Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel artwork

Society & Culture · CBS News

Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel

by CBS News

When the charred remains of prominent commercial real estate attorney Gary Farris were discovered on a burn pile with a bullet lodged in a rib bone, detectives knew they were facing a homicide investigation. The crime scene was a sprawling 10-acre property in Cherokee County, Georgia, where Gary Farris lived with his wife, Melody, and their son, Scott. Gary Farris seemed to be a loving husband and father, affectionately called “Big Daddy”. Yet, all signs seemed to suggest that one of Gary Farris’ own family members was responsible for his murder. It turns out this family had a lot of secrets – involving money and infidelity. Much like an actual Ferris wheel, the blame game went round and round. Join 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant for “Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel,” a six-episode podcast that unravels a tangled family saga. 

Chart trend

Position in the Society & Culture chart (US), last 90 days.

#78
all-time peak
2
days in the top 100 since Jun 2026

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

You're Gonna Hang Me

After Melody Farris is arrested, Rusty Barton changes his story about what she told him the night Gary was killed. But even without Rusty's cooperation, detectives gather

Apr 8
24 min

The Reluctant Witness

Melody Farris's longtime lover, Rusty Barton, becomes a key focus of the investigation when he admits something incriminating that Melody told him on the phone. And as th

Apr 1
25 min

Private Affairs

While Melody Farris points suspicion at her children, some of them point their fingers right back at her. They said she had been having affairs for years, even showing up

Mar 25
27 min

Relative Danger

As detectives begin investigating the murder of Gary Farris, his wife Melody makes a disturbing statement: she fears one of their children may be responsible. Investigato

Mar 18
24 min

Big Daddy Is Missing

Gary and Melody Farris raised four children together and settled on a picturesque property outside of Atlanta. But when Gary goes missing, and his remains are found on th

Mar 11
27 min

Family Secrets Go Round and Round | The Farris Wheel

When the remains of the patriarch of a wealthy Georgia family were discovered on his Georgia farm, investigators asked who would want to kill Gary Farris, and why? What t

Mar 4
2 min

Time Will Tell | Trained to Kill

Mark Stover’s body was still missing when the trial over his death began. Michiel Oakes said the body would prove his innocence, and that he would reveal everything when

May 14 2025
31 min

Put Up or Shut Up | Trained to Kill

Detectives compare how the evidence found at Mark Stover’s house measures up to Michiel Oakes’ version of events. They discovered cell phone records, witnesses, and surve

May 7 2025
29 min

The Bundle in the Back | Trained to Kill

Michiel Oakes said he tried to negotiate with Mark Stover to end the vicious back and forth. But the way he told the story, everything went wrong during their final meeti

Apr 30 2025
25 min

Secret Meetings | Trained to Kill

After police got an anonymous tip that Mark Stover was transporting drugs, he became paranoid that Linda Opdycke was out to get him. In a battle between exes, each side c

Apr 23 2025
26 min

The Hunter | Trained to Kill

Linda Opdycke fled her family’s property and lived on the run, determined to separate from her husband Mark Stover. In her efforts to defend herself against what she call

Apr 16 2025
29 min

Puppy Love | Trained to Kill

Mark Stover trained the dogs of the rich and famous. When Linda Opdycke, the daughter of a multi-millionaire, hired him to train her new attack dog, they started combinin

Apr 9 2025
27 min

Who Was The Hunter & Who Was The Hunted? | Trained to Kill

When celebrity dog trainer Mark Stover disappeared from his home in Washington State, leaving behind a scene covered in blood, no one knew if Mark was the victim or the p

Apr 2 2025
2 min

The Aftermath | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

How to make sense of this incomprehensible tragedy? Detective Brian Byerson has been in touch with Ashley Hargan weekly since her mother and sister were killed. She not o

Jun 12 2024
29 min

Toe on the Trigger | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

Detectives finally arrest a suspect in the Hargan family murders. But at trial, defense attorneys argue a new theory for how the killings might have happened. And that th

Jun 5 2024
23 min

The Impersonator | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

Investigators think they know who killed the Hargan women, but can't seem to get a confession. Then, a representative from Capital One bank sent them recordings of some s

May 29 2024
28 min

A Killer in Plain Sight | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

When detectives started investigating the deaths of Helen and Pamela Hargan, they came to a much different conclusion than the first responders on the scene. This was not

May 22 2024
27 min

The Boyfriend | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

On the day that Helen Hargan and her mother Pamela were found dead, Helen's boyfriend Carlos spent hours convincing 911 dispatchers to send help to the Hargan house. By t

May 15 2024
27 min

Home From Texas | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

Pamela Hargan lived in a wealthy Virginia suburb, surrounded by family: her daughters Megan and Helen and her granddaughter all lived with her in her million-dollar home.

May 8 2024
26 min

A Betrayal Like No Other | Blood is Thicker: The Hargan Family Killings

Pamela Hargan was a successful businesswoman and a devoted mother to three adult daughters. The Hargans were a typical suburban family until one day, Pamela was gunned do

Apr 23 2024
2 min

Chart positions

Where Blood is Thicker: The Farris Wheel ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 6, 2026).

#171 ▲ 24 Society & Culture US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I used to be fiercely loyal to Dateline and wouldn’t even entertain the thought of listening to or watching any other crime reporters, but after listening to a 48 Hours podcast on the way home from work one evening I have loved it ever since. I don’t mind paying for the Premium ad free version because it is just that good. “Blood is Thicker” was amazing and very well put together.

Sixxorcist · Jun 2024

First off, great reporting and the show kept me engaged. I just felt like they drug out the episodes with details that seemed repetitive. I think they could have told this story in 3 episodes vs the 6 for this series. I’m not a reporter/producer/podcaster so maybe it wasn’t that easy. I recommend this series…IF you’re patient.

Emmy-Anne 28 · Jun 2024

The story is an interesting one (though it’s obvious early on who did it) but I’m distracted by the background music choices… the narrator is describing details that are somewhat serious or even supposed to be scary & the music choice tends to be more akin to a children’s show (feels light & bouncy?)… there doesn’t even need to be music but the songs used totally undercut the tone…

AccioPixie196 · May 2024

It’s a compelling story but the narrator is super dramatic and the episodes end very abruptly. I enjoyed being introduced to the content but found independent research more rewarding than the podcast itself.

menjeyers · Jun 2024

Voyeurism isn’t quite the right word but this is really tasteless. I don’t want to hear the audio of the moment these poor people find out their family members were killed. Can’t people have some measure of privacy? I would feel really violated if I talked to 911 or an officer and the recording became public entertainment. I like to hear true crime stories but the victims need some basic privacy. This is too upsetting to listen to.

Fluffster Normalpaws · May 2024

This was a decent case, but it was very painful to listen to over many episodes. The story moved so slowly, the narrator spoke very slowly. I considered fast forwarding through the episodes, but I thought maybe I would miss some big bombshell. However, the bombshell never happened. The person that detectives first suspected, in fact, did commit the crime. Just an overall sad case, but way too drawn out.

Alexander DiFilippo · Jun 2024

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