Janie Ballard: A Daughter's Deadly Greed

Janie Ballard: A Daughter's Deadly Greed

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast October 28, 2025 Duration: 43:24
When a friend found 58-year-old Janie Ballard stabbed over 70 times in her Little Rock, Arkansas home on September 13, 2003, investigators immediately suspected her own daughter, Leslie, and Leslie's much older husband, Mike McCool. But how did a shy, successful young woman from a prominent family become capable of such unthinkable violence? Leslie had grown up with every advantage—private school, college degrees, a job at the family printing business, and a condo bought by her parents. But after meeting Mike, a twice-divorced bodybuilder 22 years her senior with a violent criminal past, Leslie transformed completely. The more her parents disapproved, the deeper she fell under his control. When Janie cut Leslie out of her will, the relationship turned deadly. This case explores how manipulation, greed, and toxic family dynamics led to one of Arkansas's most shocking matricides. A mother who feared her own daughter—and was right to be afraid. 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 #JanieBallard #Arkansas #Matricide #FamilyMurder 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
Chris Tapp: Exonerated, Then Murdered [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:41
Christopher Tapp spent 20 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. After finally being exonerated in 2019 with the help of Angie Dodge's mother, Chris tried to rebuild his life and become an advocate for criminal j…
[Wrongful Conviction] Angie Dodge: A Mother's Fight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:32
In 1996, 18-year-old Angie Dodge was raped and murdered in her Idaho Falls apartment. Police quickly arrested Christopher Tapp, who confessed after hours of coercive interrogation—but the evidence didn't match. Tapp spen…
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Join us for a special crossover episode with Maya and Sarah from the "Doing It All" podcast! We explore the chilling connections between celebrity culture and true crime, discussing cases where fame, fortune, and crimina…
The Icebox Murders: Houston's Horror Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:25
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Joey Fischer: A Mother's Deadly Paranoia- Revisit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:14
When does a mother's protective instinct cross the line into something deadly? This week, we discuss a South Texas mom who took her role as protector to the next level—and the end result was the death of an innocent teen…
Sherri Papini Part 2: The Unraveling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
In Part 1, Sherri Papini vanished during an afternoon jog and reappeared three weeks later, claiming she'd been abducted and tortured by two Hispanic women. The nation rallied around her. But in Part 2, the truth begins…
Sherri Papini Part 1: The Perfect Victim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:59
When 34-year-old Sherri Papini vanished during an afternoon jog in her quiet California neighborhood in November 2016, the community erupted in panic. Her husband Keith found her phone on the side of the road with her ea…
Summer Shenanigans: Crimes of the Season [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:30
This week, we're doing something a little different! Instead of our usual deep dives, we're sharing quirky summer crimes that happened in quintessential vacation spots—beaches, ice cream shops, campgrounds, and lakes. Th…
Melissa Caddick: The Vanishing Fraudster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:40
She was wealthy, stylish, and living the dream life in Sydney, Australia—designer clothes, luxury vacations, a $6.2 million mansion. But when Melissa Caddick vanished without a trace the day after authorities raided her…

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