Hey true crime besties, welcome back to an all new episode of Serialist Suite. Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to an all new episode of Serialist Suite with me, your host Annie E. Lease. Welcome to the already dark pit of 2026, okay? If you're watching the video version of this episode, then you can see I am not in my studio today. I tried really hard to get there, but norovirus tapped in and I have been on my ass. Well, I bet literally I have been knocked on my ass for the last couple of days. I mean, the good news is I've lost about seven pounds, but the bad news is I'm like, throwing up, I'm just so sick, I've been like drinking Pedeolite, like it's going out of business. And let me just throw my parent friends out there who have ever gone through not only norovirus, but have gone through even like, just a stomach bug with a sick kid. This is my first time in life when I have been sick at the same time as one of my children. And my six year old son also got it. Let me tell you something, trying to throw up nonstop while simultaneously trying to help your son or your child throw up is no easy feat. And I had made my husband like quarantine in the other room because I was like, you can't get it, you stay with our daughter, like, we're going to just lock ourselves in my room. But like, not to get TMI in graphic, but like taking the bowl, helping him throw up, then me getting triggered, and me needing to run to the bathroom and like, it's been chaos. So needless to say, I'm still in the thick of it. I don't want to infect anybody at my office. I also personally just cannot get in a car and drive right now. So I'm here because I didn't want to let you guys down. So I'm here with headline highlights because there is unfortunately a lot that is already going down in this new year. So I'm going to break down these cases for you. But I'm going to do it off camera because I'm going to have to take some breaks in between to throw up to drink some Pedialyte and to just gather myself. So I couldn't even get dressed for this, which is why I'm in my pajamas. I just feel like complete and utter shit. So happy 2026. Thank you, Norovirus. But yeah, so we are going to kind of just jump right in. Okay, now before we get into the new cases, I do want to start with a couple of updates. And here we are again, even though it's a new year, it's the same bullshit, same Brian Coburger of it all. He's like the monster that just keeps on giving, because now investigators are coming out with new information saying that Brian Coburger and one of the surviving roommates, particularly Bethany, that they were both at the same target store on November 10th, 2022. Which remember was just a couple of days before the murders. So transaction records from the target, you know, receipts, they show that Bethany checked out first, then Brian made a purchase about 90 minutes later, meaning that there is, according to them, a very strong possibility, however, no evidence that they did cross paths or interact at the store. Now for reference, when I first heard this, I was like, well, where is this target located? Did he go out of his way to this location? I know that Pullman isn't too too far from Moscow. So like, what are we really like talking here? Like, is this nefarious? Was he stalking? What's happening here? So for reference, the target where this happened was in Moscow, Idaho, about 14 minutes away from Brian's apartment, also about 10 minutes away from the King Road House where Bethany and all of the students lived. So law enforcement has not even alleged that the two of them have seen each other or spoke to each other or anything like that. However, given Brian's behavior in the days leading up to the murders, it has of course made the public start to ask, how close was he getting to these victims and their inner circle before the night of the quadruple homicide? Was he stalking them? Was he following them? There's also some other footage that has now been not only released but widely discussed because newly surfaced Walmart surveillance footage shows Brian Coburger shopping multiple times in Pullman, Washington, both before and after the murders. And investigators say that his behavior noticeably changes after that night, but not really how you might think. Because according to the report, Brian started wearing gloves whenever he would go shopping. In all of the shopping trips leading up to the murders, he didn't wear gloves, but then every trip after he did. In fact, according to the surveillance videos, his last trip without gloves was late on November 12th, just hours before the murders. But then, as I said, after that, he is seen on camera wearing gloves on nearly every single visit, even keeping them on while he's checking out, which yeah, obviously people immediately noticed that. And for me, it gives me the creeps. I mean, we know that he didn't randomly or not so randomly just decide to start wearing gloves after the murders. We know that when they stormed his parents' house, he allegedly had latex gloves on at that moment as well, was putting things in plastic bags, getting rid of things in the garbage, very meticulous and very careful not to leave any DNA behind. In fact, in several of the clips, he even appears to go out of his way to limit contact with surface areas. Sometimes he would only expose a single finger to where he would use the keypad, you know, where you type in your pin number or your phone number. So investigators say that that really stood out to them when they were reviewing the footage. And because things happen in threes, there's another update with Coburger 2, his sister is now speaking out. Shortly after all of these new pieces of information came to light and started fueling even more speculation, his sister Mel spoke out publicly for the first time. She said that their family had no knowledge whatsoever that Brian was capable of any type of violence. And she insisted that had they known, they certainly would have contacted the police. She did go on to describe him as socially awkward, even difficult at times, but said that there were absolutely no warning signs that pointed to violence, especially mass murder. Mel went on to say that when she had first heard about the murders on King Road, she even contacted Brian telling him urging him to be careful because she knew that he would go out in that area sometimes, she knew that he would go out late running. And she's like, you need to be careful, there's a psychopath on the loose, not realizing it was her own brother, which how crazy and scary is that thinking about it in hindsight, she even then went further saying that when she first heard the news that it was Brian and that he had been arrested, it didn't feel real, that it made her sick to her stomach. But she did say that no matter what their family has gone through since then, since you know, Brian's arrest and his plea and his sentencing, they often shift in rather than thinking about their own family and what they're going through, they think about the victims families and the pain that they have gone through, which I mean, how could you not write. So just a few updates with co burger that I wanted to lay out for you. There's also a couple of new updates in the D4VD David Tesla singer, dry, you know, case of it all, all of this stuff going on with him, which is like how there has not been an arrest already. I truly do not know. But a grand jury has now been convened in the case. And this is a major escalation because it means that prosecutors aren't just investigating now, but they are looking at filing charges. So reports say that there's evidence that's being presented in the death of 14 year old Celeste Hernandez and that the grand jury is expected to decide whether murder charges should be filed. Now, witness testimony has already begun, including people closely tied to David's professional circle. Earlier this month, David's manager was also put on the stand to testify. And he was later overheard saying that the prosecutor was quote, very pushy as to why he didn't call the police, which call the police about what we don't know, but it definitely sounds suspicious. I have been saying from the beginning, I think that they may have enough evidence or maybe there will be some sort of plea arrangement or something about the disposal of a body rather than murder charges. And I know further testing is still being completed. But because of the state of Celeste remains, there's no cause of death or manner of death. So reading between the lines with that with what David's manager had said, when he's like the prosecutor was pushy as to why he didn't call the police, it could be something easy as them saying, well, Celeste overdosed, and then she died. And then them being like, well, why don't you call the police? Why'd you cover it up and being pushy on that rather than witnessing or having knowledge of a murder? So we'll see where it goes. But if the grand jury votes to file charges, the case would officially move into the criminal court system. Many investigators and the prosecutor believe that David was involved. So it is very likely that he will face murder charges if the grand jury ends with indictments. So as of the time of this recording, no movement on that, but we will see and I will keep you updated. Now let's move into this first case I want to talk to you about because it's a case that has been sitting heavy with a lot of people, not because it's loud or graphic or instantly explosive, but because the more details that you learn, the more unsettling it becomes. This is the case of Alicia Ann Seymour, a 35-year-old mother from Utah who is now accused of taking her four young children and leaving the country, all allegedly because she believed that the end times were approaching. And look, I'm not going to throw any shade at Utah or anything like that. I don't know if this is rooted in LDS. I would imagine there is something maybe connected there, but the end of times, I mean, we saw it with Valo, we saw it a little bit with Ruby Frankie. It seems like it's these extremists who believe, and we know that Utah is like, you know, the Mecca for LDS. So do we know or not? I don't know, but let me just keep on with this case and you tell me what you think. But before we go any further, I do want to be very clear. Everything we're about to talk about is based on allegations. Allegations from law enforcement and also information that has been laid out in court documents. However, this is still an active and ongoing investigation. According to authorities, on November 29th, she took her four children ranging in age from three to 11 years old to Salt Lake City International Airport. And there she boarded a one-way flight out of the United States. Investigators say that her connecting flight went through Amsterdam and that her final destination was Croatia. Now, surveillance footage reportedly shows her calmly boarding the plane with all four of her children and with their luggage. I mean, no visible distress, no panic, nothing in that moment that would suggest that anything was wrong. But what was really going on behind the scenes? That's what caught everybody off guard. See, before she and her kids left the country, everything was normal, or at least it seemed that way. However, concerns started when she suddenly stopped showing up for work and when she stopped responding to calls and text messages all together around November 29th. By December 2nd, when coworkers and family still couldn't reach her, the police were asked to do a welfare check at her home. And when the officers arrived at her house, it was unlocked, but there was nobody inside. There were also no signs of a struggle, no signs of a rushed exit, but there was also no indication that she planned to come back. It was just silence that they were met with. So as investigators dug deeper, they ended up speaking with her ex-husband Kendall, who said he had absolutely no clue that she was planning any of this. He said that the only contact that he had even had with her throughout all of this was a voicemail that he received from her on December 2nd, the same day that the police conducted that welfare check. And in that voicemail, she said that the kids were in France and that she planned to get permanent residency there before the quote end times. But up until that moment, he didn't even know that the kids had been taken out of the country. So investigators say that she also left behind notes that suggested that she intended to completely disappear. Those notes allegedly included instructions to destroy identifying documents, shred photographs, get rid of her cell phone, switch to prepaid phones to avoid being tracked. I mean, an effort to just go completely off the grid. Her ex-husband Kendall also said that she left behind a note that seemed like it was quote, delusional messages from God, promising that she would be in Italy by Christmas. And this is where her end times beliefs really started to come into focus. See, she posted tons of videos on TikTok explaining what she believed to be signs of the end of times. And these videos, I'll be honest with you, they don't sit right. They're a little bit unhinged. I mean, most of them are anywhere from five to 10 minutes long. And even the kid's dad says that these videos remind him a lot of Laurie Vallo. And he, of course, as I'm sure all of us are, are very hopeful that this does not end up in a situation like that. So Alicia now has warrants out for her arrest for four counts of custodial interference, each a third degree felony. This along with additional charges for taking the kids out of the state with authorization. An endangered missing advisory has also been issued for all four children and their passports have all been flagged in the system. But unfortunately, none of them have been found. Law enforcement has said that they don't believe that she intends to physically harm the kids. However, they, of course, are deeply concerned about their well-being, because that includes possible isolation, their access to medical care, the influence of their mother's mental state. And look, what happens is when you start feeling like you're backed into a corner and the walls are closing in, maybe there was no threat to begin with. Maybe she wasn't going to physically harm the kids. But when you're backed into a corner and you feel like there's not much else to do and that the walls are closing in, that is when people, especially people who are unwell mentally, that is where they become unpredictable. Now, because this case has crossed international borders so quickly, the FBI became involved very fast working alongside the Utah authorities so that they could find these children and bring them home. Kendall, the kid's father, has also launched a GoFundMe to help cover legal expenses and also potential international travel once the children are found. But this is one of those cases too. And the reason why I think it's created so much uproar, it's where the danger isn't necessarily violence on the surface, it's belief driven, it's decision making, it's isolation, and it's a parent who seems to have fully crossed into delusional territory. And now she's dragging her children along with her. And again, that is when it then can possibly escalate to violence. And until authorities can locate her and those four children, I mean, that's the part that remains the most unsettling. Because right now, no one knows where they are, who they're with, or what reality those children are being raised in. So as soon as we know more, I'll let you know. And if you want me to do a deep dive into this case, I certainly will. We can also, there's someone we've been in contact with that we can bring in to share about this case. I don't want to really get much further into that. But yeah, let me know if you want a deep dive into this. Now moving into this next case. This one's tough. But this next case began is what many people first believed was just a tragic accident. A child had wandered off, a very frantic search followed, and the hope was that he would be found quickly. But as the days went on, the situation became far more devastating and far more complicated. It began on December 31 in Walker County, Alabama. See, that morning, four-year-old Jonathan was staying at his dad's house along Highway 195 near Jasper. His parents were separated, and Jonathan and his six-year-old brother had traveled from Florida to spend five days with their dad, Jameson. So at around 11.30 a.m., Jonathan was outside with his brother and the family dog. And according to investigators, at some point during that time, Jonathan wandered away. It was first believed that he followed the dog into the woods nearby, but then nobody could find him. So not harmless, but harmless enough, rather than like jumping straight to abduction, more like, oh, this four-year-old followed the dog off, he's in the woods, we need to just go find him. And when family members realized he was missing, I mean, a search began almost immediately. Walker County authorities issued a missing child alert. Deputies, state troopers, volunteers, everybody came out in droves and began searching the surrounding woods, also like various rough terrain that was nearby, nearby roads, everything, because at this point too, temperatures were dropping and they knew that it was critical. But here's the first question that a lot of people were asking who maybe are not as, I don't know, playing devil's advocate as much as some people do. And that is, how does a four-year-old disappear so quickly in the middle of the day without anybody seeing anything or hearing anything? And also, why was he outside without anybody watching him? Remember, he's four, his brother is six. So was there no parent around? Now, overnight, a full day passes and by January 1st, just the next day, the search had grown significantly. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved at this point, helicopters were searching from above, drones were scanning large, large areas of land, and there were also canine teams who were working all throughout the woods. Hundreds of volunteers showed up, many of them parents themselves, just desperate to find this little boy and searching for answers. Jonathan's mom even flew in from Florida as soon as she heard that he was missing so that she could help look for him. So everybody truly was hoping to find this little boy, this little boy who had now been gone overnight in freezing cold conditions. So at that point, time was obviously very critical. But then, during the search, investigators found something very concerning at his father, Jamison's house. Authorities found explosives and hazardous materials on his property. Now, because of obvious safety concerns, the search was suspended, the FBI and bomb techs were called in, and parts of the property had to be secured before anybody could continue looking for Jonathan. Because what if there is, I mean, not this, like not like mines or dynamite, but like if there are explosives on the properties, you can't have a ton of people walking in that area, right? You need to secure the perimeter. So investigators emphasized that the finding of these explosives and hazardous materials was not connected to Jonathan's disappearance. But naturally, with this new information, I mean, people started asking questions, and neighbors even came forward saying that they had been hearing explosions in the area for weeks, but they didn't know where they were coming from. And the last explosion that they heard was around 4am the morning before Jonathan went missing. So then the question becomes, if investigators say it wasn't connected, what exactly was going on at that house in the hours before this four-year-old child disappeared? So in the meantime, as they're looking for Jonathan, Jamison was arrested on charges for unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device, also two counts of chemical endangerment to a child. And again, authorities stressed that these charges were separate from Jonathan's disappearance. However, at the same time, I mean, the overlap, obviously it raised serious concerns, whether officials wanted to say that out loud or not. Obviously, they didn't. But as of right now, no new information has come out regarding the explosives or what Jamison was doing with them. So after all of this was, you know, I don't want to say handled, but like secured, you know, forward movement with Jamison's arrest, all of that. Once that was handled, the search for Jonathan began again shortly after. But by then, hope was obviously beginning to fade because it just, it was not looking good. And then on January 2nd, search teams made a heartbreaking discovery. Nearly two miles from the home, Jonathan's body was found in a wooded area. The family dog was also found nearby, but alive. And with this discovery kind of came a whole new set of questions. One being how did Jonathan end up so far from home? I mean, two miles for a four year old. How long had he been there? In all of the search efforts, how did nobody see him there? And what exactly happened in those hours that he was missing? But I will say it does break my heart and warm my heart that the dog stayed by Jonathan's side or nearby until the end. So in the days that followed, the community gathered for a vigil and candles were lit, stuffed animals and handwritten notes were left behind by people who had never even met Jonathan, but were just deeply affected by what had happened. I mean, he was four years old. Authorities have not released a cause of death at this moment at the time of this recording. And they've said that the investigation is still ongoing. But the most important question remains, what really happened to Jonathan? Did he truly just wander off and was it the cold that unfortunately took his life? And is that why the dog was nearby and stuck with him and why the dog was still alive? I don't know. I would imagine they would be able to determine cause of death relatively quickly, but this is heartbreaking. And until that question is answered of what really happened to Jonathan, this is a case that in my opinion, it deserves continued attention. I personally have so many questions and this little boy and his story, it deserves the truth. So I will be following this very closely for updates. It's hard to concentrate when you're worried about your health. It can feel like there's a wall between you and the rest of the world, like you can't be fully present. Hello, AXA Health. How can I help? At AXA Health Insurance, we build our teams with people who care. So when you need us, we're here to support you. For cover that cares, search AXA Health Insurance. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Step into light-filled living at the Express bifolding doors Milton Keynes showroom and experience products that seamlessly connect your home's interior and exterior. From bifolding and sliding doors to windows, entrance doors and glass roofs, all built and installed by Express. Whether renovating, extending or building new, see the quality for yourself at our stunning showroom or visit expressbifolds.co.uk. Okay, so this next case comes out of Columbus, Ohio, and it's one that has been rattling the community because of how unexpected and senseless it feels. And it's just kind of like mind-boggling like what is going on here. It's another one that is still ongoing. It doesn't have a lot of answers. The investigation is currently underway, but it leaves you wondering what the heck could have happened here. So let me rewind a little bit. On December 30th, around 9am, officers were called to the home of Spencer and Monique Tepe. This was after concerned coworkers requested a welfare check when Spencer failed to show up for work. When Columbus police arrived around 9.20am, they knocked on the door, they waited around, but they didn't get a response. So they left, like many welfare checks end up like. But then, about 40 minutes later, they received another call. This call was from a friend saying that he was outside of the family's home and that he could hear the children inside. But he said, nobody's answering the door and we can't get inside. Then, less than 10 minutes later, another call came in from a man who sounded audibly distressed. And there were also kids screaming or crying in the background. I mean, it was a very distraught scene. And this man said that he could see a body laying next to a bed. Also, that there was blood. 9-1-1, what's location of your emergency? 14-11, North Forth. Okay, 14-11, North Forth. We've got several calls on that. What's changed since the last person I talked to? There's a body. There's a body. There's a body inside? Yeah. Okay, hold on one second. Let me get you on the line with the medic, okay? Okay, on the line. There's a body. Our friend was in an insurance phone. We just took a long of shift. We just came here and he appears dead. There's blood. He's laying next to his bed, off of his bed, in this blood. I think he closer than two more than that. Okay, you can tell he's obviously not breathing or anything. Yeah, yeah. Is it like tuddling? Like, you know, because he looks like... It doesn't tuddle. I can't look. Okay, all right, understand. Okay, and then the one was the last time somebody spoke to him. Like yesterday, I suppose? Yesterday. Okay, how old is he? Uh, 37. Do you like to drug use or anything like that? No, no, no, no. Okay, all right, just I guess that's a real young age. Yeah, I understand. Okay, all right, we're on our way. When police arrived after this call, they found 37-year-old Spencer and 39-year-old Monique. They both had been shot to death inside their home. Now, Spencer had allegedly been shot multiple times and Monique suffered at least one gunshot wound to the chest. But here's where it gets even more unsettling, okay? Their two children, just one-year-old and four years old, were inside the house when this went down, but they were physically unharmed, which that detail alone is so difficult to sit with. Thank God they weren't harmed, but knowing that these two kids who fortunately probably will not have the memory or at least the graphic vivid memory of it as they get older, but to know that this one-year-old and four-year-old were left behind in this home with their deceased parents, I don't even know, I mean, haunting isn't a big enough word to even describe it. So as the investigators started piecing everything together, one of the biggest questions became whether anybody else had been there that morning, right? Police said that they're actively looking for any photos or any video that could help identify who may have entered or left the home in the hours leading up to these murders. Fortunately, they did have a ring camera, and it does seem like the neighbors had cameras as well. But police reported no signs of forced entry, no gun at the scene, nothing really, so that raised a lot of questions about how this suspect actually got into their house in the first place and what may have happened inside that home before Spencer and Monique were found. And look, right away, there were a lot of, I don't want to say questions, but there was some mild speculation that maybe this was self-inflicted, a murder suicide. But the police made it very abundantly clear that this situation was not that. They believe that it was a double homicide, yet they also said that they have no suspects and no motive yet. Columbus police have specifically asked the neighbors and anybody in the area to check surveillance cameras, doorbell footage, any other video that may have captured something out of place. They've even gone so far as to ask for rideshare pickups and drop-offs that were in the area to see if maybe somebody had taken an Uber or a Lyft, you know, to get dropped off or picked up in that area, or if somebody knows something or if they had dash cams, I mean, the works. And while combing through some of the footage they received, Columbus police actually did come up with something that may help them. On Monday, January 5th, police released surveillance from a nearby home's nest camera, which nest is similar to ring, to blink, all of the different things. The footage shows a person walking down the street near the family's home wearing dark pants, a dark hoodie, and then the hood is pulled up. Now police say that this person is a possible person of interest. So they are asking anybody who recognizes this individual or who may have even seen something at all that morning, specifically between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m. to please come forward. But inside the house, investigators found three millimeter shell casings confirming that multiple shots were fired during this attack. But the police have also said that no gun was recovered at the scene, which immediately raised more questions about how this all unfolded and how the person responsible may have left. Was this targeted? Was this set up? What's going on? And I want to say this too, there have been certain reports out there saying that there was an element of overkill. However, there were only three shell casings found. And it appears that Spencer may have been shot twice, Monique once, in the chest, as I mentioned. So what, even though it doesn't seem like a lot of bullets, I'm trying to see how I can say this without I don't want to come across too graphic, overkill could also come down to where Spencer was shot, in what kind of close range. Other details, if you catch my drift of like rather than just a distance burglar intruding and shooting people. And I don't want to speculate too much, I just want to address that because there was somebody close to the investigation who did drop that word, overkill. And so when you couple that with the three shell casings that were found, it's easy to be like, how does that a quite overkill three shell casings to people? There are a lot of different ways that that can be explained. Now friends and family have spoken out and they describe Spencer and Monique as just warm, loving, deeply devoted to their children. And people who knew them say that this is the last couple they ever expected to see connected to a story like this. They were building a life together, raising two little kids, and they were also just weeks away from celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. So it's a little bit difficult to sit with, right? There's no suspect, there's no clear motive, and there are two young children who lost both of their parents in an instant. Police continue to ask anyone with information, video, or even the smallest detail from that morning to come forward to share it, shared anonymously, just send it in, because right now answers are still extremely limited. But I'm going to keep an eye on this one. And I think we might do a deep dive because there is a lot of conversation about this case and a lot of, I don't want to say speculation, theories. I don't know, we may do a deep dive. Let me know if you want me to do that. And let me know either in the review section or the Q&A section on Spotify or the comment section on YouTube, and we'll see what's going on there. It's just so good. It's so much evil already, and we're only a couple weeks in, right? Okay, other than that, what else? I don't know if you guys watched the new documentary that dropped on Netflix about Jodi Hildebrandt this last week. It didn't talk too much about Ruby Frankie. It did talk a lot about the rescue of Ruby's children, but the focus was more on Jodi and who she is and who she was as a cult leader. And there was a lot of stuff. Surprisingly, they left out. Not only some of the intimate details regarding Ruby and Jodi that has later been confirmed regarding their intimate relationship, but also more about some of the tricks that Jodi would do and pull when meeting with her clients. So I released a deep dive this last Monday where we went into who Jodi truly was and all of the other shit that I think Netflix, quite frankly, should have exposed but didn't, which could have been because of litigation or because it was only an hour and 41 minutes. I don't really know, but especially about the affair with Ruby, there's just more to it. So I released that episode on Monday, and then on Tuesday on our brand new, well, kind of brand new, our new podcast feed, 10 to Life, we released an episode just this last Tuesday that you can go back and listen to if you haven't yet about a real life dexter. It's really scary and like freaking sociopathic, in my opinion, of like how he would lure people to this garage and like, oh, it's just sick. So if you're listening to the podcast version of this, this is again your friendly reminder, it will not be on this feed. You need to search in your podcast app 10 to Life, and you'll see it there. It's free, but it's our second true crime podcast, where we have new episodes every single Tuesday. And for those of you on YouTube, the uncensored versions are always on the podcast. The episodes also go to the podcast first, because YouTube takes forever of proving these episodes. So you can always listen to them first, listen to them uncensored, come back and watch the video version on my Annie E. Lease YouTube channel. So that's what we've got for this week, guys. Go listen to the cases I just told you about. I'll be back on with you first thing Monday with an all new case. I'm gonna go sleep now. I honestly feel it like coming up from inside right now, like I'm gonna throw up again. So I'm gonna sign off. Love you guys so much. Until the next one, be nice. Don't kill people. Don't get norovirus. Wash your hands. And I don't know. Just stay healthy. Bye.
