Mar 17, 2026 · 30 min · 15 segments
New evidence in Todd’s death leads to a theory of motive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Josh MankiewiczHostCindy SommerGuest
Somewhere over that vast expanse of snow-capped mountains and quilted plains that day in November 2005, the conversation between the NCIS special agent and the investigator from the San Diego DA's office would have naturally touched on the purpose of their flight, their investigation into the untimely death of Marine Sergeant Todd Summer nearly four years earlier.
Family members described him as always being an athlete, uh, playing basketball and baseball.
He typified a, uh, a standard Marine who was maintaining his physical fitness regimen.
According to witness statements, one of the first things she talked about was how well off this particular Marine was.
Had a very nice vehicle, very nice car.
Again, had parents who were, in her mind, very well off because of the business they owned.
her?Couldn't tell you
Based on witness statements and interviews that we did with his family, they, they indicated that he loved her and wanted to marry her, and there were members of his family who tried to talk him out of it.
I couldn't tell you that.
Again, based on what family members are saying, he seemed the, the main focus was that he loved her, he enjoyed having her kids, he liked having the children, and that was, seemed to be the motivation for what he was doing.
More than two years had passed since stratospheric levels of arsenic had been discovered in tissues taken from Todd Sommer's body.
Ever since, the investigators had done a dicey dance with their sole suspect, Todd's wife, Cindy Sommer.
It was a dance in which only those who could hear the music knew the steps, and Cindy, she heard only crickets.
She still had no idea her late husband's death had been ruled a homicide, and that she was the only suspect.
Someone intentionally administered this poison and killed him.
Well, who would benefit from that? And there was only one name that kept coming up.
And so with the kind of delicate deliberation one might expect of an explosives expert disarming a bomb, they interviewed people who knew Cindy well, people who had never been interviewed before.
Somewhere over that vast expanse of snow-capped mountains and quilted plains that day in November 2005, the conversation between the NCIS special agent and the investigator from the San Diego DA's office would have naturally touched on the purpose of their flight, their investigation into the untimely death of Marine Sergeant Todd Summer nearly four years earlier.
Family members described him as always being an athlete, uh, playing basketball and baseball.
He typified a, uh, a standard Marine who was maintaining his physical fitness regimen.
According to witness statements, one of the first things she talked about was how well off this particular Marine was.
Had a very nice vehicle, very nice car.
Again, had parents who were, in her mind, very well off because of the business they owned.
her?Couldn't tell you
Based on witness statements and interviews that we did with his family, they, they indicated that he loved her and wanted to marry her, and there were members of his family who tried to talk him out of it.
I couldn't tell you that.
Again, based on what family members are saying, he seemed the, the main focus was that he loved her, he enjoyed having her kids, he liked having the children, and that was, seemed to be the motivation for what he was doing.
More than two years had passed since stratospheric levels of arsenic had been discovered in tissues taken from Todd Sommer's body.
Ever since, the investigators had done a dicey dance with their sole suspect, Todd's wife, Cindy Sommer.
It was a dance in which only those who could hear the music knew the steps, and Cindy, she heard only crickets.
She still had no idea her late husband's death had been ruled a homicide, and that she was the only suspect.
Someone intentionally administered this poison and killed him.
Well, who would benefit from that? And there was only one name that kept coming up.
And so with the kind of delicate deliberation one might expect of an explosives expert disarming a bomb, they interviewed people who knew Cindy well, people who had never been interviewed before.
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