This week on Cocoa Crimes, we examine the life and death of Kayla Atwood, a Pensacola mother of four who spent years rebuilding her life and embracing a future she fought hard to create.

After overcoming addiction and celebrating five and a half years of sobriety, Kayla was focused on raising her children, building her confidence, and moving forward on her own terms.

When Kayla suddenly disappeared in January 2024, her family immediately knew something was wrong. What began as a desperate search for answers soon evolved into a complex investigation that would uncover a troubling series of events and leave an entire community searching for the truth.

In this episode, we explore Kayla's journey of recovery, the relationships that shaped her final days, the investigation into her disappearance, and the courtroom battle that followed.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing a person can do is own their story. And sometimes, not everyone is willing to let them.

Listener discretion is advised.

Content warning: this episode contains detailed discussions of domestic violence, strangulation, gun violence, and intimate partner homicide.

In this week's episode of Cocoa Crimes, we tell the story of Mariah Samuels: a vibrant mother, athlete, and adventurer from Minneapolis, Minnesota who was known for lighting up every room she walked into. Mariah was a devoted mother of two sons who was her absolute world, but behind the warmth and life she poured into everything around her, she was navigating a dangerous situation that would force her to repeatedly reach out to law enforcement and the courts for protection. This episode is a deeply important conversation about intimate partner violence, institutional failure, and what happens when a woman does absolutely everything right and the systems designed to protect her still fall short.

This episode explores the murder of Samuel Johnson Jr., a kind and hardworking father from San Antonio, Texas, told through the lens of family dynamics, manipulation, and greed.