The Sleepwalker Murder with Murder: True Crime Stories

The Sleepwalker Murder with Murder: True Crime Stories

From Up and Vanished by Tenderfoot TV

March 16, 2026 · 4 min

About this episode

This episode explores the controversial case of Scott Falater, who claimed to have committed murder while sleepwalking.

In this special crossover episode, Payne Lindsey joins Carter Roy on Murder: True Crime Stories to examine one of the most controversial cases of the 1990s. For the full episode, follow Murder: True Crime Stories wherever you listen to podcasts. In January 1997, Scott Falater appeared to be a devoted husband and father living a quiet suburban life in Arizona, until his wife, Yarmila Falater, was found brutally stabbed and drowned in their backyard pool. Falater was discovered nearby with blood on his clothes, yet he claimed he had no memory of the attack, insisting he was asleep when it happened. Payne introduces the case and discusses why it is so fascinating. Carter unpacks the shocking details of the crime, the rare and deeply divisive “homicidal sleepwalking” defense, and the chilling question at the center of the trial: can someone commit murder without ever waking up? Blurring the line between science, psychology, and criminal responsibility, the case of Scott Falater remains one of the most unsettling courtroom battles in modern history. To hear the full episode, search Murder: True Crime Stories wherever you listen to podcasts and be sure to follow the show so you never…

People in this episode

Host: Payne Lindsey

Guest: Carter Roy

Topics covered

  • homicidal sleepwalking
  • true crime
  • courtroom battles
  • psychology
  • criminal responsibility
  • 1990s cases

Keywords

  • Scott Falater
  • homicidal sleepwalking
  • true crime stories
  • courtroom trial
  • 1990s murder case

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Murder: True Crime Stories

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