On Christmas morning in 1996, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing from her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado. A ransom note had been left behind, warning her parents not to contact police. But hours later, JonBenét’s body was found in the basement of the house, sparking one of the most infamous and controversial murder investigations in American history.

In this episode of Day by Day: True Crime Stories, host Kona Gallagher walks through the tragic and complicated case of JonBenét Ramsey—from the events of that Christmas night, to the flawed early investigation, the grand jury vote, and the decades of speculation and evolving forensic science that have followed.

Nearly 30 years later, JonBenét’s murder remains unsolved—but efforts to find the truth continue. With renewed testing, updated evidence, and national attention as recently as late 2025, investigators say they are still pursuing leads. Could this cold case finally be nearing a break?

#JonBenetRamsey #UnsolvedMystery #ColdCase #ChristmasCrime

On Christmas Eve in 2002, 27-year-old Laci Peterson vanished from her Modesto, California home. She was eight months pregnant with her first child, a baby boy named Conner. Her husband, Scott Peterson, told police he’d been fishing alone in San Francisco Bay. Later that day, their dog was found wandering the neighborhood with his leash still on, and Laci was nowhere to be found.

Over the next four months, the search for Laci and Conner would capture national attention, turning into one of the most widely covered true crime stories in modern American history. When their remains surfaced near the same bay Scott claimed to have visited, suspicion turned into a criminal case.

This episode traces the emotional timeline of the investigation—from Laci’s life and marriage, to the shocking revelations of Scott’s secret double life, the media frenzy, the discovery of the bodies, the high-profile trial, and the legal battles that continue to this day.

More than two decades later, questions remain—not just about what happened that day, but about how we investigate, prosecute, and publicize crimes that grip a nation.

#LaciPeterson #ScottPeterson #truecrimepodcast

On December 23, 1993, 25-year-old takeaway driver Paul Logan left a Chinese restaurant in Consett, England, expecting to deliver a holiday meal. The order had come in for a remote farmhouse outside Shotley Bridge. But when Paul arrived, the residents hadn’t ordered any food. He had been lured there by a hoax call.

Hours later, Paul was found dead in a nearby field, brutally beaten with a blunt weapon that has never been found. His cash and car were untouched. It wasn’t a robbery—it was a trap.

Despite arrests, renewed appeals, and a £50,000 reward offered by his daughter decades later, Paul’s murder remains unsolved. Investigators believe he was targeted. But by whom—and why—has never been answered.

#TrueCrime #UnsolvedMystery #PaulLogan #UKCrime

On this day in 1984, a seemingly ordinary subway ride in New York City turned into one of the most polarizing acts of violence in modern American history. When 37-year-old Bernhard Goetz was approached by four Black teenagers asking for $5, he pulled out an unlicensed revolver and opened fire inside a crowded 2 train—paralyzing one and injuring the others.

Dubbed the “subway vigilante” by the press, Goetz ignited a national firestorm that touched on crime, race, self-defense, and the fear gripping urban America at the time. Was it justified self-defense—or an act fueled by racial bias and a thirst for retribution?

In today’s episode, we trace the full arc of the case: from the shooting and Goetz’s flight from the city, to his dramatic confession, landmark court rulings, and the bitter public debates that followed. We explore how People v. Goetz reshaped legal standards for self-defense—and why, four decades later, this case still sparks controversy.

#SubwayVigilante #BernhardGoetz #NYCHistory

On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 took off from London’s Heathrow Airport, bound for New York and Detroit, carrying 259 people—many of them heading home for the holidays. Just 38 minutes later, the plane exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing everyone on board and 11 people on the ground.

The bombing would become the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil and launch a decades-long international investigation. What began as a devastating midair explosion evolved into a massive criminal inquiry involving Libyan intelligence, sanctions, a controversial conviction, and an ongoing search for full accountability.

In this episode, host Kona Gallagher walks through the human tragedy, the forensics, and the political ripple effects of the Lockerbie bombing. From the first responders in Scotland to courtroom battles in Europe and the U.S., this case shaped the future of aviation security and international justice—and left behind hundreds of families still seeking answers.

#Lockerbie #PanAm103 #AviationDisaster

On the night of December 20, 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews returned home from a Christmas choir performance in Greeley, Colorado — and vanished before her father got home. Her shoes were by the heater, the TV was on, and a message was left by the phone. But outside, someone had tried to cover their tracks — literally — by raking over footprints in the snow.

For decades, Jonelle’s face was one of the first in the milk carton campaign, symbolizing the fear and heartbreak of missing children in the 1980s. It would take 35 years for her remains to be discovered — and nearly 38 before someone was convicted in her case.

In this episode, we trace Jonelle’s story from that ordinary December night through the long cold case, a surprising suspect, and the trials that finally brought answers to a family and community that had waited far too long.

#truecrime #jonellematthews #coldcase #missingchildren

On a cold night in December 1979, 18-year-old high school senior Michelle Martinko attended a choir banquet, stopped by the brand-new Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — and never came home. The next morning, her body was found in her family’s Buick, parked in a quiet corner of the mall lot. She had been stabbed nearly 30 times in what investigators described as a “personal” and “frenzied” attack. There were no signs of robbery or sexual assault.

For nearly 40 years, her murder remained unsolved. But thanks to breakthroughs in forensic genealogy, a discarded straw, and tireless cold-case work, justice finally caught up with her killer — on the very same date the crime took place.

In this episode, we explore Michelle’s life, the night she was killed, the investigation that spanned decades, and how a small trace of blood ultimately helped close one of Iowa’s most haunting cold cases.

#TrueCrime #MichelleMartinko #GeneticGenealogy

In the early morning hours of December 18, 2013, 20-year-old Heather Elvis vanished from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Just hours earlier, she’d gone on a first date, sent a cheerful selfie, and talked about starting fresh after ending an affair with a married man.

But by dawn, her car was found abandoned at a remote riverside boat landing — her phone, keys, and purse gone. Heather herself? Missing without a trace.

This episode unpacks the tangled web of secrets, surveillance footage, payphone calls, and jealousy that followed. It also explores the convictions of Sidney and Tammy Moorer for her kidnapping — and the lingering mystery that still haunts Heather’s family and community to this day.

More than a decade later, her loved ones are still asking the same question: Where is Heather?

#HeatherElvis #MissingPerson #sidneymoorer #tammymoorer