Episode notes
When a devastating fire consumed the lives of an affluent British family, suspicions arose, pointing fingers at those who knew business tycoon Chris Foster and may have wanted him dead. As detectives sifted through the ashes and debris, they uncovered even more secrets buried within the Shropshire mansion. From hidden affairs and financial troubles to long-buried grudges and shattered dreams, investigators didn’t know which direction to look in next until the killer was revealed in the family’s own CCTV footage. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime…
Podcast
Nightmares
Sword and Scale · True Crime · English
Welcome to Nightmares. True-Crime for Bedtime. Your nightmare begins now…
More from Nightmares All episodes →
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S3 · E59 · 4 Mar 2026 · 25 min
Echo Chamber
When an 83-year-old woman is found dead inside her quiet Old Greenwich home, investigators start piecing together the final months of her life, and the unraveling of her son, Erik Soelberg. What first appears to be a private family tragedy reveals a disturbing descent shaped by isolation, certainty, and a voice that never challenged his fears. This episode examines how belief hardens, reality fractures, and how one ordinary house became the setting for an irreversible outcome. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E58 · 24 Feb 2026 · 29 min
Hollywood
It's March 2006 in Villa Park Illinois and nineteen-year-old Rose thinks she’s found an escape, until a woman vanishes and the search starts pointing somewhere darker. As detectives close in, Rose is forced to replay every late-night call, every story, every “coincidence,” realizing the truth was being rehearsed right in front of her. By the time the case breaks, Rose understands she was never just a witness… Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E57 · 18 Feb 2026 · 29 min
Snap
Thirteen-year-old Thad Phillips fell asleep on his couch—and woke up in a nightmare. Trapped in a decaying house with a smiling teen and sinister intentions, he would spend two harrowing days fighting to survive when all hope seemed lost. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E56 · 4 Feb 2026 · 30 min
Party
James Rackover looked like someone who had it all. He had style, status, and a last name that carried weight. But the truth behind the image was darker. When a man goes missing after a night in Manhattan, investigators start to uncover the kind of past James hoped no one would find. He wasn’t who he said he was. And he wasn’t done breaking the rules. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E55 · 28 Jan 2026 · 20 min
Trouble Ahead
A teenage girl’s discovery of a human skull on Iowa’s Greenbelt River Trail led investigators to the murder of missing 29-year-old Angela Nicole Bradbury. The case unraveled into a chilling confession by Nathan James Gilmore, whose digital trail and coded clues revealed a cold, deliberate killing. What began as a missing person report ended as one of Iowa’s most disturbing murder cases. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E53 · 14 Jan 2026 · 24 min
One Percent
62-year-old Kathy Hughes Anderson spent her career tending to trees, preserving beauty and order across the towns she served. In retirement, she brought that same quiet dedication to her life at home - until one December evening when a stranger walked through her front door. Kathy had no idea who he was. But Francis Wolke had been convinced he needed to kill to join the one percent. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E52 · 7 Jan 2026 · 38 min
Room Service
17-year-old Linda Bury’s home life was a mess, so she turned to social media to reinvent herself. There she met Joshua Mebane and this unassuming, wealthy monster would change her life forever. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S3 · E51 · 1 Jan 2026 · 26 min
Family Meal
The town of Chickasha, Oklahoma was shaken to its core when they heard the news that two were dead, one of which was a four year old child, and another was seriously maimed. Their outrage grew when they learned the name of the culprit was Lawrence Paul Anderson, a career criminal that should have never been out of prison. But nothing prepared them for when he confessed to his crimes and revealed they were far worse than first presumed. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S2 · E50 · 27 Nov 2024 · 35 min
Mom
Kimberly Cargill was evil personified. She abused her children for years, circumventing the system to keep them in her clutches. Finally, the state caught on and what she did to keep from trouble was worse than the abuse itself. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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S2 · E49 · 20 Nov 2024 · 26 min
Dad
In the tiny, rural village of Emerson, Nebraska, where only about 800 people live nestled in the northern, rolling hills, a series of inexplicable events begins to unfold. What seems like an ordinary morning turns into a nightmare as a young mother stumbles upon clues that hint at foul play on her boyfriend’s property. As the clues quickly mount, the truth reveals itself to be far worse than anyone could have imagined. Get commercial free access to over a decade of Sword and Scale's true crime podcasts at http://swordandscale.com
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