Overview of Introducing: Five Miles From Home
NBC News and Dateline introduce a new true-crime podcast from Keith Morrison centered on the disappearance and likely murder of 16-year-old Mickey Costanzo, who vanished while walking home from high school in West Wendover, Nevada. The teaser frames the case as an eerie, ordinary-day tragedy that spirals into a story of jealousy, rage, deceit, confessions, cover-ups, and lingering questions about what really happened.
What the Podcast Is About
- Victim: Mickey Costanzo, a 16-year-old girl who was last seen on a routine walk home.
- Setting: West Wendover, Nevada — described as a tiny, quiet casino town in the desert where “nothing happens.”
- Core mystery: What happened to Mickey, and who is responsible?
- Tone: Suspenseful, emotional, and investigative, with a strong emphasis on how shocking the crime was to those close to her.
Key Themes and Takeaways
Ordinary life turned tragic
- The trailer emphasizes how something as normal as walking home from school became the setup for a devastating crime.
- The sense of safety and routine is contrasted with the suddenness of Mickey’s disappearance.
Suspicion, confessions, and conflicting truths
- The case appears to involve tips, confessions, and possible cover-ups.
- The teaser suggests that the truth emerged in pieces, with people blindsided by what they learned.
Motives rooted in emotion
- The story is framed around jealousy, rage, and deceit.
- It hints that escalating emotions led to something “gone haywire” and deeply disturbing.
Ongoing search for justice
- The podcast positions itself as part of the effort to answer unresolved questions.
- There’s a clear appeal to accountability: the case is “not over yet” until those responsible are brought to justice.
Notable Lines / Mood
- “Such an ordinary thing, on an ordinary day, to walk home from high school.”
- “This is not over yet until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice.”
- “A story of jealousy, rage and deceit.”
- “Confessions, cover-ups, and lies.”
Listening Information
- Host: Keith Morrison
- Series: An all-new Dateline podcast
- Release date: Starts Monday, June 8
- Access:
- Free on release
- Early access and ad-free listening available through Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or DatelinePremium.com
Bottom Line
Five Miles From Home is a true-crime teaser about a small-town disappearance that turns into a disturbing case of secrecy and violence. The promo sets up a mystery-driven investigation into Mickey Costanzo’s fate and the search for answers in a case that still haunts those involved.