Casefile True Crime

*** Content warning: Sexual assault ***

[Part 1 of 2]

When 17-year-old Shari Smith disappeared from the end of her family's driveway in Lexington, South Carolina, there were immediate concerns for her wellbeing. Shari had a rare medical condition that could turn fatal without her medication. 



But any concerns that Shari’s illness could have caused her disappearance were quickly quashed after the Smith family received an odd phone call, prompting the largest manhunt in South Carolina’s history. As the taunting calls continued, the question remained - where was Shari? And was she still alive?



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Narration – Anonymous Host

Research & writing – Elsha McGill 

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Production and music – Mike Migas

Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn



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For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-261-shari-smith-debra-may-helmick-part-1

*** Content warning: Elder abuse ***

The Director of Nursing at the Alpine Manor Nursing Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was thrilled when Catherine Wood and Gwen Graham joined their team of nursing aides in the mid-1980s. They were hard-working, enthusiastic and well-liked. But soon after they started, some residents of Alpine Manor began telling the staff that their lives were in peril. When those same residents began to pass away, their deaths were put down to natural causes. Was it old age that killed these residents? Or was there a more sinister explanation?



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Narration – Anonymous Host

Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Production and music – Mike Migas

Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn



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For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-260-the-alpine-manor-murders

*** Content warning: Child victim, child sexual abuse ***

When eight-year-old Jamie Lavis failed to return home on Monday, May 5 1997, his family quickly raised the alarm. Soon, it seemed as though all of Greater Manchester was searching for the missing boy – including a bus driver named Darren Vickers...



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Narration – Anonymous Host

Research & writing – Erin Munro

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Production and music – Mike Migas

Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn



Sign up for Casefile Premium:

For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-259-jamie-lavis

On November 16 2009, a 911 call was placed to the Utah County Sheriff’s Department by 34-year-old Pamela Mortensen. According to Pamela, her father-in-law Kay Mortensen was brutally murdered in his own home...



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Narration – Anonymous Host

Research & writing – Erin Munro

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Production and music – Mike Migas

Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn



Sign up for Casefile Premium:

For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-258-kay-mortensen

Follow and subscribe to Unfiltered on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 



In 2021, I sat down and had a series of hour-long phone calls with the anonymous host of Casefile, or “Casey,” as he’s been dubbed by fans of the show. At the time, Casey was recovering from an unexplained medical issue. Our chats reminded me of the power of real and raw conversations, and it paved the way for ‘Unfiltered,’ the new Casefile Presents podcast where guests from all walks of life join me for a conversation about justice and transformation.



In our first episode and his first-ever in-depth interview, Casey generously opens a window into parts of his own story that he’s never before shared publicly.



Follow Casey on Instagram: instagram.com/caseys.snaps