Mel is the host of Naptime Nancy and is truly an inspirational person. Her interest in true crime was sparked in 2004 by the abduction of Brooke Willbuerger from Oregon State University. This was a case that felt very close to home for Mel and started her journey into the world of true crime. But that world of true crime hit particularly close to home in 2016. 

On Mother’s Day weekend in 2016 Mel and her mother were discussing and reflecting on the abuse her mother experienced from a brutally sadistic step father. After talking through the case more Mel pressed her mother to think if her step father could have hurt others. This led them down the path of the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer. They proceeded to turn his name into law enforcement. Once their DNA was cleared to be associated with the GSK, Mel moved forward by advocating further for the GSK case. Once the GSK was finally apprehended, she continued to advocate for other unsolved cases.

What started as a blog quickly became the Naptime Nancy Podcast. Since launching in March of 2019, Naptime Nancy has grown its audience tremendously. Not only is Mel an incredibly relatable host, but she is also supported by the encouragement from other true crime advocates. She also has a fantastic sense of humor given the stark material that she covers, which she shares with listeners early on as her way to find comfort in the dark material that is covered. 

The story of Naptime Nancy is easy to become inspired by. Mel turns into Naptime Nancy Drew once the kids go down for a nap. Once her research is done the tape starts rolling and listers are gifted with a variety of cases. Naptime Nancy covers quite a few missing persons but is not tied to those cases directly. Mel also has a 2 part episode on another case she was directly affected by during her college years. Episodes are conducted in a narrative format and typically range from 30 to 45 minutes, making this the perfect podcast for other mothers to enjoy while their kids take their own naps. We’re excited to see Naptime Nancy grow and look forward to hearing your feedback! Check them out on Podchaser.