Today is Saturday, January 2, 2021.

On this day in 2006, a catfishing father of two wrote himself an unhinged letter, manifesting

a transformation into his online persona.

Instead, he slid into a web of lies that eventually led to murder.

Welcome to Today in True Crime, a Spotify original from Parcast.

Due to the graphic nature of this man's crimes, listener discretion is advised.

This episode includes discussions of homicide that some people may find offensive.

We advise extreme caution for children under 13.

Today, we're covering the online affair between Thomas Montgomery and a user called Tall,

Hot, Blonde Big 50.

Their flirtations began with the middle-aged Thomas posing as an 18-year-old Marine, stationed

in Iraq, and ultimately led to a real-world murder.

Let's go back to the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, New York, on January 2nd,

2006, around 6.30 in the morning.

It was still dark out when Thomas Montgomery crept out of bed, careful not to wake his wife.

Noiselessly, he moved through the house, still decorated for the holidays.

In the kitchen, dishes from a New Year's Eve celebration still sat on a drying rack,

waiting to be put away. But the lingering reminders

of last week's festivities didn't exactly spark joy. In fact, Thomas felt disconnected from

everything, his family, his friends, his life, which may have been why he regularly

escaped into a fantasy.

Thomas slipped into the back room and dialed a number he knew by heart.

...