Sword and Scale: Daily Summaries Delivered

Episode 352

On a quiet Georgia farm, a beloved father and husband vanishes, only for his remains to be found in a burn pile — leading to a chilling murder investigation that exposes decades of marital decay, infidelity, and a calculated betrayal. The truth? His wife, Melody Farris, orchestrated his murder to reclaim her freedom and lovers, manipulating her children, staging an accident, and ultimately trying to frame her own son.

Episode 350

The murder of 22-year-old Katie Blauvelt in Simpsonville, South Carolina, in 2016 exposed a web of deception, manipulation, and systemic failure, ultimately revealing that her estranged husband, Army recruiter John Blauvelt, meticulously planned and carried out her killing, then fled with his teenage girlfriend, Hannah Thompson. After nearly a decade, justice was served when John was convicted and sentenced to life without parole, while Hannah, who helped him evade capture, received probation after testifying against him.

Episode 348

When 43-year-old Diane Holik was found dead inside her Austin home, homicide investigators were left with more questions than answers. Diane had no enemies. There was no apparent reason for anyone to want her dead. But as detectives dug deeper, they uncovered a web of obsession, deceit, and darkness that defied understanding and revealed a killer hiding in plain sight.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Episode 347

In March 2015, ninety-four-year-old Marie Belcastro was found brutally murdered in her home on Cherry Street in Niles, Ohio. Adored by her family and neighbors, she was known for her humor, generosity, and the simple kindness she extended to those around her. But the violence that ended her life came from closer to home than anyone imagined, leaving her family and the community to wrestle with unsettling questions about trust, justice, and whether every life is worth saving.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Episode 346

Sanctuary

On a quiet January morning in rural Pennsylvania, Rhonda Smith went to work at her church and never came home. What started as a shocking act of violence inside a place of worship slowly unraveled into something far more personal. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered whispered jealousies, blurred boundaries, and a devotion that may have crossed a dangerous line. Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Episode 344

On a cold March evening in 2023, police in Englewood, Colorado responded to a 911 call from 81-year-old Reginald Maclaren. Inside his upscale apartment, they uncovered a scene so brutal, it would briefly dominate headlines before vanishing just as quickly. The victims were Reginald’s wife and daughter. They were two women who lived quietly, knew no one, and left behind almost nothing. It was their bodies, and the way they were found, that told the horrifying story of their deaths. Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Episode 342

In a quiet Ohio suburb where families mow their lawns and kids ride bikes on the sidewalks, police uncover a bloody scene: two decomposing bodies, Regina Capobianco and her friend John Mann, buried beneath trash inside a modest home. As investigators peel back the layers, they don’t just find evidence of murder; they find broken families, desperate choices, and a trail of secrets that stretches from prison cells to nail salons. In a quiet, family-friendly town, someone let a killer through the front door. Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com