MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Fan Favorite - "Murder and Meditation"

March 27, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Michael Dohaquez, a 45-year-old yoga instructor, machinist, and musician known to students as MAD, was found dead on the porch of his Tucson home on September 26, 2003, from a close-range gunshot to the forehead. His body, still warm in the muggy heat, suggested a recent killing, with defensive wounds on his hands and scattered musical gear hinting at a robbery interrupted by the victim. Detective Ben Jimenez's investigation soon unraveled multiple promising leads, revealing how environmental factors misled the timeline and pointed to an unlikely killer.

Discovery and Robbery Theory

A dog walker spotted Dohaquez's legs on the porch at 6:30 a.m. Friday, leading to a 911 call. Jimenez noted the bullet wound with star-shaped gunpowder burns, blood on the porch, and scratches indicating a struggle. Inside, broken glass near the door and musical instruments stacked outside suggested thieves fleeing mid-job after Dohaquez confronted them. His workshop tools were untouched, supporting a panic getaway.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **Intro Hook** - Neighbor questioned by detective about Michael, later sees suspicious men entering his house
2 (01:53) **Michael's Yoga Class Ends** - Michael Dohaquez finishes teaching, invites students and girlfriend Amber for drinks
3 (03:49) **Michael Calls Amber** - Invites shy Amber to group outing despite rocky relationship
4 (05:58) **Group at Bar, Then Couple Alone** - Evening progresses to fights between Michael and drunk Amber
5 (07:48) **Body Discovery** - Dog walker spots Michael's legs on porch; passerby confirms death and calls 911
6 (09:57) **Detective Jimenez Arrives** - Examines bullet wound, defensive scratches, warm body, music gear on porch
7 (13:35) **Burglary Division Lead** - Links to recent arrests of Keyes and Wynne nearby, who stole guitar

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 359.

One September afternoon in 2003, a woman in Tucson, Arizona, heard a knock on her front door and answered it. She was surprised to see a Tucson police detective standing on her front steps, and even more surprised when the detective started asking a bunch of questions about her next door neighbor. The woman was a law-abiding citizen, and she didn’t know anything. The detective gave her his business card and asked her to call him if that changed, but as she closed the door, she was pretty sure she would never have any reason to talk to him again. That was until a few days later, when she looked out her front window and saw two sweaty men jump out of a van and walk up the steps into her neighbor’s house. She watched for a few minutes, with her heart racing, realizing that what she was watching might very well be the coverup of a murder. She let the curtain fall and ran to her purse, to dig out the detective’s business card.

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