The Daughter Who Solved Her Mother's Murder

Behind The Filter Podcast

When the Case Becomes Your Own: Megan Tomlinson on True Crime, Advocacy, and Finding Justice for Her Mother

In the world of true crime, we often talk about "consuming" stories—listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, and analyzing cases from a distance. But what happens when the filter is removed, and the case you’re investigating is your own mother’s?

In this week’s episode of Behind the Filter, we sit down with Megan Tomlinson, the founder of the non-profit Silver Lining of Hope. Megan’s story is a chilling and inspiring testament to the power of a daughter’s love and the necessity of grassroots advocacy in a flawed justice system.

From "Nancy Grace" to OSINT Expert

Megan’s interest in true crime started early, watching court trials like Jodi Arias and Casey Anthony with her mother. But in 2020, Megan decided she didn't want to just be a consumer—she wanted to be a helper.

She taught herself OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)—using digital tools and public data to track missing persons. She was already deep in the trenches of advocacy, even building 3D models of crime scenes for other families, when her world shattered in October 2024.

The Call No Daughter Wants to Receive

Megan had been fighting to get her mother out of a domestic violence situation. She had even helped her move out, but the cycle of abuse brought her mother back to her husband. After a missed wellness check by police—where officers failed to physically lay eyes on her mother—Megan received the news: her mother was in the hospital, brain dead.

"Whenever I realized she was being abused, still, I guess you could say, in the beginning of 2024, I knew she wasn't just going to leave because I had been through it. So I knew I just had to go be with her. So I was with her every day almost because I was like, she just needs to know that she's loved. So maybe if I'm here with her, eventually she'll come to the decision herself to want to leave. But I knew I couldn't force her to leave... I could have never guessed that I'd be doing that with my mom, you know, but I did. Everything led up to it." — Megan Tomlinson

The Investigation: Doing the Work of the Detectives

When Megan finally found her mother in the hospital, the physical evidence was undeniable: bruising that looked like a "baseball bat to the knee," fractured digits, and the tell-tale fingerprint marks of strangulation on her neck.

Despite this, law enforcement was hesitant. The initial autopsy was labeled as "manner of death unknown." Detectives told Megan that since her mother’s neck wasn't literally broken, they wouldn't press charges.

Megan didn't accept that. She dove into over 100 medical journals and meticulously reviewed her mother’s medical files. She discovered a rare phenomenon: oxygen loss on only one side of the brain—a clinical indicator of jugular vein occlusion via strangulation.

The Binder That Changed Everything

Megan compiled her research into a 25-page document and "A through Z" binders for the prosecutor’s office. She bypassed dismissive detectives and went straight to the people who had the "ethical and moral responsibility" to look at the facts. In May 2025, her mother’s husband was finally arrested and charged with murder.

Beyond the Personal: The Hailey Buzbee Case and "Hailey's Law"

The conversation shifts to one of the most high-profile cases in Indianapolis: the disappearance and death of teenager Hailey Buzbee. Megan was instrumental in assisting the family, using her OSINT skills to dig into the "digital footprint" that often leaves investigators at a standstill.

What is OSINT?

Megan explains that her work exists "one layer above the dark web." By running code and building "relationship trees" from social media interactions, she can uncover data that basic police work might miss.

"If I can find a social media account... I can go and see the last time you were active. There’s things I can do to get your location... timestamp locations through your browser, through Google maps, through a lot of things that you wouldn't necessarily think that information is there."

The Fight for the "Pink Alert"

Megan worked closely with Haley's family to draft the petition for Haley's Law. The goal is to create a "Pink Alert"—a middle ground between an Amber Alert and a Silver Alert for high-risk missing children who might otherwise be dismissed as "runaways."

"Time and time again there are these loopholes when kids go missing because right away, the police departments want to just categorize them as a runaway... we're missing this really important critical time."

A Warning to Parents: Encrypted Apps and Grooming

We get real about the dangers of the digital age. With Meta (Facebook and Instagram) moving to end-to-end encryption, it is becoming harder for police to retrieve messages in abduction or exploitation cases.

Megan’s advice is simple but radical:

• Teach the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" of the Internet: Kids need to know what grooming looks like before it happens.

• The Danger of Encryption: If a child is talking to someone on an encrypted app, those messages are gone forever if something happens.

• Empowerment over Fear: "I don't care. Hide your messages from your parents all day long. But if someone is telling you to go on these other [encrypted] apps, do not do it."

Silver Lining of Hope: A New Mission

Megan’s non-profit is dedicated to helping families navigate these nightmare scenarios. From creating flyers to providing "hidden homicide" expertise, she acts as the liaison that many families desperately need.

"Although it is my mother, I can't be emotional about it as much as I want to be. Emotions are not going to help with getting him arrested. I had to learn that, but I can help be that liaison between families and law enforcement."

To learn more about Silver Lining of Hope and to connect Megan click HERE.

CRIME CON 2026

Megan will also be at CrimeCon 2026, and will be joined by Nichole Schmidt, mother of Gabby Petito, for a powerful conversation on justice, warning signs, and turning grief into purpose. Learn more HERE.

Watch or listen to the full episode below!

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~J