Cops and Robbers: “The Battle for North Hollywood” | MURDERISH Ep. 155

In this episode of Murderish, I interview John Meehan’s (AKA Dirty John) first wife, Tonia Bales. You might remember Tonia from the wildly popular Dirty John podcast, where listeners got to hear recorded phone calls between John and Tonia. John’s threats to Tonia during those calls made the hair on my arms stick up. During the interview, Tonia talks about those phone calls and her motivation behind staying on the phone with John even after he threatened her. Sponsor: RoBody: Visit ro.co/MURDERISH to get your first month for $99, and $145/month after that Let’s get social: Follow MURDERISH on Instagram & TikTok @MurderishPodcast. We’re also on Facebook. Visit murderish.com to learn more about Jami and the podcast. You can also buy merch & sign up to become a MURDERISH | Behind the Mic Patreon member and get access to exclusive perks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19-year-old Noah Presgrove left a house party in the early morning hours of September 4, 2023 in Terral, Oklahoma. The teenager had been drinking and partying at the house for two days, along with many of his friends. A big rig driver spotted Noah’s nude and battered body on the side of Highway 81, and immediately called 911. Nearly everyone assumed Noah had been killed by a hit and run driver, however, details surrounding his death and evidence found at the scene make many believe Noah was murdered. Noah’s case has garnered a lot of attention, which his loved ones hope will pressure law enforcement to find out who killed Noah. The question is …was Noah’s death accidental, or was he the victim of foul play at the hands of people close to him? Noah Presgrove GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/help-bring-justice-for-noah Anyone with information regarding Noah’s death is encouraged to contact state authorities at (580) 353-0783. Follow Jami on Instagram & TikTok @JamiOnAir and join the Serial Streamers true crime TV club! Subscribe to Jami’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jamionair Sponsors Hiya: Visit hiyahealth.com/MURDERISH to get 50% off your first order. RoBody: Visit ro.co/MURDERISH to get your first month for $99, and $145/month after that. Greenlight: Visit Greenlight.com/MURDERISH to get your first month free. Honeylove: Visit honeylove.com/MURDERISH to get 20% off your order. Dirty Money Moves: Women in White Collar Crime - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirty-money-moves-women-in-white-collar-crime/id1619521092. Lipstick & Lies - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lipstick-lies/id1704189120?i=1000625570159 ‘Strange & Suspicious’ by TMZ TV: Available on 12 major FOX stations - check your cable listings. Research and writing by: K. Brant Want to advertise on this show? We’ve partnered with Cloud10 Media to handle our advertising requests. If you’re interested in advertising on MURDERISH, please send an email to Sahiba Krieger sahiba@cloud10.fm and copy jami@murderish.com.  Visit Murderish.com to learn more about the podcast and Creator/Host, Jami, and to view a list of sources for this episode.  Listening to this podcast doesn’t make you a murderer, it just means you’re murder..ish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Patricia Esparza was arrested in October 2012, nobody could believe it ...not even Patricia. She had spent the last decade living abroad, working as a respected psychology professor. There was no way she could have anticipated that returning to the U.S. would bring to the forefront a dark event from her distant past. As more details came to light, the complex nature of this case would explain why it remained unsolved for nearly two decades. Let’s get social: Follow MURDERISH on Instagram & TikTok @MurderishPodcast. We’re also on Facebook. Visit murderish.com to learn more about Jami and the podcast. You can also buy merch & sign up to become a MURDERISH | Behind the Mic Patreon member and get access to exclusive perks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The high-profile trial of Massachusetts finance professor Karen Read ended without resolution last month. In the year’s most closely watched legal proceedings, the jury, composed of six men and six women, failed to agree on whether Read was guilty of murdering her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, or on the two other charges against her. O’Keefe, 46, was found battered, freezing and unconscious outside a Canton, Massachusetts home on the morning of January 29th, 2022, and later pronounced dead at the hospital. At trial, the commonwealth argued Karen, drunk and upset, struck John with her SUV and abandoned him in a snowstorm. Karen’s defense maintained her innocence, alleging that John was killed by fellow law enforcement officers during a house party and that Karen Read was framed by those officers. The live-streamed trial was a rollercoaster with all the drama of a Hollywood script: a police cover-up, misconduct, misogynistic and highly unprofessional text messages from the lead detective, a potential love triangle, lies, and betrayal. Millions were glued to the story, especially in New England, where papers referred to it as “Boston’s trial of the century.” What happens next is anyone’s guess as the story is far from over. Follow Jami on Instagram & TikTok @JamiOnAir and join the Serial Streamers true crime TV club! Subscribe to Jami’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jamionair Sponsors Posh Peanut: Visit PoshPeanut.com/MURDERISH and use code MURDERISH for 20% off your first order. Shopify: Visit shopify.com/murderish (all lowercase) to sign up for a $1/month trial period. Greenlight: Visit Greenlight.com/MURDERISH to get your first month free. Dirty Money Moves: Women in White Collar Crime - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirty-money-moves-women-in-white-collar-crime/id1619521092. Lipstick & Lies - Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lipstick-lies/id1704189120?i=1000625570159 ‘Strange & Suspicious’ by TMZ TV: Available on 12 major FOX stations - check your cable listings. Research and writing by: K. Brant Want to advertise on this show? We’ve partnered with Cloud10 Media to handle our advertising requests. If you’re interested in advertising on MURDERISH, please send an email to Sahiba Krieger sahiba@cloud10.fm and copy jami@murderish.com.  Visit Murderish.com to learn more about the podcast and Creator/Host, Jami, and to view a list of sources for this episode.  Listening to this podcast doesn’t make you a murderer, it just means you’re murder..ish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March of 2016, a 40-year-old single mother was ready to meet someone with whom she could spend her life. Her relationship with the father of her children hadn’t worked out, though they remained amicable. It was during this time that she failed to arrive back home after a night out, sparking fear within her family that something terrible had happened to her. Their worst fears would come true as they learned the horrific details of what happened to the mother of three. Let’s get social: Follow MURDERISH on Instagram & TikTok @MurderishPodcast. We’re also on Facebook. Visit murderish.com to learn more about Jami and the podcast. You can also buy merch & sign up to become a MURDERISH | Behind the Mic Patreon member and get access to exclusive perks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices