Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

In October 1974, 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith vanished after an evening out with friends in Utah. Because her father was the local police chief, a massive search began immediately, but nine agonizing days passed before two hunters discovered her body in a Summit County ditch. Now, 50 years later, investigators used the breakthrough DNA profile confirmed in Laura Ann Aime’s case to match biological evidence preserved from Melissa Ann Smith, officially closing the 50-year cold case and confirming Ted Bundy was her killer.
Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the autopsy findings and physical evidence, examining how pathologists determined Melissa was held captive alive for several days before she was killed.
Highlights:
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00:01.410 Setting the Stage for a Dark Tale
00:10.570 The Power of "Iconic" in Crime
00:35.300 Bundy's Legacy and Victim Erasure
01:27.940 A New Revelation: Melissa Ann Smith
03:25.900 Bundy's Death and Its Impact
06:23.830 Bundy's Crimes: A Pattern of Violence
07:48.280 The Melissa Ann Smith Case Unfolds
08:33.679 Bundy's Final Days and Confessions
14:30.490 The Search for Melissa Ann Smith
26:38.270 The Autopsy Report: A Graphic Account
27:58.770 Understanding Bilateral Subdural Hematoma
28:12.940 Bundy's Brutal Attack on Melissa Ann
39:55.480 The Importance of DNA Evidence
40:20.920 DNA Evidence Cracks the Case
46:00.239 Remembering the Victims
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What if Alex Murdaugh didn't murder his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul? What if Alex Murdaugh was judged guilty because the jury was stunned by information of financial crimes and drug addiction and believed if a man could do all the things Murdaugh was accused of doing, murdering his wife and son seemed more than just possible. And what if a trusted clerk of court was putting ideas into the heads of some jury members that led them to believe Murdaugh was a murderer. Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder conviction was officially overturned on May 13, 2026. The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously reversed his 2023 convictions and ordered a new trial. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack review the evidence that led to his conviction the first time to determine if a second guilty verdict is likely...or was an innocent man convicted for all the wrong reasons?
Highlights:
00:01.400 Money and Motivation
01:02.140 The Murdaugh Murders Unfold
01:25.280 Greed and Expert Testimony
04:22.920 The Murdaugh Family's Dark Legacy
14:44.410 The Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence
16:49.940 The Shocking Double Homicide
32:31.860 Maggie's Fatal Shooting
33:07.310 The Crime Scene Analysis
33:53.170 The Brutal Murder of Maggie
35:27.150 Legal Developments and New Trial
35:41.260 Ballistic Evidence and Gun Types
37:59.760 The Fatal Shooting of Maggie
44:12.040 New Trial and DNA Evidence
45:49.250 Closing Thoughts on the Case
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The Police Chief of Lansing Michigan says the recent attacks along a one mile stretch of the Lansing River Trail leading to the deaths of five men raises the possibility that this area of Michigan might have a serial killer in their midst. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss all five deaths to determine what happened in each case, and compare all of the cases to determine areas of similarity that could lead to one killer being responsible for all of the attacks.
Highlights:
00:10.289 The Art of Pattern Recognition in Forensics
00:49.110 A Potential Serial Killer in Lansing,
01:33.220 Investigating Homeless Homicides
05:45.430 The Unique Nature of Homeless Victim Patterns
07:32.600 Task Forces and Big-Picture Investigations
15:07.320 The First Victim: Gino Chouinard
20:46.950 The Second Victim: Dennis Dunback
25:43.359 The Third Victim: Robert Smith
29:18.400 The Fourth Victim: Daniel Lusk
31:51.550 The Fifth Victim: Louis Woodruff
33:52.650 Analyzing the Evidence and Suspicions
35:24.650 The Nature of the Attacks
35:51.680 Investigating the Victims and Injuries
41:24.060 The Location and Modus Operandi
46:43.550 Closing Thoughts and Future Coverage

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In 2012, 19-year-old UNC student Faith Hedgepeth was found murdered in her apartment following a savage sexual assault and blunt-force attack. The bloody crime scene yielded bizarre clues: a heavy rum bottle used as a weapon and a cryptic message written on a takeout bag. The case went cold for nearly a decade until genetic genealogy traced the killer's DNA to Miguel Salguero Olivares. Following a 2021 traffic stop that secured a matching DNA sample, a jury recently found him guilty on all counts, sentencing him to life in prison.
Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the physical evidence left at the scene and analyze the complex blood deposition on Faith's bed, explain the devastating impact of a thick liquor bottle as a weapon, and discuss how the mysterious takeout bag served as a confusing red herring.
Highlights:
00:01.420 Welcome to Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan
00:10.630 Jimmy Buffett and Rum
02:59.280 The Faith Hedgepeth Case Begins
06:02.540 The Brutal Discovery
07:41.350 The Challenges of Blood Evidence
13:37.590 The 911 Call and Initial Scene
18:20.619 The Investigation Unfolds
31:18.890 The Rum Bottle and DNA Evidence
34:38.840 The Role of Blood in Investigations
39:27.070 The Suspect and the Crime Scene
41:11.200 The Challenges of Identifying Blood
43:10.660 A Violent Attack Unfolds
44:06.390 The Investigation Begins
49:13.270 The Role of DNA Evidence
52:48.610 The Trial and Its Challenges
55:02.580 Closing Thoughts on Forensic Science
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The search for missing women continues as investigators went through the Philly 'House of Horrors' spraying luminol, uncovering human DNA. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take a look at what is happening right now as crews are digging with excavators to see if what R.C, Horsch wrote about as works of fiction were actually descriptions of murder and disposal of women who came to the Olney home. This is an update to the earlier Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan episode, "Missing Women, Philly House Of Horrors! Dissolving Bodies & Snuff Films".
Highlights:
00:01.420 Welcome to Body Bags
00:10.470 The Challenges of Concentration in Crime
01:23.120 The Philly House of Horrors Investigation
03:57.260 Preparing for the Worst: Investigator
10:12.050 The Power of Luminol in Crime Scene
16:26.640 Unraveling the Mystery of the Barrel
22:55.210 The Extensive Scope of the Investigation
27:48.170 R.C. Horsch's Dark Legacy and the Role of DNA
44:13.640 Wrapping Up the House of Horrors Case
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