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Sword and Scale

Sword and Scale is a true crime podcast covering the dark underworld of crime and the criminal justice system’s response to it. The first episode launched January 1st, 2014 and feature stories of murder, abduction, rape, and even more bizarre forms of crime. It’s the purest form of true-crime where the raw uncensored audio tells the story. Everything from 911 calls to court testimony, interviews with victims and sometimes with perpetrators give listeners a 360 degree look at the seedy underbelly of human nature and so-called civilized society. Told from an everyman's point of view, Sword and Scale goes beyond the news clips and the sensationalist headlines to hold up a mirror to the audience and ask, "Is it us versus them? Or are we just like 'them' too?" Sword and scale proves that the worst monsters are real.

On a warm afternoon in Wichita Falls, TX the twisted mind of Kody Lott would be unleashed on the unsuspecting middle-schoolers walking home. Forever etched in their minds is the day that their friend Lauren Landavazo was gunned down in front of them. The reason for Kody’s actions perhaps rivals the heinous act itself.

Episode 279

Wanted to take a minute to send you a holiday message. Take care.

If you're having a tough time and need someone to talk to, please call 988.

You're not bothering anyone. That's that it's for. Use it.

We'll be back in January!

Happy Holidays & Stay Safe,
MB & S&S Staff

A Holiday Message

In June of 2014, 16-year-old Gina Burger went missing from her home in Austintown, Ohio. Two days after she was reported missing, Gina was found 50 miles away, in another state. Her lifeless body was discovered among trash, in a landfill.

Episode 280

On May 8th, 2008, an intruder entered the home of 53-year-old Thomas Randolph and his wife Sharon. The masked man waited until the couple arrived home from date night in downtown Las Vegas, and shot Sharon in the head as soon as she walked through the door. When Thomas discovered the grisly scene, he shot the intruder. This case was much more complicated than anyone bargained for. 16 years later, it’s still ongoing.

Episode 281

21-year-old Lauren Kukla spent her life holding her family together - a Michigan household defined by chaos, addiction, and mental illness. Unlike her troubled siblings, Lauren had managed to stay grounded, becoming the caretaker and peacekeeper. While she was preoccupied with managing each crisis on the surface, the deeper issues went unnoticed. By the time Lauren realized what was happening, it was too late.

Episode 282

On the morning of June 14, 2012, 31-year-old Adam Chase stormed out of his home in Stanley, NY, following a heated argument with his wife, Rose. Hours turned into days, and Adam seemed to vanish without a trace. When former deputy-turned-private investigator Rodney Miller caught wind of the case, his instincts led him to one major suspicion- which was the possibility that Adam Chase never left his home.

Episode 283

It was just after Christmas in 2011, and 22-year-old college cheerleader Saleha Huuda was found dead and burning in a brush fire on the side of the Gainesville Raceway. As the police tried to figure out how this happy-go-lucky student was murdered, they uncovered a twisted story of lies and sex all revolving around one selfish person.

Episode 284

When a welfare check on Sherry Harlan led the Snohomish County police to her tattered and bloody apartment, they knew something much more sinister had happened. But an investigation would soon uncover a murder twisted up in pagan magic.

Episode 285

In November 2021, beloved Fairfield, Iowa, Spanish teacher Nohema Graber vanished during her routine walk in Chautauqua Park. Her body was found the next day, hidden under a tarp with signs of trauma. As investigators dug deeper, unsettling ties to students and school officials emerged, leaving the town to question who was responsible—and why.

Episode 287

On Mother’s Day weekend in 2021, a brutal crime shattered an affluent neighborhood in St. Johns, Florida. When 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey was reported missing, the community mobilized, unaware of the dark secrets lurking just beneath the surface. As investigators closed in on a suspect, it became clear that some of the most chilling betrayals came from those closest to home.

Episode 288

On January 11, 2018, a routine house fire revealed something much more sinister. 28-year-old Elisabeth Bell had burned to death on the second floor of her small eastside home in Buffalo. But as investigators pieced together the how, the real mystery remained as to why?

Episode 289

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