Dateline: Manner Of Death - Who was Matt Podolak and what happened to her? Details of the 2006 murder, explored

The Matt Podolak murder case featured on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered explores how a 31-year-old father suffered a painful and torturous death. What's even more heartbreaking about Podolak's murder is that the case remained unsolved for years until the killer was identified in 2013.

The killer? The very woman he loved: Podolak's live-in girlfriend and fiancée Holly McFeeture. The Ohio man didn't just take care of their two children but also opened his arms to McFeeture's daughter from a previous marriage.

However, the pressure of raising a young family started to weigh on Matt Podolak. He even lost most of his money due to gambling and became increasingly distressed. Despite taking antidepressants, Podolak started experiencing severe back pain.

Little did he know that Holly McFeeture had been poisoning him using antifreeze, a highly toxic liquid that can damage the kidneys, brain, and heart. In Podolak's case, his kidneys began to fail, and he was declared dead after being hospitalized.

Continue reading to learn more about the brutal killing featured on the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode.

Matt Podolak murder case explored on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

Matt Podolak with one of his kids (Image via Oxygen True Crime)

The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode Manner of Death came out in November 2022 and remains a chilling murder case of a young father. While Matt Podolak was deeply in love with Holly McFeeture, prosecutors argued that she wanted him dead.

As mentioned above, Matt Podolak's health started deteriorating in 2006 and was also being treated for kidney stones. Just four days into his treatment, Podolak began experiencing chronic back pain and was rushed to the Parma General Hospital in Ohio.

The doctors tried to save Podolak's life, but his blood had already become incredibly acidic, resulting in his shocking death. Almost three months later, it was revealed that Podolak died from ethylene glycol poisoning, a key ingredient in antifreeze.

The prosecutors who worked on Podolak's case explained that McFeeture poisoned Podolak's raspberry iced tea. As stated by Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Brian McDonough (via ABC News):

"No possible way to know that someone was poisoning him except his body showed the signs. He fell in love with the wrong woman. She was toxic to him."

Antifreeze is a liquid generally used for car engines and is deadly for humans and animals. Since it has a sweet taste, Holly McFeeture used it to kill her partner and father of three. Per CBS, she began spiking Podolak's raspberry ice tea on January 26, 2006, until he experienced chronic pain and died after a few days on January 31.

As shown in the Dateline episode, there wasn't an official ruling of a homicide, leaving Matt Podolak's death unsolved for years. Three years after Podolak's death, Detective Sgt. Mike Quinn took charge of the case, and the suspicion began to grow.

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Holly McFeeture's behavior raised eyebrows

Holly McFeeture with the kids (Image via Oxygen True Crime)

When asked about her fiancé's death, Holly McFeeture suggested that someone from Podolak's workplace might have poisoned him out of jealousy. She also claimed that some of his coworkers didn't seem to have liked Matt Podolak and resented his potential promotion.

According to Dateline, the woman stated:

"There was some people at his job, they had not liked him. It was his uncle’s company and um, people I think were a little jealous. He was supposed to get a promotion and I think there were some people who didn’t think he deserved it."

However, her story wasn't quite convincing, and Matt Podolak's family believed she was hiding the truth. Not only this, but they also noticed McFeeture barely showing any emotion at Podalak's service, raising suspicion.

Per the victim's brother, the couple had a troubled relationship, and Matt couldn't leave McFeeture for the sake of their kids. While he wanted to stay close to his children, McFeeture's actions resulted in his untimely death.

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A chilling confession led to Holly McFeeture's conviction

Holly McFeeture is guilty of the crime (Image via Oxygen True Crime)

While the investigators didn't have concrete evidence to prove Holly McFeeture killed Matt Podolak, there were suspicious financial activities. Soon after the murder, she emptied Podolak's bank and was even arrested for forgery.

However, McFeeture claimed she was just protecting her children. The lack of proof allowed Holly McFeeture to live her life without consequence. The shift came after six years, as prosecutors finally managed to build a case against her.

The prosecution presented the testimony of two key witnesses: Rebecca Vega and Jamison Kennedy. Vega is a former friend of Holly McFeeture who opened up about seeing antifreeze in McFeeture's kitchen at the time of the murder.

Additionally, McFeeture's ex-boyfriend Jaminson Kennedy testified that the woman confessed to killing Matt Podolak during an emotional and drunken night. However, Kennedy's criminal record made it hard to prove that he wasn't lying.

It took almost three years of deliberation when the jury finally declared Holly McFeeture guilty of Matt Podolak's murder in 2013. As explained in the Dateline episode, McFeeture was given a life sentence with a possibility of parole after 34 years and is currently behind bars.

While the prosecution was able to bring justice to Matt Podolak, it serves as a reminder of how betrayals can be deadly.