MFM Minisode 513

Summary of MFM Minisode 513

by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

29m•November 9, 2026
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Overview of My Favorite Murder Minisode 513

This minisode is a fast-moving collection of listener follow-ups, hometown stories, and celebrity encounter chaos, with Karen and Georgia reacting in real time to everything from the Houston Astros cheating scandal to a kid who stole Guy Fieri’s Lamborghini, a possible explanation for the Marfa ghost lights, a family survival story from wartime China, and a surreal Paris fight interrupted by the Skarsgård brothers. As always, the episode blends true crime, comedy, and listener lore with a lot of enthusiastic side commentary.

Main Stories and Follow-Ups

Houston Astros cheating scandal follow-up

  • A listener wrote back to clarify and expand on her previous Astros story.
  • She explained the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal:
    • A camera in center field allegedly relayed opponents’ pitch signals.
    • Staff and players decoded the signs and used a trash can to signal pitches to batters.
  • Karen and Georgia react strongly to the obviousness of the cheating and joke about how blatant it was.
  • The listener acknowledges she may have overdone her anti-Astros rant, but the hosts appreciate the content.

“Trouble in Flavortown” — Guy Fieri’s Lamborghini theft

  • A listener from Marin County recounts a teen connection to the infamous theft of Guy Fieri’s bright yellow Lamborghini in San Francisco in 2011.
  • The suspect was reportedly a 16-year-old who:
    • rappelled off a roof,
    • impersonated a worker,
    • and drove the Lamborghini away.
  • Later, he was linked to a violent shooting and was found with drugs, fake IDs, guns, and the stolen car.
  • Guy Fieri ended up testifying in court, and the listener delights in the absurdity of the “Flavortown” crime story.

Marfa ghost lights explained by ball lightning

  • A listener revisits Georgia’s discussion of the Marfa ghost lights.
  • As a child in New Berlin, Wisconsin, she and her friend Cheryl saw floating red orbs in her basement.
  • Decades later, her son researched the phenomenon and concluded it was likely ball lightning.
  • The listener presents this as a satisfying scientific explanation for a childhood mystery.
  • Karen and Georgia enjoy the “science wins” ending, while still leaving room for the unexplained.

Texas A&M shootout: a real-life hero dad

  • A listener shares a harrowing story about her father, who acted heroically during a 2012 shooting in College Station, Texas.
  • On move-in weekend at Texas A&M, her stepmother’s car was sprayed with bullets.
  • Her father:
    • got his stepdaughter to safety,
    • called 911,
    • retrieved his handgun,
    • and fired back to distract the shooter and protect people nearby.
  • The shooter had already killed a constable and later killed a civilian and wounded officers before being killed by police.
  • The listener’s stepmother survived after multiple surgeries, and the family says her dad’s actions likely saved lives.
  • The hosts are visibly stunned and impressed by the bravery.

“How a Cat Saved My Bloodline”

  • A listener from Edmonton, of Chinese heritage, shares a family history story set during the Japanese occupation of China.
  • Her grandfather, a doctor and secret resistance member, hid a list of guerrilla members in rice husks.
  • The family cat used the pot as a litter box.
  • When Japanese soldiers searched the clinic, one put his hand in the pot, hit cat poop, and abandoned the search.
  • The hidden list was never found, saving the family and the resistance members.
  • Karen and Georgia marvel at how a pile of cat shit literally preserved a bloodline.

Celebrity encounter: Alexander and Bill Skarsgård in Paris

  • A listener recounts an extremely cinematic incident in Paris in 2017.
  • While her family was at a French grocery store, a violent fight broke out between a customer and a cashier.
  • Into the chaos walked Alexander Skarsgård and Bill Skarsgård, who intervened and stood guard to protect people in the store.
  • They helped de-escalate the situation and ushered the family to safety.
  • The listener later recognized them outside at a café and had a brief “what just happened?” exchange.
  • Karen and Georgia are delighted by the story and by the brothers’ unexpected bouncer energy.

Themes and Takeaways

Listener submissions are the engine of the minisode

  • The episode is built around reader follow-ups and “hometowns,” with the hosts frequently reacting, riffing, and correcting details.
  • Karen and Georgia clearly enjoy stories that are:
    • bizarre but true,
    • rooted in personal memory,
    • or involve unexpected celebrity proximity.

Crime, heroism, and absurdity all coexist

  • The episode moves from sports cheating and stolen luxury cars to wartime resistance and active shooter heroism.
  • Even the darkest stories are threaded with the show’s signature gallows humor and disbelief.

Science and skepticism are welcome

  • The Marfa ghost lights story becomes a small victory for rational explanation.
  • The hosts also enjoy the tension between skepticism and mystery, especially when it involves childhood memories.

Sponsors and Housekeeping

  • The episode includes ad segments for:
    • SimpliSafe
    • Squarespace
    • Article
    • Guardian Bikes
    • Virgin Voyages
    • Coca-Cola
  • The hosts remind listeners to send hometowns and stories to myfavoritemurder@gmail.com and follow the show on social media.
  • They also mention that new episodes are available on Netflix.