Pushing Up Lillies
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  • Julie Mattson
  • January 8, 2025January 8, 2025
  • Podcast

Cold Medicine Murder: The Case of Matthew and Lauren Phelps

In this episode, I’m diving into the chilling case of Matthew Phelps, who was charged with murder on September 1st after allegedly stabbing his wife, Lauren Ashley-Nicole Phelps, to death. The shocking twist? He claimed that cold medicine caused him to commit this unspeakable act.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • November 5, 2024November 6, 2024
  • Podcast

Wife Murdered Over Zombie House Flipping Show

On this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, we’re delving into the twisted tale of David Tronnes, a Florida man whose obsession with home renovations and dreams of reality TV stardom ended in murder.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • October 16, 2024October 16, 2024
  • Podcast

Torilena Fields, Accused of Killing and Cooking Mom

This week on Pushing Up Lilies, we’re diving into a shocking and deeply disturbing crime case out of Kentucky. Torilena Fields, indicted for the capital murder of her own mother, and if that wasn’t horrific enough, she’s also charged with abuse of her corpse.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • October 9, 2024October 9, 2024
  • Podcast

Depraved Heart: The Tragic Death of Sarah Harris

In this episode, we’re diving into the disturbing and heartbreaking case of Sarah Harris, a young woman whose life was tragically cut short by the actions of her much older boyfriend, oral surgeon James Ryan.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • October 2, 2024October 2, 2024
  • Podcast

Bathtub Murder: The Tragic Death of Kendy Howard

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, we’re diving into the tragic and shocking case of Kendy Howard. Kendy was the wife of Idaho State Trooper Dan Howard, a man sworn to protect, but instead, he became the ultimate betrayer. In 2023, while she was taking a bath, Dan shot Kendy in the head in what appears to be a calculated and cold-blooded crime.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • September 25, 2024September 25, 2024
  • Podcast

Sleepover Tragedy: The Henryetta Murders

This week, we’re covering a case that shook the small town of Henryetta, Oklahoma, and sent shockwaves across the country. On May 1st, 2023, Jesse McFadden murdered his wife, Holly Guess, her three children—Rylee Elizabeth Allen, Michael James Mayo, and Tiffany Dore Guess—as well as their two young friends, Ivy Webster and Brittany Brewer. What started as an innocent sleepover turned into a horrifying massacre.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • September 17, 2024September 18, 2024
  • Podcast

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Tragic Case of Laura Wallen

Hey y’all, it’s Julie with Pushing Up Lilies. This week, we’re diving into the heartbreaking case of Laura Wallen, a 31-year-old beloved history and law teacher from Wild Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland. Laura went missing, and her family’s worst fears came true.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • November 1, 2023November 1, 2023
  • Podcast

Maine Shooter Robert Card and Military Suicides

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I invite you to walk alongside me as we explore the heart-wrenching case of Robert Card, a name that resonates with the unsettling complexities of mental illness.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • October 25, 2023October 25, 2023
  • Podcast

Katherine Knight Killed, Butchered, and Cooked Her Lover

In this riveting episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I journey into the dark and twisted tale of Katherine Knight, a name that will forever be etched in infamy in Australian criminal history. Known as the first woman in Australia to receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the gruesome murder of her partner John Price, Knight’s story is one of unparalleled horror and fascination.

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Pushing Up Lilies

Pushing Up Lilies
Pushing Up Lilies

Dissect the science behind some of the most spine-tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true crime stories with Julie Mattson, a seasoned Forensic Nurse Death Investigator in this gripping weekly podcast.

Julie’s unique approach to investigations is informed by her background in nursing, which allows her to provide an in-depth analysis of the medical intricacies and physiological aspects of each case.

With her compassionate storytelling and unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth, Julie takes you on a thrilling journey into the world of forensic science, shining a light on the intersection of medicine, justice and criminal investigation.

In “Pushing Up Lilies,” Julie’s expert medical analysis will captivate your imagination and challenge your understanding of the human body’s role in solving the most complex and enigmatic criminal case.

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Christa Pike: Failed Execution Mystery
byJulie Mattson

What happens when someone is sentenced to death, the execution goes forward, but the person doesn’t die?

This week on Pushing Up Lilies, I’m talking about Christa Pike, who was convicted of the brutal 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville, Tennessee. Pike was just 18 years old when the murder occurred, and she has spent roughly three decades on death row.

I want to start by telling you about Colleen, what happened to her, and the evidence that ultimately led to Pike’s conviction. As a former death investigator, I look at cases like this through the physical evidence, the injuries, the witness statements, and what those findings tell us about a victim’s final moments.

But there’s another side to this story that raises some serious medical questions.

On September 30, 2026, Tennessee reportedly attempted to execute Pike using pentobarbital. According to the account discussed in this episode, she survived the procedure and was hospitalized in critical condition. As a nurse, I have a lot of questions about what happened inside that execution chamber.

We’ll look at how lethal injection is supposed to work, what could potentially go wrong, and the medical and ethical questions that arise when an execution fails.

This case is disturbing on so many levels, and while the latest developments have brought renewed attention to Christa Pike, I don’t want us to forget the young woman whose murder started this entire story.

Join me as we examine the evidence, the medicine, and the unanswered questions surrounding this case.

Christa Pike: Failed Execution Mystery
Christa Pike: Failed Execution Mystery
October 7, 2026
Julie Mattson
Tasia Fortune: The Hanging That Wasn’t The Cause of Death
September 30, 2026
Julie Mattson
Burger Avenue Mystery
September 23, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Death of Barrett Walsh: Psychosis, a Murder Charge, and the Lindsay Clancy Connection
September 16, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Death of Aria Talathi: When a Drowning Scene Tells a Different Story
September 9, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Lindsay Clancy Trial: The Case Is Now in the Jury’s Hands
September 2, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Lindsay Clancy Trial: New Testimony, New Questions
August 26, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychosis, Premeditation, or Both?
August 19, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Lindsay Clancy Case: Three Children, One Unthinkable Night
August 12, 2026
Julie Mattson
Grand Haven: The Karolkiewicz Family
August 5, 2026
Julie Mattson
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Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine-tingling, unusual, terrifyingly true stories with a forensic twist, hosted by Julie Mattson.

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Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine-tingling, unusual, terrifyingly true stories with a forensic twist, hosted by Forensic Nurse Death Investigator, Julie Mattson.

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Recent Episodes

Christa Pike: Failed Execution Mystery

Dani After Dark: Julie Mattson Guest Appearance

Tasia Fortune: The Hanging That Wasn’t The Cause of Death

Burger Avenue Mystery

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