ABOUT MURDER ON SONGBIRD ROAD

Murder on Songbird Road revisits the stabbing death of an 11-year-old girl in Southern Illinois and the subsequent arrest and conviction of her father's fiancée for the crime. In this series, veteran true-crime host Lauren Bright Pacheco teams up with criminal defense attorney Bob Motta to investigate whether the case-one that tore apart a rural community, sparking controversy, corruption, and ongoing questions-was truly solved, or if an innocent woman remains wrongfully convicted.

Episodes available here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-murder-on-songbird-road-251918548/

LAUREN BRIGHT-PACHECO BIO

Lauren Bright Pacheco, a New York-based writer, producer, and host, is a leading voice in true-crime podcasting and criminal justice advocacy. With a career rooted in news, radio, and television, she has built a reputation for creating impactful content that goes beyond sensational headlines to reveal the personal toll of violent crime on individuals, families, and communities.

As co-host, narrator, and producer of acclaimed podcasts such as Happy Face, Murder in Oregon, Murder in Illinois, Murder in Miami, The Murders at White House Farm (HBO Max), and Lava for Good's Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco, she delves into the human stories behind the statistics. Drawing from her experience and insights gained from interviewing individuals impacted by violent crimes, Lauren brings a unique perspective to her storytelling, focusing on themes of empathy, human connection, the pursuit of justice, and the enduring journey of healing after trauma.

Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including three Emmy Awards for her contributions as a daytime television producer. In addition to her work in true crime, Lauren hosts the iHeartPodcast Award-winning Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast, showcasing her versatility and dedication to storytelling that informs and inspires.

BOB MOTTA BIO

Bob Motta is an accomplished criminal defense trial attorney of 20 plus years in the Chicagoland area. He graduated from Chicago-Kent School of Law, where he met his wife and law partner Alison. In 2021, Bob made the difficult choice to leave the active practice of law in order to start his popular and critically acclaimed podcast Defense Diaries. Defense Diaries is a deep dive, long form, serialized podcast which gives its listeners a "behind the curtain" perspective of the practice of law, in particular trial work.

The first two seasons of the podcast focus on two cases that profoundly impacted Bob's life in very different ways. The first season revolves around serial Killer John Wayne Gacy, who Bob's father Bob Motta Sr. defended at trial back in 1979-80. Bob Sr., had given Bob all of his taped interviews of Bob Sr. preparing Gacy for his insanity defense case. Bob chose to use these tapes as the backdrop for the most in- depth analysis of the Gacy case that has ever been done, in any format. The second season focuses on the Anthony Garcia Case, which was a brutal quadruple homicide that occurred in Omaha, Nebraska. Bob, Alison and Bob Sr. all tried the case together and it gives the listeners an up close and personal, behind the scenes perspective of the challenges of trying a case of that magnitude.

In 2021, Bob partnered up with his wife Alison and created The Docket, which the couple co-hosts and which dives into to all current cases and breaking news in the true crime world.