This week, we are re-releasing an episode that has stuck with us deeply while we travel to cheer on our oldest son at his state championship track meet! Please make sure you stick around to the very end of this episode, as we have recorded a massive, brand-new segment covering explosive updates that just broke in early 2026. Coroner's findings as "fiction"?!

In May 2017, 35-year-old Heather Turner was found unresponsive in her bathroom with a gunshot wound to the head. The shower was still running, and her boyfriend Andy was the one who made the 911 call. Heather had allegedly been planning to leave the relationship the very next day. For nearly nine years, her death was officially labeled "undetermined" that is until February 2026, when the Paulding County Sheriff's Office held a press conference, abruptly closed the cold case, and ruled her death a suicide.

But for Heather's family, the official ruling only brought more questions. Thanks to Open Records Requests obtained by the family, a paper trail of unbelievable negligence has come to light. We break down the shocking 2026 updates, exploring an impossible 8-second 911 response timeline, blood-stained evidence left at a funeral home, digital evidence locking up in police custody, and internal police documents that literally label the on-scene

Support Heather's Family: Please read the Open Records documents for yourself, say her name, and help this family get the absolute transparency they deserve by visiting the Justice for Heather Turner Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForHeatherNicoleTurner

Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know you're not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788. Free. Confidential. 24/7

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Imagine being at the height of your career when the FBI knocks on your door to deliver a terrifying message: someone has paid a dark web hitman to end your life. This week, we dive into the chilling, rapidly unfolding case involving pop singer Jack Avery of the band Why Don't We, and the mother of his child, TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez.

In May 2026, Gabbie, her father (a wealthy Florida attorney), and her ex-boyfriend were all arrested in a coordinated takedown for allegedly orchestrating a $14,000 murder-for-hire plot. We break down the bitter custody battle that started it all, the undercover sting operation that intercepted the dark web hit, and the wild lengths a family allegedly went to in order to secure full custody.

Sources & Resources:

• unsealed affidavits
• Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Press Release (May 19, 2026)
• If you or someone you know is navigating a high-conflict custody battle or experiencing domestic abuse, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or text "START" to 88788.

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On October 6, 2011, thirty-six-year-old Joanna Hunter was found dead in her Vacaville, California home. Her husband, Pastor Mark Lewis, told police he found her after a tragic suicide. But when Solano County Sheriff's deputies cleared the scene and closed the investigation in just twenty-nine minutes, they ignored glaring forensic evidence, a packed suitcase, and a terrifying, documented history of escalating domestic violence.

In this episode of Crime Salad, Ricky and Ashley dive deep into the chilling timeline of Joanna's final hours. We expose the massive, unexplained gaps in Mark's alibi, the harrowing paper trail of restraining orders Joanna filed in her early twenties, and the psychological fortress Mark built around his wife after taking control of the Fellowship Baptist Church.

This is more than a true crime story about a botched police investigation. It is a story about a family's relentless pursuit of the truth. We discuss how Joanna's brother, Joe Hunter, and her mother, Patricia, refused to accept the official police narrative. Their fierce advocacy ultimately led to the passage of Joanna's Law (Senate Bill 989) in California, which fundamentally changes how law enforcement must investigate the suspicious deaths of domestic violence victims.

Joanna's case remains officially closed as a suicide, and her family needs your help to unlock a real homicide investigation. Tune in to hear the full timeline, the forensic red flags, and how you can take action today.

In this episode, we cover:

The timeline of Joanna’s escalating abuse and Mark Lewis's 1996 felony conviction.

The critical 45-minute gap in Mark's alibi on the night of October 6, 2011.

Why the Solano County Sheriff's Office cleared a potential homicide scene in 29 minutes.

Mark Lewis's 2015 "no contest" plea for stalking and firebombing.

The bureaucratic red tape keeping Joanna's death certificate labeled as a suicide.

How Joanna's Law (SB 989) is changing the justice system in California.

Take Action & Support Joanna’s Family:

Joanna's family is working tirelessly to have her death certificate amended from "suicide" to "homicide" or "undetermined." You can support their fight and learn more about the organizations helping victims of hidden homicides at the links below.

Alliance for HOPE International (The Justice Project): allianceforhope.com

Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center: hopethriveshere.org

Joanna’s Voice Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/p/Joannas-Voice-100068890904659/

48 Hours: Joe Hunter's Mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEZutwn6Dpo

Domestic Violence Resources:

If you or someone you know is navigating intimate partner violence, please know that you are not alone and help is available 24/7. It is completely free and confidential.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

Text: Text the word "START" to 88788

Visit: thehotline.org

Shop our Memorial Day Sale: Grab your gear at crimesaladpodcast.com

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Two deaths. Same mansion. Two days apart. In Part 2, we walk through the physical evidence in Rebecca Zahau's death: the knife, the gloves, the painted message, the balcony, the knots, the head injuries, and the tape residue almost no one talks about. We get into the independent investigation into Max Shacknai's fall led by his mother Dina, the 2018 civil trial that found Adam Shacknai responsible, the verdict that was later vacated, and what Rebecca's sister Mary is still fighting for today.

Adam Shacknai has consistently maintained his innocence and was never criminally charged. The 2018 civil verdict was vacated as part of a 2019 settlement. There was never a criminal trial related to Rebecca's death. Statements about specific individuals should be understood as allegations, opinions, or attributed claims from named sources.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Unraveling the Knots by Mary Zahau-Loehner (available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble)
• Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case by Caitlin Rother

Follow the family's fight: Justice for Rebecca M. Zahau (Facebook)

If you need support:

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (US)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7
• RAINN (sexual assault): 1-800-656-4673

This episode discusses suicide, the death of a child, and allegations of sexual assault. Please take care of yourself while listening.

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In July 2011, two people died at the same mansion in Coronado, California within a week. First, six-year-old Max Shacknai fell from a second-floor banister while in the care of his father's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau. Two days later, Rebecca was found hanging from a balcony at the Spreckels Mansion, naked, bound, and gagged. The San Diego Sheriff's Department called it a suicide. Rebecca's family has spent over a decade arguing it was something else entirely.

This is Part 1 of our two-part series on the death of Rebecca Zahau. Part 2 drops next week. Subscribe wherever you listen so you don't miss it.

CONTENT WARNING This episode discusses suicide, the death of a child, and allegations of sexual assault. Please take care of yourself while listening.

IF YOU NEED SUPPORT You are not alone. Help is available. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7 National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): call 1-800-656-4673

Thank you for supporting Crime Salad:

Merch: crimesaladpodcast.dashery.com

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Share this episode with someone who'd want to hear it!

A NOTE ON THIS CASE Adam Shacknai has consistently maintained his innocence and was never criminally charged in connection with this case. The 2018 civil verdict that found him liable for Rebecca's death was vacated as part of a 2019 settlement. Statements about specific individuals throughout this episode should be understood as allegations, opinions, or attributed claims from named sources, not as statements of fact by us.

Information in this episode is drawn from publicly available news reports, court records, autopsy reports, official statements, and books published about the case.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Need help? National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or thehotline.org. Available 24/7, free and confidential.

On April 27, 2024, 30-year-old Mica Francis Miller was found dead at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, North Carolina. Two days earlier, she had served her husband, Myrtle Beach pastor John Paul Miller of Solid Rock at Market Common, with divorce papers. The medical examiner ruled her death a suicide. Her family has never disputed that ruling. What they have disputed, from the day she died, is what was done to her in the 528 days before she walked into that park.

In this episode of Crime Salad, Ashley and Ricky trace the Mica Miller case from her childhood in Wichita, Kansas, through her marriage at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, the involuntary psychiatric commitment she said her husband fraudulently initiated, the tire deflation devices, the GPS trackers, the nude photo posted online without her consent, and the police reports that piled up in the months before her death. We walk through the December 2025 federal indictment charging John Paul Miller with cyberstalking and making false statements to investigators, the push for South Carolina's coercive control bill known as Mica's Law (Senate Bill 702), and the suspicious death of Johnnie Jacobs, the fisherman who heard her last cry.

This is a case about coercive control, a pastor's wife, and a system that called every cry for help a civil matter until a federal grand jury caught up to what Mica had been telling police all along.

Keywords: Mica Miller, Mica Francis Miller, John Paul Miller, JP Miller, Solid Rock Church, Myrtle Beach pastor, Lumber River State Park, coercive control, Mica's Law, cyberstalking indictment, true crime podcast, South Carolina, Robeson County

Content warning: This episode discusses suicide, stalking, harassment, and intimate partner abuse.

SUPPORT JUSTICE FOR MICA

Justice for Mica Miller Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Justice-for-Mica-Miller-61559351220695/ FacebookFacebook

Sign the Mica's Law petition on Change.org: https://www.change.org/p/enforce-south-carolina-law-to-protect-against-stalking-and-harassment-mica-s-law Change.org

Read about Mica's Law and Mica's List at Way Makers SC: https://waymakerssc.com/micas-law Way Makers

Track South Carolina Senate Bill 702 (Criminal Coercive Control): https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/702.htm South Carolina Legislature

Find and contact your South Carolina legislators: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php Way Makers

Need help? National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or thehotline.org. Available 24/7, free and confidential.

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Egg Harbor Township in South Jersey is a place where community roots run deep, and no one was more rooted than April Christine Kauffman. A beloved local business owner, fiercely outspoken radio personality, and dedicated veterans' advocate, April was a pillar of Atlantic County. But on May 10, 2012, the affluent, quiet neighborhoods of Linwood, New Jersey, were shattered when April was found murdered inside her own home.

In this episode, Ricky and Ashley unpack a case that frustrated a community for years. We dive into the immediate alibi of her husband, prominent endocrinologist Dr. James Kauffman, the shocking involvement of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, and an illicit drug ring hiding in plain sight. Most importantly, we follow the relentless, six-year fight for justice led by April’s daughter, Kimberly Pack, who refused to let the system sweep her mother's case under the rug.

Support April's Cause

April’s family and friends continue to keep her legacy alive. If you want to follow the ongoing work in her name or support the causes she championed, please visit:

• Website: aprilkaufman.net
• Facebook: Justice for April Kaufman
• Veterans Support: If you are in Atlantic County, consider supporting the American Legion Post 352 in Somers Point, home of the annual April Christine Kauffman Veterans Advocate Award.

Search Tags/Keywords: April Kauffman, Dr. James Kauffman, Egg Harbor Township NJ, Linwood New Jersey, South Jersey True Crime, Atlantic County Prosecutor, Pagans Motorcycle Club, Kimberly Pack, unsolved murder, New Jersey drug ring.

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⚠️ Listener Discretion is Advised: The following episode contains intense and explicit descriptions of domestic violence, suicide, and a highly traumatic death involving fire. The information presented is based on publicly available records, family statements, and alleged accounts. This podcast is for informational purposes only. We are not law enforcement, legal professionals, or medical experts, and we are not accusing anyone of any crimes.

On February 8, 2018, in the freezing cold of Plymouth, Minnesota, 24-year-old David Elmquist was burning alive inside his apartment. His death was ruled a suicide before he was even officially pronounced dead. But for the last six years, his family has fought tirelessly to prove that the official story doesn't add up.

With reports of perfectly unburned wrists on a body covered in severe burns, a pristine knife found in a soot-filled room, shifting timelines, and a tragic 38-minute standoff where police waited outside the burning apartment, the physical evidence points to something much darker. Furthermore, just hours before his death, David confided in his parents that he was planning to leave his wife, warning them that if he told her, "she'd go ballistic."

In this episode, we unpack the glaring inconsistencies, the alleged forensic bias, the mental health stigma that clouded the investigation, and a father’s relentless fight for justice.

Call to Action & Resources:

• Listen to The Stacked Deck Podcast: Hear the six-part series directly from David’s father, Scott, detailing the entire case. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stacked-deck/id1767907803
• Support the Family: Follow the Truth and Justice for David Elmquist Facebook page and sign the petition demanding an independent prosecutor. Sign the Petition

Support Crime Salad:

• Merch: Grab your gear at https://crimesaladpodcast.dashery.com/

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