Overview of Talking Dateline: Secrets in the Ashes
This episode (Talking Dateline, hosted by Lester Holt with reporter Andrea Canning) breaks down the Dateline investigation "Secrets in the Ashes." It links a suspicious fatal house fire in Goliad, Texas (which killed Patricia Lee) to later events in Illinois involving Allison Salinas — who, after moving, ran small businesses and schemes and later solicited a murder-for-hire. The conversation covers the original fire investigation, Delbert Mills’s conviction for Patricia’s murder, Allison’s separate criminal conduct and conviction, Andrea’s prison interviews with both key figures, and audience questions from social media.
Case summary / timeline
- Fatal fire in Goliad, Texas: Patricia Lee died after her house burned. Her six-year-old son, John Michael, escaped by breaking a window.
- Initial investigation: The case was largely closed early on; an investigator later admitted it fell through the cracks as he was leaving the department.
- Family advocacy: Patricia’s sister Sharon repeatedly pushed local law enforcement to re-examine the case.
- Reopened investigation: A new sheriff brought back a former investigator to re-examine evidence; Delbert Mills was arrested, charged, and ultimately convicted for Patricia’s murder.
- Allison Salinas: Though never charged in the Texas case, Allison later moved to Illinois, opened a bakery and other ventures, faced fraud accusations, and eventually arranged (or attempted to) a murder-for-hire plot targeting her then-husband Patrick.
- Murder-for-hire plot: Allison contacted a high-school ex (James) about finding an assassin. James reported her to police but was initially dismissed; when he and others went public on social media, police took the threat seriously and Allison was arrested and later pled guilty.
- Sentencing/status: Allison is in prison (she alleges ineffective counsel and manipulation by James; she claims limited appeal options under her plea). Patrick remains loyal and plans to wait for her release.
Key people
- Patricia Lee — victim who died in the house fire.
- John Michael — their son, escaped the fire at age six; later struggled with drugs and depression.
- Delbert Mills — Patricia’s husband; convicted of her murder. In interviews, he claimed his son said he set the fire and insisted he didn’t kill his wife.
- Allison Salinas — Delbert’s later wife; suspected (but never charged) in the Texas fire; later convicted in Illinois for solicitation of murder and implicated in fraud-like schemes.
- James (high-school ex) — contacted by Allison decades after high school, later became the person who exposed the murder-for-hire plot; his status as a registered sex offender complicated perceptions and the story.
- Sharon (Patricia’s sister) — persistent family advocate who pushed investigators to reopen the Texas case.
Main takeaways & themes
- Investigation gaps matter: The original Texas case suffered from negligent follow-up, likely because of staffing and resources; it was family persistence that reopened it.
- Overlapping crimes and personalities: Allison is central to both storylines (Texas suspicions and Illinois murder-for-hire), though she was only criminally implicated in the latter.
- The human cost: John Michael’s trauma (loss of his mother, later substance abuse and depression) is a focal human consequence.
- Complex credibility issues: The story raises questions about whom to trust — a husband who claims his son confessed, an ex who reports the plot but has a criminal past, and a defendant who says she was manipulated and poorly represented.
- Law enforcement response: Initial police responses to James’s concerns about Allison’s solicitation were inadequate; public pressure forced action.
Notable quotes & moments
- Andrea to Delbert (podcast-exclusive clip): "What is your biggest regret in your life?" Delbert: "My biggest regret in my life is not being there for my son like I should have been. … If I'd have done it, yeah, that would have been my biggest regret. But I didn't kill his mother."
- Allison’s unsettling reactions: She laughed while discussing murdering her husband; she called her baked goods “killer brownies/cookies/cupcakes,” producing a strained/wry moment in Andrea’s interview.
- Andrea’s emotional reaction: She lost patience with Delbert when he suggested his son told him he set the fire — calling it despicable and defending the son.
Questions from social media (answered in the episode)
- Why were doors locked from the outside during the fire? Investigators suspect Delbert may have locked them, but it was never definitively proven.
- Why not get a divorce instead of killing? Family believes Delbert sought financial gain and remarriage; motives remain unclear.
- Was Allison’s alibi checked? Law enforcement told reporters her alibi was not followed up on.
- Did James’s status as a registered sex offender affect the case? It complicated public perception; Andrea and the team considered it seriously while reporting.
- What’s the status of Allison and Patrick’s relationship? They appeared committed; Patrick said he would wait for Allison while she’s in prison.
Reporter notes & interview dynamics
- Andrea Canning interviewed both Allison and Delbert in prison. She described Allison as evasive and often testy; Delbert provoked anger when he shifted blame to his son.
- The reporting raised additional unanswered questions (e.g., whether Allison could have set the Texas fire), and some investigative avenues (checking alibis, following up on suspicious details) were not pursued in the original Texas investigation.
Where to watch / listen
- Full Dateline episode available on Peacock and the Dateline podcast feed. The Talking Dateline segment includes a podcast-exclusive clip of Andrea’s prison interview with Delbert.
Why this story matters
- Shows how investigative lapses and limited resources can delay justice.
- Illustrates the power of persistent family advocacy and public pressure.
- Highlights the long-term psychological damage to survivors and the tangled, often contradictory narratives perpetrators and accomplices present.
If you want a concise timeline or a one-page fact sheet (names, dates, legal outcomes), say which format and I’ll produce it.