About Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder
On April 22, 1987, 52-year-old Ruthie Mae McCoy called 911 to report that someone was trying to enter her Chicago housing project apartment through the bathroom medicine cabinet. Police thought she was imagining things, but when authorities finally checked on McCoy two days later, they found her dead with four gunshot wounds. Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, revisits the real-life account of McCoy's strange death – one of the inspirations for the Candyman horror film. Hosted by journalist and Chicago native Dometi Pongo, this 6-episode limited series – produced by 48 Hours and CBS News – explores why McCoy's desperate calls for help were ignored, the surprising outcome of her murder trial, and the broader systemic issues of racial injustice, housing inequality, and the stigma of mental illness that surround this tragic event.
Investigators unravel a baffling mystery of a woman found dead in the woods, challenging her family's belief she died elsewhere.
25 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
D4vd Charged with Murder | Case by Case
Following the discovery of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains in a vehicle registered to D4vd last fall, what were the key developments that led to charges this week? On this episode of “Case by Case,” we examine all of the new details coming out of the case against singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke, who professionally goes by D4vd. “48 Hours” correspondent Natalie Morales and CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman break down what we know so far about Celeste’s death and the alleged abusive relationship she had with the singer.
Listen to Case By Case now, wherever you get your podcasts. You can also get ad-free access to 48 Hours podcasts by subscribing to 48 Hours+ at 48HoursPodcasts.com.
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17 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
Introducing 48 Hours: Case By Case
The 48 Hours team provides an update on unfolding criminal stories, explaining key developments and their significance.
11 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Introducing Blood Is Thicker: The Farris Wheel
When the remains of the patriarch of a wealthy Georgia family were discovered on his Georgia farm, investigators asked who would want to kill Gary Farris, and why? What they discovered is a dysfunctional family fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and money-related tensions. Soon, allegations start flying round and round like a sinister Ferris wheel ... and a mother and son face off over who could be responsible for destroying their family. Listen to Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel now, wherever you get your podcasts.
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30 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
Introducing Fifteen: Inside The Daniel Marsh Murders
Join 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty for her riveting new podcast series "Fifteen: Inside the Daniel Marsh Murders". When beloved couple Claudia Maupin and Chip Northup are brutally murdered while sleeping in the peaceful college community of Davis, California, police are left with more questions than answers. With no evidence, weapon or motive, authorities struggle to track down the killer. Who would commit such a heinous crime and why? Months later, a tipster calls to reveal intimate details of the crime. And the mastermind behind it all? Well, he was just fifteen. Listen to episodes wherever you get your podcasts.
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9 Apr 2025TRANSCRIPT
Introducing Trained to Kill
Peter Van Sant explores the dark love triangle between dog trainer Mark Stover, heiress Linda Opdyke, and security expert Michiel Oakes
7 Nov 2024TRANSCRIPT
Ruthie Mae's Reflection: 6
The judge and jury announce the fates of the two men accused of killing Ruthie Mae McCoy. Host Dometi Pongo looks at how the fourth Candyman film upends the franchise and the new exhibit honoring Ruthie Mae set to open in Chicago.
Get ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
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31 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
The Wavering Witness: 5
The two young men arrested for Ruthie Mae McCoy's murder go on trial three years after their arrest. Prosecutors planned to rely on the testimony of a star witness, but everything changes once he takes the stand. Steve Bogira spoke to the relatives of both suspects for his 1990 Chicago Reader article: https://shorturl.at/xMQ77
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
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24 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
Based on a True Story: 4
While the suspects for Ruthie Mae McCoy's murder wait in jail, a British director is on the hunt for his next film. Host Dometi Pongo finds out how a murder similar to McCoy's ended up in Bernard Rose's 1992 Candyman and discovers just how many details stem from a fateful trip the director took to the Chicago projects.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
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17 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
The Suspects Next Door: 3
Detective Anthony Mannina and his team find little physical evidence at the scene. When they question witnesses, most point the finger at two young suspects. While cops pursued one kind of justice, Ruthie Mae McCoy's daughter sued the Chicago Housing Authority for not doing more to protect her mother.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
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10 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
Deadly Design: 2
Ruthie Mae McCoy wasn’t the only person who reported having someone come through her mirror. Host Dometi Pongo looks at the reality of life in Chicago projects and how the design of her building may have contributed to her death.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
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3 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
Left High and Dry: 1
Calling 911 didn't get Ruthie Mae McCoy help. The night she was shot, police didn't even break down her apartment door to check on her. Her body was discovered days later. The bizarre detail that McCoy was killed by someone entering through her bathroom medicine cabinet caught the attention of reporter Steve Bogira who decided to investigate the crime himself. His 1987 Chicago Reader article: https://shorturl.at/scu3P
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind The Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app starting September 26th. The series will be widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts starting October 3rd.
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18 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT
The Strange Death of Ruthie Mae McCoy — Coming October 3
52-year-old Ruthie Mae McCoy’s frantic 911 call stated, “They want to come through the bathroom.” Nearly three days later, police found her shot to death, her apartment breached through her bathroom medicine cabinet. In Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder, Chicago native and journalist Dometi Pongo uncovers the terrifying reality of McCoy’s murder, which was one of the inspirations for the “Candyman” horror franchise.
Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder by subscribing to 48 Hours+ on Apple Podcasts or Wondery+ on the Wondery app starting September 26th. The series will be widely available everywhere else you get your podcasts starting October 3rd.
Subscribe to 48 Hours+: https://apple.co/4aEgENo
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Inside a recent episode
Introducing The Woman in the Woods
Published 16 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] They did. Law enforcement asked the public for help releasing artist sketches of a striking brunette with large eyes. I was like, whoa, wait a minute. Like, that looks like Mindy. That looks like Mindy. Mindy was Mindy Kasotis. But to Mindy's friends and family, the news she could be the woman in the woods, it just didn't make any sense. So I didn't believe it because I had already been told that she had passed in the hospital. On top of that, they learned Mindy's husband, Nick, died a few months later. At that point, I did not feel comfortable with what I knew. How could Mindy die not once, but twice? […]
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