On the morning of her wedding, 28-year-old teacher Lauren Mitchell sent a single, cryptic text to her maid of honor: “Tell him I’m sorry. Goodbye.” Hours later she vanished.

In the Episode we unravel how a missing-bride mystery turned into a criminal investigation.

Every tap, swipe, and text leaves a trail. Police call it “digital exhaust.” In this special extended episode of Text Me When You’re Dead, we take listeners inside three real-world cases to show exactly how phones, apps, and metadata solve crimes.

From a hit-and-run driver caught through a fitness app, to a domestic abuser undone by deleted texts, to a cold-case murder reopened thanks to Google location history, this 20-minute deep dive reveals the hidden world of digital forensics. Hear from experts who decode metadata, explain cell-tower triangulation, and trace deleted messages back to their senders.

If you’ve ever wondered how much your phone really knows about you — and how that information can end up in a courtroom — this episode is your essential guide.

Dating apps are supposed to bring people together — but what happens when someone uses them to hunt?

In this Episode of Text Me When You’re Dead, we tell the story of Maya Brooks, a 26-year-old graduate student who matched with a charming stranger on a dating app. When she stopped replying, he began tracking her every move through the very apps meant to keep her safe.

Emojis are supposed to be harmless tiny pictures of faces, hearts, and animals. But what if they’re used to hide deadly intentions?

In this Episode of Text Me When You’re Dead, we tell the story of Kayla Nguyen, a 23-year-old barista who began receiving strange emoji-only messages from a secret admirer. She thought it was a joke until the messages predicted where she’d be, and then she vanished.

This fictionalized composite case, based on real-world digital forensics, reveals how investigators decoded the symbols, tied them to a stalking suspect, and exposed a murder plot. It’s a chilling look at how even the most innocent icons can become evidence.

On a warm July night, 19-year-old babysitter Sophie Carter posted a quick Instagram Story a blurry photo of the backyard with the caption: “weird car out front 😬.” Two hours later, she was dead.

In this episode of Text Me When You’re Dead, we examine how a fleeting social media post became the key to identifying her killer. Through digital forensics, geolocation tags, and eyewitness tips triggered by that post, detectives were able to reconstruct Sophie’s final hours and unmask a predator who thought no one was watching.

This story built from composite details based on real investigative techniques — shows how even disappearing messages leave permanent traces and how social media is transforming modern detective work.