Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

On September 21, 2023, Austin Kanuch and his wife closed on a new home where they planned to raise their family. Before they could move, someone entered their rental home in the early morning hours, attacked Austin in his bedroom, and left his wife Mary and their young son physically unharmed.

Investigators believe Austin was targeted. Nothing was stolen, no one else in the house was injured, and detectives found no known conflict in Austin's work, relationships, or personal life that explains why someone would want him dead. Nearly two years later, surveillance video showed an unidentified person arriving at Austin's street on a mountain bike shortly before the attack and leaving again afterward. The rider's face is not visible, but investigators believe someone may recognize the route, the bike, or the person.

Austin was a devoted father of three, husband, son, friend, singer, car enthusiast, and barbecue fanatic. Nearly three years later, his murder remains unsolved, and up to $40,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest. We share Austin's story and the questions his family still needs answered.

https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForAustinKanuch/

Tips can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Houston by calling 713-222-TIPS. That’s 713-222-8477.

Information can also be submitted online at https://crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers Houston mobile app.

Anyone who prefers to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office directly can call 713-755-6044.

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Sources:

Crimestoppers flyer

https://www.click2houston.com/video/houston-life/2025/05/29/20k-reward-offered-help-solve-the-2023-murder-of-austin-kanuch/

https://www.fox26houston.com/news/unsolved-murder-harris-county-fatal-stabbing

https://everloved.com/life-of/austin-kanuch/obituary/

https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/harris-county-unsolved-murder/285-cd48429f-8f24-4d25-95ef-6176da08202d

https://myneighborhoodnews.com/copperfield-resident-austin-kanuchs-family-seeks-justice-as-reward-for-information-increases-to-20000

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/09/12/gov-abbott-increases-reward-for-information-in-2023-deadly-stabbing-of-harris-county-father/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=kprc2&fbclid=IwY2xjawPHjhRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFDWDhUZjd2UmxRSEtuU1k0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlkoJ83Ghj7cq1GOyjPfZdERGlFb_kQj20NX1lwZ7dy9hBV1luvm3-o5TaYy_aem_esfe4Z244AlrKdCVLxEeSQ

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/05/03/we-want-a-dangerous-person-off-the-street-family-seeks-justice-for-fathers-mysterious-murder-in-nw-harris-county/

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/harris-county/harris-county-father-stabbing-death-investigation/285-eb4d6c8c-6af1-4806-9c01-5d86fb89e754

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/10/05/neighbors-plead-for-answers-in-murder-of-northwest-harris-county-father/

https://abc13.com/post/govenor-abbots-office-adds-20k-reward-information-missing-suspect-2-year-murder-case/17811772/

https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2026/01/01/who-killed-texas-father-austin-kanuch/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPLF9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF5OEVXV1dIcWhiWW93Y2ZQc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHo9-8OvZ0gWmhL_u4BXtULxT_qAsPD7I-pzt7yVpyF88h6aT7dz2N11vE_qQ_aem_WujXHKtfRK-VCnvRmivQCQ

Interview with Celene

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On September 19, 2024, Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins and Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines ate lunch together in Whitesburg, Kentucky, then walked back to the courthouse for a private conversation in the judge's chambers. Nearly 10 minutes later, surveillance video showed Stines pull out his gun and shoot Mullins. The video has no audio, leaving the central question unanswered: what was said in that room before the shooting?

Stines surrendered at the courthouse and is charged with murder of a public official. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense is expected to focus on his mental condition in the days surrounding the killing, including reports that he had not slept, had become paranoid about his family, and appeared to be in crisis. We also address the online rumor involving Stines's daughter, why the facts do not support it, and the federal civil lawsuit involving a former deputy whose crimes had been connected to Mullins's chambers.

The shooting was captured on camera. The man accused of firing the gun was identified immediately. But with no audio, a pending trial, and a motive that has not been publicly established, Kevin Mullins's family and a small Kentucky community are still waiting for answers.

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Sources:

Kentucky District Judge Kevin Mullins fatally shot inside a courthouse, sheriff arrested, state police say | CNN

Kevin R. Mullins - Ballotpedia

Kentucky Sheriff Arrested in Shooting Death of Judge - The New York Times

​​https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/274885088/kevin-russell-mullins

Kentucky sheriff charged in killing of judge at courthouse | The Hill

New footage in the shooting death of Kentucky judge

Judge grants change of venue for former sheriff accused of killing judge

Kentucky sheriff accused of killing judge in chambers appears in court | WJHL |

Wife, daughter of KY sheriff deny contact with slain judge | Lexington Herald Leader

Kentucky judge shot and killed in chambers, sheriff charged with murder: Officials

Ex-sheriff indicted in judge's killing pleads not guilty at KY courthouse where shooting erupted

Why was a Kentucky judge killed? So far, it remains a mystery

Kentucky sheriff fatally shot a judge in courthouse chambers, officials say

Ex-Letcher Co. sheriff in psychosis days after shooting judge, records say

Former KY sheriff accused of killing judge asks for indictment to be dismissed

CI, 24-CR-00204, COMMONWEALTH VS. STINES, SHAWN

Civil suit exposes sexual exploitation in Letcher County courts

Hearing reveals key details in civil case against Shawn Stines | Court TV

Civil suit exposes sexual exploitation in Letcher County courts

A former Kentucky sheriff who fatally shot judge was ‘losing it’ in the days before killing, friends said | CNN

Chilling Detail Dropped in Sheriff Mickey Stines Judge Slaying

https://www.youtube.com/live/2iZ5pQzT_qk?si=K9OhRuPyOScR1Dd4

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/19/us/sheriff-judge-shooting-kentucky.html

Kentucky sheriff charged with killing judge was in ‘tense’ lawsuit testimony days before

Mickey Stines' Daughter Speaks Out | Sheriff Shoots Judge Murder Case

Letcher County, Kentucky | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2024-12-09/plaintiff-in-letcher-county-civil-suit-says-she-saw-video-of-judge-having-sex-in-his-office

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Between 2001 and 2017, at least 75 women were strangled or smothered in Chicago. Many were found in alleys, vacant buildings, garbage cans, and other places where it was easy for their deaths to become separate case files instead of a citywide emergency. The women were daughters, mothers, artists, business owners, caregivers, and friends. Their names included Angela Ford, Gwendolyn Williams, Nancy Walker, Margaret Gomez, Teresa Bunn, Hazel Lewis, and Rio Renee Holyfield.

In 2018, the Chicago Tribune identified 75 women whose cases showed a devastating pattern. 25 cases had been closed, while more than two thirds remained unsolved. Families and advocates had long questioned whether some of the murders were connected. The term "Chicago Strangler" became shorthand for those fears, but Chicago police have said there is no evidence that one person killed every woman in the group. The available evidence points to an even more difficult possibility: some cases may be linked, some may involve multiple offenders, and far too many families are still waiting for answers.

We discuss the women at the heart of these cases, the investigation that revealed the scale of the failures, and the work advocates continue to do to make sure they are not forgotten.

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Sources:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/823292832/?terms=%2275%20women%20have%20been%20strangled%22&match=1

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-strangled-women-chicago-police-task-force-20190510-story.html

https://www.wbez.org/stories/a-serial-killer-may-be-preying-on-black-women-in-chicago/21b45020-ca53-490e-8efe-b9c6ebbe11f3

https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/have-you-seen-these-51-women/

https://wgntv.com/news/cover-story/long-untold-student-journalists-share-the-stories-of-51-murdered-chicago-women/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/374929179/?terms=%22Winifred%20Shines%22&match=1

https://uncovered.com/connecting-cases-data-shows-serial-killer-chicago/

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-serial-killer-alderman-senator-demand-answers/

https://www.mMurdered: Angela Ford | Chicago, IL | Uncoveredurderdata.org/2017/11/chicagos-cluster-of-unsolved-female_30.html

https://www.unforgotten51.com/2021/06/we-walk-for-her-march-brings-light-to.html

https://www.unforgotten51.com/2020/12/the-dreamcatcher-foundation-on-street.html

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/angela-ford-family-of-chicago-woman-murdered-over-2-decades-ago-awaits-justice

https://uncovered.com/cases/angela-ford

https://www.newspapers.com/image/829193408/?terms=angela%20ford&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/231273452/?terms=%22Jody%20Grissom%22&match=1

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2021/1/9/22221431/gwendolyn-williams-chicago-serial-killer-murder-accountability-project-john-fountain-samantha-latson

https://www.newspapers.com/image/829193408/?terms=gwendolyn&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/231245061/

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-08-15-0308150274-story.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/231875803/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/232284252/?terms=%22Mary%20Thomas%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/232271548/?terms=%22Tamala%20Edwards%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/231547343/?terms=%22Makalavah%20Williams%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/231291038/?terms=%22Denise%20Torres%22&match=1

https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/inconclusive-dna-results-in-chicago-female-homicides-investigator-still-certain-of-serial-killer/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/236338004/?terms=%22Kelly%20Sarff%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/232399899/?terms=%22Charlene%20Miller%22&match=1

https://neverforgetchi.org/neverforget/latoya-banks/

https://uncovered.com/cases/latoya-banks-chicago-il-2009

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-bn-xpm-2009-12-09-28527033-story.html

https://uncovered.com/cases/angela-profit-chicago-il-2011

https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=057de0a3-174f-4c3c-b9a1-aaa9f009fdaa

https://uncovered.com/cases/pamela-s-wilson-chicago-il-2012

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/3/20/18382957/woman-strangled-in-woodlawn-identified

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/6/22/18327683/woman-found-strangled-in-fernwood-neighborhood-garage-identified

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/6/22/18327696/woman-found-strangled-in-west-garfield-park-identified

https://web.archive.org/web/20181116042940/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-07-16-0607160055-story.html

https://neverforgetchi.org/neverforget/marcie-nichols/

https://neverforgetchi.org/neverforget/shannon-williams/

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/chi-burned-body-found-in-logan-square-dumpster-20130520-story.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-05-03-0705021080-story.html

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/chi-autopsy-woman-found-strangled-in-west-side-alley-20140224-story.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/374929179/?terms=Catherine

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-03-30-0303300459-story.html

https://www.unforgotten51.com/2020/11/nancie-walker-as-child-nancie-carolyn.html#more

https://www.newspapers.com/image/374929175/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/236315832/?terms=%22Theresa%20Bunn%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/232051698/?terms=%22Theresa%20Bunn%22&match=1

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-11-26-0711260430-story.html

https://www.unforgotten51.com/2020/12/remembering-jenny-daughters-focus-not.html#more

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/2008/10/11/autopsy-says-chicago-woman-was/44241768007/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/374929175/?terms=%22Pamela%20Wilson%22

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2017/6/23/18383763/woman-found-strangled-in-street-in-east-garfield-park

https://www.unforgotten51.com/2020/12/portraits-say-her-name-say-all-their.html#more

https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-news-breaking-police-department/5890890/

https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-crime-arthur-hilliard-found-guilty-killing-21-year-old-diamond-turner-dumping-body-alley-2017/18257712/

HBO/VICE News story

https://vpc.org/publication/black-homicide-victimization-in-the-united-states-an-analysis-of-2024-homicide-data/#national-data

https://www.ojp.gov/archive/safe-communities/inside-perspectives/shining-light-on-the-crisis-of-missing-or-murdered-black-women-and-girls-in-the-united-states

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In June 2006, 24 year old Lori Ann Slesinski left an Auburn Walmart to pick up drink mixes before a night at her best friend’s house. She never arrived. Days later, her Yorkshire Terrier, Peanut, was found safe in her mobile home, but Lori was gone. Her kitchen rugs and telephone cord were missing, the answering machine messages had disappeared, and her Mazda was later found burned on a secluded Auburn street.

Lori’s friend Derrill Richard Ennis, known as Rick, was the last person known to be with her. He claimed she had left to make a drug deal, but police found nothing to support that story. The case went cold for years, even as questions remained about the evidence inside Lori’s home and near her burned vehicle.

Sixteen years later, investigators rebuilt the case without Lori’s body. A jury ultimately found Derrill guilty of capital murder, but Lori’s remains have never been recovered. We cover Lori’s disappearance, the cold case investigation, and the trial that brought her family a measure of justice.

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Today, we’re replaying our 2024 episode about Emma Compton Layne, a woman remembered by the people who loved her for her generous heart, her contagious joy, and the way she always showed up for her family. Emma disappeared in June 2017 after working at her store in Halifax County, Virginia. Months later, her remains were found, leaving her loved ones with years of grief and unanswered questions.

Since we first shared Emma’s story, there has been a significant development in the case. In November 2024, Emma’s husband, Russell Wayne Layne, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death. As this episode is re-released, his trial is underway. We’re revisiting Emma’s case because she deserves to be remembered not only for what happened to her, but for the life she lived and the love she gave so freely. Our hearts are with Emma’s family and everyone who continues to carry her memory through this difficult time.

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Sources:

https://www.timesvirginian.com/news/article_1686a486-580b-11e7-822b-0f6070bab2df.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/emma-compton-layne-still-missing-four-months-after-disappearing-n815781

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/four-years-dateline-s-missing-america-90-still-missing-n826516

https://www.facebook.com/TomRodgers197/posts/missing-woman-in-halifax-county-vaemma-layne-age-52-was-last-seen-on-saturday-ev/260060507734080/

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/remains-found-very-shallow-grave-identified-missing-virginia-woman-emma-n837286

https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_f342c0f2-d52f-11e7-b4bc-cb5cabdfc22a.html

https://www.yourgv.com/news/local_news/medical-examiner-neck-injury-caused-death-in-2017-homicide/article_2b07667a-9396-11e9-b9b5-37dda535c91f.html

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/New-billboard-in-Halifax-Co-to-help-solve-Emma-Compton-Layne-murder-561157591.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgqWAZ1cQdY&ab_channel=WSLS10

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Vigil-to-be-held-for-Halifax-County-murder-victim-Emma-Compton-Layne-568552601.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0RPQ3cLtTwBFHE3aAISaGC2hhFOku8wH6jBQTdgJRygpxfes7UJDocxJo_aem_dDfHz6nR1coB6kCl-KWbOg

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Three-years-later-Who-murdered-Emma-Compton-Layne-571298181.html

https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/11/22/emma-compton-layne-murder-still-unsolved-six-years-after-her-body-was-found/

https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/11/24/family-emma-compton-layne-still-seeking-justice-six-years-after-her-murder/

https://www.yourgv.com/news/local_news/justice-for-emma-rally-hosted-in-unsolved-death-of-nathalie-woman/article_f7b56cd2-2c0a-11ef-a6d6-bbbd81dc549b.html

https://www.change.org/p/5-years-no-justice-for-emma-compton-layne

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Emma-Laynes-family-wants-justice-for-her-murder-469039723.html

https://wset.com/news/local/one-year-later-emma-laynes-sister-still-seeking-justice

https://www.yourgv.com/news/local_news/reward-offered-in-search-of-missing--year-old-cody/article_31787f4a-59e0-11e7-a45e-7f5dc8ffffb9.html

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Halifax-County-missing-woman-search-continues-two-weeks-later-431832353.html

https://www.wsls.com/news/2017/08/03/vigil-being-held-for-missing-halifax-county-woman/

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Human-remains-found-in-Halifax-Co-foul-play-expected-459605953.html

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Family-believes-human-remains-found-in-Halifax-County-belong-to-Emma-Layne-460626173.html

https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/SHARE-Police-search-for-missing-woman-from-Halifax-county-429921923.html

https://www.evaporatethemissing.com/post/with-butterfly-kisses

https://www.facebook.com/HelpFindEmmaComptonLayne

https://www.yourgv.com/news/lightmare-says-sister-of-missing-cody/article_d96de88e-6d86-11e7-a1cd-d3a4270a79ed.html

https://www.yourgv.com/obituaries/sylvia-whitlow-mccurry/article_5d5effb4-b1e5-11e7-95a9-8bf90331c580.html

Interview with Shawna

https://www.ywcaneks.org/blog-collection/blog/2020/12/04/why-survivors-dont-call-the-police

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