Secrets in the Ashes
- Jan 27, 2026
- 1:22:06
- Full Episode
A South Texas house fire kills Patricia Leigh Mills, while her young son escapes. When her husband remarries just months later, suspicion grows and questions emerge. Andrea Canning reports.
Lester Holt and Andrea Canning go behind the scenes of the making of this episode in ‘Talking Dateline’
Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/4td30en
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Oux58Fg1yJWv9ku93Tn27
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Brief Summary
A fire kills Patricia Lee Mills, leading to suspicions about her husband Delbert and his new wife Allison, who later plots to kill again.
Key points
- A Deadly Plan Unfolds. A chilling murder plot is revealed, with an unlikely mastermind behind it.
- The Fire Investigation. Fire marshals conclude the blaze that killed Patricia Lee was inconclusive, leaving her family in turmoil.
- Allison's Confession. Delbert's new wife reveals a shocking confession that could change everything.
- Delbert's Chilling Confession. Delbert offers to kill Keisha's husband and make it look like an accident.
- Guilty Verdict. Delbert Mills is found guilty of murder after a lengthy investigation.
- Allison's New Life. Allison Mills, Delbert's ex-wife, reinvents herself as an entrepreneur and politician.
Episode highlights
- A Deadly Plan UnfoldsA chilling murder plot is revealed, with an unlikely mastermind behind it.“A murder plot being hatched.”1:41Jan 27, 2026
- The Fire InvestigationFire marshals conclude the blaze that killed Patricia Lee was inconclusive, leaving her family in turmoil.“The conclusion was no conclusion.”11:39Jan 27, 2026
- Allison's ConfessionDelbert's new wife reveals a shocking confession that could change everything.“He would do the same thing to me that he did to Patricia.”21:50Jan 27, 2026
- Delbert's Chilling ConfessionDelbert offers to kill Keisha's husband and make it look like an accident.“I can set the apartment on fire and make it look like an accident.”27:21Jan 27, 2026
- Guilty VerdictDelbert Mills is found guilty of murder after a lengthy investigation.“He just hung his head.”37:50Jan 27, 2026
- Allison's New LifeAllison Mills, Delbert's ex-wife, reinvents herself as an entrepreneur and politician.“Hi, everybody. I'm Allison Salinas and welcome to Citizen Watch.”39:04Jan 27, 2026
- Allison's Dark RequestAllison surprises James with a shocking request to kill her husband, Patrick.“She wanted me to kill her husband.”52:57Jan 27, 2026
- Police Finally Take ActionAfter James posts evidence online, the police finally investigate Allison's plot.“Now you had their attention.”1:02:13Jan 27, 2026
Episode quotes
Tension
85/ 100High tension
