Sarah Stern: “The Mysterious Box” | MURDERISH Ep. 099

In January of 1999, an 18 year high school student mysteriously vanished after school. Four weeks later,

her body was found in a shallow grave in a nearby wooded park. An arrest was made and the suspect

was eventually convicted of her murder. When it happened, this tragic story barely made the local papers,

let alone the national news. 14 years later, after becoming the subject of the most downloaded podcast on

record, the case became an international phenomenon and one of the most talked about in modern

history. It turned millions of people into armchair lawyers and detectives overnight, igniting the rise of the

true crime genre as we know it today. Years after the trial, new evidence was uncovered calling into

question the validity of the conviction. Through it all, the convicted party has always maintained his

innocence. The victim’s family has likewise maintained that the right person was convicted and punished

for killing their daughter. For many people, though, questions remain: Has the killer been brought to

justice, or was someone wrongfully convicted? Is there another person law enforcement should have

investigated further? Did the convicted killer’s accomplice even have anything to do with the crime? Did

legal or law enforcement misconduct play a role in the case, or is everyone wasting their time fighting for

justice when it has already been served? These are the questions, among many others, that keep this

case top of mind for millions of people to this day.

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Pre-roll podcast promo: Crimes of the Centuries - Season 2.

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requests. If you’re interested in advertising on MURDERISH, send an email to Sahiba Krieger

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Sound design: Justin Hellstrom

Music: Some of the music in this podcast was composed by Nico Vettese of We Talk of Dreams

Research & Writing: Gina Mazzolini

Jami’s other podcast: Follow Judgey & Juryish wherever you listen to podcasts & on Instagram

@JudgeyJuryish.

Remember, listening to this podcast doesn’t make you a murderer - it just means you’re murder...ish.

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