48 Hours Post Mortem | The Root Beer Float Murder
Apr 7, 2026
Peter Van Sant, a veteran correspondent known for on-the-ground crime reporting, guides listeners through the Root Beer Float murder investigation. He recounts recovered deleted texts, attempts with exotic poisons, the discovery of an alleged jail “kill list,” toxicology that found antifreeze, and shifting motives as relationships and evidence unravel.
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Why Initial Autopsy Missed Poisoning
- Routine autopsies often skip tests for exotic poisons unless death appears suspicious or there's a reason to screen.
- Indiana law kept Harold's samples for a year, which allowed investigators to test blood months later and detect ethylene glycol.
Burglary Triggered Recovery Of Incriminating Texts
- A vacation burglary prompted Marsha to review home security footage and report the break-in, exposing her daughter Stephen White's involvement.
- Police recovered nearly 7,000 texts Marsha tried to delete that documented poisoning plans and attempts.
Repeated Attempts With Multiple Exotic Poisons
- The text archive showed repeated, escalating poisoning attempts using multiple toxic substances over months.
- Messages revealed use of pong pong seeds, water hemlock, and ethylene glycol and even discussed reordering when attempts failed.