Send a text

A body at the bottom of the stairs. A panicked spouse waving down a passing motorcyclist. And a bedside table stocked with tissues, meds, and a tiny bottle that would change everything. We pull apart the strange, meticulous, and deeply unsettling case of Steve and Lana Clayton—where an everyday eye drop became the lever that tipped a “natural death” into a homicide.

We walk through the timeline that didn’t add up: three days of “vertigo,” a nurse who didn’t call 911, a missing phone, and a hard push for immediate cremation with no autopsy. When Steve’s family demanded answers, toxicology delivered them—flagging a compound commonly found in eye drops. From there, the story shifted fast. We revisit the chilling crossbow “accident” two years prior, the alleged isolation after a move to South Carolina, the dispute over Steve’s will, and a confession that started with “I just wanted him to suffer.”

Along the way, we dig into the science of eye drop poisoning: why small doses cause vomiting and diarrhea while larger or sustained ingestion can suppress breathing, slow heart rate, and prove fatal. We also examine how image and credentials can obscure danger, how financial incentives and isolation magnify risk, and why small inconsistencies—like a missing phone—can be the loudest alarm. The legal endgame left many divided: Lana’s plea to voluntary manslaughter and tampering netted 25 years, raising hard questions about premeditation and justice in poisoning cases.

If you’re drawn to cases where forensic toxicology, family intuition, and behavioral red flags collide, this one will grip you. Listen, then tell us: did the sentence fit the crime, and which detail first told you something was wrong? If you found this episode compelling, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who loves smart, layered true crime.

Send us a text

We’re looking for listener submissions — true crime encounters, paranormal experiences, urban legends, or moments you just can't explain.

📜 When you submit, please include:
•Your name or an alias
•The type of story you’re sharing
•Your story in your own words
•Where and roughly when it happened (if you’re comfortable sharing)
•Whether you’d like identifying details changed
•Confirmation that we can read and record your story on the show
•Submissions can be anonymous. Every story is treated with care.

Send it to: holdmysweetteapodcast@gmail.com

A quiet August in Lakeview turns into a haunting question mark when 43-year-old Jessica Easterly Durning disappears after telling loved ones she wants to leave home—and is found days later, less than a half mile away, in a spot people insist was already searched. We walk you through the final messages to her sister and friend, the family’s urgent drive to New Orleans, and the ground efforts that blanketed Harrison Avenue before the shocking discovery. Then we sit with the word no family wants to hear from a coroner—undetermined—and unpack what that means in the brutal heat of a Louisiana summer where evidence fades faster than answers arrive.

We look closely at the search narrative, why a body might surface where it “shouldn’t,” and how gaps in early response can echo for years. From pulling phone records and checking neighborhood cameras to establishing tight timelines and preserving scenes, we break down the investigative steps that can still matter and the ones that may have been missed. Along the way, we highlight the steady force of Jessica’s family—organizing social media campaigns, pressing for reclassification, and keeping her story alive across Dateline, People, and true crime podcasts—because persistence is often the only thing that keeps a case from quietly closing.

This conversation isn’t about pointing fingers; it’s about raising the standard. If someone tells you they’re afraid and then goes silent, that’s not a paperwork moment—that’s a siren. We talk safety, advocacy, and the community habits that help: save your doorbell footage, write down what you saw, and ask precise questions with dates attached. If you care about true crime beyond headlines, you’ll find both hard facts and humane context here, anchored in one essential question: What really happened to Jessica?

If this story moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend who cares about justice, and leave a review with the one question you’d ask investigators next—it helps others find the truth we’re still chasing.

SOURCES:

- Dateline NBC – Coverage of Jessica’s Case
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline

- People Magazine – Reporting on Jessica’s Death
https://people.com

- WWL‑TV New Orleans – Local Coverage
https://www.wwltv.com

- NOLA.com – Investigative Articles
https://www.nola.com

- Justice for Jessica (Family Advocacy Page)
https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForJessicaEasterly (facebook.com in Bing)

Send us a text

Sweet Tea After Dark:

When Holly was six, that summers minor inconvenience turned into a full-blown paranormal standoff. One long hallway, one forbidden parents bathroom, and one horned silhouette whispering her name in the dark.

This episode walks through a 70s mobile home time capsule — mustard-yellow appliances, shag carpet, brown paneling, and the kind of layout that plays tricks on a kid’s brain. We talk about fear, memory, and why the body believes what the mind tries to explain away. There’s laughter in the “Bladder Olympics,” honesty in the moments we can’t fully explain, and a question that still lingers: was it shadows and sleep, a sibling prank, or something stranger?

Along the way, Holly and Pearl swap stories about seeing faces in wood grain, getting snagged on ridged paneling, and how certain homes accidentally manufacture ghosts. It’s cozy campfire energy in podcast form.

If you’ve ever frozen at a doorway because something felt wrong on the other side, you’ll feel seen here — and maybe a little braver by the end.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and share with a friend who still avoids the long hallway after dark.
📬 Got a story of your own? Email us at holdmysweetteapodcast@gmail.com or message us on social media.

We’re looking for listener submissions — true crime encounters, paranormal experiences, urban legends, or moments you just can't explain.

📜 When you submit, please include:
•Your name or an alias
•The type of story you’re sharing
•Your story in your own words
•Where and roughly when it happened (if you’re comfortable sharing)
•Whether you’d like identifying details changed
•Confirmation that we can read and record your story on the show
•Submissions can be anonymous. Every story is treated with care.

Send it to: holdmysweetteapodcast@gmail.com