WATCH: Murder mystery podcast captivates millions

Visits: 2

Transcript for Murder mystery podcast captivates millions

We are going to turn to a murder mystery captivating millions across the country featured in a new podcast that’s skyrocketing in popularity. One of many gaining a cult more than half a million in the U.S. Have listened to a podcast already this year. Our friend Dan has a hit podcast himself. Matt Gutman spoke with the creator of one of these podcasts trying to figure out what happened to a murdered Hollywood hey, Matt. Reporter: Hey, Cecilia, this is the building from which that aspiring actress went missing. Now, at first her parents accused the police putting this on the back burner. That’s where the podcast comes in. It used crowdsourcing to launch this crusade into finding out what really happened to idea shabani. The search for a young actress gone missing. Reporter: She was the beauty who came to L.A. With dreams of making it on the big screen. Instead idea shabani became the center of a plot as sinister as a books office thriller when she left her apartment in the heart of Hollywood with her boyfriend Chris spotz on February 23rd, 2018. Vanishing without a trace or so it seemed. Her friends sounding the alarm to the LAPD. We all just — we just want her back. Reporter: But shabani’s family hired a private investigator and when he told journalist Neal Strauss about the case, Strauss became interested then obsessed. So you literally just figured it out in the room where you guys were poring over the maps and papers? Working with tandem with her family and authorities now the focal point of the true crime podcast “To live and die in L.A.” Following along as Strauss tries to piece together the puzzle of shabani’s disappearance and subsequent murder. What is the secret sauce? Supply think it’s like curiosity and obsession all unfolding in realtype. You find out things before the police do or sometimes before the family does. Reporter: Spotz telling friends and family he dropped shabani off on the side of the road after a fight. A month later her body was found in northern California with blunt force trauma to her head. Police said they suspected spotz who was an actor seen here in his YouTube reel was connected to her death. I’ll confess. I’ll tell the police what you Reporter: The only problem, spotz is now also dead. Apparently committing suicide at the end of a police chase allegedly paranoid that he was being hounded by police and private investigators. The podcast investigation deepening the mystery. Was there another possible killer? He said, mom, I should have never dropped her off. I knew she was in danger. Reporter: Spotz’s family is trying to help Strauss dig for the truth. They gave us his account information unbeknownst to most people. Google is not just tracking you but it’s very easy to find it yourself or anyone who has access to your account can find out exact movements down to the it happened that Chris spotz never turned his phone off. So we were able to see the moment he picked up idea the day she disappeared and tracked the route. Reporter: It could blow the case wide open potentially unraveling the idea laid out that spotz could be involved and perhaps even lead to someone else. Were you ever concerned someone would stop listening early on and leave the show, leave the podcast with one of those preconceptions that you had? Yeah. Turned out to be kind of 100%. I’m so invested in making sure people listen to the end to find out what happens so they don’t leave thinking the wrong thing. Now, Neal tells me he believes almost 100% that Chris spotz’s father had a role in this killing. We spoke to the LAPD overnight. They say they have their man. They’re confident it is Chris spotz, nobody else, case closed but Strauss tells me over the coming days they have new episodes about to drop which might change all that? Captivating so many people. Thank you.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Read More Go To Source