How Did a Healthy Chiropractor Die Within 48 Hours?

Hi Crime Junkies, I'm your host Ashley. Flowers. >> And I'm Britt. And the story I have for. you today is [music] more like 10. stories in one with twists and turns and. betrayals that sound like they've been. ripped from a screenplay. Because it starts in the most ordinary. way. A woman goes to work, feels sick, and. everyone assumes it's just a bug. But. within 2 days, she's dead. And what. initially seems like a medical mystery. unravels into a murder investigation.

that divided a family. >> [music]. >> and a community. This is the story of Mary Yoder. In late August 2015, a woman named. Janine is taking her mom to a doctor's. appointment in Central New York near. Utica. This should be a routine visit, but it's anything but. You see, Janine. had just suffered a devastating loss. Her sister, Mary Yoder, had died. suddenly and unexpectedly [music].

just a month before in that very same. medical complex. And truly, when I say. suddenly, her 60-year-old sister went. [music] from being totally fine, like. chipper, working a normal day at her. chiropractic office, to being violently. ill, put in the ICU, and having to be. revived seven times until her heart. finally gave out [music] and she died, all within less than 48 hours. >> Did she have heart issues? No, Mary was. strong and healthy. The only medical. condition she had were mild asthma and.

high cholesterol. Nothing that should. have caused her death. So, you can. imagine the trauma that this medical. [music] complex holds for Janine and how. difficult this appointment is for her. [music] Because not only is she right. near where her sister died, but her. mom's doctor actually was the one who. was Mary's regular doctor. He had. overseen her care when she was. hospitalized. So, naturally, at this appointment, Mary. comes up. Now, Janine and her mom and.

siblings were under the impression that. Mary died of ascending cholangitis, which is this infection of the bile. ducts. But according to Janine, when she. mentioned that to the doctor, he looked. kind of taken aback, like confused even. And he told Janine, that was never a. real diagnosis, just one of the many. possibilities tossed out like early on. after Mary came in. Like when they. couldn't figure out what was making her. sick or why her heart kept giving out. All they really knew at that point, even.

when she's coming there to the doctor, is that they didn't know how she died. And they were still waiting for. toxicology testing to tell them more. But before Janine left, the doctor asked. her something. Where's the husband? The. implication feels clear to Janine in. that moment. And the whole drive home, her mind is just spinning. And that's. when something hits her. Bill Yoder, Mary's husband, had her cremated just. days after she died, even though no one.

knew what killed her. And she just can't. make sense of things. Bill and Mary's. daughter, Leanna, who's actually a. doctor herself, had been telling family. that Mary died of that infection. So, she contacts Leanna again, and when she. presses her on it, Leanna confirms, no, that is not what killed her. And yes, she's been cremated, but that was after. samples were taken. The toxicology. testing that Mary's doctor mentioned was. still underway. And as it turns out, that testing was extensive. [music].

Because from the second that the. pathologist, Dr. Kenneth Clark, began. Mary's autopsy, he knew something was. very wrong. Her organs were discolored, almost like her body had already started. decomposing while she was still alive. And under a microscope, her tissue. showed signs of a massive toxic attack, [music]. as if she had undergone aggressive. chemotherapy, which she hadn't, like. ever. So, Dr. Clark tests for all the. usual poison suspects, right? Like.

arsenic, cyanide. But when those come. back negative, he works with poison. control resources trying to match Mary's. symptoms [music]. to something in their database. And this. stretches on all the way through August. and into September. But finally, nearly 2 months after. Mary's death, they figure it out. Mary died from an overdose of. colchicine. I've never heard of that. >> Most people haven't. I hadn't before.

this case. Colchicine is typically used to treat. gout. But Mary didn't have gout. So, there is. no reason that she should have been. taking it at all, let alone the amount. found in her system, which was enough to. kill her many, many times over. >> And I assume this isn't like an. over-the-counter kind of thing. >> No, no, no, no. You need a prescription. And it's not like there's like a street. market for this thing either. >> gout. >> Right. So, at first, poison control and. everyone is thinking that there could be. basically like accidental waste [music].

that's gotten into her system. Both of. which they need to identify fast because. other people could be at risk. And so, the first thought they have is, okay, she could have gotten it through contact. with plants. Mary was this avid gardener. and colchicine comes from a plant. So, maybe she ingested something that she. grew. Okay, I don't know the ins and. outs of this drug, but I feel like you'd. probably have to ingest a lot of a plant. to die from it. And I I don't see that. happening by accident. >> It actually doesn't take that much. The. lethal dose is remarkably low, but there.

is a second, even scarier possibility. Mary was known to take a lot of. supplements, a lot of vitamins, and she. even sold them out of her practice. So, they start thinking like, oh my god, what if something that she was taking. got contaminated during manufacturing? At least if it was her garden, the. problem would be contained to her. household. >> Right. With this, I mean, they could be. looking at a public health crisis. So, [music]. they have her family go and collect and. turn over everything they can find that.

she took regularly. And even though it. seems far-fetched, they do go even check. her garden. But everything comes back clean. The. simplest explanations are all getting. ruled out. And without those scenarios, it's hard. not to go somewhere darker. Like maybe. someone did this on purpose. And with. that one doctor's words [music] echoing. in Janine's mind, she starts sharing her. suspicions with another of her sister, Sharon. They feel like, you know, they've been pretty much in the dark.

They keep expecting to hear an update or. to be contacted by police or something, but it feels like nothing is happening. So, in mid-October, Sharon contacts the. Oneida County Sheriff's Office herself. And she's like, hey, I'm just calling to. see if you know [music] what's going on. with my sister Mary Yoder's mysterious. death. And they're like, what? Never heard of it. Like, what are you. talking about? And she's like, my. sister, she died of this overdose from a. random medication that she wasn't even. taking, and we're all over here just.

like waiting for someone to tell us what. happened. But the lieutenant confirms, there is no open case on Mary Yoder. Did. she call the wrong jurisdiction? Oh, no. It takes some figuring out, but what it. seems like is that the ME never notified. the authorities of the findings. And oddly enough, Bill didn't either. But once the Sheriff's Office knows. what's what, they quickly open a case. with Lieutenant Robert Nelson and.

Investigator Mark Van Namey at the helm. They know that poisoning requires access. and opportunity. If this was. intentional, it had to be someone close. to her. So, it's no surprise that they. look at Bill first. And not just because. he's the husband. I mean, there is. literally no one else anyone can think. of. Mary is the last person you would. expect something like this to happen to. She had the most unassuming, happy life. Like she and her husband owned their own. practice. They were both chiropractors.

And Mary especially was like adored by. her patients, some of which had been. seeing her for decades. She was a staple. in the community. And her hobbies were. simple, too. Like she loved wellness and. fitness and gardening. And her life was. just full of people who really loved. her. Her three adult children, she had. grandkids, a bunch of siblings and. friends, and Bill, who has been her. husband of nearly 40 years. Now, according to Bill, he and Mary were. happy. No affairs, no major issues. I.

mean, they had big plans for the future, including this upcoming trip to Europe. that they had both been excited about. [music]. And by some accounts, he was barely. functioning after she [music] died. But. a group of Mary's sisters, Janine, Sharon, and Sally, [music] they're just. not so sure that's true. They say that. the marriage had problems, including. [music] financial stress. And it raised. eyebrows that Bill took monthly solo. weekend trips to a hotel, supposedly to.

write. Like he had published a couple of. self-help books. They worked together, though, right? Like. I know I guess like the solo trips. feels like maybe they needed some time. apart. Like just some space. >> Yeah, they had worked together their. whole career, but. recently, Bill had I guess scaled back. some. Like the office was open 3 days a. week, and Bill and Mary's shifts were. often split or rotated with Mary seeing. more patients while Bill focused on like. the business or back end of things, like. finances, administrative stuff. But even. still, like I mean, I get what you're. saying. Everyone finds like what works.

for them, especially if you like work. together. I'm not reading into the like. solo trips too much either. But the. sisters also have questions about his. behavior when Mary was hospitalized. Some cases fade from headlines. Some. never made it there to begin with. I'm. Ashley Flowers, and on [music] my. podcast, The Deck, I tell you the. stories of cold cases featured [music]. on playing cards distributed in prisons.

designed to spark new leads and bring. long overdue justice because these. stories deserve to be heard and the. loved ones of these victims still. deserve answers. Are you ready to be. dealt in? Listen to the deck now. wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, Mary's health deteriorated. fast. It's not like she was hospitalized. for weeks or months. We're talking less. than 48 hours here starting on Monday, July 20th. Now, Mary was at work that.

day. Everything was normal. She was. seeing patients, happy, energetic just. like usual, but that afternoon there was. just this swift and noticeable change. A. wave of nausea just hit her out of. nowhere. Then vomiting and abdominal. pain. By the time she was finishing up. with her last patient around 6:00 it was. clear to everyone around her that. something was wrong [music] and she told. people that she had never felt so sick. before. So, she went home, spent the. night in and out of the bathroom, and by. Tuesday morning, this is the 21st, she.

was even worse. So, around 9:00 a.m. Bill drove her to. the hospital. She spent the day there while doctors. ran blood work and scans trying to. figure out what was going on. And the. medical attention seemed to help. Mary. was feeling a little bit better. Now, doctors still decided to keep her there. overnight for observation, but there. didn't seem to be any like, you know, real alarm. So, Bill assumed that she. just had this nasty stomach bug, which. is maybe why he did something a few of.

Mary's sisters found. off. He went home that night to rest, [music] which whatever, Mary wanted to. sleep too, but before going to bed, Bill. says that he put his phone in another. room to charge. So, he didn't wake up as. the hospital called him again and again. and again because around 10:00 p.m. This. is about an hour after Bill left, not. even that long. Mary's condition took. this sharp turn for the worse. First,

she fell down while trying to use the. bathroom. Then she was moved to the ICU, [music] and in the early morning hours. of Wednesday the 22nd, she just kept. spiraling. Her heart stopped at 4:17, then again less than 20 minutes later, and when staff still weren't able to. reach Bill by then, they actually sent. state troopers to his door to wake him. up. And when they do, Bill calls the. hospital immediately, but even though. the Yoders' house is just 15 minutes. away, it took him an hour to get there.

And Mary coded again just after 10:00. a.m. Then once an hour after that. A total of seven times. Doctors brought. her back over and over again until it. was just too much and they couldn't. anymore. She was pronounced dead at 2:54 p.m. on. Wednesday, July 22nd. So, to some of Mary's sisters, Bill's. lack of urgency, the fact that you don't. make sure your phone is right next to. you while your wife's in the hospital, that you aren't rushing out the door.

when troopers have to wake you up about. your wife's condition, it feels wrong to them. And listen, like. I said, I get going home that night. Mary seemed to be getting better. She. wanted to sleep. And to add more. context, Bill probably had every reason. to believe that it was some kind of. stomach bug because their 25-year-old. son, Adam, had actually come down with. something really similar just a few. months earlier. He even went to the. hospital. Now, he wasn't admitted like. Mary, but it was pretty bad. And though.

it had taken a while, he bounced back. Yeah, but like. I'm sorry, keep your phone. close on you. That seems like such a. no-brainer thing. >> His excuse was that Mary had moved the. phone charger months earlier, so he just. like plugged it in where she left it and. just like So, move the charger. I like. you know, it's it's like a little bit of. a husband answer. It's like, "Well, that's where you put it. I don't know.". And especially listen, like once you. know she's in the intensive care unit, like hustle. That's kind of my thing. And listen, there's something else that. Mary's sister shares with detectives.

that bothers her. Once she learned that. her sister died of a colchicine. overdose, she started researching the. drug because just like you and me, she'd. never heard of it before. And she found. something really interesting. Apparently, colchicine can be used to. grow super potent marijuana, which jogs. this memory for her. Back in the early. 1980s, Bill had grown some of his own. marijuana using some kind of special. process with the seeds [music] to make. the plants stronger. And just to be. clear, like at this point, Bill had been.

saying he'd never even heard of. colchicine before Mary died. But like. knowing this, and again, they're like. connecting dots or like that, you know, we can't prove, but like the sisters. aren't buying it. But what's the why. here? Like is there a life insurance. policy? Is it an actual affair? Like I. know we've seen it all at this point, but it's definitely more rare to see. a spouse kill their partner after 40. years of marriage. >> That's a long time. And I assume there. wasn't like a bunch of red flags before.

this or it wouldn't have been such a. shock to Janine at the doctor's office. when he's like, "Hey, where's Bill?". Right. So, that's the part that no one. can totally figure out. If Bill did. something to Mary, why? Yeah. To answer. your question, there wasn't any life. insurance. I mean, they seemed to be. getting along fine. There were no. accusations of domestic violence that I. know of. And whatever Mary may have told. her sister about financial struggles, it's not like he was like again walking. away with a million-dollar life. insurance policy. And it doesn't seem.

that she ever mentioned being afraid of. Bill or that he had cheated on her, anything. But if there was a time when. Janine, Sharon, or Sally were. questioning themselves, like cataloging. all of this, all the years that Mary and. Bill had been together thinking how. devoted you have to be to a person to. build a life with them over four. decades, just when they might have. thought they were barking up the wrong. tree. Bill does something in late.

November that finally convinces some. that he did have a motive, that maybe he. wanted out of his marriage. And this. thing would become central to this case. for the next 10 plus years to come. Four. months after his wife unexpectedly. [music] died by poisoning, Bill gathers his three kids together for. this big announcement. Bill's in love again. Not just like a little crush or a date. or anything, like in love. So, it's not.

like he just met this woman. Well, no. >> [laughter]. >> Like there is no scenario where this. looks good. Either you have to admit you. met her like the second your wife died. and while everyone else was grieving, you're. boning her and just moved on super fast, or you have to admit that there's. overlap and you met her before your wife. died. Somehow, there is a worse third. option that kind of combines [music].

both. What do you mean? The woman that he is in a relationship. with, that he is in love with now, is one of Mary's own sister. Yeah. Okay. Oh, there I have so many questions, but. let's pause for a second. Walk me. through this. How does someone go from thinking Bill. [music] killed their sister to being in. a relationship with him in a matter of. months? So, they don't. It is not. Janine, Sharon, or Sally that Bill is.

announcing he's in love with. So, it's. not that. They have another sister, Kathleen. That's who Bill is seeing, in. love with, whatever. And look, I know. grief can bring people together in. unexpected ways, but. this seems. fast to say the least. And basically, Bill says that like after Mary died, he. and Kathleen just like leaned on each. other. They were both mourning cuz. Kathleen's own husband had died after. this long illness the year before and.

they understood what the other was going. through. And then in September, things. got romantic. So, we're talking about this 4 months after. Mary died, but. it got romantic 2 months later? Correct. Dude, >> [laughter]. >> I would haunt the out of my husband. I. mean, if I'm still around, if I'm still. around, I will haunt I don't even need. to haunt them. I will go for them for. [laughter] you. I mean, I'm not. >> god. I'm not saying never be happy. again, but just like. >> this. No. And according to ABC News.

Studios, which actually made this Hulu. docu-series about this case, this is suspicious to a lot of people. I. mean, family and investigators alike. They wonder if the relationship started. before Mary died. Same. Maybe he wanted. to be with Kathleen and got rid of Mary. to make that happen. So, detectives are obviously like catching. wind of all of this and they quietly. start to subpoena phone records and bank. statements. They also talk to the Yoder. children who. are in this like impossible position.

Like they're cooperating with law. enforcement while pretending with their. father that like nothing is going on. >> And what are they thinking at this time? Like. this has got to be a little suspicious. to them, too, right? >> yeah, they love their dad, but they're. starting to face the thought that he. might be responsible for this. I mean, at least that's what Bill and Mary's. daughters, Leanna and Tamron, kind of. describe and how like terrifying the. thought of this is. They They talk about. it during an interview with ABC News.

[music]. And they said, you know, they were. surprised to say the least about his. relationship with Kathleen. And one of. the other things they're really honest. about is Tamron tells police about this. odd conversation she had with her dad. not long after their mom died about this. inheritance that Bill had recently. received when his own father passed. away. He he close to like half a million. dollars. And according to Tamron, he said that. while the money wasn't really enough for. two people to retire on, it was for one.

So, you have this like no, there's no. affair, but you have this weird Kathleen. thing, and no, there was no life. insurance on Mary. >> But, there was like a financial thing. >> Could there have been financial motive. after all? Maybe not the normal kind. where, you know, someone's in a lot of. debt or something, but like a financial. motive nonetheless. But then, just as. Lieutenant Nelson and investigator Van. Namey are starting to really dig into. Bill, the strangest thing happens. They. get an anonymous letter that completely.

changes the direction of this case. On November 23rd, 2015, the same. typewritten [music]. anonymous letter shows up at both the. sheriff's department and the ME's. office. Each envelope is postmarked. November 20th, 2015. And this is what. that letter says. Please forward to acting investigators. I know police are currently looking into.

this death, but I don't know where to. send this information. This is in. regards to the July 22nd, 2015 [music]. death of Mary Yoder in Utica, New York. If the toxin found in her was. colchicine, Adam Yoder, her son, is. responsible. He told me he did. And moreover, he told. me how and where he put the rest of the. toxin. It was already odd Adam drove. back so early the day of her death, arriving in Utica around 6:30 a.m.,

meaning that he left Long Island very. early morning because she wasn't in. grave condition then. It's weird he'd drive down to Long. Island and then go back north in the. middle of the night, especially since. he'd been so standoffish and just mean. to her, telling her he functioned better. by not seeing or talking to her. He felt. she was unfair to him and he resented. that. She should have helped him more. When I saw him a couple days ago, he. appeared agitated and said he was the. reason for her death and he wished he.

could take it back. Then he said he got a bottle of. colchicine off online and put the toxin. in one of her vitamins when he was over. at his parents' house. He said his mom. noticed he seemed disturbed at the time. and she thought it was since he was. drinking at their house. Adam said he told her no, the beer was. not the reason he was disturbed and to. drop it. He said he apologized to his parents for. ruining the holiday of Father's Day and. left. Adam was upset people weren't paying. more attention to him. He felt he. deserved more attention and he thought.

people would be nicer to him. He acted. resentful and belligerent to his. immediate family and became visibly. irritated people kept talking about his. mom. He says he expected a financial payout. after the death, which did not come. After he found out he was not getting. the money he thought he would, he said. he regretted what he did, was. hysterical, and he didn't know what he. was going to do, but he had ideas. He said now the colchicine container is. under the front seat passenger side of.

his Jeep. That's where he said it was. until he figures out where to put it or. dispose of it next. I asked him to show. me where he kept it currently and said. no, but described it as a small glass. bottle. He has a black Jeep Wrangler, 1991 model. I am sending this. anonymously because I can't keep this. information. It is right to alert. authorities, but it's still hard to do. and I fear attaching my name to this. information right now. I'm very close to. him, but what he did was wrong and I. believe he would be capable of repeating.

this type of act. To add credibility to this, Mary Yoder. got sick two days before she passed away. suddenly. The cause of her death was not. released and initial medical reports. were inconclusive, but I now suspect. colchicine poisoning from her son. And. her symptoms were sudden onset abdominal. pain, nausea, and diarrhea. She was. admitted Tuesday to the hospital and. died Wednesday afternoon after repeated. failed attempts to restart her heart. Adam's monetary concerns are suspect.

because he struggled financially and. supported somewhat by his parents'. assistance. Colchicine is a very. specific name and the name of the toxin. found in Mary Yoder was not released. So, if they are one in the same, it's not a coincidence. After he related to me the information. about where the specific toxin is and. the details, I feel this is necessary. for appropriate authorities to pursue. this. Oh, they're going to pursue this, all. right. Starting by talking to.

25-year-old Adam Yoder. The detectives bring him in on December. 8th for an impromptu interview. And when. they sit down with him, they just lay it. out there. We got this letter claiming. that you poisoned your mother with. colchicine and that the bottle is still. in your Jeep. And right away, Adam. denies it all. He says that he'd never. even heard of colchicine before they. were all told about Mary's cause of. death [music] back in September. And he. didn't know which police agency was. investigating the case until today when. they called him in. So, after a quick.

call to a lawyer, he agrees to let them. search the Jeep, which is in the parking. lot since he drove it to the station. So, they go outside to do this search. right in front of him. And it takes a. minute because this thing is a hot mess. Like techs literally have to clean it. out just to get to the seats. And as. investigator Van Namey later told ABC. News, he's thinking, "There's no way. they're going to actually find. anything.". But, when they look under the front. passenger seat, there it is. Exactly where the letter said it would.

be, this small glass bottle of. colchicine. To say that everyone is. stunned is an understatement. Not only. is the colchicine there, but right by it. is the receipt dating back to January of. that year, chock-full of helpful details. like the email address used [music] to. buy it. Mr. Adam Yoder 1990@gmail.com. And the address that it was shipped to, the Yoders' chiropractic office. Now, when they find this, Adam seems just as.

floored as everyone else. And he swears. that he's never ordered colchicine and. that email address isn't even his, although it is similar to others that. he's used. He [music] also points out. that he wasn't even around when his mom. got sick. He'd been in Long Island. visiting his sister Leanna starting on. July 15th and he didn't get home until. he got the call that Mary was in the. hospital. Toll records ultimately later. back that up. >> But, if the letter's right and he. drugged her vitamins around Father's. Day, like does that alibi even.

count or matter? Maybe not. But, Adam is. insistent that this had to have been. planted to frame him. And honestly, there is something about how this all. unfolded that kind of makes. investigators agree. >> Wait, really? I know. Like, who doesn't. love an easy solve, right? Like, many. detectives might have taken this handed. to them on a silver platter. >> And ran with it. >> Called it a day. But, to Van Namey and. Nelson, it's all just a little too.

perfect. Like, someone just offering. Adam up. The thing is, if Adam is being. [music] framed, it's probably by whoever. actually killed Mary. So, why now? Was this a diversion? Were. they getting too close? I mean, at this. point, the only person they've been. looking at was Bill. And while his. behavior has been suspicious at times, if he's behind this, it means that he. poisoned his wife and then had no. problem setting up his own son to take. the fall for it. >> Which would be diabolical?

>> To say the least, but not impossible. And investigators decide that what they. need to do is they need to talk to. someone who knows this family [music]. well. Someone who might be able to shed. light on the family dynamics and clue. them in on Adam's activities. So, they. decide to go to 22-year-old Kaitlyn. Conley. [music]. Now, Katie is the office manager at the. Yoders' practice and she has been. working there for nearly 3 and 1/2. years. But, she is also Adam's. ex-girlfriend. They started dating back.

in 2011, on-again, off-again. Like, things had been off before Mary's death. Maybe it seems like they reconnected. briefly in the wake of the tragedy, but. either way, Mary had adored Katie and. the feeling seemed to be mutual. I mean, Katie was at the hospital the day that. Mary died. She helped plan the memorial. She was even mentioned in Mary's. obituary. So, Katie comes to [music] the. station in mid-December. And this is. really their first time interacting with. her.

Their impression of her is, you know, she's this soft-spoken young woman who. seems [music] eager to help. And before. they jump right into the tough family. questions, they just ask her about. Mary's normal routines and [music] her. last day at the office. >> Mhm. What stood out? What do you. remember? And Katie had already gone. over a lot of this with the Yoders, both. Leanna and Bill had asked her about it. So, it's fresh in her mind. It had just. been her and Mary in the office that. [music] day, a totally average Monday. Mary arrived at 8:00 a.m., worked the.

normal morning. She was seeing patients. Then she left at like 12:30 to have. lunch with her mom, but it turns out her. mom had already eaten. So, Mary came. back about an hour later, mixed a. protein shake, and then took some. vitamins. That was her typical routine. She kept supplements at the office and. at her house. Now, on July 20th, she'd. brought the vitamins with her and she. made her shake using almond milk from. the office fridge, which already had. been tested and came back clean. But, Katie can't remember whether the.

protein powder for like her shake or. whatever, if that came from the office. stash or not. [music] So, next, investigators ask her about colchicine. And she said she's never even heard of. it, but she knows that Mary was killed. by some kind of toxin. I mean, she was. actually with Adam when he was. collecting a bunch of supplements and. stuff from the office to be tested by. poison control. I guess initially he had. asked her for the key so he could just. go on his own and get the stuff, but she. didn't want to give it to him, so she. went along. But the whole thing was. strange, she said. Like he was acting.

frantic, just like grabbing everything. he could find. And before they left, she. says that he told her, "If anyone got in. trouble for this, it would be her." Is. that a threat? I don't know what that was. But Katie. tells police she is suspicious of Adam. She said that he can be controlling and. at times violent. And that's when she. tells them something that maybe they. should have already known, but might. have missed. She actually filed a police.

report against him in 2014 for sexual. assault, though she didn't end up. pursuing charges. And on top of that, she remembers that. back in February, this package came to. the Yoder's office. It was addressed to. Adam, which was odd because while Adam. used to work there, he hadn't in years. So she says she left it on her desk or. like near the front counter, and she. assumes that he eventually picked it up. >> And what about his relationship with. Mary? Like does Katie have any idea like.

why he would want to kill his own. mother? She says she doesn't know why. anyone would want to kill Mary. But. others had described their relationship. as complicated, Mary and Adam's. Like. there was no question that Mary loved. him, but Janine told Crime Watch Daily. that she had also enabled him. Although. she was starting to take a firmer stand. And I guess they had gotten into an. argument on Mother's Day, which led to. Adam telling her that he didn't want to. see her and Bill too much anymore. And. even though it seems like they had made. up, he had lashed out at her via text.

just the week before she died because he. like needed help with something, and it. sounds like he felt like she brushed him. off. But here's the whole thing. I mean, they're hearing all of this, Nelson and. Van Amey. But there's something. bothering them. And it's not Adam and. Mary's relationship. It's the way that Katie is talking. Her suspicions, they're almost too similar to the. anonymous letter. And so investigators begin to wonder if.

she was the one who wrote it. And if that's true, it means that. they've had this thing all wrong. So. they immediately start digging. Who is. Katie Conley? And what have they been. missing? It turns out. a lot. But all of that comes in part two of. this story. Now if you've got the Crime. Junkie Fan Club app, you can listen to. that right now and ad-free, or come back.

next Monday to find out what detectives. [music] learned and why justice has been. so elusive. Here's some issues that I. still have. You got to You got to look. at it from our point of view. We're. looking at one of three people here. The husband, Mhm. Adam, or you. You're going to have to help us. If you're telling us you have nothing to. do with this, you're going to have to. help us rule you out, just like we got. to rule out Adam or Bill, whoever is not. responsible for this. Cuz right now, there's a lot of things unanswered.

questions that we have. >> Right. Um the Gmail account and some. other things. And like you said, those. don't point to Adam. They point to that. person. >> I know. You need to help us clear you.