Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

Charles Ponzi: The Original Scammer

  In this episode of Moms and Mysteries, we’re diving into the outrageous life and legendary lies of Charles Ponzi, the man whose name is now forever linked to financial fraud. Long before Bernie Madoff or crypto bros with ring lights, Ponzi was out here in the 1920s promising 50% returns in just 45 days… and somehow, people bought it. Thank you to this week’s sponsors! Elevate your fall wardrobe essentials with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  And right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping.  text MOMS to 64000.  Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Join the more than 3 million families who have chosen K12, and empower your student to reach their full potential now. ! Go to K12.com/MOMS today to find a tuition-free K12-Powered School near you and enroll now.  Check-out bonus episodes up on Spotify and Apple podcast now! Get new episodes a day early and ad free, plus chat episodes, discord access and zoom hangouts at Patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast .    To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/MomsandMysteriesATrueCrimePodcast.    Listen and subscribe to Melissa’s other podcast, Criminality!! It’s the podcast for those who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Subscribe and listen here: www.pod.link/criminality    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more.      SOURCES  "Charles Ponzi - Scheme, Movie & Wife." Biography.com. Charles Ponzi - Scheme, Movie & Wife.  "Charles Ponzi | EBSCO Research Starters." EBSCO. Charles Ponzi | EBSCO Research Starters.  "Charles Ponzi's immortal financial scam : Planet Money : NPR." NPR. Charles Ponzi's scheme : Planet Money. "Ponzi Schemes | Investor.gov." Investor.gov. Ponzi Schemes | Investor.gov.  "Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend - Mitchell Zuckoff - Google Books." Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RshbAA3v1kUC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=Charles+Ponzi+biography&ots=YztbTNhuie&sig=Ub0G9PJ3QpUqviwot3o5yGsNigI.

MURDERED: Rita Politte

When 14-year-old Michael Politte woke up to find his family home filled with smoke, he had no idea his life was about to change forever. After discovering his mother, Rita, on fire in the hallway, Michael ran for help—only to be arrested just days later and accused of her murder. Thank you to this week’s sponsors! Feel the difference an extraordinary night’s sleep can make with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/moms and unlock free shipping. Exclusions apply. For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. Save 25% on your first month of subscription by going to dosedaily.co/MOMS or entering MOMS at checkout.    Check-out bonus episodes up on Spotify and Apple podcast now! Get new episodes a day early and ad free, plus chat episodes, discord access and zoom hangouts at Patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast  Thank you to this week’s sponsors! Get the best savings of the season during Boll & Branch’s Annual Summer Event! Get 20% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/MOMS. Limited time only. Exclusions apply. Give your summer closet an upgrade—with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms  for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.  Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch Calendars by going to SkylightCal.com/MOMS.  To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/MomsandMysteriesATrueCrimePodcast.  Listen and subscribe to Melissa’s other podcast, Criminality!! It’s the podcast for those who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Subscribe and listen here: www.pod.link/criminality    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more.    Sources: https://www.macarthurjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Petition-for-Writ-of-Habeas-Corpus.pdf https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-politte-rita-politte-missouri-sleepover-murder-investigation/ https://themip.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Politte-Press-Release-8.23.pdf https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-04-27/years-after-michael-politte-won-parole-in-missouri-his-battle-for-exoneration-drags-on https://www.stlmag.com/news/michael-politte-juror-wrongful-conviction/  https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/michael-polittes-fight-for-freedom/  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84665391/ollie_b-smith  https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2021-09-29/michael-politte-has-served-22-years-for-murdering-his-mother-experts-say-hes-innocent  https://www.newspapers.com/image/1208041899/?match=1&terms=marian%20smith 

Coercive Control & Criminal Curiosity: The Cases of Sally Challen and the Barefoot Bandit, with Hannah and Patia from The Knife!

This week we've teamed up with our true crime friends from The Knife, journalist-producers Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton, for a one-of-a-kind episode where we each brought a story to the table. First, Melissa and Mandy tell the bizarre and unforgettable tale of Colton Harris-Moore, better known as the Barefoot Bandit. He was a lanky teen from a small island town who went on the run, stealing cars and planes while dodging authorities for years. His story captured the internet’s imagination, but behind the memes was a kid failed by the very systems meant to protect him. Next, Hannah and Patia dive into the heartbreaking and impactful case of Sally Challen, a woman convicted of murdering her husband in 2010. What seemed at first like a shocking and senseless crime was eventually reexamined through a modern understanding of coercive control and domestic abuse. The result: a rare and powerful legal reversal years later. This episode explores two lives shaped by control, survival, and the long shadow of trauma. It’s a compelling look at how the ripple effects of crime stretch far beyond the headlines. Listen and subscribe to The Knife wherever you get your podcasts! Check-out bonus episodes up on Spotify and Apple podcast now! Get new episodes a day early and ad free, plus chat episodes, discord access and zoom hangouts at Patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast  Thank you to this week’s sponsors! Get the best savings of the season during Boll & Branch’s Annual Summer Event! Get 20% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/MOMS. Limited time only. Exclusions apply. Give your summer closet an upgrade—with Quince. Go to Quince.com/moms  for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.  Right now, Skylight calendars is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch Calendars by going to SkylightCal.com/MOMS.  To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/MomsandMysteriesATrueCrimePodcast.    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more.   

MYSTERY: The Televangelist Bombings

  In this episode, we dive into the bizarre and still-unsolved 1990 mail bombings that targeted two of the biggest names in televangelism — John Osteen of Lakewood Church and Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network. We explore the rise of televangelism, the attacks that nearly claimed lives, the FBI investigation, and the internet’s favorite theory about who was really behind it all.   Check-out bonus episodes up on Spotify and Apple podcast now! Get new episodes a day early and ad free, plus chat episodes, discord access and zoom hangouts at Patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast  Thank you to this week’s sponsors! Join the more than 3 million families who have chosen K12, and empower your student to reach their full potential now. Go to K12.com/MOMS today to find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you and enroll now.  Go to Suvie.com/MOMS to get 16 free meals when you order. Save time, eat better with Suvie. Download the free Rakuten App or go to Rakuten.com to start saving today.   To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/MomsandMysteriesATrueCrimePodcast.  Listen and subscribe to Melissa’s other podcast, Criminality!! It’s the podcast for those who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Subscribe and listen here: www.pod.link/criminality    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more.    Sources: Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/image/13287683/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/512399994/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/215935540/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/187827805/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/340452120/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/589323208/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-the-charismatic-movement.html https://www.newspapers.com/image/358751100/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/147479854/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/9510369/?terms=%22John%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/625715534/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/900862756/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/589229489/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/18914268/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/112402135/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/790209161/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/589231645/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/432370107/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/213171566/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/14441943/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/357173500/?terms=%22Lisa%20Osteen%20Comes%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/689396144/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/422745805/?terms=%22Robert%20Robinson%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/235921155/?terms=%22Scott%20Scheepers%22, https://www.newspapers.com/image/235921178/?terms=%22Scott%20Scheepers%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/13722730/?terms=%22pat%20robertson%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/235921638/?terms=%22Scott%20Scheepers%22&match=1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/235915832/?terms=%22Scott%20Scheepers%22&match=1 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/us/alabama-execution-walter-leroy-moody.html https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Televangelist_Bomber https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/eric-rudolph https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/lakewood.pdf https://www.joelosteen.com/our-ministry? https://www1.cbn.com/700club/pat-robertson https://www1.cbn.com/node/735 http://www.patrobertson.com/Statesman/PresidentialBidAnalyzed.asp https://www.britannica.com/topic/televangelism https://thesciencesurvey.com/features/2022/01/17/the-story-of-american-televangelism/ https://www.religion-online.org/article/the-unknown-history-of-televangelism/ Unsolved Mysteries, season 4 episode 9

MYSTERY: Lake Lanier

Beneath the waters of Lake Lanier in Georgia lies something far more haunting than fish and tree stumps. We're talking entire towns, graveyards that were never fully relocated, and a history soaked in tragedy. Before it was a popular summer destination, Lake Lanier was the site of a federal project that displaced hundreds of families—many of them Black landowners—uprooted cemeteries, and submerged an entire community under 56,000 acres of water. This week, Mandy and Melissa explore the dark past and chilling present of one of the most infamous lakes in the United States. From ghost stories and urban legends to real-life drownings and disappearances, the lake has earned its deadly reputation. Whether it's unexplained boating accidents, tales of invisible hands pulling swimmers under, or the eerie story of the Lady of the Lake, Lake Lanier continues to make headlines nearly 70 years after it was created. Check-out bonus episodes up on Spotify and Apple podcast now! Get new episodes a day early and ad free, plus chat episodes, discord access and zoom hangouts at Patreon.com/momsandmysteriespodcast  Thank you to this week’s sponsors! New customers can get the Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara and a mini-sized Brilliant Eye Brightener at a special set price with free shippingavailable at thrivecausemetics.com/MOMS. Or save more with 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/MOMS. Get the best savings of the season during Boll & Branch’s Annual Summer Event! Get 20% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollandBranch.com/MOMS.   For a limited time, our listeners get 25% off goPure with code MOMS at checkout. Just head to gopurebeauty.com, use code MOMS, and you’re all set. And right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. To get your twenty percent off, text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See site for details.     To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://www.advertisecast.com/MomsandMysteriesATrueCrimePodcast.  Listen and subscribe to Melissa’s other podcast, Criminality!! It’s the podcast for those who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Subscribe and listen here: www.pod.link/criminality    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more.