The First Degree

You get a call that your father is dead. You rush home and find he has been murdered. He was tied up, stabbed 31 times and beaten over the head. What could be worse? Police believe your mother—who was found tied up and locked in the bedroom closet—is the lone suspect in his death. In episode 92, Jac, Alexis and Billy tell the story of the murder of Jim Melgar, and how law enforcement disregarded key evidence and employed tunnel vision to zero in on Sandy Melgar as his killer.

It was a trial that seduced, consumed, and horrified the nation— Jodi Arias, facing the death penalty for the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Over the course of four months, Arias was up against a mountain of physical and circumstantial evidence. How did she defend herself? She went on the attack, grasping at straws, telling shocking and fabricated lies about Travis. In episode 91, Jac, Alexis and Billy examine the evidence against Jodi and explain how one woman spared the most hated woman in America from death.

Travis Alexander was found Murdered in his shower—shot in the face, stabbed in the back, his throat slashed ear to ear. Many of his friends pointed a finger at his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias. But police had to piece together her whereabouts on the day of the murder—and her calculating actions made that incredibly difficult. In episode 89, part two of a three part series, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the investigation of Jodi Arias, including blood evidence, her bank and credit card statements and the most shocking discovery: a camera found in the washing machine containing images of Travis’s last moments—shot by the killer.

Jealousy. Suspicion. Rage. And a calculated murder. You may think you know everything about Jodi Arias, the woman who killed Travis Alexander. But in episode 88 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy speak with a first degree who had a front row seat to their ill-fated relationship, and learn details about Jodi’s actions that have never come to light before.

A Detective is trying to solve a murder at a local truck stop. His only lead is a grainy image of a yellow truck. One day, When a yellow long haul truck passes in front of him, his eyes widen. It’s a long shot, but Sgt. Pat Postiglione stops the driver. Inside his cab, he finds a bag of bloody clothes—evidence of other murders. In episode 87, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the murders of trucker serial killer Bruce Mendenhall.

A woman is found murdered at a truck stop in Nashville Tennessee. She is nude, displayed grotesquely, and a chunk of her flesh is missing. Was it to hide her identity, or did the killer take a trophy? In episode 86 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy not only speak with the sister of the victim, but also with Detective Pat Postiglione, who was tasked with finding the killer-who soon learns that this wasn’t his first kill.

Jose Ramirez frantically called the police. He told them that his house had been ransacked, his parents were missing—and there was dried blood on the floor. When the police arrived, they didn’t find professor Susan Brill De Ramirez or her husband Antonio Ramirez Barron. But what they would later discover would shock the community of Peoria’s Bradley University to its core. On episode 85, Jac, Alexis and Billy explore the details of the case, the mind frame of those responsible, and search for an answer to the ever-pressing question: why?

Sheila Bellush had been discovered brutally murdered in her home, her four quadruplet babies covered in her blood after being left alone with their mother’s body for more than 6 hours. A supposedly random person drove 1700 miles to kill her. But why? In episode 84 of The First Degree, Jan, Alexis and Billy dig deep into the relationship of Sheila and Allan Thornburg and uncover the twisted lengths an ex-husband can go to to get revenge. Plus, on Killing Time, they talk about, what else? Tiger King: Joe Exotic.

Sheila Bellush is found dead, her throat slashed and shot in the face in the laundry room of her Florida home. The only witnesses to her murder? Her 23 month old quadruplets, covered in their mother’s blood. In the 84th episode of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy unravel the tale, which takes them from the beaches of Sarasota to the golf courses of San Antonio, uncovering a wicked tale a revenge.

In true crime, the story always seems to start like this: they had a perfect life, a loving family, a great home. Then we talk about how everything goes to hell. When parents seemingly do everything right. Work long hours. Raise their children in a supporting and loving household--And they’re still punished. We have to try to make sense of it. There’s a reason we say at the top of every episode: this could be you. No matter how good of a person you are. No matter how hard you work and how much love you give--This could be you. In the 83rd episode of The First Degree, Alexis, Jac and Billy tell the tale of two families torn apart by a reckless act in the story of Alexander Ernandes, a West Point hopeful who was betrayed in the worst way by one of those closest to him.

Do you think you can always guess who the killer is just from a few details? The husband did it. The boyfriend did it. But sometimes, it’s not so simple. When Mackenzie Cowell was discovered murdered, the small town of Wenatchee, Washington was shook to its core. Fingers were pointed, claims were made, until the man with a Hannibal Lector tattoo emerged from the shadows. On episode 82 of the First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the twisted case of a serial killer-obsessed killer and the life he took away.

In 2005 a 30-year-old pageant queen and teacher named Tara Grinstead went missing. The community, her family and law enforcement were baffled- but all of that changed the moment a filmmaker named Payne Lindsey started digging into the details. On episode 81, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined by Payne Lindsey of the groundbreaking "Up and Vanished" Podcast. Payne shares the details of the investigation, the story of how he became totally immersed -- at times obsessed -- with this fascinating case, and what really did happen to Tara Grinstead.

"Welcome to the house of fun. I'm Trey.” This is how teenager Trey Sessler introduced himself to the world on his Facebook profile. What was so fun about Trey’s house? He lived with his best friend brother and their parents. He was obsessed with anime, and had a popular Youtube channel where he commented on different movies and TV shows. And he liked guns. And one day, the house of fun turned into a house of nightmares. On the 80th episode of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy tell the horror story of Mr. Anime—and what he was planning on next.

What if you were at a party and someone looked through your purse? What if they found something that to you was completely innocent—but to them was a threat? On Episode 79 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the 2018 case of missing 19-year-old Megan Metzger. A case that deals with a chance Facebook message, a three-day long party, crazed paranoia, a car set on fire and a pact between “friends” that would change many lives in a small town in Virginia.

You’re awakened at night by a prowler entering your home. What do you do? In the case of Kinney Glasson, you grab your gun and investigate—to devastating consequences. In episode 78 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy begin with a home invasion, which then opens up into a world of exotic dancers, biker clubs and desperation.