Overview of Five Miles From Home
Five Miles From Home is an all-new Dateline podcast from NBC News, hosted by Keith Morrison, centered on the disturbing disappearance and killing of Mickey Costanzo, a 16-year-old girl whose ordinary walk home from high school turned tragic. Set in the small desert casino town of West Wendover, Nevada, the series teases a story of jealousy, rage, deceit, confessions, cover-ups, and lies—and asks what really happened to Mickey, and who is responsible.
What the Podcast Is About
The trailer frames Mickey as an unlikely victim in a place where “nothing happens” until something shocking does. The mystery appears to unfold through:
- A sudden disappearance that blindsides everyone involved
- Conflicting accounts and possible confessions
- Suspicion around people close to the case
- A broader search for truth and justice after years of unanswered questions
The emotional core is the family’s lingering pain and their insistence that the case is not over until the person or people responsible are brought to justice.
Key Themes
Ordinary life turned horrifying
The podcast contrasts the normalcy of a teenager walking home from school with the devastating violence that follows.
Small-town secrecy and suspicion
The setting of West Wendover—a quiet, remote town—adds to the sense that the truth may have been hidden in plain sight.
Jealousy, rage, and escalating conflict
The trailer suggests the crime may have grown out of personal relationships and emotions that spiraled out of control.
Confessions and cover-ups
Listeners are promised a case involving not just the crime itself, but the misinformation, denials, and possible admissions that followed.
Release and Availability
- Starts: Monday, June 8
- How to listen:
- Free on release day and after
- Early access and ad-free listening available through Dateline Premium
- Platforms mentioned: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Dateline Premium
Takeaway
This promo positions Five Miles From Home as a classic Dateline true-crime mystery: a young victim, a small town, and a case shaped by suspicion, emotional turmoil, and a long search for accountability. It’s aimed at listeners who want a dramatic investigation into how a seemingly ordinary moment became a life-altering tragedy.