In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m examining the heartbreaking murder of 32-year-old Caroline Piña Cairo, a mother of five whose life was taken in a brutal daylight attack that stunned the Del Rio, Texas community. When Caroline arrived at the hospital suffering from multiple stab wounds, medical teams fought to save her life. Despite their efforts, she later succumbed to her injuries. Three women were arrested and charged with her murder, but many questions surrounding the case remain unanswered as the investigation continues. As a forensic death investigator and former emergency room nurse, I walk through what happens in the critical moments after a stabbing victim arrives at the hospital, why injuries like these can be far more severe than they first appear, and how investigators begin reconstructing a violent crime through witness statements, surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and medical findings. I also discuss why it’s so important to separate verified facts from speculation while a case is still unfolding. But more than anything, I want to remember Caroline. She wasn’t simply the victim in a headline. She was a mother, a friend, and someone remembered for her generosity and the kindness she showed others, even during difficult times in her own life. Behind every investigation is a family whose world has been forever changed, and five children who will grow up without their mother. This episode contains discussion of homicide, stabbing violence, and death. Listener discretion is advised. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
Amy Steadman and the Mechanicville Family Deaths
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the heartbreaking case involving Amy Steadman and the tragic family deaths that shook the community of Mechanicville, New York. Cases involving multiple family members are among the most emotionally difficult for investigators, first responders, and the communities left searching for answers. As details emerged, investigators were faced with the complex task of piecing together what happened inside a home where several lives were lost, while loved ones struggled to make sense of an unimaginable tragedy. As a forensic death investigator, I discuss the investigative process behind cases like this, the importance of carefully documenting the scene, evaluating the evidence without assumptions, and understanding how investigators work to reconstruct the events that led to such devastating outcomes. I also explore the emotional toll these cases can have, not only on surviving family members, but on the professionals responsible for uncovering the truth. But beyond the investigation, I want to remember the people at the center of this story. Behind every report are individuals whose lives mattered, families forever changed, and a community left grieving. Every death investigation is about more than determining what happened, it’s about honoring those who can no longer speak for themselves and seeking answers with compassion, professionalism, and respect. This episode contains discussion of family violence, homicide, and death. Listener discretion is advised. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: 00:06 Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine-tingling, unusual, and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. 00:24 Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Welcome to another episode of Pushing Up Lilies. I’m so happy that y’all joined us today. Still recovering from all the CrimeCon stuff. My items that I had there were boxed up and shipped back to me, and I just got them all back. 00:46 So, I’m trying to get them into my store at the Mercantile in Krum. Thank you for being patient with me. My plan was to try to do that today, but I ended up having to make a doctor’s appointment. So, it’s been kind of crazy. 00:58 Clinical tomorrow and then meds fall, med spa, and, you know, the routine. Trying to keep my head afloat while I’m finishing school. I’ve got one month left of this semester. So, I get a month and a half off and then I have two more small three-month semesters finished or left. 01:18 So hopefully it will go quickly. It seems like so far away, but I know that these days’ time flies super-fast. I want to make sure that y’all have a super safe 4th of July. I know at the medical examiner’s office, we would always frequently have drownings during the holidays when everyone’s at the lake and having their hold my beer and watch this moment. 01:41 So, keep a close eye on your friends. And my biggest thing is don’t always assume that your friends that can swim don’t still need to be watched because if they’re drinking or if they’re not super healthy, they could have a medical emergency in the water. 02:02 There are, in many cases, free life jackets available at the lakes. So, everyone in your boat should have one. There’s just a lot of ways to think ahead about how to be safe and prevent accidents and injuries and deaths. 02:19 Just kind of keep that in your head when you’re going to the lake or even when you’re just outside in the heat. Take water. Stay hydrated. We don’t want a bunch of heat strokes going on. Think about your health and the health of the others with you. 02:32 And that will help tremendously in preventing deaths and accidents and injuries. So, okay, that’s my spiel. Gonna get into this week’s episode. This week, I want to talk to you a little bit about the case regarding Amy Steadman, and this is the Mechanicville family deaths. 02:51 Now, this happened on June 23rd, so it wasn’t that long ago. This year, police in Mechanicville, New York responded to a wellness check at an apartment on Harris Avenue. Now, a neighbor had grown worried. 03:05 The family had not been seen, and the air around the apartment smelled wrong, and flies were gathering. And we’ve talked about this before when someone’s in their home, haven’t been seen in a while. They call the police for a welfare check, and it smells bad. 03:23 I mean, you’ve smelled an animal that has been decaying in the road or in the ditch, and it’s just not a pleasant smell. Those details actually matter in death investigation. Odor and flies, they tell you, obviously, that time has passed. 03:40 They tell you that something inside has changed, and they tell you that the body or bodies are no longer in an early stage of death, but they are decomposing. So, when officers actually entered Amy Steadman’s apartment, they found six people dead. 03:58 Amy Steadman was 64. Her daughter, Sarah Myers, was 44. Sarah’s daughter, Harper Harmon, was 13. Sarah’s son, Hudson Harmon, was 11. And Sarah’s 10-year-old twins were Gavin Harmon and Gracelyn Harmon. 04:17 So, all six were found inside Amy’s apartment. And even though Sarah and the children actually lived in a separate unit in the same apartment complex. Police later said that the deaths appeared criminal and evidence suggested intentional poisoning. 04:35 Investigators also said that one of the children had suffered fatal sharp force injuries. So, a handwritten note found inside the home strongly pointed towards Amy Stedman. According to the police, that’s just what they said. 04:51 Toxicology results and final medical examiner findings were still pending when these details were released. Today we’re talking about what police believe Amy Steadman did. So, we’re talking about the crime scene and the poisoning, sharp force injury,
The Death of Spencer Irwin: Questions Left Behind
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the mysterious death of Spencer Irwin, a 30-year-old Fresno City College student whose body was discovered behind a business loading dock in Fresno, California, in August of 2024. What initially appeared to authorities to be a tragic but straightforward case quickly became something far more complicated. Spencer was found naked, with no obvious signs of trauma, and early assumptions pointed toward a drug overdose or transient-related death. But toxicology reports later came back clean. No overdose. No clear explanation. And despite the unanswered questions surrounding his death, the coroner ultimately ruled it “natural causes.” What makes this case especially unsettling is what didn’t happen. No autopsy was performed.And Spencer’s body was cremated. As a forensic death investigator, I discuss the difficult reality of cases that fall into gray areas, where evidence is limited, assumptions are made early, and families are left searching for answers long after a case is considered closed. Because sometimes the hardest part of an investigation…is not what we know. It’s what we don’t. This episode contains discussion of death, investigative uncertainty, and unresolved circumstances surrounding the case. Listener discretion is advised. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: 00:06 Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine-tingling, unusual, and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. 00:24 Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Hey guys, Julie here with Pushing Up Willies. Wanted to reach out and thank everybody again who came to our sip and solve event for the True Crime Club at McCart Street Mercantile this past week. 00:46 It was so much fun. We played crime or no crime and then a great icebreaker. We went around the room and talked about what our last meal request would be if we were on death row. So, it was really interesting to kind of hear what people’s answers were. 01:03 And most people responded with meals that brought them comfort when they were a child, which I found really interesting. And mine was potato salad, coconut cream pie, and chicken and dumplings, because my grandma used to make the best chicken and dumplings. 01:22 My mom used to make potato salad for me every time I was sick, and coconut cream pie is just my favorite. It was kind of fun to hear what everybody had to say. We did decide at the next meeting that we are probably going to dress as a serial killer. 01:41 And then we are going to cook one of the serial killers’ last meals that are in the death row cookbook that I sell in my merch shop. And we’re going to try to guess whose last meal it was. So that’ll be kind of fun. 01:58 Tiana, that owns our blended table, she also owns a food truck. She’s going to put together that meal for us. And so, I think it’ll be so much fun. So, if you love true crime and you love being around other people who love true crime and you want to have a good time, keep an eye out for our next event. 02:17 Again, Sip and Solve and it’s the True Crime Club. You can find it on Facebook. We’ll probably have monthly events maybe every couple of months. Look forward to seeing you there. We had a whole new group of people this time. 02:34 It’s a lot of fun. They had some special drinks. The one I had was embalming fluid and actually it was delicious. Non-alcoholic. We just had a great time. And heavenly encourage you to come out if you enjoy that kind of thing. 02:49 I’m super excited that CrimeCon is, it’s in 10 days, y’all. I cannot believe it. All my merchandise has arrived at the warehouse there. So, we will be leaving to head that direction on the 28th. Again, it’s at Caesar’s Palace, May 29th through 31st. 03:08 And I’m super excited. I’m so glad to be a part of it. Hopefully next year it can get on Creator’s Row, but this year I’m in exhibitor hall, booth 62. So, if you come to Vegas, come by and visit with me. 03:21 I also have my limited edition comic books there. And so, I’m super excited to roll those out so that y’all can see them. A lot going on. Tonight’s episode is kind of one of those stories that leaves more questions than answers. 03:36 It’s the kind that frustrates families and investigators and honestly anybody who even hears it. Because when a young person disappears under suspicious circumstances and then later turns up dead, people naturally expect a thorough investigation. 03:53 They want answers and they definitely want accountability, but sometimes families are left fighting for those answers themselves. This is the story of Spencer Irwin. Now, Spencer was a 30-year-old college student from Fresno, California, whose mother says he was dismissed, overlooked, and misjudged almost immediately after he was found dead. 04:18 And tonight I want to walk through this case chronologically, and I want to also discuss the forensic and investigative concerns that stand out to me as an investigator. So, on the morning of July 28th, 2024, Spencer Irwin spoke with his mother, Kelly, like he normally did. 04:40 According to reports, the two were very close. She described talking to him every single day and even meeting him for lunch between his classes at Fresno City College. Spencer was 30 years old and reportedly living in an apartment near McKinley Avenue in Fresno. 04:59 And so that Sunday morning seemed very routine. At some point during the conversation, Spencer reportedly told his mother that he was walking to the intersection of Shaw and Mark’s to get a new phone. 05:14 And so, he had apparently called her using someone else’s phone because his own
Beyond the Crime Convention
JOIN ME AT THE BEYOND THE CRIME Convention, a two day all immersive event!
This convention will be hosted at the Isleta Resort & Casino on April 11th and 12th 2026. The convention will be host to over 30 guest speakers including the mothers of Gabby Petito and the death row defense attorney for John Wayne Gacy.
Join me and other true crime podcasters, forensics groups, and exhibitors throughout the convention space and expo hall or try your hand at our mock crime scene to see if you can solve the crime.
New Year’s Eve Murder Encore – Son Decapitates Mom
On New Years Eve in 2014, a son attacked his mother at their home and decapitated her with an ax, because she “nagged him” to do the chores.
When the Camera Stops Rolling: The Murder of Anita Avers
Hi y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and this week on Pushing Up Lilies, we’re diving into a shocking and heartbreaking case that’s rocked both the media and the public – former news anchor Angie Mock, is accused of the unthinkable: the brutal murder of her own mother. This 80-year-old woman, once lovingly cared for by her daughter, was allegedly stabbed to death in what investigators are calling a horrific and violent crime. The suspect? Her own daughter, a familiar face once trusted to deliver our daily news. What pushes someone over the edge? Could this tragedy have been prevented? And what signs, if any, were missed? Join me as we peel back the layers of this devastating case and explore the complexities of family, mental health, and the pressures that sometimes build silently behind closed doors. * Listener discretion is advised. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:00:06 Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. 00:24 Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Pushing Up Lilies. We just got back from North Dakota, so we were there for like three days and had so much fun. 00:41 We attended a wedding. My husband’s cousin, Brendan Matson and Adriana got married and so it’s a beautiful ceremony and we always love the opportunity to go back to North Dakota and visit friends and family. 00:58 So, it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of people we didn’t get to see because apparently the weather there has been bad and a lot of people are behind combining and I don’t understand the whole farming thing, but they’re evidently trying to get soybeans combined. 01:19 So anyway, we didn’t get to see everybody that we wanted to see, but we saw quite a few people and had a great time. We like to go up there a couple of times a year. We haven’t been as frequently since my mother-in-law passed, but we love to go to Minot to the state fair and we saw Jelly Roll a couple years ago and I think he was there again this past year and so they always have really good acts. 01:46 So if you ever get a chance to go up to Minot, North Dakota to the state fair, we also got engaged in Deadwood and so around state fair time we like to hit the fair in Minot and then head up to Deadwood and are over to Deadwood. 02:02 I don’t know what direction it is but do some gambling and it’s just a cute little town. I love it. It’s really adorable little town. There’s a lot of good food, a lot of casinos, so we love to do that. 02:16 But it was a great time and we’re looking forward to fair season so we can go back. This past week, our office suffered a loss. Our chief medical examiner in Johnson County, who is also kind of under the umbrella of Tarrant County, passed away. 02:37 He had been ill and had been in the hospital. So, Gary Morris, we are praying for his family, and I know it’s hard for everyone in their office. He was such a great mentor to so many people and just an overall nice guy. 02:56 But he will be greatly missed, and I did not get to go to the funeral. I felt terrible, but I had to work that day. I was supposed to work that day, but I was actually out sick last week. So, prayers out to Gary and to his family in Johnson County. 03:14 I know it’s going to be hard to adjust to him being gone. In other news, I mean, pretty much nothing going on here. I think we had a couple of homicides while I was out. I was off yesterday because we just got home yesterday, but I always look forward to going into the office and reading some reports because they’re very interesting, as you can imagine. 03:37 So, I will do that this morning and try to catch up on the news because I have no idea what’s going on in the county. And gosh, I can’t think that there’s anything else going on. I feel like it’s so rushed like October, November, December. 03:54 I don’t know if y’all do, but I mean, I don’t sleep great all the time. And so, I guess two nights ago, I was in a hotel in Fargo and I couldn’t sleep. So, in the middle of the night, I got online and I ordered pies for Thanksgiving, and I ordered a turkey and a ham from Honey baked Ham’s. 04:13 And so, it’s kind of funny how certain things cross your mind in the middle of the night. It’s like, oh, you know, if I can do this now, lying here and not busy and not preoccupied. Although, apparently, I was half asleep, wasn’t paying too close attention because I freaking ordered two hams and two turkeys. 04:32 So, I’m going to have to call them today and let them know that I only need one. There’s not that many of us. I don’t know how I did it. And I should have known when it was $200 that something was wrong. 04:43 But of course, it was three in the morning. And so, I just paid it and went about my merry way and went back to sleep. And then when I woke up, I realized that I ordered two turkeys and two hams. I did order some delicious 04:59 pies though. So, I’m always excited. I always forget I’m not really a baker. I wish I was. I just don’t have a lot of time to cook. And I
Blood Ties – The Murder of Carrie Zettel
Hey y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and this week on Pushing Up Lilies we’re peeling back the layers of a case that hit far too close to home, the tragic death of Carrie Zettel. On October 12, 2025 in Milwaukee, 64‑year‑old Carrie was brutally killed in her own backyard. Less than 12 hours earlier, she had called 911 and reported her daughter’s violent behavior. Join me as we navigate the heartbreaking story of domestic violence ignored for far too long, how restraining orders, mental‑health struggles, and warning signs blended into a deadly outcome. We’ll trace Carrie’s efforts to protect her family, the mounting threats she faced, and the night everything collapsed. This episode isn’t just about a murder, it’s about a mother’s final plea for help and the system’s failure to stop the carnage. * Listener discretion is advised. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:00:06 Welcome to Pushing Up Lilies. I’m your host, Julie Mattson. Pushing Up Lilies is a weekly true crime podcast with spine tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true stories from my perspective as a forensic death investigator and a sexual assault nurse examiner. 00:24 Do I have some stories for you? Are you ready? Hey guys, Julie here with Pushing Up Lilies and I’m happy to say that I am back after I’ve been sick for a couple of days. I missed work the last couple of days, I just felt crappy and literally laid around and did little to nothing. 00:49 I tried to do my homework, I just did not feel well at all, so I didn’t get a whole lot done, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with just laying around and doing nothing every once in a while. 01:00 I honestly rarely get to do that, so it was kind of nice, kind of relaxing. You know, when you feel bad and you just don’t want to do anything, there’s always laundry and there’s always dishes. There’s always something to do, but when you feel bad and you just can’t or don’t want to, I don’t know, it’s just different. 01:21 I missed the days when I was younger and I was sick from school and I watched like Bewitched all day and my mom made me tomato soup and made me a grilled cheese sandwich and made me my favorite mustard potato salad and I just laid around and watched Laverne and Shirley, I Love Lucy and didn’t have a care in the world. 01:44 You remember those days when we didn’t have a bill? Our biggest worry was getting to school and turning in our homework so that we didn’t get in trouble when we got home. We thought that our lives sucked so bad and then we grew up, 02:00 it’s like man this sucks. Some days it really does. I feel better I’m gonna go to work tomorrow and then we are heading to North Dakota to a wedding and we’re super excited. We love going up north. We just don’t go as much now that my husband’s mom has passed away and it’s so blooming cold up there in the winter but I like it because we really don’t have winter in Texas so it’s not as everyone wants to get a little bit of snow and breathe in some fresh cool air. 02:34 I’m sure those of you that are there can vouch for me. It’s just a different but it’s beautiful. It’s beautiful up there and they have really nice summers too. If you can go in like September, it’s so pretty. 02:45 Everything’s green because it’s been snowing and raining all year long and it’s just things grow like crazy. And in Texas, we know that the ground is so dry. I can remember back when I was younger, I used to put bacon on the end of a string and actually run it down into holes in my front yard and catch little crawfish. 03:07 That’s so weird. I mean, times are just different. Times are different for sure. Last week, we were super busy at the medical examiner’s office here. We had a couple murder suicides. One homicide that I worked was in Carrollton, and the perpetrator actually went to another county and was surrounded by the SWAT team in his vehicle and ended up shooting himself. 03:34 One thing that I talked to her parents about is sometimes you don’t know that someone’s being abused. As someone who has been a victim of domestic violence, I can say that it’s embarrassing. It’s not something you want to talk about. 03:51 It’s definitely not something that you want to tell your friends about. You don’t want your parents to know because then they’re not going to lack your boyfriend or your husband, and that’s going to cause a whole new set of problems. 04:04 So not only do you have your husband or your boyfriend trying to keep you from your family, but you have your family trying to keep you from your husband or your boyfriend. And man, it’s exhausting. And it gets really old, and it’s hard. 04:20 It’s hard to keep that up. Another case that we had was a son who killed his mother, and that’s similar to a story that we’re going to talk about this week. But I want to mention first that Pushing Up Lilies actually placed 8th in our second Denton Day of the Dead coffin race. 04:41 And so, we did that this past Saturday, and I could not have done it without my pusher Coleman James and my mentor and coffin builder Lee Fitz. These guys were amazing and helped. me the whole way, this event is really hard to get into. 04:58 They only take 70 racers, 70 cars, and the day that this all starts is usually Cinco de Mayo. I set an alarm so that when it was time to register, my alarm went off, and I immediately got online and registered. 05:20 Now, I was
The Death of Blessence Pearl
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.
Sacramento Vampire Richard Chase Part 2
On today’s episode, I want to share with you stories of two different men that had an obsession with blood. One, I was personally on the scene investigating, and the other is the infamous killer Richard Chase, also known as the Vampire of Sacramento, one of the most deeply mentally ill serial killers of all time.
Sacramento Vampire Richard Chase Part 1
On today’s episode, I want to share with you stories of two different men that had an obsession with blood. One, I was personally on the scene investigating, and the other is the infamous killer Richard Chase, also known as the Vampire of Sacramento, one of the most deeply mentally ill serial killers of all time.
