Luigi Mangione's defense briefly signaled he'd admit to killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO using a psychiatric defense — then reversed course within 24 hours, potentially tipping off prosecutors that they "have the right guy."
Dateline NBC
Luigi Mangione's defense briefly signaled he'd admit to killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO using a psychiatric defense — then reversed course within 24 hours, potentially tipping off prosecutors that they "have the right guy."
TL;DR
Dateline True Crime Weekly covers three major stories: Luigi Mangione's defense team briefly adopted then abandoned a psychiatric "extreme emotional disturbance" defense in his UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case [1] — Danny Cevallos "Mangione's defense team secretly filed a psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' notice months ago — but when the judge unsealed it pub…" 03:40 ; Maya Millete's lover Jamey Laird delivered bombshell testimony revealing the affair continued until the week she vanished, contradicting earlier accounts [2] — Alexis Rivas "Jamey Laird's testimony blew up the narrative that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished. They were still messaging the day she …" 15:58 ; and the Supreme Court reinstated Pedro Hernandez's conviction in the decades-old Etan Patz case [3] — Alex Laray "The Supreme Court reversed the federal appeals court that had overturned Pedro Hernandez's conviction for killing six-year-old Etan Patz. H…" 28:20 . Keith Morrison also previews his new podcast "Five Miles From Home." The single most useful takeaway: in high-profile murder cases, a psychiatric defense that requires admitting to the killing is rarely worth the strategic cost.
Luigi Mangione's defense briefly adopts then abandons a psychiatric defense; Maya Millete's lover Jamey Laird testifies at Larry Millete's murder trial; Nick Houck enters a perjury plea in the Crystal Rogers case; the Supreme Court rules on the Etan Patz case; Keith Morrison previews his new podcast 'Five Miles From Home.'
The episode opens with a pair of sponsor messages before any editorial content begins. Grand Canyon University highlights its affordability and career-focused programs for over 132,000 students on campus and online. Grainger follows with an appeal to procurement managers, emphasizing its 24/7 support and proactive supply chain management. These ads set the stage before the Dateline story meeting tease begins.
Andrea Canning opens the show by welcoming listeners to Dateline True Crime Weekly and previewing a packed episode. She teases the Mangione psychiatric defense drama, the bombshell testimony of Maya Millete's lover Jamey Laird, the perjury arraignment of former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck, a major Supreme Court ruling in the Etan Patz case, and Keith Morrison's preview of his new podcast series 'Five Miles From Home.' It's a sharp, efficient introduction that signals the episode will cover some of the most consequential true crime developments of the week.
Andrea Canning, Danny Cevallos, and Mike Nardi dissect the most dramatic pre-trial development yet in the Luigi Mangione case. At what was supposed to be a routine hearing, the judge unsealed a notice that Mangione's team had secretly filed back in September 2025, declaring an intent to use the 'extreme emotional disturbance' psychiatric defense. Cevallos explains that this defense — if successful — would only reduce a second-degree murder charge to first-degree manslaughter, not result in an acquittal, and requires the defendant to admit to the killing. Nardi walks through what his Dateline reporting found about Mangione's state of mind: people who knew him described him as normal, not racked by healthcare grievances; the yoga instructor in Honolulu and soccer player in Bangkok saw no signs of debilitating pain or rage. What remains mysterious is a period when Mangione went off the grid — stopped posting online, missed a friend's wedding, and prompted his mother to file a missing persons report in November 2024. Cevallos speculates the defense may have filed the notice merely to hedge their bets, keeping options open, but when the court made clear it would unseal all related materials, they cut their losses. The damage, Cevallos notes, is real: by even floating the idea, they've signaled to both federal and state prosecutors that Mangione was at some point contemplating admitting to the shooting [1] — Danny Cevallos "Mangione's defense team secretly filed a psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' notice months ago — but when the judge unsealed it pub…" 03:40 [2] — Danny Cevallos "Extreme emotional disturbance defense requires proving three things: the defendant was genuinely disturbed, there's a reasonable explanatio…" 05:29 .
A mid-episode sponsor block features three distinct brands. Rosetta Stone promotes its Sapphire subscription with structured lessons and AI-powered feedback, offering Dateline listeners 20% off at rosettastone.com/dateline. IXL, an award-winning personalized learning platform for pre-K through 12th grade, offers the same 20% discount at ixl.com/dateline, timed to the summer break season. Quince rounds out the block with elevated wardrobe essentials made from premium fabrics at direct-to-consumer prices, with free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/dateline.
Alexis Rivas provides a detailed account of week six of Larry Millete's murder trial in San Diego County, centered on the long-anticipated testimony of Jamey Laird. The courtroom filled to capacity as spectators and media crowded in to hear from the man at the center of the prosecution's motive narrative. Laird described how the affair began roughly six months after he started working with Maya in summer 2019, quickly becoming physical and lasting about a year before the couple attempted to conceal it from colleagues on the naval base where Maya outranked Laird professionally. He revealed Maya's secret code name for Larry — 'V for Voldemort' — and described Larry's controlling behavior, including driving Maya to and from work daily. Most dramatically, Laird contradicted a friend's earlier account that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished: in fact, they were still communicating the week of her disappearance. Two days before she was last seen, Larry had called Laird's wife to expose the affair, sending Laird into a panic. Maya's final texts to Laird, sent on the day she disappeared, reported that her conversation with her oldest child about divorce had gone well. The defense's ability to point the finger at Laird was significantly constrained by a pre-trial ruling barring them from suggesting anyone other than Larry was responsible for Maya's death [1] — Alexis Rivas "Jamey Laird's testimony blew up the narrative that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished. They were still messaging the day she …" 15:58 [2] — Alexis Rivas "Jamey Laird testified that Larry controlled when Maya could drive — he drove her to work and back every day. Maya's secret code name for La…" 16:40 .
A brief sponsor interlude features Paragold, a luxury home and outdoor living retailer offering 2,000+ design brands and free design services, followed by Capital One Venture X, pitching its premium travel rewards card with unlimited double miles, a $300 annual travel credit, and global airport lounge access. Both spots target an affluent lifestyle audience consistent with the show's demographic.
Alex Laray walks Andrea Canning through the labyrinthine Crystal Rogers saga, from her Fourth of July 2015 disappearance in Bardstown, Kentucky, through her father Tommy Ballard's unsolved murder eighteen months later, to Brooks Houck's 2025 murder conviction. The latest development: Brooks's brother Nick, a former Bardstown police officer, was charged with perjury. Prosecutors had repeatedly named Nick and their mother Rosemary as unindicted co-conspirators at Brooks's trial, and Crystal's family has long believed the Houck family helped cover up the crime. The arraignment itself was surreal — Nick arrived without his attorney, who had apparently told him to proceed alone. A public defender was hastily assigned, and Nick told the judge he had absolutely no idea why he'd been charged. Crystal's mother, Sherri Ballard, was present in court and told reporters afterward that she had been pushing for exactly these perjury charges, hopeful the truth about her daughter's fate will finally emerge [1] — Alex Laray "Former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck arrived at his perjury arraignment without his attorney — who told him to proceed alone. Nick to…" 24:15 .
Alex Laray provides a brief but consequential update on the Tyler Robinson case out of Utah. Robinson is charged with felony aggravated murder for allegedly shooting Charlie Kirk during a campus debate at Utah Valley University in September 2025. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if he's convicted. At a recent hearing, Robinson's defense argued that a prosecutor's public comments about an inconclusive ballistics report — whether bullet fragments from Kirk's body matched Robinson's rifle — violated the judge's pre-trial publicity order and could have prejudiced potential jurors. The prosecutor said he was simply responding to media misinformation, but the judge delayed ruling on the contempt question and left the death penalty question unresolved, creating significant uncertainty heading into future hearings.
Alex Laray and Andrea Canning close the Dateline Roundup with a major development in one of America's most iconic cold cases. Etan Patz disappeared from New York City in 1979 at just six years old — one of the first missing children to appear on milk cartons — and his case went unsolved for decades until Pedro Hernandez confessed. After a 2015 mistrial and a 2017 conviction, Hernandez's 25-years-to-life sentence seemed settled, until a federal appeals court overturned it on the grounds that the trial judge gave a prejudicial answer to a juror's question about his confession. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the appeals court had exceeded its authority in overturning the state court conviction. Hernandez, who has maintained his confession was made during a period of mental illness, will not receive a new trial [1] — Alex Laray "The Supreme Court reversed the federal appeals court that had overturned Pedro Hernandez's conviction for killing six-year-old Etan Patz. H…" 28:20 .
Keith Morrison joins Andrea Canning to discuss 'Five Miles From Home,' his new podcast series revisiting a case he first covered for Dateline in 2013. The case centers on Michaela 'Mickey' Costanzo, a 16-year-old track star and aspiring writer from West Wendover, Nevada — a five-casino outpost at the edge of the desert. Mickey was beloved by her close-knit family and the entire town, known for calling home every 15 minutes to report her whereabouts. When she went silent, the town mobilized immediately, fearing the worst — and finding it. Her body was found buried in a shallow desert grave. Morrison describes the case as Shakespearean: a childhood friendship between Mickey and Cody that briefly flirted with romance before Cody fell hard for his future fiancée Toni, all set against the backdrop of small-town teenage dynamics. Morrison draws parallels to a Victoria, British Columbia case later dramatized as 'Under the Bridge,' where teenagers killed a classmate for reasons no one could fully explain. The podcast's finale features a jailhouse interview with Toni Fratto, who describes being too terrified to flee, believing she would be killed as the only witness [1] — Keith Morrison "Keith Morrison returns to a case he first covered in 2013 — the murder of teen track star Mickey Costanzo in a tiny Nevada casino town. It …" 30:00 [2] — Keith Morrison "In the finale of 'Five Miles From Home,' Cody's then-fiancée Toni Fratto describes being too terrified to flee, believing that even driving…" 35:00 .
Andrea Canning closes Dateline True Crime Weekly by directing listeners to Dateline Premium for an ad-free experience across all shows. She previews a special Friday Dateline episode hosted by Lester Holt about the devastating Texas floods that struck Camp Mystic the previous summer, featuring interviews with victims' families and survivors — including a camp counselor who recounts the terrifying moment she realized she had 16 little girls behind her and no clear path to safety. The full production credits are read, naming producers Carson Cummins, Caroline Casey, Kiani Reed, Rebecca Glaser, Ellery Gladstone Groth, Aria Young, senior producer Allison Orr, digital producer Veronica Mizeka, sound designer Rick Kwan, composer Jesse McGinty, and executive producers Paul Ryan and Liz Cole. A final sponsor spot for SiriusXM Marine closes the episode.
Chapter 3 · 02:20
Andrea Canning, Danny Cevallos, and Mike Nardi dissect the most dramatic pre-trial development yet in the Luigi Mangione case. At what was supposed to be a routine hearing, the judge unsealed a notice that Mangione's team had secretly filed back in September 2025, declaring an intent to use the 'extreme emotional disturbance' psychiatric defense. Cevallos explains that this defense — if successful — would only reduce a second-degree murder charge to first-degree manslaughter, not result in an acquittal, and requires the defendant to admit to the killing. Nardi walks through what his Dateline reporting found about Mangione's state of mind: people who knew him described him as normal, not racked by healthcare grievances; the yoga instructor in Honolulu and soccer player in Bangkok saw no signs of debilitating pain or rage. What remains mysterious is a period when Mangione went off the grid — stopped posting online, missed a friend's wedding, and prompted his mother to file a missing persons report in November 2024. Cevallos speculates the defense may have filed the notice merely to hedge their bets, keeping options open, but when the court made clear it would unseal all related materials, they cut their losses. The damage, Cevallos notes, is real: by even floating the idea, they've signaled to both federal and state prosecutors that Mangione was at some point contemplating admitting to the shooting [1] — Danny Cevallos "Mangione's defense team secretly filed a psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' notice months ago — but when the judge unsealed it pub…" 03:40 [2] — Danny Cevallos "Extreme emotional disturbance defense requires proving three things: the defendant was genuinely disturbed, there's a reasonable explanatio…" 05:29 .
Mangione's defense team secretly filed a psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' notice months ago — but when the judge unsealed it publicly, they pulled it within 24 hours. By briefly signaling Mangione might admit to the killing, they potentially strengthened the prosecution's resolve.
Mangione's attorneys announced a psychiatric defense at a pre-trial hearing, then withdrew it just 24 hours later — a head-spinning strategic reversal.
Extreme emotional disturbance defense requires proving three things: the defendant was genuinely disturbed, there's a reasonable explanation for it, and it was present at the moment of the killing. Even if you win, the best outcome is a manslaughter conviction instead of murder — you still go to prison.
The psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' defense in Mangione's case would only reduce the charge from second-degree murder to first-degree manslaughter — not result in an acquittal.
Mangione's writings called healthcare executives 'parasites' and cited the US ranking 42nd in life expectancy despite having the world's most expensive healthcare system. His defense needs to link this to his emotional state at the moment of the shooting — not just general anger.
In writings found in his backpack, Mangione cited that the US has the most expensive healthcare system yet ranks roughly 42nd in life expectancy worldwide.
Mangione's writings described UnitedHealthcare's parent United as the 5th largest company in the US by market cap, questioning whether growth benefited patients.
Chapter 5 · 14:30
Alexis Rivas provides a detailed account of week six of Larry Millete's murder trial in San Diego County, centered on the long-anticipated testimony of Jamey Laird. The courtroom filled to capacity as spectators and media crowded in to hear from the man at the center of the prosecution's motive narrative. Laird described how the affair began roughly six months after he started working with Maya in summer 2019, quickly becoming physical and lasting about a year before the couple attempted to conceal it from colleagues on the naval base where Maya outranked Laird professionally. He revealed Maya's secret code name for Larry — 'V for Voldemort' — and described Larry's controlling behavior, including driving Maya to and from work daily. Most dramatically, Laird contradicted a friend's earlier account that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished: in fact, they were still communicating the week of her disappearance. Two days before she was last seen, Larry had called Laird's wife to expose the affair, sending Laird into a panic. Maya's final texts to Laird, sent on the day she disappeared, reported that her conversation with her oldest child about divorce had gone well. The defense's ability to point the finger at Laird was significantly constrained by a pre-trial ruling barring them from suggesting anyone other than Larry was responsible for Maya's death [1] — Alexis Rivas "Jamey Laird's testimony blew up the narrative that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished. They were still messaging the day she …" 15:58 [2] — Alexis Rivas "Jamey Laird testified that Larry controlled when Maya could drive — he drove her to work and back every day. Maya's secret code name for La…" 16:40 .
Jamey Laird's testimony blew up the narrative that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished. They were still messaging the day she disappeared — and just two days earlier, Larry had called Jamey's wife to expose the affair, sending Jamey into a spiral.
Jamey Laird testified that Larry controlled when Maya could drive — he drove her to work and back every day. Maya's secret code name for Larry was 'V for Voldemort.' She was planning to file for divorce after her daughter's Big Bear birthday trip that never happened.
Jamey Laird's testimony revealed the affair with Maya Millete did not end months before her disappearance — they were still seeing each other and communicating the week she vanished.
Two days before Maya Millete vanished, Larry Millete called Jamey Laird's wife to reveal the affair, sending Jamey into a panic and prompting a flurry of messages with Maya.
Chapter 7 · 23:30
Alex Laray walks Andrea Canning through the labyrinthine Crystal Rogers saga, from her Fourth of July 2015 disappearance in Bardstown, Kentucky, through her father Tommy Ballard's unsolved murder eighteen months later, to Brooks Houck's 2025 murder conviction. The latest development: Brooks's brother Nick, a former Bardstown police officer, was charged with perjury. Prosecutors had repeatedly named Nick and their mother Rosemary as unindicted co-conspirators at Brooks's trial, and Crystal's family has long believed the Houck family helped cover up the crime. The arraignment itself was surreal — Nick arrived without his attorney, who had apparently told him to proceed alone. A public defender was hastily assigned, and Nick told the judge he had absolutely no idea why he'd been charged. Crystal's mother, Sherri Ballard, was present in court and told reporters afterward that she had been pushing for exactly these perjury charges, hopeful the truth about her daughter's fate will finally emerge [1] — Alex Laray "Former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck arrived at his perjury arraignment without his attorney — who told him to proceed alone. Nick to…" 24:15 .
Former Bardstown police officer Nick Houck arrived at his perjury arraignment without his attorney — who told him to proceed alone. Nick told the judge he had no idea why he'd been charged, and a public defender was hastily assigned for the hearing.
Crystal Rogers disappeared from her home almost 11 years ago; her car was found abandoned but her body has never been discovered.
Crystal Rogers's former boyfriend Brooks Houck was arrested in 2023 and convicted in 2025, receiving a life sentence for killing Crystal.
The defense team for Tyler Robinson, accused of killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah campus debate, wants the death penalty removed because a prosecutor discussed an inconclusive ballistics report with media outlets. The judge is now weighing whether to hold the prosecution in contempt.
Chapter 8 · 27:20
Alex Laray provides a brief but consequential update on the Tyler Robinson case out of Utah. Robinson is charged with felony aggravated murder for allegedly shooting Charlie Kirk during a campus debate at Utah Valley University in September 2025. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if he's convicted. At a recent hearing, Robinson's defense argued that a prosecutor's public comments about an inconclusive ballistics report — whether bullet fragments from Kirk's body matched Robinson's rifle — violated the judge's pre-trial publicity order and could have prejudiced potential jurors. The prosecutor said he was simply responding to media misinformation, but the judge delayed ruling on the contempt question and left the death penalty question unresolved, creating significant uncertainty heading into future hearings.
The Supreme Court reversed the federal appeals court that had overturned Pedro Hernandez's conviction for killing six-year-old Etan Patz. Hernandez, now 64, will serve out his 25-years-to-life sentence without a new trial.
Chapter 9 · 28:30
Alex Laray and Andrea Canning close the Dateline Roundup with a major development in one of America's most iconic cold cases. Etan Patz disappeared from New York City in 1979 at just six years old — one of the first missing children to appear on milk cartons — and his case went unsolved for decades until Pedro Hernandez confessed. After a 2015 mistrial and a 2017 conviction, Hernandez's 25-years-to-life sentence seemed settled, until a federal appeals court overturned it on the grounds that the trial judge gave a prejudicial answer to a juror's question about his confession. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the appeals court had exceeded its authority in overturning the state court conviction. Hernandez, who has maintained his confession was made during a period of mental illness, will not receive a new trial [1] — Alex Laray "The Supreme Court reversed the federal appeals court that had overturned Pedro Hernandez's conviction for killing six-year-old Etan Patz. H…" 28:20 .
Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on his way to the bus stop in New York City on May 25, 1979, becoming one of the first missing children to appear on milk cartons.
Pedro Hernandez was convicted of killing Etan Patz in 2017 after a 2015 mistrial and sentenced to 25 years to life — a sentence the Supreme Court has now upheld.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal appeals court exceeded its authority in overturning Pedro Hernandez's state conviction, reinstating his prison sentence.
Chapter 10 · 30:00
Keith Morrison joins Andrea Canning to discuss 'Five Miles From Home,' his new podcast series revisiting a case he first covered for Dateline in 2013. The case centers on Michaela 'Mickey' Costanzo, a 16-year-old track star and aspiring writer from West Wendover, Nevada — a five-casino outpost at the edge of the desert. Mickey was beloved by her close-knit family and the entire town, known for calling home every 15 minutes to report her whereabouts. When she went silent, the town mobilized immediately, fearing the worst — and finding it. Her body was found buried in a shallow desert grave. Morrison describes the case as Shakespearean: a childhood friendship between Mickey and Cody that briefly flirted with romance before Cody fell hard for his future fiancée Toni, all set against the backdrop of small-town teenage dynamics. Morrison draws parallels to a Victoria, British Columbia case later dramatized as 'Under the Bridge,' where teenagers killed a classmate for reasons no one could fully explain. The podcast's finale features a jailhouse interview with Toni Fratto, who describes being too terrified to flee, believing she would be killed as the only witness [1] — Keith Morrison "Keith Morrison returns to a case he first covered in 2013 — the murder of teen track star Mickey Costanzo in a tiny Nevada casino town. It …" 30:00 [2] — Keith Morrison "In the finale of 'Five Miles From Home,' Cody's then-fiancée Toni Fratto describes being too terrified to flee, believing that even driving…" 35:00 .
Keith Morrison returns to a case he first covered in 2013 — the murder of teen track star Mickey Costanzo in a tiny Nevada casino town. It has obsession, jealousy, a love triangle, and a jailhouse interview. Morrison calls it Shakespearean, and he's not wrong.
The podcast 'Five Miles From Home' is set in West Wendover, Nevada, a small desert outpost with 5 casinos near the Utah border.
Cody, the central male figure in 'Five Miles From Home,' was described as 6-foot-6 and planning to join the Marines after high school before events unraveled.
Mickey Costanzo called her family every 15 minutes. When she went silent, the whole town of West Wendover turned out to search. They hoped she was alive. They suspected she wasn't. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave in the desert.
Michaela 'Mickey' Costanzo was known to call her family every 15 minutes to report her location; when she went silent, her family immediately knew something was wrong.
In the finale of 'Five Miles From Home,' Cody's then-fiancée Toni Fratto describes being too terrified to flee, believing that even driving away would only make things worse. She feared she'd be killed as a witness.
Chapter 11 · 36:40
Andrea Canning closes Dateline True Crime Weekly by directing listeners to Dateline Premium for an ad-free experience across all shows. She previews a special Friday Dateline episode hosted by Lester Holt about the devastating Texas floods that struck Camp Mystic the previous summer, featuring interviews with victims' families and survivors — including a camp counselor who recounts the terrifying moment she realized she had 16 little girls behind her and no clear path to safety. The full production credits are read, naming producers Carson Cummins, Caroline Casey, Kiani Reed, Rebecca Glaser, Ellery Gladstone Groth, Aria Young, senior producer Allison Orr, digital producer Veronica Mizeka, sound designer Rick Kwan, composer Jesse McGinty, and executive producers Paul Ryan and Liz Cole. A final sponsor spot for SiriusXM Marine closes the episode.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Mangione's defense team secretly filed a psychiatric 'extreme emotional disturbance' notice months ago — but when the judge unsealed it publicly, they pulled it within 24 hours. By briefly signaling Mangione might admit to the killing, they potentially strengthened the prosecution's resolve.
Jamey Laird's testimony blew up the narrative that the affair had ended months before Maya vanished. They were still messaging the day she disappeared — and just two days earlier, Larry had called Jamey's wife to expose the affair, sending Jamey into a spiral.
Keith Morrison returns to a case he first covered in 2013 — the murder of teen track star Mickey Costanzo in a tiny Nevada casino town. It has obsession, jealousy, a love triangle, and a jailhouse interview. Morrison calls it Shakespearean, and he's not wrong.
This episode
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Bryan Thompson was shot dead outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, while heading to the company's annual investors conference.
Luigi Mangione, 28 years old, was taken into custody at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a manager called authorities reporting a customer resembling the suspect.
Under New York law, a successful extreme emotional disturbance defense reduces a charge from second-degree murder to first-degree manslaughter, not an acquittal.
To succeed with an extreme emotional disturbance defense in New York, the defendant must prove three things: genuine emotional disturbance, a reasonable explanation for it, and that the disturbance existed at the moment of the killing.
Luigi Mangione's writings stated the US has the number one most expensive healthcare system in the world but ranks roughly 42nd in life expectancy globally.
Mangione's writings described United (UnitedHealthcare's parent company) as the 5th largest company in the US by market capitalization.
Mangione's mother filed a missing persons report for him in November 2024, just before the murder of Bryan Thompson.
Larry Millete allegedly hired a spellcaster to put a hex on his wife Maya before allegedly killing her in 2021.
Maya Millete's affair with Jamey Laird began approximately six months after he started working with her in summer 2019, and became physical within months.
Two days before Maya Millete disappeared, Larry Millete called Jamey Laird's wife to expose the affair.
Maya Millete texted Jamey Laird on the day she was last seen alive to tell him a conversation she'd had with her oldest child about divorce went well.
Crystal Rogers disappeared from her Bardstown, Kentucky home almost 11 years ago and her body has never been found.
Brooks Houck was arrested in 2023, convicted in 2025, and sentenced to life in prison for killing Crystal Rogers.
Pedro Hernandez was convicted in 2017 of killing Etan Patz and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Etan Patz disappeared on May 25, 1979, and was one of the first missing children to appear on milk cartons; the anniversary of his disappearance became National Missing Children's Day.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal appeals court exceeded its authority in overturning Pedro Hernandez's state conviction, reinstating his sentence.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is charged with felony aggravated murder for allegedly shooting right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University debate in September 2025.
Michaela Costanzo was a 16-year-old high school track star from West Wendover, Nevada who was murdered and found buried in a shallow grave in the desert.
Keith Morrison first covered Michaela Costanzo's case in 2013 in the Dateline TV episode 'Under the Desert Sky.'
This episode
Woman who vanished in 2021; her husband Larry is on trial for her alleged murder after prosecutors say she was planning to divorce him.
Accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Bryan Thompson in December 2024; at the center of a psychiatric defense debate.
Maya Millete's married co-worker with whom she was having an affair; testified at Larry Millete's murder trial.
Former Navy optician on trial for allegedly killing his wife Maya Millete in 2021 after she sought a divorce.
Mother of five who disappeared from Bardstown, Kentucky in 2015; her former boyfriend Brooks Houck was convicted of her murder in 2025.
Sixteen-year-old murdered in West Wendover, Nevada; the subject of Keith Morrison's podcast 'Five Miles From Home.'
Former Bardstown police officer and brother of convicted murderer Brooks Houck, charged with perjury in 2026.
Six-year-old who disappeared in New York City in 1979, becoming one of the first missing children on milk cartons.
Crystal Rogers's former boyfriend, convicted in 2025 and sentenced to life in prison for her murder.
Confessed to killing Etan Patz and was convicted in 2017; the Supreme Court reinstated his conviction after an appeals court overturned it.
UnitedHealthcare CEO shot dead outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024.
Right-wing activist shot and killed at a Utah Valley University debate in September 2025; Tyler Robinson is accused of the murder.
23-year-old charged with killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University debate; his defense seeks to remove the death penalty.
Company whose CEO Bryan Thompson was allegedly killed by Luigi Mangione; mentioned in Mangione's writings.
Reversed a federal appeals court decision to overturn Pedro Hernandez's conviction for the 1979 murder of Etan Patz.
Keith Morrison's new true crime podcast series about the murder of Michaela Costanzo in West Wendover, Nevada.
Kentucky town at the center of the Crystal Rogers disappearance and murder case, now also the location of Nick Houck's perjury case.
Small Nevada casino town and setting of Keith Morrison's 'Five Miles From Home' podcast about the Costanzo murder.
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