It's the kind of place you go to clear your head. Tree-lined. Quiet. Safe. But on October 13th, 2022, that illusion was shattered along a stretch of greenway in Raleigh. At the center of it all— a 15-year-old boy: Austin Thompson. The first calls came in just after 5 p.m. Gunshots. Multiple victims. Chaos. What unfolded next would become one of the deadliest mass shootings in Raleigh's history. Five people were killed. Two more were injured. Among the victims—an off-duty police officer… shot in his own neighborhood. There was no clear motive. For hours the city didn't know where the shooter was. As the sun set fear took over. Entire neighborhoods were locked down. Residents were told: stay inside, lock your doors, don't move. Parents waited in panic as schools that were delayed in releasing students. Helicopters circled overhead because somewhere out there the suspect was still moving. Eventually, law enforcement tracked him to a home nearby. A standoff followed. Austin Thompson was taken into custody after shooting himself in the head. He survived. And that's when the real questions began. How does a teenager carry out something like this? And more importantly—could it have been stopped? In this interview with Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman we break down the details of this tragic event in Raleigh's history.

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It was like something out of a horror movie. A mother from North Carolina goes missing and ends up dismembered in an alligator infested swamp in Texas. Laura Ackerson and the father of her children, Grant Hayes, were embroiled in a heated custody battle over their two young sons. Grant's new wife, Amanda, who had a baby daughter of her own with Grant, was also at odds with Laura about the ongoing custody dispute. Prosecutors say Grant and Amanda lured Laura to their apartment in Raleigh, killed her, and then dismembered her body with an electric saw. They then carried her remains in coolers in the back of a rental truck to Texas where they dumped them in a swamp near Amanda's sister's home. In this episode, the prosecutor walks us through the complex case investigators were able to build against the killer couple. We also hear from the forensic scientist who was able to all but guarantee their conviction with a single saw mark on a her bone.

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It's been three months...three months since Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have seen their mother, Nancy Guthrie. Investigators believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona home in the middle of the night from her bed. Despite a massive search, surveillance video of the suspect, a one million dollar reward, and unprecedented national media attention, no one has been able to find Nancy. Up until now, we've only heard from Savannah Guthrie on short social media clips. This past week she sat down with her dear friend and colleague, retired veteran anchor Hoda Kotb who has been filling in for Savannah in her absence. In this episode, we break down the extended version of this interview-what Savannah reveals about the investigation, her unbreakable bond with her siblings, how her mother is a shinining example of strength and faith for her children. She also asks once again for anyone who knows anything to come forward. At times heartbreaking, but also hopeful, Savannah is poised and resolute vowing not to allow the kidnappers to steal her joy or that of her family. She is set to return to the Today Show on April 6. She shares with Hoda that she doesn't know how she will do it because she has been forever changed by the tragedy, but she is willing to try.

22-year-old Cole Thomas disappeared in Benson, North Carolina on November 25, 2016. It was like he simply vanished without a trace. He was an electrical contractor and the crew members he was traveling with all had different stories about what may have happened to Cole. One consistent thread was that there was a drug deal that went bad and Cole left the car never to be seen again. A massive search of wooded areas and swamplands in the area turned up no clues. Cole's parents immediately drove from Florida to North Carolina to help with the search, but nothing was found. Cole's father, Chris Thomas, believes his son is dead. He had hoped that one of the men Cole was with would at least tell them where Cole's body is. In this episode, we unpack the details of this decade long cold case with Chris who has been conducting his own investigation. We also check in with Benson's police chief who handled the case back when he was on the street. Our goal is that by keeping the case in the public eye someone will come forward with information that could lead to justice for Cole and much needed answers for his family.

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Law enforcement officers are dealing with intense situations that often involve danger and heartbreaking outcomes. As a result, they have unique mental health issues that are not always addressed by the agencies they work for. Nearly 200 law enforcement officers across the country take their own lives each year. A nonprofit that studied the issue from 2016 to 2024 revealed that they are 54-69 percent more likely to die by suicide than people in other careers. Researchers think this number is low because it is an underreported issue. Spouses and family members of these officers are often blindsided by their deaths. In this episode we speak with the wife of an officer who died by suicide. She shares what she now believes were signs in retrospect that her husband needed help. We also speak to an expert about how to spot red flags in advance. If you or someone you know needs support call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

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In this bonus episode, veteran prosecutor Melanie Shekita shares her memories of the most high-profile cases she has handled in her almost three decades with the Wake County District Attorney's Office in Raleigh, North Carolina. From murders to child sex crimes, Melanie has prosecuted some of the most challenging and emotional cases. She talks about why she is passionate about finding justice for the victims and how she has been able to do this difficult work for so many years.

To learn more about Melanie:

Melanie Shekita | Wake County

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In 1994, Beth-Ellen Vinson was chasing a dream. She wanted to be a star. A trained dancer, she knew it wasn't going to happen in the small Eastern North Carolina town where she grew up in. So, she moved to the state capital, Raleigh, where musical theater was flourishing. But in order to pay the bills she had to get a job that paid real money. The 17-year-old went to work as an escort. Just one month after moving to the big city to find fame in the footlights, Beth-Ellen became famous for all the wrong reasons. On August 16, 1994, the teen left the apartment she shared with her boyfriend and other roommates to meet a client. Early in the morning her car was found running, the door ajar, one high heel still inside near a car dealership. Beth-Ellen had vanished. Seven days later her body was found near some warehouses in an industrial area. She had been stabbed 30 times. To this day, her murder is unsolved. It's a cold case that continues to haunt her family, friends and investigators. In this episode, we interview private investigator and podcaster Matt Duff. He shares what he has learned about one of North Carolina's most enduring mysteries.

WHO KILLED BETH-ELLEN (MATT DUFF)

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It's been ten days since Nancy Guthrie was seen alive...

Now, we have definitive evidence of a kidnapping. Authorities have released surveillance photos from Nancy Guthrie's Nest cameras that reveal the kidnapper appearing to be casually making his or her way into the home with a handgun. Ther person is masked, but the photos are clear enough and the clothing is distinctive enough that there's a good chance someone knows this person. This is the biggest break in the case so far.

In this episode of CRIME CAPSULE DAILY we discuss this latest development, recent searches, and videos released by the family. For context, we recorded this Tuesday afternoon directly after the release of the photos.

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