Scream and Sugar: True Crime Coffee Hour

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re unpacking one of the most controversial and emotionally charged cases of the last decade—the death of Kendrick Johnson in Valdosta, Georgia.In 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found deceased inside a rolled-up gym mat at his high school. What authorities quickly ruled an accidental death soon became the center of intense public scrutiny, conflicting forensic interpretations, and widespread allegations of foul play. As Kendrick’s family pushed for answers, the case ignited national debate over investigative practices, racial bias, and whether crucial evidence was overlooked—or intentionally ignored. Was Kendrick’s death a tragic accident, or does the truth lie somewhere deeper beneath the surface? In this episode, we walk through the known facts, the medical findings, the unanswered questions, and why this case continues to divide opinions to this day.Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!Case Notes:Good Days Cafe: https://www.gooddayscafereno.com/Documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15190622/reviews/?featured=rw7433055&ref_=tt_ururv_c_2https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/45div4/kendrick_johnsons_death_is_not_an_unresolved/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHI4Zaudbv4https://valdostadailytimes.com/2013/11/21/kendricks-final-walk/https://valdostadailytimes.com/2014/10/31/release-of-kj-autopsy-photos-questioned/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Hey Spooky Squad! Sorry for the delay. We are running on USPS time this holiday season. Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to Toronto to uncover the chilling story of Bruce McArthur—an unassuming mall Santa, landscaper, and serial killer who hid in plain sight for years.Between 2010 and 2017, men from Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community began disappearing, many of them last seen in the city’s Gay Village. Despite mounting concerns, their disappearances were repeatedly dismissed—until a shocking arrest exposed a predator who had been trusted around children, neighbors, and clients alike. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a pattern of violence, neglect, and systemic failure that allowed McArthur to continue killing unchecked. How did so many warning signs go ignored? And what does this case reveal about whose lives are prioritized—and whose are overlooked?In this episode, we examine the victims, the investigation, and the institutional blind spots that helped a killer remain invisible for far too long.Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!Case Notes: The Roost Cafe: https://www.theroostreno.com/https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/01086f21-e102-4de0-8e4b-567a13c66c5chttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47125443https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16587970/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour.Today, we’re diving into one of the most puzzling and hotly debated cases in recent true crime history—the mysterious death of Ellen Greenberg. In 2011, the 27-year-old teacher was found dead in her Philadelphia apartment with twenty stab wounds—including ten to the back of her neck. Despite the shocking details, her death was ruled a suicide, a decision that left investigators, medical experts, and the public in disbelief.Over a decade later, Ellen’s parents continue to fight for justice, pushing to reopen the case and uncover what really happened that night. Was Ellen’s death truly self-inflicted, or is this a murder hidden beneath layers of error and cover-up? In this episode, we unravel the evidence, conflicting reports, and the ongoing battle for truth that refuses to fade.Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!**CORRECTION TO ADD: the suicide loss survivor community has update the verbiage from "committed" to "died of". This episode was recorded prior to that correction, but it will be fixed in future episodes. We appreciate the community for letting us know and will adjust that in all future cases!**Case Notes: Big Kitchen Cafe: https://judysbigkitchen.com/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7400770/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20202068/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3728425/https://www.reddit.com/r/EllenGreenberg/comments/1nzricr/timeline_vs_main_four_theories_of_when_ellen_died/https://www.hulu.com/series/death-in-apartment-603-what-happened-to-ellen-greenberg-b0338377-2cf8-43c4-98b7-5f907e9d51d1https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/12/us/ellen-greenberg-death-philadelphia-cec-cnnphotos/https://nypost.com/2001/07/23/models-bizarre-suicide/https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/1h8yke5/ellen_greenberg_case_updates/https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/dr-simon-report-on-ellen-greenberg.pdf?utmBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to our own backyard—Reno, Nevada—for a case that gripped the community and left lasting scars: the 2008 murder of 19-year-old Brianna Denison.After a night out with friends, Brianna vanished from a friend’s home near the University of Nevada campus. Weeks later, her body was found—her death linked to a string of violent assaults that had already been haunting the area. As investigators raced against time, DNA evidence became the key to exposing a predator hiding in plain sight: James Biela.How did this case change the way Reno saw safety, trust, and its college-town nightlife? And how did Brianna’s memory inspire a movement for awareness and justice? In this episode, we revisit the investigation, the trial, and the legacy that still echoes through the Biggest Little City. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!Case Notes: 2PhatVegans - https://www.instagram.com/2phatvegansnola/?hl=enBig Kitchen Cafe | San Diego https://share.google/uthBaXQfTzFIafqGODamning DNA — The Murder of Brianna Denison — Crime Library https://share.google/IMqxG3hhpo4z4iRp3Tip, DNA lead to arrest in student's slaying - CNN.com https://share.google/p1piGflOxiTLo5a0PPhotos: The Brianna Denison case https://share.google/5Dnto1UZOHR7wfZLphttps://open.spotify.com/episode/62aAaptGmj4TKg1K3wK83T?si=Dfux1ymfRMO0WCa3BAjEZQ https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19-6204/117740/20191002123643407_Appendix%20Exhibits.pdfJames Biela | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers https://share.google/e3seakvBt4hMF952Khttps://youtu.be/xZLPJAQRx9E?si=7oflKaSkjc0wo9MPhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1evjqu2JHs1dxi8gMrkXWb?si=B0qHTPWaS-OkcCAfN3DWbQBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Hey Spooky Squad! Welcome back to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. Today, we’re heading to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to unravel one of the most shocking and gruesome cases in recent memory—the murder of Shad Thyrion at the hands of Taylor Schabusiness.In 2022, a late-night encounter spiraled into a horror scene that stunned investigators. Police arrived to find evidence of a brutal killing that defied comprehension—acts so disturbing they shook even seasoned officers. As the trial unfolded, questions of mental health, manipulation, and pure depravity collided, leaving the nation wondering what drove Taylor Schabusiness to commit such an unthinkable crime. In this episode, we examine the timeline, the evidence, and the chilling courtroom revelations that turned a small Wisconsin town into the setting of a nightmare.We also want to call out Laughing Cat Coffee here in town! So grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!Case Notes: Laughing Cat Coffee Roasters: https://www.laughingcatcoffee.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0WUmwmzzkUhttps://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/schabusiness-removed-from-courtroom-after-outburst-during-hearing-in-new-battery-case/https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/local-news/convicted-murderer-taylor-schabusiness-reaches-plea-deal-sentencing-date-set/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shad_Thyrion#cite_note-Independent-1https://www.killerqueenspodcast.com/taylor-schabusiness-case-and-trial/#:~:text=The%20rest%20of%20the%20body,wanted%20to%20see%20what%20happens.%E2%80%9Dhttps://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/crime/2023/07/24/timeline-of-events-in-the-taylor-schabusiness-homicide-case/70401764007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z115753e002400v115753b0058xxd005865&gca-ft=164&gca-ds=sophihttps://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/taylor-schabusiness-shad-thyrion-trial-b2464272.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xofnwgeulB8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy4E32IzBawBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Welcome back, Spooky Squad, to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour.In this haunting and thought-provoking episode of Scream & Sugar, we join journalist and spooky sleuth Matthew Berrey as he unearths a lesser-known chapter of Northern Nevada history: the mass burials on the grounds of the former Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services (NNAMS) campus in Reno. For decades, the campus—originally established in the late 19th century as part of Nevada’s institutional mental healthcare system—laid claim to a cemetery where hundreds of individuals, many forgotten and unidentified, were laid to rest. Matthew takes us behind the scenes of the research: the historical context of the asylum system in Nevada, the working-farm and self-sufficient model of the institution, and the shadows cast by minimal record-keeping, unmarked graves, and, maybe, institutional neglect. Grab your coffee and your curiosity, and remember to stay spooky, y’all!Case Notes: http://friendsofnorthernnevadaadultmentalhealthservicescemetery.com/powerpointpresentation.html (need to use wayback machine)http://friendsofnorthernnevadaadultmentalhealthservicescemetery.com/cemeteryhomepage.html (need to use wayback machine)https://historicreno.org/media/custom/docs/FPv14n2.pdfhttps://www.historicreno.org/media/custom/docs/FPv13n2.pdfhttps://www.historicreno.org/media/custom/docs/FPv12n3.pdfhttps://nvtami.com/2023/08/06/nevada-insane-asylum-the-desecrated-cemetery/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Scream and Sugar, your true crime coffee hour. In today's episode, we revisit the 1975 murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley in the affluent community of Greenwich, Connecticut. She was found viciously murdered - bludgeoned to death with a golf club in her own backyard on Mischief Night, the night before Halloween. Martha’s case shocked the nation and remained unsolved for decades. In the second part of this episode, we explore the events that occur after the case goes cold, with more on the influence of the wealthy Skakel family, and the twists, trials, and controversies that lead to an arrest, but not a conviction. As we lead up to the 50th anniversary of Martha's murder, we want to remind you all to be careful out there, and to keep her family in your thoughts.So grab your coffee and sip along as we go through this tragic case, and remember to stay spooky, y'all!Case Notes: https://daddystacosnv.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scream-and-sugar-true-crime-coffee-hour--6015946/support.This content is not appropriate for all listeners; listener discretion is advised. PS. Let's just umbrella all our content with a blanket statement: allegedly, supposedly! Stay spooky, squad.