The scandal, born of a murder conspiracy, sparked a firestorm in a world already consumed with intrigue and chicanery. Podcast Mile Marker 181 and its host, Emily Nestor, became rising stars in the true crime sphere; her Appalachian twang and unpolished earnestness garnered legions of fans and sponsorships as she explored the 2011 death of a young Ohio woman.
The fledgling podcaster had been spurred on by local rumour and calls for justice from the family of Jaleayah Davis, who believed her fatal road accident could have been a murder that was covered up. Initially, Ms Nestor worked with the relatives — but as the popularity of Mile Marker 181 increased, her relationships with the Davis family began to break down. The divergence culminated in an abrupt end to the podcast after 23 episodes, when Ms Nestor informed her shocked listeners that she’d decided she was in agreement with the official record that Davis’ death was, in fact, an accident.
