True Crime Time For November 13, 2026 | Cari Farver Digital Murder, Baby Buried Alive, Louisiana Car Scam & Amanda Brown Death Row Case

On this Friday the 13th edition of True Crime Time, Woody Overton examines a chilling murder solved through digital forensics, an elaborate Louisiana dealership impersonation scam, crimes against vulnerable adults and children, and the decades-long fight for justice in the murder of seven-year-old Amanda Brown.

The episode begins with This Day in History, revisiting the Amityville murders, the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, and the disappearance of Cari Farver. Woody takes a closer look at Farver's murder and how investigators uncovered years of impersonation, threatening messages, fabricated evidence, and digital deception to secure a conviction without ever recovering her body.

Closer to home, Woody shares the story of a father-and-son used car dealership in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, whose business identity was stolen by scammers. Fraudulent online listings and a fake website allegedly tricked out-of-state buyers into sending thousands of dollars for vehicles the legitimate dealership never offered for sale.

In F'd-Up Professionals, a former care worker in England is sentenced to prison after exploiting elderly women with dementia, stealing jewelry and using victims' financial information for personal gain.

The episode then turns to several disturbing cases involving children. In Florida, deputies discover two young children unsecured in the back of a U-Haul van while the adults responsible for them are allegedly impaired and drugs are within reach. In South Carolina, first responders rescue an 11-month-old baby found alive inside a dog crate buried in a shallow hole. Woody also discusses a Florida mother accused of physically abusing her two young sons inside a grocery store.

In Arizona, investigators arrest two people accused of murdering a man experiencing homelessness, stealing his vehicle, and traveling to a casino. Authorities allege the victim's status as a registered sex offender played a role in the suspects' actions.

Finally, Woody examines the 1998 murder of seven-year-old Amanda Brown in Tampa, Florida. Her convicted killer, Willie Crain, has spent nearly three decades on death row, and Florida's governor has signed a warrant scheduling his execution. Although Amanda's body has never been recovered, investigators used blood evidence, DNA testing, and witness testimony to secure a conviction.

Throughout the episode, Woody draws on his experience as a homicide detective to discuss the importance of forensic evidence, the dangers of exploitation, and the lasting pain experienced by families who never receive answers about their loved ones.

Show Notes

This Day in History — November 13

• 1989: The murder of teenage mother Amy Widener, a cold case Woody discusses as an example of investigators continuing to pursue justice years later.
• 1974: Ronald DeFeo Jr. murders his parents and four siblings in Amityville, New York. The house later becomes associated with the famous Amityville haunting claims.
• 2015: Coordinated terrorist attacks across Paris, including the Bataclan concert hall, kill 130 people and injure hundreds.
• 2012: Cari Farver disappears in Nebraska, beginning a murder investigation involving years of digital impersonation.
• 1893: Woody briefly revisits an anarchist stabbing in Paris.
• 1002: The St. Brice's Day massacre, ordered by King Æthelred II of England.

Featured Cold Case — Cari Farver's Murder Solved Through Digital Evidence

• Cari Farver disappears in November 2012.
• Shanna Golyar impersonates Farver through thousands of emails and text messages over several years.
• The messages create the false impression that Farver is alive and stalking her former boyfriend, Dave Kroupa.
• Investigators recover deleted digital photographs and analyze phone records, metadata, IP addresses, and numerous fabricated accounts.
• A recovered photograph of a tattooed foot becomes an important piece of evidence.
• Additional forensic evidence includes blood discovered inside Farver's vehicle.
• Golyar is convicted of first-degree murder and arson in 2017 and sentenced to life without parole.
• Woody discusses how investigators can establish a homicide even when a victim's body has not been recovered.

Louisiana Business Scam — Donaldsonville Dealership Impersonated

• Jimmy Hidalgo Sr. and Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. operate a longstanding used car dealership on Highway 1 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.
• Scammers allegedly create a fraudulent website impersonating their business.
• Fake listings advertise expensive vehicles the legitimate dealership does not sell.
• A transport driver arrives expecting to collect a vehicle that was never purchased from the real dealership.
• The Better Business Bureau reports an Oklahoma buyer lost more than $70,000.
• Additional complaints involve out-of-state customers who paid for vehicles they never received.
• Woody warns listeners to independently verify business identities and payment instructions before transferring money.

F'd-Up Professionals — Care Worker Exploits Elderly Patients

• Former care worker Amy Bassett is sentenced to four years and four months in prison in England.
• Bassett steals wedding and engagement rings from a woman with dementia and sells them to a pawnbroker.
• Investigators uncover additional financial exploitation involving another elderly woman.
• Allegations include a fraudulent check and a credit card account opened without authorization.
• Woody reflects on his father's experience with dementia and the importance of protecting vulnerable adults.

Family Matters — Children Found in U-Haul With Drugs Nearby

• Deputies respond to a Tampa, Florida, gas station after receiving a report of two unresponsive adults inside a U-Haul van.
• Two children are discovered unsecured in the rear of the vehicle.
• Investigators report finding methamphetamine and other controlled substances.
• Vilma Acosta Diaz faces child abuse and drug-related charges.
• Arian Hernandez Hernandez is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
• Woody discusses the dangers of impaired caregiving and unsafe transportation.

South Carolina — Infant Rescued From Buried Dog Crate

• Eleven-month-old Koa Sharp is reported missing after being left briefly in his father's care.
• Authorities locate the child's father, Michael Cormier, during the investigation.
• Search teams discover freshly disturbed ground in a wooded area.
• First responders hear the baby crying and rescue him from a dog crate buried in a shallow hole.
• The child is transported for medical treatment.
• Investigators continue examining the circumstances of the disappearance and confinement.
• Woody recognizes the first responders whose search led to the baby's rescue.

Florida — Mother Accused of Abusing Children in Grocery Store

• Madeline Inoretta Martinez is accused of physically abusing her four-year-old and seven-year-old sons inside a Hialeah grocery store.
• Surveillance footage reportedly shows the mother pulling one child by his hair and ears and biting the younger child's ear.
• Investigators say Martinez became angry after her son requested a toy she could not afford.
• Martinez faces child abuse charges.
• The Florida Department of Children and Families takes custody of the children.

Arizona — Couple Accused of Murdering Man and Stealing His Vehicle

• Twenty-nine-year-old Aaron Christopher Warren is found dead near a roadway in Bullhead City, Arizona.
• Investigators identify Jacob Dylan Middlebrook and Lane Justice McIntosh as suspects.
• Authorities allege the pair planned the killing, stole Warren's vehicle, and traveled to a casino.
• Investigators report the victim's registered sex offender status may have motivated the attack.
• The suspects face first-degree murder charges.
• Woody discusses the difference between lawful accountability and vigilante violence.

Final Story — Amanda Brown Murder and Willie Crain's Scheduled Execution

• Seven-year-old Amanda Brown disappears from her Tampa-area home in September 1998.
• Willie Crain, who had previously been convicted of child molestation offenses, becomes the primary suspect.
• Investigators discover blood evidence in Crain's residence and on his clothing.
• DNA testing connects the evidence to Amanda.
• Witnesses describe suspicious activity involving Crain near the time of her disappearance.
• Amanda's body has never been recovered.
• Crain is convicted of murder and kidnapping in 1999 and sentenced to death.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs a death warrant scheduling Crain's execution for December 10, 2026.
• Amanda's mother continues to seek answers about where her daughter's remains are located.
• Woody reflects on the pain of families who must live without knowing where their loved ones were taken.

Content Warning: This episode discusses murder, child abuse, child sexual violence, elder exploitation, terrorism, and capital punishment. Listener discretion is advised.

Host: Woody Overton

Podcast: Real Life Real Crime — True Crime Time

#RealLifeRealCrime #TrueCrimeTime #WoodyOverton #CariFarver #AmandaBrown #ColdCase #LouisianaTrueCrime #TrueCrimeNews

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