Pushing Up Lillies
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  • Julie Mattson
  • January 29, 2025January 29, 2025
  • Podcast

Jason Thornburg – Texas Cannibal Serial Killer

In this episode, I’m digging into the unsettling story of Faye and Raymond Copeland—the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • January 22, 2025January 22, 2025
  • Podcast

Little Athena Strand Killed By Delivery Driver

In this episode, I’m digging into the unsettling story of Faye and Raymond Copeland—the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • January 15, 2025January 15, 2025
  • Podcast

Elderly Serial Killers: Ray and Faye Copeland

In this episode, I’m digging into the unsettling story of Faye and Raymond Copeland—the oldest couple ever sentenced to death in the United States.

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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
  • January 1, 2025January 1, 2025
  • Podcast

Japan’s ‘Black Widow’ Serial Killer Chisako Kakehi 

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m taking a trip across the globe to uncover the unsettling story of Japan’s “Black Widow,” Chisako Kakashi. This infamous serial killer has been accused of luring her victims into deadly traps—often using poison—as she pursued financial gain and control.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • December 25, 2024December 25, 2024
  • Podcast

The Tragic Murder of Rhonda Hinson

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at the heartbreaking 1981 murder of 19-year-old Rhonda Hinson, a North Carolina teen whose life was brutally cut short just two days before Christmas.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • December 18, 2024December 18, 2024
  • Podcast

Rides That Never Return: Rideshare Nightmares

Hey y’all, it’s Julie Mattson, and on this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, we’re diving into the unsettling world of deaths linked to Uber and Lyft rides.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • December 4, 2024December 4, 2024
  • Podcast

Breathless: Tragic Asphyxia and Choking Deaths

In this episode, I’m diving into a heartbreaking and often misunderstood topic—deaths caused by asphyxia and choking. Whether it’s accidental, intentional, or the result of foul play, these cases are some of the most challenging and emotional to investigate.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • November 20, 2024November 20, 2024
  • Podcast

Deaths in Tanning Beds

In this episode, we’re diving into a chilling and often overlooked phenomenon—people found deceased in tanning beds.

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  • Julie Mattson
  • November 13, 2024November 13, 2024
  • Podcast

Eighteen Decomposed Bodies in a Funeral Home

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, we dive into the chilling case of Chris Lee Johnson, a 39-year-old funeral home owner from Douglas, Georgia, who has been arrested after authorities discovered 18 decomposing bodies in his care.

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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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The Survivor Who Stopped a Serial Killer
byJulie Mattson

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m examining the disturbing case of Shawn Michael Grate, a serial killer whose crimes spanned a decade across northern Ohio and left multiple families forever changed.

What makes this case especially unsettling is not only the length of time the murders continued, but how many opportunities there may have been to stop the violence sooner. As investigators pieced together the evidence, a clearer picture emerged of a predator who targeted vulnerable women, leaving behind unanswered questions and unimaginable heartbreak.

As a forensic death investigator, I walk through the timeline of the investigation, the evidence that ultimately connected the cases, and the forensic and investigative techniques that helped bring long-awaited answers to the victims’ families. We’ll also discuss how missing persons investigations, crime scene evidence, and victim identification play critical roles in solving complex serial homicide cases.

But as with every case I cover, I want to keep the focus where it belongs.

On the victims.

Each woman had a life, a story, and people who loved her. Behind every headline was someone whose future was stolen far too soon. Their lives deserve to be remembered with dignity, not simply as part of a criminal’s history.

This episode explores the realities of serial homicide investigations while honoring the individuals whose stories might otherwise be overshadowed by the person responsible.

This episode contains discussion of homicide, sexual violence, and serial murder. Listener discretion is advised.

The Survivor Who Stopped a Serial Killer
The Survivor Who Stopped a Serial Killer
June 24, 2026
Julie Mattson
Where It All Began: Julie’s Story – Host of Pushing Up Lilies
June 17, 2026
Julie Mattson
The State of Texas vs Karmelo Anthony
June 11, 2026
Julie Mattson
One Final Moment: The Tragic Death of Austin Metcalf
June 3, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Monster He Wanted to Become
May 27, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Death of Spencer Irwin: Questions Left Behind
May 20, 2026
Julie Mattson
The Shocking Torture and Murder of Sonia Exelby
May 13, 2026
Julie Mattson
Inside the Crime that Shook a Community – Part Three
May 6, 2026
Julie Mattson
Inside the Crime that Shook a Community – Part Two
April 29, 2026
Julie Mattson
Inside the Crime that Shook a Community – Part One
April 22, 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

The Survivor Who Stopped a Serial Killer

Where It All Began: Julie’s Story – Host of Pushing Up Lilies

The State of Texas vs Karmelo Anthony

One Final Moment: The Tragic Death of Austin Metcalf

Subscribe to Podcast

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© 2026 Pushing Up Lilies. All Rights Reserved.