Episode 1: The Body in the Vines – Show Notes

Air Date: [2025.12.25]

Runtime: 7:50

Host: [Onism Podcasting]

Key Details

• Case Focus: The 1987 unsolved murder of Ethan Hale, 28-year-old heir to Hale Family Vineyard in Napa Valley.

• Crime Scene: Discovered at dawn on July 15, 1987, in cabernet sauvignon vine rows by a farmhand checking irrigation lines.

• Critical Evidence: Single gunshot wound to the chest; no forced entry, weapon, or ransom note; a crumpled vintage wine label clutched in Ethan’s hand.

• Forensic Limitation: 1980s forensics left key evidence untested, hindering the investigation.

Featured Interviewees

1. Retired Sheriff’s Deputy Maria Gonzalez – First on the scene; shares initial observations of the crime scene and the chaotic immediate response.

2. Clara Bennett – Local Napa resident; reports seeing a mysterious black sedan speeding away from the vineyard the night before the murder.

3. [Optional: Hale Family Friend/Employee] – Speaks to Ethan’s reputation as a visionary for the family business and tensions within the Hale household.

Episode Timeline

• 00:00–01:30: Opening – 911 call audio from the farmhand who discovered Ethan’s body; host sets the scene of Napa Valley’s idyllic facade and the crime that shattered it.

• 01:31–03:45: Crime Scene Deep Dive – Deputy Gonzalez walks through the initial investigation, evidence collection, and missing leads.

• 03:46–5:20: Witness Account – Clara Bennett details the black sedan sighting and the valley’s culture of silence.

• 5:21–6:10: Motive Exploration – Tensions between Ethan and his father over the vineyard’s future; business rivals who stood to gain from his death.

• 6:10–7:50: Closing – Host teases unresolved questions (the wine label’s significance, the valley’s code of silence) and previews next episode’s deep dive into the Hale family’s secrets.

Credits

• Music: [Willa Bame] – Original score featuring subtle vineyard-inspired instrumentals (acoustic guitar, distant piano) to set the tone.

• Production: [Vibon]

Next Episode Teaser

Episode 2: The Hale Family Secrets – We dig into the fractured relationship between Ethan and his father, uncover hidden family conflicts, and investigate whether someone close to home had a motive to kill.