1102 min
Nightwatch Files#19: The Mortician and the Widow: Trust, Control, and the Cost of SilenceNothing seemed wrong—until someone opened the garage.In a quiet East Texas town, an elderly woman vanished without explanation. Months passed. Her home sat undisturbed, her absence explained away—until a routine welfare check uncovered something chilling inside a taped-shut garage freezer. This episode unpacks the unsettling mystery that followed, the town’s unusual reaction, and the chain of events that would eventually capture national attention and inspire a Hollywood film. A story of isolation, control, and a community forced to confront what lay beneath the surface.Keywords: Texas true crime, freezer mystery, small town disapp...
2025-07-0548 min
Nightwatch Files#18: The Angel of Death on Silver Leopard FarmShe claimed God sent her to kill pedophiles. Two men ended up dead. This episode investigates the disturbing case of Sheila LaBarre — and the chilling belief system she used to justify murder.A quiet New Hampshire farm. A woman claiming to be an avenging angel. And a series of gruesome crimes that stunned a small town and the nation.This episode unpacks the case of Sheila LaBarre — how she targeted vulnerable men, lured them with promises of care, and subjected them to escalating abuse and psychological torment before taking their lives.Through police reports, cour...
2025-06-2859 min
Nightwatch Files#17: Real Life Mean Girls - Screenshots, Secrets, and a Locked Bedroom DoorWhat happens when teenage loyalty turns into something else?When 16-year-old Skylar Neese vanished from her West Virginia home in July 2012, police first suspected she had run away. But as days passed and her closest friends offered matching stories—and inconsistent timelines—investigators began to suspect something far darker. This episode unpacks the unraveling of a friendship, the mounting lies, and the shocking confession that revealed everything.LISTEN AD-FREE AND A DAY EARLY ON - https://patreon.com/NightwatchFileswww.nightwatchfiles.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podc...
2025-06-211h 16
Nightwatch Files#16: He Got Away With It. Until One Ominous Friday the 13thHe charmed, lied, and vanished into plain sight. Long before his face made front pages, there were warning signs—disturbing, violent, and ignored. This is the story of what was missed, and the darkness that followed.In this episode we examine the disturbing early years of serial predator Christopher Wilder, known as the "Beauty Queen Killer." Before his deadly 1984 cross-country spree, Wilder left a trail of warning signs—allegations of abuse, sexual violence, and manipulation spanning from Australia to Florida. We explore his volatile marriage, suspicious attempts on his wife's life, and his early use of modeling scams to e...
2025-06-141h 04
Nightwatch Files#15: She Posted Every Day. Until She Didn’t. The Anastasia Grishman StoryHer fans thought she was taking a break. Her friends thought she was busy. But behind the silence, something had gone terribly wrong.When Russian influencer Anastasia Grishman—known online as “grshmn”—suddenly went silent on TikTok and OnlyFans, her absence raised few alarms. But behind her carefully curated posts and growing digital presence, something was deeply wrong.Anastasia had been living in St. Petersburg, balancing work as a tattoo artist with an increasingly public life in adult content creation. At her side was her boyfriend, a man who managed her bookings, her income, and much of her l...
2025-06-0745 min
Nightwatch Files#14: The Truckee Street Murders - A Fatal Mistake at 2:40 A.M.Five lives lost in the dead of night. What looked like a targeted act was only the beginning of the real horror.In August 2020, a fire tore through a home on Truckee Street in Denver’s Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, killing five members of a Senegalese-American family, including two young children. Investigators quickly suspected arson—and soon, disturbing evidence began to surface: surveillance footage of masked figures fleeing the scene, a gas can, and signs of a fire set with intent.But as detectives pieced together the timeline and evidence, a deeper question emerged: why this hous...
2025-05-3138 min
Nightwatch Files#13: The Unnamed Passenger - Inside the 20-Year Search for Grateful DoeAn unidentified Grateful Dead fan. A fatal crash. A mystery that took 20 years to solve.In June 1995, a fatal car crash on a quiet Virginia highway left behind two unidentified victims. One of them—a young man with ticket stubs to a Grateful Dead concert and a note signed by two women named Caroline—remained nameless for two decades. Known only as Grateful Doe, his case became one of the most widely discussed mysteries in the online true crime community.This episode traces the long road to uncovering Grateful Doe’s identity, from the early police sketch...
2025-05-2456 min
Nightwatch FilesQuick message from show host Harper FinleyQuick message from show host Harper FinleyLISTEN EARLY AND AD-FREE ON - https://patreon.com/NightwatchFileswww.nightwatchfiles.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesP...
2025-05-2200 min
Nightwatch Files#12: The Red Light Bandit: Crime, Dictatorship, and SilenceIn pitch black, the eerie red beam of a flashlight meant one thing: he was already inside.In this episode, we examine the true story of João Acácio Pereira da Costa — the man who would become known across Brazil as the Red Light Bandit. Set against the backdrop of 1960s São Paulo and Baixada Santista, this episode explores how social inequality, urban migration, and post-coup authoritarianism shaped both the city and the criminals it produced. João Acácio didn’t emerge in a vacuum. His actions — a string of high-profile robberies that terrified the public and...
2025-05-1655 min
Nightwatch Files#11: The Kill Code - A Bloody Attack Planned in a ChatroomDive into a harrowing tale of digital deception and hidden danger in this gripping true crime episode. When two strangers connect in an anonymous online chatroom, their seemingly harmless friendship takes a sinister turn, unraveling a chilling web of lies, manipulation, and fatal consequences. Explore how investigators untangled a labyrinth of encrypted messages, fabricated identities, and cryptic clues to expose a shocking truth lurking behind the screen. This episode unpacks the psychological twists, forensic breakthroughs, and haunting questions surrounding one of the internet’s most unsettling cold cases. Perfect for fans of cyber mysteries, unsolved crimes, and sto...
2025-05-0936 min