Crime of the Truest Kind

Replay from one year ago! Justice is coming for Charline at last! News broke in the 16-year-old murder case will be resolved. The first real hope for justice for Charline and her family. On Thurs, April 10, 2025, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan announced the arrest of Heinsky Anacreon, age 38, of Malden, Mass, who was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury on charges of murder, willfully misleading a police officer and willfully misleading an attorney.charging him with first-degree murder in this cold case that has haunted Charline's family since the day she disappeared on April 7, 2009.The investigation revealed a heartbreaking betrayal - Charline was lured by so-called friends with the promise of a sweet deal on a car, only to be robbed and killed. Most disturbing perhaps is the evidence that after the murder, her killers celebrated with a bottle of Moet champagne and toasted their windfall. For those who've followed Crime of the Truest Kind, this case has been near to my heart. After sharing her case in a live show in 2024, and interviewing Charline's sister Rose (listen to episodes 71 and 72) last fall and advocating for this case at every opportunity, seeing this development brings joy. Nothing can bring Charline back or erase her family's 16 years of hoping and waiting for her killers to be caught. As we look toward a trial, I will continue following every development.

On the anniversary of locating Charline, a replay of the episode(s) I did with her sister, Rose, back in 2024 - before the arrest was made in her case. The Unsolved Murder of Charline Rosemond, part one: This episode revisits the heartbreaking 2009 murder of 23‑year‑old Charline Rosemond, a young woman poised for success. She was ambitious, full of style, and had big plans for her future. With Rose, her younger sister, we learn more about who Charline was, the suspicious circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and what her family went through looking for her and what happened once she was found in Union Square in Somerville on April 13, 2009.Listen to episode 71, 72 and an update to her case in episode 84.Crime of the Truest Kindcrimeofthetruestkind.com

Over two weeks this March, Eastern Massachusetts witnessed the heartbreaking conclusion of three separate missing persons cases.Three families that languished for months. Each case carried its own mystery.The first break came when an unnamed individual contacted police in Nashua, New Hampshire with information about a murder confession. That tip set off a chain of events that led homicide detectives to a modest home in the quiet town of Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. Inside the garage, beneath epoxy and concrete, they found human remains. Thankfully, this person came forward or the fate of 47‑year‑old Jill Kloppenburg would remain unknown. She was vulnerable, she was missed. Now she has finally been found.Within hours of that discovery, another alert came in. This time from Wakefield. A body had been recovered from Lake Quannapowitt, the same area that had been the focus of searches for 45-year-old Jason Thomas, missing since December 13, 2025. Jason was last seen on surveillance footage crossing a street, heading toward the train station. His family explored every possibility, but this cold and snowy winter made searching the lake impossible. With the spring thaw came a sad end to his family's search.And then, just one week later, came the third case. Leonard Mercury, a 57‑year‑old man who had vanished on October 31, 2025, after leaving a hospital where he was receiving mental health treatment. He walked out in the early morning hours wearing only hospital scrubs and nothing more - no shoes, no wallet, no identification, no phone. His family feared he was distressed, vulnerable, and in danger. For months, they remained hopeful that Leonard found safety somewhere. A drone helped locate the presence of a person in Crystal Lake and Leonard was recovered after missing for five months.Jill Kloppenburg's services are Sat, April 4 in Tewksbury, Mass.https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/jill-kloppenburg-obituary?id=61131491Crime of the Truest KindHosted by Anngelle WoodMassachusetts and New England crime stories, hometown historycrimeofthetruestkind.com/jill-kloppenburg

Episode 100! The Final Flight: The Tragedy of John F. Kennedy Jr, Carolyn, and Lauren Bessette, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.The Kennedy family embodied American royalty through the collision of power, privilege, politics, and faith. Theirs was a dynasty that coexisted in the shadow of tragedy.Maybe the most tragic of all the losses came on a hazy July night in 1999, when favorite son, John Kennedy Jr, set off for Hyannisport for a family celebration. His wife, Carolyn, and her sister Lauren boarded his six-seater Piper Saratoga for the last time. That night, over the Atlantic, their love story came to an end when their plane went down off the coast of Aquinnah. All three were lost at sea.This episode explores the heartbreaking final chapter of John Jr’s life, and brings an end to this love story. But it wasn't just theirs. The love between sisters was the strongest bond, a sisterhood defined by fierce loyalty. Lauren volunteered to accompany them in some of the most difficult moments in John and Carolyn’s marriage. Lauren was already going to the Vineyard that weekend, but stepped in with quiet support of her sister. It is more than the tragedy of two families. It is about a legacy of love.We could not talk about John Jr, and not talk about the enduring myth of the Kennedy curse, the grave misdeeds and bad behavior that is synonymous with America's royal family.It is a reminder of the sorrow the nation faced when his father, President John F. Kennedy, was killed, and a 3-year-old John Jr. offered hope to fulfill his father’s dream.More at: CrimeoftheTruestKind.com/jfk-jr-final-flight-tragedy-carolyn-lauren-bessetteLive Show, Thurs March 12 at Off Cabot, Beverly, MassMassachusetts Unsolved: Map of the Missing

I talk with Kim Blanchard‑Trigilio, one of Melanie's cousins who's leading new efforts to finally bring her home. Melanie was 14 when she disappeared from Woburn in 1989. Her family has never stopped searching for her.On Friday, October 27, 1989, 14‑year‑old Melanie Jo Melanson went to a popular party spot behind an industrial park with older Woburn high school kids. She told her grandmother she was staying with a friend so she could stay out late. No one ever saw her again. Her family is convinced she never left that spot — and that the two older boys she was last seen with know far more about what happened that night. More than 35 years later, her disappearance remains one of New England’s most haunting unsolved cases.Melanie’s cousins Billie‑Sue and Kim have been working tirelessly to generate new tips and keep her case alive. Their mission is simple: bring Melanie home.In this episode, I talk with cousin Kim Blanchard‑Trigilio about Melanie, her life, and the renewed efforts to uncover the truth.Visit MelanieMelanson.comMore case information at crimeofthetruestkind.com/melanie-melansonSalty language: Low

Anniversary replay episode: Maura Murray is still missing. 22 years. She was last seen on February 9, 2004 on a snowy back road in Haverhill, New Hampshire, she grew up in Hanson, Massachusetts, she is one of ours. The is a lot about this case that bothers me - that she is missing, that her family has been thrust into a world they never wanted to be a part of, and that her case has become fodder for a genre of wannabe celebrities. Blame the Masshole in me. I think a number of people in true crime are faking it, just exploitative assholes who go through the motions of advocacy but it is really just performative bullshit.|I did this episode with Julie Murray a few years ago, after we had met and I learned about what families like hers experience.Maura's story is a crime classic, a greatest hit in the gold catalog. I say that because of the nature of Maura’s case and the myths and mystery surrounding her disappearance, she has become like a character in a work of fiction. Her story has been “deep dived” and rehashed over and over again by the true crime coterie of content creators, podcasters, crime networks, reporters, show hosts, youtubers, tik tokies, and those among this cabal who don’t bother to take any time to really provide much research to do her case justice. I believe we can use true crime for good. We can do better.Julie Murray has been on the frontlines of her sister's case, working to keep her story in the public eye. Maura is still missing. Never give up hope.Meeting the Murrays was eye opening to what families go through. Engage with Empathy.mauramurraymissing.orgcrimeofthetruestkind.com/maura-murray-missing

Remembering Ana Ljubičić Walshe, 4/12/1983-1/1/2023 Salty Language: MediumOn the eve of the third anniversary of Ana’s disappearance, we honor her life and retrace the events that shaped this case. Ana Walshe, the 39‑year‑old mother of three whose sudden absence from her Cohasset home on New Year’s Day 2023 shook the coastal town and her colleagues in Washington, DC. Her case did capture national attention. What began as a missing report quickly became one of New England’s most closely followed true crime case. Her friends were stunned when they learned she hadn't been seen or heard from since New Year's Day 2023. I first covered her story in February 2023 (Episode 39), shortly after her husband, Brian Walshe, was arrested and a long pattern of fraud and deception unraveled.When a mother disappears, leaving behind three young children, fear sets in immediately. As investigators uncovered troubling details and the hope of finding Ana alive faded, I began researching “no‑body” cases in New England. Though rare, they do exist, and Ana's is now one that joins the list. Two Massachusetts cases that resulted in convictions came in the murders of Robin Benedict (1983, Sharon, Mass) and Katherine Leonard Romano (1998, Quincy, Mass), and the landmark case of Helle Crafts in Newtown, Connecticut in 1986, whose case helped establish standards for prosecuting cases where no body is recovered.Ana was last seen in the early hours of January 1, 2023. The Walshes had hosted a friend for New Year's Eve -- the friend testified about his relationship with Ana's family. Ana also worked for him as director of operations before she joined Tishman Speyer in 2022. Ana was reported missing on January 4, 2023 by her colleagues at Tishman Speyer, after she failed to return to work following the holiday -- not her husband, who fabricated a performance by contacting friends looking for Ana.Ana’s professional journey was extraordinary. After immigrating from Serbia in 2005, she began with seasonal hospitality jobs at an inn in Virginia -- first as a housekeeper, then as a server. Through determination, talent, and relentless work ethic, she built a career in luxury real estate and corporate operations, ultimately rising to a leadership role she called her "dream job" in DC.We examine the evidence presented in the Commonwealth vs Walshe murder trial, the timeline of Ana’s disappearance, and the memory of a woman whose life was defined by resilience, ambition, generosity, and profound love for her children.All platforms: https://shows.acast.com/crime-of-the-truest-kind | More at crimeofthetruestkind.com/justice-for-ana-walshe

In part two of Amy Sher's story, I share how the abuse she suffered went on for years as everyone around her tried desperately to reach her.Inspired by the award-winning film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri--about a mother's grief and a town's apathy--Amy's family made a public plea for answers, unveiling billboards in the area she was last seen that asked one question: “What Happened To Amy?”Learn the real life story that inspired "Three Billboards," and a father's mission to hold the man he believes killed his daughter to account.This episode deals with violence against women and domestic abuse. Please listen with care.Amy's case highlights the devastating impact of isolation, coercive control, gaslighting, inaction on the part of authorities, and the resilience of families who continue to fight for answers, even when justice feels so out of reach. With hope, they ask for anyone who may remember something from those days in the fall of 2002 when Amy was last seen, and what neighbors saw and heard. We explore how Amy’s disappearance became both a true crime mystery and a community call to action, connecting her story to cultural touchstones like award-winning films, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and the 1944 classic, Gaslight. EPISODE GUIDE:Abuse and Isolation: How coercive control shaped Amy’s life and cut her off from her family.The Disappearance: The events of October 14, 2002, when Amy left work and never returned.The Family’s Plea: In May 2018, the Sher family unveiled billboards in Billerica to demand answers.Legal Battles: How Sher v. Desmond (2007) set precedent for grandparent visitation rights in Massachusetts.Cultural Connections: Billboards as protest (Three Billboards) and gaslighting as abuse (Gaslight).Community Advocacy: How remembrance and visibility keep victims’ stories alive.This episode blends true crime storytelling, legal precedent, and advocacy for survivors of abuse. It’s not just about one missing mother — it’s about how families fight for justice and how culture reflects our deepest struggles with grief and accountability.More at CrimeoftheTruestKInd.com/amy-sher-part2