Jane Mixer: The Controversial Conviction

Jane Mixer: The Controversial Conviction

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast November 11, 2025 Duration: 39:23
In 1969, Jane Louise Mixer, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Michigan, was trying to catch a ride home to tell her parents she was engaged to her boyfriend Phil. Jane was an exceptional student—top 10% of her high school class, honor student, debate team member, cheerleader, and voted "best all around girl." She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1968 and enrolled in law school, where she was one of the only female students in the entire program. But Jane never made it home that day. She was found shot and strangled in a cemetery, her belongings eerily arranged beside her.For over 30 years, Jane's case sat frozen in time. Many believed John Norman Collins, a serial killer convicted of murdering another Michigan student, was responsible.But in 2001, DNA testing pointed to a different man: Gary Leiterman, a 62-year-old former nurse.In 2005, Gary was convicted of Jane's murder based on DNA evidence, handwriting analysis, and the fact that he owned a .22 caliber gun. But the conviction was highly controversial. Three scientists later argued that the DNA evidence was likely the result of lab contamination. Gary maintained his innocence until his death in prison on July 4, 2019, at age 76. Was Gary Leiterman truly guilty? Or was Jane Mixer's real killer never caught? New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com #TrueCrime #Podcast #FloridaMoms #JaneMixer #Michigan #UniversityOfMichigan #DNAEvidence #WrongfulConviction #ColdCase 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: 100

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Rachel Nickell: The Case Behind the Netflix Documentary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:52
Netflix is dropping a documentary today called "The Murder of Rachel Nickell," and if you want the full story before you watch, you are in the right place. On a warm morning in July of 1992, a young mother named Rachel N…
We Covered 10 Cases in January: Here's Where They Stand Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:44
Back in January, we laid out ten major true crime cases we were watching closely for the first half of 2026. Now that we are halfway through the year, the courtroom developments have been absolutely wild. In this episode…
The Night He Brought Her Home: The Murder of Colby Vinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:29
On March 13, 2023, 24-year-old Colby Vinson received the news he had been fighting for all year. A judge officially granted him 50/50 custody of his four-year-old daughter, Preslee. But just six days later, on the very f…
The Nightmare in North Dakota: The Murder of Angila Wilder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:41
On a freezing November night in 2015, 30-year-old nursing student Angila Wilder was stabbed 44 times inside her home in Minot, North Dakota. The brutal attack happened while her two-year-old son slept safely in the very…
The Mystery of the Missing DA: The Disappearance of Ray Gricar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:04
On April 15, 2005, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar left his office for a routine afternoon drive through central Pennsylvania. He was 59 years old, highly respected, and just months away from a planned retirem…
Sarah Jo Pender: "The Female Charles Manson" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
In October of 2000, the bodies of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman were found inside a dumpster behind an Indianapolis Teamsters building. The discovery quickly led police to the home the couple shared with Richard Hull…
The Mackenzie Shirilla Case & Netflix's "The Crash" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:18
It was around 6:15 AM on July 31, 2022, when a resident in Strongsville, Ohio, came upon the aftermath of a horrific accident. A black Toyota Camry had crashed into the side of a large brick building at the end of Progre…
The Disappearance and Murder of Maya Millete [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:31
On January 7, 2021, Maya Millete took the first steps toward ending her marriage. She scheduled a consultation with a divorce attorney, planning to wait just a few more days to get through her daughter's birthday weekend…
The Mystery of Sneha Philip [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
On the evening of September 10, 2001, 31-year-old physician Sneha Philip walked into her Lower Manhattan apartment building carrying shopping bags. It was the last confirmed sighting of her. By the next morning, planes s…
The Hawthorne Hill Shooting & The Fall of Michael Barisone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:05
Hawthorne Hill was supposed to be a dream. An elite equestrian facility, an Olympic coach, and a student willing to do whatever it took to make it to the top. But what started as a $5,000 a month training arrangement bet…