Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The cause of this woman's death is ligature strangulation and the manner of death is homicide." — Dr. Megan Quinn (Forensic Pathologist)
"It's so black and white to her that she calls the investigation into Mary Ann's death a cataclysmic failure." — Fred
"I mean, this one was barely even staged." — Ashley Flowers (referring to Mary Ann's death)
This episode of Crime Junkie chronicles Robin Altman's persistent search for truth regarding the deaths of her brother, Steven Altman, and her mother, Mary Ann Hayes. Both were initially ruled suicides, but Robin harbored suspicions for decades. Her investigation gained traction when an old friend of Steven's provided crucial information about his last known hours, contradicting the suicide narrative. A FOIA request for her mother's case yielded extensive documents that painted a starkly different picture than the one Robin had been given, revealing inconsistencies in police interviews and forensic findings, including an unknown male DNA profile and stains on the ligature used.
Further investigation by organizations like Alliance for Hope International, employing forensic pathologists and experts in "hidden homicides," strongly suggested that Mary Ann's death was not a suicide. Experts pointed to multiple ligature marks on her neck and the rarity of self-strangulation without a locking mechanism, challenging the official ruling. Similarities were also noted between Mary Ann's death and Steven's, including paranoia before their deaths and evidence of multiple ligature marks on Steven, supported by a medical report obtained by a local TV station, which also indicated bruising inconsistent with simple hanging.
Despite compelling evidence and re-examinations, both cases remain officially closed. While experts have concluded Mary Ann's death was a homicide and have raised serious questions about Steven's death, official bodies have not changed the manner of death. Robin continues to advocate for her mother's case to be reopened, and Alliance for Hope International uses Mary Ann's case as a training example for law enforcement on identifying staged homicides, while also working to pass "Mary Ann's Law" to improve training on detecting such cases.