Introducing: Trace of Suspicion

Motive for Murder

NBC News

True Crime, News, Society & Culture, Culture, Dateline, Society

4.3 • 6.5K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2026

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Hey Dateline fans! As a bonus for you, we’re sharing the trailer for Trace of Suspicion, an all-new original podcast series from Dateline and Josh Mankiewicz. After seemingly healthy 23-year-old Marine Todd Sommer dies unexpectedly, his widow Cindy’s lavish spending, cosmetic surgery, and wild partying raise investigators’ suspicions. They accuse her of poisoning him with arsenic for his life insurance, setting off a criminal case that takes a stunning turn... Josh Mankiewicz sits down with the woman at the center of it all in Dateline’s newest podcast. Follow now to get the first two episodes on Tuesday, March 10 completely free. Or subscribe to Dateline Premium on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or DatelinePremium.com to hear the first two episodes now. Subscribers receive ad-free listening and early access to subsequent episodes.

Transcript

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0:00.0	He was a young Marine, handsome in his dress blues.
0:05.0	He had a religious aspect to him.
0:07.0	She was a free spirit who didn't care about convention.
0:11.0	I'm a hippie. I'm a deadhead.
0:13.0	They married and made a life together.
0:16.0	And then one night, the Marine died.
0:19.0	911, do you have a legend? Yeah, but how could just clas?
0:21.6	What happened?
0:22.6	He just clas.
0:23.6	He walked up and couldn't lose his claim.
0:25.6	Drums rolled, guns saluted, and a flag was folded for the widow.
0:32.6	All of it by the book, solemn, dignified, appropriate.
0:39.7	And then something happened.
0:43.1	The widow went off script.
0:46.6	She started having a lot of parties shortly after his funeral.
0:50.1	A lot of the neighbors were just like she got over that pretty quickly.
0:56.0	With her husband's insurance money, the widow lived it up. New bling, new lovers, new look.
1:00.0	This case started because of the breast implants.
1:03.0	Think about it. If she had a nose jaw, would we even be talking about it?
1:09.0	Eyebrows arched, tongues wagged, and an investigation was born.
1:14.6	Chemists found arsenic in the Marines' tissues, and his widow was accused of murder.
1:21.6	We need to try to pursue justice for this young Marine and his family.
	...

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