After countless hours of listening to Payton research horrific crimes while Garrett provides his unsolicited survival commentary, I’ve sifted through the entire “Murder With My Husband” catalog to bring you some of the top episodes. These episodes represent the perfect storm of compelling cases, Payton’s stellar storytelling, and Garrett’s most entertainingly bewildering reactions, because let’s be honest, some episodes hit that sweet spot where his questions are just ridiculous enough to be endearing rather than infuriating.
Whether you’re a longtime listener looking to revisit the classics or a newcomer wondering where to start your journey into this delightfully chaotic world of marital murder discussions, consider this your curated guide to the episodes that best capture why thousands of people voluntarily subject themselves to Garrett’s theories about criminal psychology on a weekly basis.
223 – The Infamous Interrogation of Ryan Waller
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In this “Murder With My Husband” installment, Payton and Garrett cover the 2006 case of Ryan Waller and Heather Quan. When Ryan missed Christmas dinner, police conducted a welfare check and found him with severe facial injuries and his girlfriend Heather shot dead on the couch. Police treated Ryan as a suspect and interrogated him for an hour despite his confused, incoherent responses and pleas to sleep. Tragically, Ryan had actually been shot twice in the head by intruders two days earlier and had bullet fragments in his brain causing severe cognitive impairment. Police held him for six hours before realizing he was a victim needing medical attention. Ryan ultimately died at 28 from seizure complications related to his injuries, while his attackers received life sentences but police faced no accountability for the delayed treatment.
28. The Pizza Bomber Part 1
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Payton and Garrett cover the first part of the “pizza bombing” case from August 28, 2003, in Erie, Pennsylvania. Pizza delivery man Brian Wells robbed a PNC bank with a bomb locked around his neck, claiming he was forced to do it by assailants who threatened to detonate the device if he didn’t follow their instructions. After being pulled over by police, Wells pleaded for help while handcuffed in the street, explaining he needed to follow clues to additional locations to get keys to remove the bomb. Despite his calm pleas, the bomb detonated before the bomb squad arrived, killing Wells on camera. Investigation revealed the elaborate nature of the plot, including a custom cane-gun, detailed handwritten notes, and a complex scavenger hunt with multiple clues. The case takes a strange turn when Bill Rothstein calls 911 three weeks later to report a body in his freezer – the ex-boyfriend of Marjorie Dill Armstrong, a woman with a history of deceased partners.
108. Bryce Laspisa – The Confusing Disappearance
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Peyton and Garrett discuss the mysterious 2013 disappearance of 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa. After a sudden change in behavior attributed to drug and alcohol use, Bryce embarked on a bizarre and prolonged road trip through California, during which he exhibited erratic actions, repeatedly stalled near a rest stop, and made troubling phone calls to friends and family. Despite police and good Samaritan interventions, Bryce ultimately disappeared after crashing his car near Castaic Lake and has never been found, sparking widespread speculation and multiple theories about whether he died, suffered a mental health crisis, or deliberately vanished to start a new life.
271 – The Missing News Anchor
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In this installment, Payton investigates the perplexing vanishing of Jodi Huisentruit, a television news reporter who disappeared completely near her residence building.
187. The Toolbox Killer
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This episode of “Murder With My Husband” covers the horrific case of the Toolbox Killers – Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris – who terrorized Southern California in 1979. The hosts discuss how these two men met in prison, bonded over violent fantasies, and upon their release, purchased a silver van they called the “Murder Mac” to hunt victims. They targeted young women and teenage girls, kidnapping, torturing, and murdering at least five confirmed victims including 16-year-old Shirley Ledford on Halloween night. Their downfall came when one victim escaped and when Norris bragged about their crimes to another ex-convict who reported them to police.
4. Skylar Neese – The Real Life Mean Girls
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Payton recounts to Garrett the account of Skylar Neese. A narrative about actual cruel teenagers and the repercussions that follow such behavior.
227. The Boy Next Door Killer
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Peyton and Garrett recount the story of Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old aspiring fashion designer in Los Angeles who was brutally murdered in 2001. At the time of her death, Ashley was dating actor Ashton Kutcher, who, after being unable to reach her for a planned date, later learned of her murder from news reports. The investigation into Ashley’s killing revealed a sinister pattern: her murderer, Michael Gargiulo—later dubbed the “Boy Next Door Killer”, was a neighbor who stalked and killed multiple women in similar fashion over several years. The episode explores Gargiulo’s other known victims, details of his crimes, and the eventual break in the case when another intended victim survived and provided crucial evidence, ultimately leading to Gargiulo’s conviction and death sentence. The hosts also discuss the media’s fixation on Ashton Kutcher’s connection to the case, while emphasizing the lives and stories of all Gargiulo’s victims.
172. Hruby Family – The Trust Fund Murderer
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In this episode of “Murder With My Husband,” Peyton hosts solo and explores the shocking true crime case of the Hruby Family murders in Duncan, Oklahoma. The episode recounts the rise of the Hruby family in the local newspaper business, their apparent stability and community involvement, and the unraveling of their lives at the hands of 19-year-old son, Alan Hruby. Driven by a compulsive need for money and luxury, Alan’s increasingly brazen financial crimes and family tensions culminated in the cold-blooded murder of his parents and teenage sister. Peyton describes the events leading up to the murders, Alan’s failed attempts to cover his tracks, police suspicion, and his eventual confession.
215. The Glensheen Mansion Murders
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In this installment, Payton and Garrett explore a series of questionable fatalities and homicides that all center around a single individual.
153. Mandy Stavik – Who Could Forget
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In this episode of “Murder With My Husband,” Peyton and Garrett recount the haunting case of Mandy Stavik, a 19-year-old college student from Acme, Washington, who was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered while on a run over Thanksgiving break in 1989. The small-town community was devastated and the case went cold for decades despite DNA evidence, until a chance conversation between two women at a waterpark in 2013 raised suspicions about local man Tim Bass. Their tip prompted renewed investigation, and ultimately, Bass’s DNA, secretly collected from a discarded cup, matched evidence from the crime scene. After years of denials, Bass was convicted in 2019, nearly 30 years after Mandy’s murder, bringing long-awaited resolution to her family and the town. The episode emphasizes the impact of community vigilance and advances in forensic science, while honoring Mandy’s life and the persistent search for justice.
259. The Therapist That Prescribed Murder!
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In this episode of “Murder With My Husband,” Peyton and Garrett discuss the jaw-dropping, true story of the attempted murder of New York psychiatrist Michael Weiss, carried out by his ex’s cousin, 20-year-old Jacob Nolan, under a twisted web of manipulation. The episode details Jacob’s struggles with severe mental health issues and how, while living with his older cousin Pamela Buchbinder (herself a psychiatrist), he was emotionally coerced and brainwashed into attacking Michael with a sledgehammer and knife, supposedly to protect her and her son amidst an ugly custody battle.
89. Disappearances Caught on Camera
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In this installment of MWMH, Payton and Garrett examine three separate vanishings that were captured on video.
52. The Claremont Serial Killer
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This episode explores the infamous Claremont serial killings, a decades-long investigation into the disappearances and murders of three young women: Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer, and Ciara Glennon, in Perth, Western Australia during the mid-1990s. The podcast covers the women’s last nights out, the initial police efforts including investigating taxi drivers, and the eventual formation of the Macro task force dedicated to the case. It details how advancements in DNA technology led to the arrest of Bradley Robert Edwards in 2016, a former Telstra technician linked by DNA and fiber evidence found on the victims and at crime scenes. After a lengthy trial, Edwards was found guilty in 2020 of the murders of Rimmer and Glennon but acquitted of Spiers’ murder due to insufficient evidence, though he is still suspected.
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