[Florida Files] The Murder of Shirley and Virgil Best: A Family's Fatal Devotion

[Florida Files] The Murder of Shirley and Virgil Best: A Family's Fatal Devotion

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast July 9, 2026 Duration: 57:33
Shirley and Virgil Best were beloved, hardworking members of their Riverview, Florida, community. For forty-five years, they built a life centered around their faith, their family, and their successful tropical fish farm, Quality Fins. They were finally looking forward to a well-earned retirement traveling the world together in their RV. But beneath the surface, the couple spent decades dealing with the constant crises of their oldest son, Robert Best. A convicted con artist who had once defrauded a blind woman out of nearly a million dollars, Robert was facing a new, deeply disturbing criminal trial set to begin on the morning of November 12, 2015. Hours before he was expected in court, Robert and his wife, Marisol Best, drove to his parents' home, supposedly to pray with them. Instead, they found Shirley and Virgil brutally shot to death. While investigators initially confronted a staged burglary scene, the physical evidence quickly pointed to an insider. When a pair of missing handguns belonging to a family friend were uncovered, Marisol confessed to a crime that shocked the community. She admitted to shooting her mother and father-in-law after a tense argument about Robert's lack of family support, pulling the trigger just as they stood up to hold her hands and pray with her. This week we cover the tragic murders of Shirley and Virgil Best, the bizarre web of manipulation surrounding their son, and the ultimate act of misguided loyalty that resulted in a double life sentence. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch during their Annual Summer Event. For a limited time, get 20% off sitewide at BollAndBranch.com/moms with codes moms. Exclusions apply. Right now, IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping. To get your 20% percent off, text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Sources:  https://www.fox13news.com/news/deputies-couple-found-dead-in-home-victims-of-homicide  https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/hillsborough-deputies-investigating-two-bodies-found-in-riverview-home/2253703/  https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2015/11/13/two_found_dead_in_ri  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2015/11/14/florida-woman-charged-with-killing-husbands-parents-after-argument/  https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/arrest-made-in-murders-of-riverview-couple/2253855/  https://www.fox13news.com/news/woman-pleads-not-guilty-in-in-laws-murders  https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/warrant-daughter-in-law-executed-riverview-in-laws-while-they-prayed/2254577/  https://www.fox13news.com/news/prosecutor-asks-for-death-penalty-for-accused-in-law-killer  https://www.fox13news.com/news/documents-detail-case-against-woman-accused-of-murdering-in-laws  https://www.fox13news.com/news/accused-in-law-killer-marisol-best-avoids-facing-death-penalty  https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/woman-accused-of-killing-in-laws-writes-book-in-jail-paperwork-says/  https://www.fox13news.com/news/defense-points-to-husband-of-woman-accused-of-killing-in-laws  https://www.fox13news.com/news/jurors-watch-re-enactment-of-shooting-in-bests-trial  https://www.fox13news.com/news/defense-continues-to-sow-doubt-in-alleged-in-law-killers-trial  https://www.fox13news.com/news/marisol-best-found-guilty-of-killing-in-laws  https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/Judge-tells-woman-people-might-have-understood-if-she-had-shot-husband-instead-of-in-laws_171289642/  https://www.newspapers.com/image/343363515/  https://pubapps.fdc.myflorida.com/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&DCNumber=H46355&TypeSearch=AI  https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tampabaytimes/name/shirley-best-obituary?id=33718491  https://www.newspapers.com/image/342021540/?match=2&terms=%22shirley%20and%20virgil%20best%22  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t7r65P65S8  https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/riverview-woman-accused-of-killing-in-laws-said-they-werent-supportive/2331862/   https://www.newspapers.com/image/340343320/?article=c0834973-6914-4c9c-b157-82d1a057a658&terms=%22Robert%20Best%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/247532950/?article=899b1796-9910-484c-b6da-489ddcf339dd&terms=%22Robert%20Best%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/268706832/?article=675324ec-6b8f-43d5-837d-24aff3404b05&terms=%22Robert%20Best%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/326249785/?article=8b86dc2a-d056-4ca4-93f5-37c5a75689e3&terms=%22Robert%20Best%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/268347992/?article=f9b31bba-b865-4723-ab94-76c3a3279d90&terms=%22Robert%20Best%22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Murder of Lori Ann Slesinski: A Conviction Without a Body [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:31
In June 2006, 24 year old Lori Ann Slesinski left an Auburn Walmart to pick up drink mixes before a night at her best friend’s house. She never arrived. Days later, her Yorkshire Terrier, Peanut, was found safe in her mo…
Emma Compton: The Trial Is Underway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
Today, we’re replaying our 2024 episode about Emma Compton Layne, a woman remembered by the people who loved her for her generous heart, her contagious joy, and the way she always showed up for her family. Emma disappear…
The Murder of Alex Pennig: Behind the Locked Bathroom Door [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:50
When 32-year-old nurse Alex Pennig was found dead inside the bathroom of her St. Paul apartment, the man who called 911, Matthew Ecker, insisted she had taken her own life behind a locked door. Alex had struggled with de…
The Disappearance of Andrew Gosden: The One-Way Ticket to London [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:50
On September 14, 2007, 14-year-old Andrew Gosden left his home in Doncaster dressed for school. After his family left for the day, he returned home, changed out of his uniform, withdrew £200 from his bank account, and bo…
The Murder of Harold Allen: The Root Beer Float Poisoning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:50
For months, Harold Allen suffered from worsening illnesses that doctors could not fully explain. When he died in Freetown, Indiana, just days before Christmas 2022, his death was attributed to serious cardiac problems. H…
D.B. Cooper and the 7 Men Who Tried to Copy Him [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded a flight in Portland, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, and walked away with $200,000 in ransom after jumping out of the plane somewhere…