Pushed: Florence Unger

·1 hr 36 min·5 clips

Mark Unger screams and jumps into the water but doesn't touch his wife's body, with no visible tears.

This episode examines the 2003 death of Florence "Flo" Unger at a Michigan lakeside resort during a contentious divorce. Hosts Jill and Dick, a married true crime podcasting duo, investigate the suspicious circumstances and the subsequent focus on her husband, Mark Unger. The Ungers were at the Inn of Watervale for a weekend trip with their two young sons amidst their divorce proceedings. Mark Unger, a former sports radio personality, had a history of addiction to gambling and prescription drugs and had recently completed a months-long rehab program. Florence Unger had filed for divorce in August 2003, seeking full physical custody and citing Mark's addictions and her feeling of being repulsed by him. Friends like Lori Glass and Kate Ostroff knew Flo feared Mark's reaction and had advised against the trip. On the morning of October 25, Mark called resort owner Lynn Duncan, sobbing that Flo had not come home. Maggie Duncan discovered Flo's body floating face-down near the boathouse, with a pink-tinged fluid in the water and a quilt, candles, and broken glass on the concrete. The boathouse railing was damaged, but investigators noted no blood trail leading from the concrete deck into the water. Mark Unger's behavior after the discovery was described as erratic, cycling between sobbing and calm, and he was urgently packed to leave. Flo's mother, Claire Stern, accused Mark of killing her daughter during a phone call that morning. Sheriff's Deputy Troy Packard and state detectives secured the scene, treating the death as suspicious from the outset. Mark gave an incomplete written account and ended a police interview when asked if he had pushed Flo from the deck. A key insight is the immediate and widespread suspicion among Flo's friends and family that Mark was responsible, based on his known volatility and the contentious divorce. The forensic incongruity of the scene—a body in the water without a blood trail from where blood was pooled—suggested the death was not a simple accident. Mark's substantial disability insurance payouts of about $10,000 a month presented a financial dynamic that some saw as reducing his motivation to work. Flo had confided in friends about quietly setting aside money in anticipation of the divorce, highlighting the marital financial strain. The detailed divorce questionnaires probing Mark's addiction history were described as a profound betrayal that escalated adversarial tensions. Despite her fear, Flo insisted on the family trip to maintain a united front for her children, a decision friends saw as risky. The tone is conversational and investigative, with the hosts narrating the story in a detailed, chronological style. The style is educational, methodically presenting the facts, timeline, and perspectives from police reports, friends, and family. Listeners who enjoy methodical, fact-based deep dives into unresolved true crime cases with complex marital and psychological dynamics would appreciate this episode. Those who prefer fast-paced resolutions or definitive conclusions might find the episode's focus on building suspicion and procedural detail less engaging.

As heard by us

A measured true-crime episode that centers Flo, the investigation, and the way rumor can distort a murder case.

This episode treats Florence Unger as a person first, not just a victim, and it stays close to the details of her life, her last known moments, and the people around her. It moves through rumor, silence, and the gaps in the record with a steady hand, which suits the case well.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a case built from Flo Unger's last known moments, the people who crossed her path, and the suspicion that followed.

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