The Sirens Podcast

Question... what are y'all doing out there? Please don't do this...mmkkkaayy...

STATEMENT BY HOSPITAL:

While the events portrayed were real and remain a matter of public record, they also represent one of the most painful chapters in the lives of the victim’s family, the New Boston community, and the healthcare professionals who responded that day. For many, the emotional impact of this tragedy has never fully faded.
This is not a story of entertainment or a destination for tourism. It is a story of devastating loss. Out of respect for those affected, including the family, our staff, and the community, McCurtain Memorial Hospital will not participate in interviews, photo opportunities, tours, or discussions related to these events.

Today, we remember the mother and child whose lives were taken, and we continue to hold their loved ones in our thoughts. We also acknowledge the lasting impact this tragedy had on the first responders, nurses, physicians, and hospital staff who worked tirelessly in its aftermath.

The New Boston community will forever carry the scars of this loss, and many members of our team continue to carry those memories as well.
There will be no further public comment beyond this statement.

In this gripping episode, I sit down with journalist and true crime author Tony Adame, the mind behind Chase the Devil: Murder and Obsession on Florida’s Gulf Coast and the award-winning podcast The Sheriff: Murder, Lies & Revenge in Okaloosa County.

We dive into the real-life case that inspired his debut true crime book—a haunting story of manipulation, obsession, and murder set against the backdrop of coastal Florida. The story of Tonya Ethridge McKinley.

Tony shares what it was like to research such an emotionally complex story, how living on the Gulf Coast gave him a unique perspective, and what it takes to turn a criminal case into a compelling long-form narrative.

We also explore the psychological themes at play and how Tony’s background in journalism and podcasting shaped his voice as an author.

Find Chase the Devil anywhere books are sold.
Find Tony Adame's podcast, The Sheriff: Murder, Lies & Revenge in Okaloosa County, on all major podcast platforms.

Watch Tony on Cold Case Files (Intro with interview from Tonya's sister, Renee) S2 E16: The Clock Strikes Murder. Find Cold Case Files on Hulu, A&E, or most streaming platforms.

Chapter Nineteen | Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make

In this chapter, I’m joined by Rachel Corbett, journalist, academic, and author of The Monsters We Make, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about crime, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about evil.

Rachel shares how her own childhood experiences—and the moments that shaped her understanding of violence and fear—ultimately led her down the path of researching crime, criminal behavior, and the FBI’s approach to criminal profiling. What began as personal curiosity evolved into years of research that challenge some of the most widely accepted assumptions in true crime.

We talk in depth about The Monsters We Make, including what inspired the book, how personal history intersects with academic inquiry, and why criminal profiling may not be the reliable investigative tool pop culture has led us to believe. Rachel breaks down how profiling gained its reputation, where it has fallen short, and why its perceived success often looks very different when examined closely.

This episode explores the tension between storytelling and science—and asks hard questions about how myths are created, repeated, and cemented in both law enforcement and media.

(This episode originally aired on the podcast Sirens | Southern True Crime with Raven Rollins. It has been reformatted for use on this podcast.)

CASE SPOTLIGHT: Dena Dean

In 1998, Dena disappeared from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in the parking lot of Marvin's Food Store, but Dena was nowhere to be found. Weeks later, on June 12, 1998, her body was discovered in a field near a pond approximately two miles north of Town West, near 51st Street South and 49th West Avenue. The Tulsa Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.

More than two decades later, Dena's murder remains unsolved.

In this episode, Raven is joined by Jen Gragg and Amanda Newland Davis of Oklahoma Cold Cases and The Throwaways Podcast to examine the circumstances surrounding Dena's disappearance, the investigation that followed, and the questions that remain unanswered. Together, they discuss the known facts of the case, the impact Dena's loss had on those who knew her, and why her story deserves to be remembered.

Streaming anywhere you get your podcasts or find the⛓️‍💥in the comments.

PSA

Over the past several months, many of you have noticed a shift in the content I've been creating.

I've seen the comments asking why there haven't been as many true crime episodes, investigations, or true crime book announcements. Some have wondered why I've been spending more time on Dreadfully Yours, and fiction projects like That Which SeparatesMan.

The truth is simple: my health has changed what I'm physically able to do right now.

Recently, doctors discovered that my right kidney has become atrophied and non-functioning, while my remaining kidney has enlarged to compensate. The past several months have involved specialists, testing, chronic pain (than spans back years), sleep disruptions, and trying to navigate symptoms that have significantly impacted my daily life.

True crime has never been just research for me. It means traveling to courthouses, filing records requests, visiting locations from cases, conducting interviews, and, most importantly, sitting down face-to-face with victims' families. Many of the people I work with are sharing the most painful experiences of their lives, and those conversations often happen in person. They deserve my full attention, my energy, and my best work.

Right now, there are days when simply leaving the house is difficult. That doesn't mean I've stopped caring about true crime. Far from it. 🚨 Sirens isn't going anywhere. The future true crime books I'm planning aren't going anywhere. The advocacy isn't going anywhere.

What has changed is that I've had to adapt.

Dreadfully Yours allows me to continue creating meaningful conversations from home. Writing fiction allows me to remain creative on days when travel and field work aren't possible. These projects have given me a way to keep telling stories while I focus on my health and work toward answers.

I know some of you follow me specifically for true crime, and I understand that. I hope you'll stick around while I navigate this chapter.

For those who have supported me, checked in on me, listened to the new projects, and shown patience while I figure this all out, thank you. It means more than you know.

This is not the end of my true crime work. It's simply a season of adaptation. And when I'm able, I'll be back in those courthouses, at those interviews, and chasing the stories that matter most. Until then, I'm grateful to still be creating, still telling stories, and still doing the work I love—just in a different way than before.

If you knew Alonzo, go show this momma some support! Time changed to 5 pm.

A quick programming note for listeners! 📚🎙️

Over the past year, many of the author interviews and fiction-focused episodes that were originally released under special segments of the show have found a new home.

As a result, most Southern Noir Book Club episodes have now been sunset, with the exception of the true crime-related episodes that remain available.

This also includes the majority of the Spooky Season episodes, as well as the Cryptids Unscripted series.

If you're looking for conversations with novelists, journalists, podcasters, filmmakers, folklorists, paranormal researchers, and other dark storytellers, or some of that content from Sirens that has been preserved, I invite you to join me over at Dreadfully Yours: Conversations with Dark Storytellers.

Dreadfully Yours was created specifically for those discussions and allows me to dive even deeper into the stories, books, folklore, and creative minds behind the work and have conversations about storytelling in general, including spooky episodes.

Thank you to everyone who supported those special episodes over the years. True crime-related book or film content will continue to be released on both shows when appropriate, but author interviews, creator conversations, paranormal discussions, and similar content have officially moved to Dreadfully Yours.

You can find Dreadfully Yours on all major podcast platforms.

🖤 Raven Rollins

UPDATE: FOUND SAFE

⚠️ALERT MISSING
PLEASE SHARE⚠️

Kylie Thompson
Age 13
5’ 3” / 125 lbs
Brown eyes / Brown hair

Kylie was last seen about 6 am the morning of Wednesday 27 MAY 2026 walking south near CR 3510 & Hwy 3 near Ada, OK. She was wearing a blue Sweatshirt, black pants, and carrying a black backpack. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

If you see Kylie call 911 if you have seen her, or have any information regarding her, whereabouts, please contact the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Office
at 580-332-4169.