Court Junkie

In April 2006, the small city of Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada, was shocked by an unthinkable murder no one ever saw coming - A 12-year-old girl convinces her 23-year-old boyfriend to murder her entire family. I speak with the first investigator on the scene and talk to him about the crime itself as well as the latest developments - which might shock you too.  Warning: this episode contains some disturbing details, but they're important to understanding the severity and complexity of the case. NOTE: I'd like to make a correction about my reference to the "town of Saskatchewan." Saskatchewan is actually a province and not a town. Sincere apologies to my Canadian friends!  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https

Could a jailhouse conversation be the key to finding out what happened to Erica Parsons? Erica Parsons had been missing from her home in Salisbury, North Carolina for two years before she was finally reported missing to police by her adoptive brother. Erica's adoptive mother told police she went to live with her biological grandma - someone police say does not exist. I talk to Brooklyn Parsons, Erica's adoptive sister,  who has recently visited her father, Sandy Parsons, in prison. What he tells her could finally provide answers on what really happened to Erica.  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I attended day 3 of Melissa Calusinski's evidentiary hearing. Her attorney, Kathleen Zellner, had filed a Post Conviction Relief Petition, based on possible new evidence. Day 3 of the hearing included testimony from an imaging expert who makes some shocking clams about the x-ray images.  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19-year-old Pravin Varughese was a college student at Southern Illinois University when he was mysteriously found dead in the woods after leaving a party. Investigators believe he died from hypothermia but a second autopsy reveals he may have died from blunt force trauma. A 22-year-old man came forward to say he got into a fight with Pravin the night he died. Will Pravin's family finally get the answers they're looking for? A special thank you goes out to Pravin's mom, Lovely Varughese, and Monica Zukas for helping me with Pravin's story.  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is the story of Gabriel Johnson, an 8-month-old boy who has been missing from Tempe, Arizona since 2009. After a custody battle with her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel's mother Elizabeth took him and fled to San Antonio, Texas. She first claims she killed the little boy but then changes her story and says she gave him away to a random couple at a park. To this day, no one knows where Gabriel is or if he's even alive... Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Melissa Calusinski has been in prison since 2009 after being convicted of murdering a 16-month-old boy. New evidence shows that there might not have been a homicide after all. I went to Melissa’s recent evidentiary hearings for a new trial and learned some bombshell information that highlights the need for a retrial. https://www.facebook.com/Justice4Kent/ Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was January 14, 2009. A 16-month-old toddler named Benjamin Kingan died at a Lake County, Illinois daycare center from a mysterious head injury. Melissa Calusinski, a 22-year-old Teacher’s Assistant at the daycare, was charged and ultimately convicted of his murder. Years later, new evidence has been discovered that shows Ben's cause of death may not be what it seems, and that it may not have been a homicide after all. SOURCES: Appellate Court of Illinois Second District Ruling YouTube Interrogation Videos 48 Hours Official Justice For Melissa Calusinski Family Page Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.