The Girl in the Blue Mustang
When 18-year-old Michelle O’Keefe is found murdered in her shiny new blue Mustang in a California park and ride, investigators encounter a confusing crime scene and a witness who seems to know too much. In Dateline’s latest original podcast series, Keith Morrison takes us to the High Desert outside Los Angeles for a story featuring twists, turns and a sharp-eyed Dateline viewer who steers the case in an entirely new direction.
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Our Editor's Take
Michelle O'Keefe was returning from appearing in a Kid Rock music video when someone killed her. The Girl in the Blue Mustang podcast investigates the story of her murder. How did this 18-year-old young woman end up dead, and why?
Dateline NBC's Keith Morrison tells the story of her tragic killing on this true crime podcast. The Girl in the Blue Mustang podcast comes from the people behind that popular network show. Episodes uncover the crime scene, primary suspects, and how Michelle became a target. She was a girl filled with hope, driving on the California roads in her beloved Mustang. The car was a high school graduation gift. Everything suggested she had a bright future in front of her. Yet, the car seemed like a bad omen. When she received the gift, she noticed that the last three digits of the license plate were 187—the police code for "homicide."
As podcast listeners will discover, the truth behind Michelle O'Keefe's murder is elusive. It changes shape, like shifting desert sands. The police struggle to find answers, and her parents continue to fight for justice. They won't give up, even as the tale becomes more confusing. Here is one simple fact. Someone killed Michelle in 2000 while she was driving her Mustang. Since then, there have been arrests, trials, and more unanswered questions.
The Girl in the Blue Mustang tries to answer these questions. The first episode, "Michelle's Last Day," begins from the perspective of a police officer. It was a cold night in early February. Desert winds blew off the exit of Highway 14 in Palmdale, California. Someone had heard guns shooting and had called the police. Now the road was quiet except for a security guard calling the officer towards a blue Mustang. The engine was running, and a woman's leg dangled from the window. Soon, homicide arrived on the scene. The episode then moves back in time. Michelle is smiling, beautiful, and alive. Each episode of this six-part podcast follows this format. Will her story become clear? Listeners will find out.
Episodes