Texas Monthly True Crime: The Problem With Erik

Texas Monthly

Erik Maund had it all. A wife and kids, a mansion by the Austin Country Club golf course, and an executive position with his family’s car dealership. But in March 2020, a message from a stranger put everything at risk. Someone knew Erik had an affair with an escort, and wanted money to keep quiet. Erik didn’t pay the money, though. He didn’t go to the cops, either. Instead, he paid Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard and a couple of special ops-trained security contractors to confront the blackmailer. Things didn’t go according to plan.

In “The Problem with Erik,” host Katy Vine and producer Ana Worrel tell the twisted story of what came next: a perfect storm of secrets, mistaken identities, and tragic miscommunications that left two people dead.

From the Texas Monthly team behind “Tom Brown’s Body,” “Stephenville,” and "Shane and Sally" comes the latest true story of crime and justice in the Lone Star State.

For more Texas Monthly productions, visit texasmonthly.com/podcasts read less

Our Editor's Take

The small town of Canadian, Texas, still talks of the mysterious disappearance and death of Thomas Brown. Tom Brown's Body reinvestigates the story. It treads through the hidden depths of a shaken community where everyone is a suspect.

Tom Brown's Body is a true crime podcast series that examines Tom's case like never before. Writer Skip Hollandsworth hosts this eight-part series from Texas Monthly. Hollandsworth is an award-winning journalist, screenwriter, author, and executive editor for Texas Monthly. He has won the National Magazine Award. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller The Midnight Assassin. Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narrative stories. Tom Brown's Body is one of his most notable accounts to date.

Brown was a popular high school senior who excelled at sports and drama. He was president of his senior class. So how does a well-liked, content young man disappear without a trace? And is it possible for Tom's family to find solace?

The episode descriptions are enticing and enigmatic. They consist of a single quote from the episode. They lure listeners in, making listeners question what chapter will unfold in this disturbing case. Hollandsworth investigates Tom's disappearance himself. Hollandsworth speaks with the private investigator hired to investigate Tom's case. A troubled football teammate acts as a witness with a potentially frightful revelation. The Hemphill County Sheriff recalls his shock at receiving the call about a skull found near Lake Marvin Road.

This true crime podcast reveals some surprising, unusual suspects. Listeners describe Tom Brown's Body as a “compelling” podcast. All episodes are available now on Amazon Music.

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Tom Brown's Body | Trailer

Tom Brown's Body | Trailer

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The Problem with Erik | Trailer

The Problem with Erik | Trailer

Erik Maund had it all. A wife and kids, a mansion by the Austin Country Club golf course, and an executive position with his family’s car dealership. But in March 2020, a message from a stranger put everything at risk. Someone knew Erik had an affair with an escort, and wanted money to keep quiet. Erik didn’t pay the money, though. He didn’t go to the cops, either. Instead, he paid Charlie Sheen’s former bodyguard and a couple of special ops-trained security contractors to confront the blackmailer. Things didn’t go according to plan.In “The Problem with Erik,” host Katy Vine and producer Ana Worrel tell the twisted story of what came next: a perfect storm of secrets, mistaken identities, and tragic miscommunications that left two people dead.It's the latest true crime series from the Texas Monthly team behind “Tom Brown’s Body,” “Stephenville,” and "Shane and Sally," coming July 2.For more Texas Monthly productions, visit texasmonthly.com/podcasts

The Problem with Erik | 1. Car Talk

The Problem with Erik | 1. Car Talk

In early 2020, Erik Maund—an executive at one of the top Toyota dealerships in the country, founded by his grandfather—had a problem. A stranger was blackmailing him for having an extramarital affair. Erik’s response to the threat set off a series of fateful decisions that left two people dead. One of those victims was Holly Williams, a Nashville woman who trained as an esthetician, loved to party in the local EDM scene, and also worked as an escort. After months in an abusive relationship, she’d been trying to get her life on track when Erik requested a date.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

The Problem with Erik | 2. Bill

The Problem with Erik | 2. Bill

Bill Lanway met Holly Williams through mutual friends in the Nashville EDM scene. Soon after they started dating, he moved into her apartment. It was only then, after snooping around on her phone, that he discovered Holly was an escort. Bill reacted with jealousy and violence against Holly, but the scheme he hatched next put them both in peril.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

The Problem with Erik | 3. The Fixer

The Problem with Erik | 3. The Fixer

Facing the blackmail threat, Erik Maund decides not to pay up or go to the police. Instead, he turns to Gil Peled, a security guy at the Maund family car dealership who seems qualified to solve sensitive problems. Built like a bodybuilder, Peled claimed to have experience in the Israeli special forces, and had spent years in Hollywood protecting Charlie Sheen. But Gil Peled isn’t quite the success story he pretends to be.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

The Problem with Erik | 4. The 60k Option

The Problem with Erik | 4. The 60k Option

With little to show for their time in Nashville, the team on the ground proposes a radical escalation: For a premium, they can fix Erik’s problem permanently.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

The Problem with Erik | 5. How to Perform a Hit

The Problem with Erik | 5. How to Perform a Hit

Red agrees to a risky operation to help the investigation: going undercover to get Adam Carey and Bryon Brockway talking about the murders while the FBI listens in.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

The Problem with Erik | 6. The Fall

The Problem with Erik | 6. The Fall

As investigators close in, they set a trap to see how far Erik will go to maintain control of the situation.Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join.

Free Range Presents: The Unforgotten

Free Range Presents: The Unforgotten

Katy Vine tells us about a new Texas true crime podcast you won't want to miss from our friends at Free Range called "The Unforgotten".

The Problem with Erik | Update: Judge Orders a New Trial

The Problem with Erik | Update: Judge Orders a New Trial

After the verdict in the Erik Maund murder-for-hire trial, this bizarre story finally seemed to have reached an end: Maund and his co-defendants all faced mandatory life in prison. But this week, some surprising news came from the federal court in Nashville: Erik Maund may be getting a new trial.

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Shane and Sally | Trailer

Shane and Sally | Trailer

On July 4, 1988, 16-year-old Shane Stewart and 18-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in the West Texas town of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again.For 35 years, their murders have haunted their family and friends, and frustrated generations of investigators from the local police to the FBI. Hosts Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs take listeners behind the scenes of the cold case investigation, interviewing witnesses and following the twists and turns that have confounded authorities—including accusations about corruption, occult rituals, and a hunt for one suspect halfway around the world—tracking down new leads in the hope that someone may come forward to finally help solve the case.From the Texas Monthly team behind “Tom Brown’s Body” and “Stephenville” comes another true story of crime, suspicion, and life and death in small-town Texas. Coming March 19.For more Texas Monthly productions, visit texasmonthly.com/podcasts

Shane and Sally | 1. A Long, Hot Summer

Shane and Sally | 1. A Long, Hot Summer

On July 4, 1988, sixteen-year-old Shane Stewart and eighteen-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in their West Texas hometown of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove out to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again. That summer, as their parents waited for news from the authorities, Shane’s father Marshall began an investigation of his own, discovering the teens may have been swept up in the town’s darkest of undercurrents.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Shane and Sally | 2. Lost Horizons

Shane and Sally | 2. Lost Horizons

In the fall of 1987, Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly met through mutual friends and began dating. Shane was tall and confident. Sally loved to be the center of attention and moved easily between groups of friends. Later that year, the two began spending more time with a group of teenagers who met up to practice occult rituals. Some friends say the group's activities were just games, but by the summer of 1988, something had changed. Sally told one friend that she and Shane were leaving San Angelo to get away from the group. That was just before the two of them disappeared.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Shane and Sally | 3. An Open Investigation

Shane and Sally | 3. An Open Investigation

In this episode, investigators Larry Counts and David Jones detail their initial steps in trying to solve the case—and share the story of how Shane and Sally started speaking with the authorities just months before they were killed. Then, officials at the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office today share their frustrations with the initial investigation, and detail the surviving evidence from the crime scene.

Shane and Sally | Bonus Videos

Shane and Sally | Bonus Videos

Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs, hosts of "Shane and Sally," reconvene in the podcast studio to dive deeper into questions surrounding the 1988 cold case murder of two West Texas teenagers. With every new episode of the podcast, Rob and Karen give additional commentary in bonus videos, examining exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, images, and interviews with subjects involved in the case.For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally

Shane and Sally | 4. The Devil and the Lost Boy

Shane and Sally | 4. The Devil and the Lost Boy

In this episode, we take a closer look at two of the investigators’ suspects: Steve Schafer and John Gilbreath. Witnesses told authorities that Schafer was the leader of a local Satanic group whose members included Shane and Sally, though Schafer says he was never part of the group. Gilbreath is the man who, in 2017, was found to have suspicious evidence in his home, including a lock of hair, a fingernail, and notes about Shane and Sally's murders. While authorities have since found that the DNA from this evidence doesn’t match Shane or Sally, Sheriff Nick Hanna says Gilbreath's behavior after the murders—repeatedly claiming to know details about the killings—still arouses suspicion.Get 20% off any new SimpliSafe system when you sign up for Fast Protect Monitoring. SIMPLISAFE.com/texascrime.

Shane and Sally | 5. The Man on the Moon

Shane and Sally | 5. The Man on the Moon

The investigation continues with a look at a third suspect, Jimmy Burnett, who appears to have written his own notes as he tried to solve the murders of Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly. But his ex-girlfriend Laura says he knew more than he let on. In this episode, we take our investigation halfway around the world to track down Burnett, who, according to the authorities, moved to the Philippines and then faked his own death.Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Shane and Sally | 6. The Edge of Town

Shane and Sally | 6. The Edge of Town

In this episode, we explore the last of four suspects investigators have named in their investigation into Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly’s murders. In the eighties, Heath Davis was a violent drug dealer with a tough reputation around town, who associated with other main suspects in this case. Davis says he’s turned his life around today and that he has been unfairly targeted by investigators. But a witness in the investigation tells us there’s more about Heath’s past that he hasn’t answered for, and she says it’s time for the truth to come out.Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Shane and Sally | 7. The Cold Case

Shane and Sally | 7. The Cold Case

In the final episode of Shane and Sally, victims in a series of unsolved attacks at the lakes surrounding San Angelo wonder if their assailants were also the ones who killed Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly. Investigators discuss the possibility that someone in law enforcement could know more about the murders than they’ve let on. And we explore how new DNA technology, and a new cold case investigative unit, could finally bring fresh leads in the case.Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/TEXASCRIME. Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.

Campside Media Presents: White Devil

Campside Media Presents: White Devil

Sharing White Devil, a new podcast from our friends at Campside Media. Late at night in May of 2021, a single gunshot shattered the silence along the beach at Belize’s luxurious Alaia resort. In White Devil, Josh Dean dives into one of the biggest, splashiest, and most perplexing crime stories you’ve never heard: The shooting death of renowned cop Henry Jemott by a Canadian property developer. In investigating, the craggy depths of Belize are brought to the surface: Its quirks, its corruption, and the all pervasive influence of one family in particular. You can binge the rest of White Devil https://link.chtbl.com/texasmonthlywhitedevil

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Stephenville | Trailer

Stephenville | Trailer

From the moment Susan Woods was found dead at home in the summer of 1987, everyone in Stephenville, Texas—including the police—was certain she’d been killed by her estranged husband.That left the real culprit free to prey on others. In "Stephenville," best-selling author Bryan Burrough returns to his small-town Texas roots to explore a murder case that went cold for nearly two decades. Only now, after discovering a voice from beyond the grave, can the whole story finally be told—a story about the secrets that got buried, and how some folks in this town helped keep them that way.From the Texas Monthly team behind "Tom Brown’s Body" comes another true story of crime, suspicion, and life in small-town Texas. Coming June 20.