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In 1995, 18-year-old Christa Pike lured fellow Knoxville Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer to the University of Tennessee's Agricultural campus and murdered her. The crime was so brutal that Pike became the only woman on Tennessee's death row, where she would spend the next three decades.

Then, on September 30, 2026, the State of Tennessee finally tried to carry out her sentence. It was supposed to be the first execution of a woman in the state in more than 200 years. Instead, witnesses reported that both rounds of lethal injection chemicals were administered, and Pike was still alive. She was taken to an outside medical facility, and the governor has since suspended all executions for the year pending an independent review.

So, after 30 years of appeals, the state had one job. One.

This week on Dead Serious, we walk through the murder, the trial, the decades on death row, and the botched execution that has everyone asking what happens now. We also make sure Colleen Slemmer is remembered as more than a footnote in someone else's story.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

#DeadSerious #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #ChristaPike #ColleenSlemmer #Tennessee #DeathRow #JusticeForColleen

*UPDATE- The day after recording, Christa Pike woke up and started talking.*

Sources:

Mean Girls Murders S2 E9 HBO Max

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32200697/?_ssoLoop=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/775402754/?match=3&terms=christa%20pike&search-id=44abd58b-850e-426c-8fe2-25651ec748e8&search-rank=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1003635238/?match=2&terms=christa%20pike&search-id=44abd58b-850e-426c-8fe2-25651ec748e8&search-rank=2

https://www.npr.org/2026/10/02/nx-s1-5988832/christa-pike-reignites-death-penalty-debate

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/02/us/christa-pike-execution-whats-next

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Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

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In April 2001, 31-year-old Gabrielle Mueller left her Toms River, New Jersey home on what should have been a routine trip to McDonald's. After leaving her two young children with a babysitter, she set out to buy them McFlurries, but she never returned. Two days later, her body was discovered in a wooded area in nearby Lakewood. Investigators determined that Gabrielle had been strangled.

More than two decades later, her murder remains unsolved. Detectives have stated they believe they have a strong understanding of what happened and consider the case solvable, but they have not yet gathered enough evidence to bring charges against a suspect. Advances in forensic technology continue to offer hope that Gabrielle's killer may one day be identified.

The impact of Gabrielle's death has been felt most deeply by the family she left behind. Her children were just 8 and 9 years old when they lost their mother, and they continue to seek answers and justice. While the case has grown cold, investigators and loved ones remain committed to finding the person responsible.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.app.com/picture-gallery/news/crime/jersey-mayhem/cold-cases/2020/04/08/gabrielle-mueller/2946035001/&ved=2ahUKEwiArPat9JaXAxUCnSYFHYNlBVMQFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1TFyUP7Pc3mbazeMfVQeX7

https://www.newspapers.com/image/660597621/?match=3&terms=gabrielle%20mueller&search-id=50a95baf-4b31-44d3-8097-416a9f9be80c&search-rank=2

https://www.newspapers.com/image/144395601/?match=7&terms=gabrielle%20mueller&search-id=50a95baf-4b31-44d3-8097-416a9f9be80c&search-rank=10

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://abc7ny.com/post/15-years-later-police-plead-for-clues-in-new-jersey-mothers-murder-/1305423/&ved=2ahUKEwiArPat9JaXAxUCnSYFHYNlBVMQFnoECCUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0YO23dZ3AGGT4zVDVuIakl

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://abc7ny.com/post/15-years-later-police-plead-for-clues-in-new-jersey-mothers-murder-/1305423/&ved=2ahUKEwiArPat9JaXAxUCnSYFHYNlBVMQFnoECCUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0YO23dZ3AGGT4zVDVuIakl

https://www.newspapers.com/image/144395601/?match=7&terms=gabrielle%20mueller&search-id=f1b847d7-1189-4b0a-b916-884721071edb&search-rank=1

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Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

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In this episode, I dive into the documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell — a case that shook the UK, exposed catastrophic investigative failures, and left a family shattered while the real killer walked free for years.

We’ll break down the police tunnel vision, the disastrous undercover operation that became a case study in what not to do, and how one of Britain’s most notorious offenders slipped through the cracks until it was far too late.

From the media frenzy to the forensic breakthroughs that finally brought justice, this episode unpacks the documentary’s most shocking moments, the human cost of institutional mistakes, and the chilling truth behind the man responsible.

It’s messy, it’s infuriating, and it’s one of the most important cautionary tales in modern criminal investigation.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt42192165/ The Murder of Rachel Nickell (2026) Netflix

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36150819/ The Wimbledon Killer (2025) Prime

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31631015/ The Witness (2026) Netflix

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B071Z22N4NThe Letting Go (Alex Hanscombe)

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3345898-the-last-thursday-in-july (The Last Thursday In July) Andre Hanscombe

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If you're enjoying this podcast please rate and review it as it's the best way to help me grow!

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ames_Marie

Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

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In 1840s France, a young woman with aristocratic dreams married a man she didn’t want… and he didn’t live long enough to fix it. When Charles LaFarge fell violently ill, his symptoms made no sense — until a dead dog, a suspicious cake, and a trail of arsenic pointed straight at his new bride.

This episode dives into the life and crime of Marie LaFarge, the woman whose scandalous trial became France’s first forensic murder case. From the toxic marriage to the groundbreaking Marsh test, we unravel how a desperate wife, a bottle of arsenic, and one determined toxicologist changed criminal history forever.

Was Marie a cold‑blooded poisoner or a victim of 19th‑century hysteria?

Let’s get Dead Serious.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Lafarge

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/visibleproofs/galleries/cases/orfila.html

https://daily.jstor.org/the-arsenic-cake-of-madame-lafarge/

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cholera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1162417

https://www.missedhistory.com/article/marie-lafarge-arsenic-trial-1840-forensic-toxicology

Movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028556/?ref_=fn_t_1 (L'Affaire LaFarge)

Book: No Stone Unturned: The True Story of the World's Premier Forensic Investigators

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786015772?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallbackhttps://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks14/1400041h.html

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Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we’re diving into the documentary Death of the Pastor’s Wife — the unsettling, infuriating, and deeply complicated story of Mica Miller, whose death was quickly labeled a suicide… while absolutely nothing about the surrounding circumstances feels straightforward.

I break down the documentary’s biggest revelations, the timeline that makes your eyebrows hit the ceiling, the behavior that makes you want to throw your phone across the room, and the questions the film raises about power, control, and the narratives people rush to protect. We’re talking church politics, messy relationships, suspicious decisions, and the kind of “nothing to see here” energy that makes you say: Like, seriously?

If you watched the documentary and walked away with more questions than answers, same. Let’s get into what the film shows, what it doesn’t, and why Mica’s story deserves far more scrutiny — and far more truth — than it’s been given.

Sources:

Gasparro, M., & Nason, J. W. (Directors). (2026). Death of the Pastor's Wife [Television docuseries]. Netflix

Death of the Pastor's Wife (TV Series 2026) ⭐ 6.7 | Documentary

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If you're enjoying this podcast please rate and review it as it's the best way to help me grow!

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Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

Send us Fan Mail

First up: the Lindsay Clancy trial. The jury has officially headed into deliberations, and while we’re not talking verdicts yet, we are talking about what this means, how we got here, and why this case continues to emotionally drain everyone involved, including me, you, and probably the courthouse janitorial staff. It’s the final stretch, and the tension is thick enough to cut with one of those CVS scissors they keep behind the counter.

Then we jump over to Idaho, where Bryan Kohberger is back in the news — this time for his appeal. Because of course he is. We break down what he’s arguing, what it means for the case, and why this man refuses to exit the spotlight even for a moment.

And finally, because true crime never stops being bizarre, we talk about the latest headline that made me audibly say “Like… seriously?” — Chris Watts wanting to get married. Yes. Married. Because nothing says “I’ve learned from my mistakes” like trying to start a new life partner journey from a prison cell after annihilating your entire family. I have thoughts. Many thoughts.

If you’re here for sharp commentary, legal updates, and the occasional “I need a nap after this,” you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it.

Sources:

Court TV Live

https://www.dailymail.com/crime-desk/article-15924057/chris-watts-new-wife-lizzie-prison-marriage-wisconsin.html

https://6abc.com/story/bryan-kohberger-granted-new-hearing-bid-take-back-guilty-plea-idaho-murders-court-filings/19740058/

Support the show

If you're enjoying this podcast please rate and review it as it's the best way to help me grow!

Social Media: dead_seriouspod

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ames_Marie

Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.

Send us Fan Mail

On December 27, 1989, ten‑month‑old Nicole Lee Hattamer was reported missing from her family’s home in Holcombe, Wisconsin. Hours later, she was found face‑down in the snow, just yards from the house — still alive long enough to grasp a blade of grass before dying from exposure and blunt‑force trauma.

Inside the home were multiple adults and children. All of them said they didn’t know how Nicole left the house. Investigators determined she could not have wandered out on her own. Someone carried her outside. Someone left her there.

More than three decades later, no arrests have ever been made, and the case remains one of Chippewa County’s most haunting unsolved child homicides.

This episode examines the timeline, the investigation, the silence inside the home, and the lingering question: Who killed Nicole — and why has no one been held accountable?

If you have any information on this case, please call the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office at 715-726-7701.

---

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Edited by: Wojciech, B

At Dead Serious, I strive to tell stories truthfully; however, press media and other sources can not always be verified.

SHOW SOURCES:

• Chippewa Herald-Telegram, Chippewa Falls, WI — original reporting beginning December 27, 1989 (available via Newspapers.com archive)
• The Chippewa Herald — February 1999 reporting on DA Tim Scobie's decision not to charge following the December 1998 John Doe hearing
• WEAU-TV (Eau Claire) — anniversary segment featuring retired Sheriff Doug Ellis, lead investigator
• Robert M. Dudley, Cold Cases of West Central Wisconsin — includes a chapter on the Hattamer case
• R.L. Edinger, Snow Angel — book-length treatment of the case

Support the show

If you're enjoying this podcast please rate and review it as it's the best way to help me grow!

Social Media: dead_seriouspod

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1896929129

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QcspQIAcBaK2ZsoSzwYnE?si=2D6M514USTaYKXsJ8TKASw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ames_Marie

Edited by: Buzcar Wojciech

At Dead Serious, my goal is to share these stories honestly and respectfully. Although I research each case thoroughly, some details published by media outlets and other sources may not be independently verified.