Haunted - The Rise and Fall of The Constantinos

Episode # 50 The Murder-Suicide of Mark and Debby Constantino

[Shaun] 

Mark and Debby Constantino were an overnight success in the paranormal world. With a combination of charisma, eagerness for the job and some excellent connections in the industry, things were happening for them quickly.

[John] 

But when the cameras were gone, their relationship was plagued not by the paranormal, but by domestic violence. Despite some amazing breaks, it all started crashing down for them as alcohol, ego, and public conflict started taking their toll.

[Sherry]

The toxicity between Mark and Debby wasn't new by any stretch. Friends and co-workers were well aware or at least had strong suspicions about what was going on. Mostly they just tried to ignore the public shouting and profanity. None of them could ever have imagined how tragically it would end.

(Music - Pause for 8 seconds)

[Shaun] 

Hi and welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast, where we focus on cases that deal with domestic violence, as well as missing persons and unsolved cases. I’m your host, Shaun, and with me as always, is the one and only John.

[John] 

I am the only John in the room.

[Shaun] 

Well, it’s spooky season and domestic violence awareness month, and for our last regular episode of October, we’re diving into the tragic story of Debra "Debby" Constantino and her husband, Mark Constantino. They were both known for their work in the paranormal community, particularly for their appearances on Ghost Adventures. 

We are honored to welcome a very special guest, Sherry Ryan, from the Alleged Actually podcast. Sherry reached out to us to team up and collaborate so we could cover the case we are discussing today, and I’m so grateful she did. 

Sherry will you introduce yourself and tell us why you wanted to cover Debby and Mark Constantino?

[Sherry] -

Thank you so much, Shaun, and the one and only John! I’m Sherry Ryan, the host of the Alleged Actually Podcast, where we dive into reality show recaps and pop culture discussions. I’m also a big True Crime enthusiast, so I really admire what you do on Sins and Survivors, especially your focus on raising awareness about domestic violence.

I came across the story of Debby and Mark Constantino in one of my reality TV fan groups, and I was immediately drawn to it. Their tale is both compelling and tragic, featuring a charismatic couple who were deeply involved in ghost hunting. The show Ghost Adventures has a massive following, and the Constantinos appeared in several popular episodes that fans loved.  It seemed from the feedback that the fans were left with so many unanswered questions after the death of the couple.

I thought it would be amazing to collaborate with you both, as the worlds of reality TV and true crime often times do collide. So here we are!

[John] 

Shaun has been discussing doing a collaboration like this for a while now… her thought was that we should find a podcast with an entirely different focus than ours, and find some topic where there was overlap, so this was perfect. 

This tragic case is an example of a very toxic relationship, that ended in tragedy, and has many of the elements we cover, but also touches on an aspect of the reality TV world, ghost hunting.

At least in my mind, the ghost-hunting genre is at least reality-tv-adjacent. There are a TON of these types of shows, but Zak Bagans Ghost Adventures is one of the originals, having run for 16 seasons so far starting in 2004 when we lived in essentially an entirely different world.

Also, this will be a two-part episode, because Sherry set up an interview with Janice Oberding, who literally wrote the book about the Constantinos. That book is called “Demon Song” 

She is the one who taught them the EVP techniques that they used on the show and was close with them early on in their careers.

We were lucky enough to join in on that interview with Janice, and her interview also drops today on the Alleged Actually Podcast.. Once you get through here make sure you go listen to that interview.. Janice has some never-before-heard insights on Debby and Mark that you don't want to miss.

[Shaun] 

It was fascinating talking to Janice, thank you so much for asking us to collaborate on this episode. We’ll have more about the interview later in this episode, but for now, I’ll get us started by talking about Debby. 

She was born on October 17th, 1962 in New Jersey, and according to Janice, she grew up across the street from a graveyard which spurred her interest in ghosts and the supernatural, even going so far as to claim that she grew up in a haunted house.

Debbie has said that when she was 14 years old, she told her mom she wanted to visit the site of the Amityville Horror on Long Island, about an hour away from where she lived in New Jersey. 6 members of a family were found dead there in 1974, and the event spawned quite a few movies and grew to legendary status in the paranormal world, with the assumption being that the house was haunted. 

Mark and Debby were married in 1989, and have two adult daughters, Raquel and Alyssa.

One thing to note, Debby gave birth to twin girls in 1991. One of the girls, Sienna, died at just 6 months old. There is a lot of speculation online about what caused Mark and Debby to get interested in the paranormal industry, but it seems true that it was at least partly due to the loss of Sienna. They seemed to want to learn more about the possibility of life after death, and whether or not you can communicate with loved ones who have passed on.

I’m not sure which of their daughters, Raquel or Alyssa, is the surviving twin. 

They also both had the desire to become wealthy and famous and with the rise of the popularity of the paranormal, they definitely saw an opportunity

[Sherry]

Mark was also from New Jersey and was born on January 30, 1962.  Debby believed she possessed some special gifts that allowed her to sense and communicate with spirits, but Mark was equally invested in learning about paranormal investigation techniques. 

Mark and Debbie moved to Northern Nevada, near Reno in 2000, and in 2004, he took a class on ghost hunting and spirituality at Truckee Meadows Community College taught by Janice Oberding.

[John] 

Mark and one of his daughters attended the class (without Debby), and they asked to record the class for her, explaining that she was interested but couldn't make it, and they wanted to share everything they learned with her. 

Janice said that this stood out to her, so when the two later attended a retreat she hosted in Virginia City, Nevada, Janice remembered them. 

When talking about Mark and Debby she definitely saw a difference. She said that Debby was more knowledgeable about paranormal investigating techniques, but Mark was enthusiastic about learning.

As we said, and I’ll repeat, Mark was also VERY interested in fame and fortune so it's not clear if he was as invested in the industry as Debbie was. She also said that as she got to know the couple, she thought that Debby really had a personality that people would be interested in watching and that as a couple she thought they would do well. Their back and forth and “bickering” was entertaining, like a married couple on a sitcom. 

They used simple terms and seemed approachable and were very likable. She said that Debby could be extremely charming when she chose to “turn it on”. She also noted that when Debby met important people in the industry she always turned on that charm, and that really helped them succeed.

[Shaun] 

Mark and Debby worked to become experts in EVP – Electronic voice phenomenon. This is a technique where you use a special kind of recorder that captures multiple frequencies. Ghost hunters and paranormal investigators will use EVP recorders to capture voices and sounds, which they claim to be messages from ghosts or spirits.

Sherry, I know you watched more episodes of Ghost Adventures than I did. What else would you add about EVP? 

[Sherry]

EVP is a common feature in ghost-hunting reality shows, and Debby and Mark Constantino quickly gained a reputation as experts in this field. Janice recognized their star quality and began introducing them to notable figures in the paranormal TV world, including Zak Bagans. It didn’t take long for Zak to realize that the Constantinos brought something unique to the table. Debby, in particular, had a remarkable talent for engaging with spirits, often prompting Mark to say, “The ghosts like her… they want to talk to her.” And talk they did.

Several memorable episodes of Ghost Adventures featured the Constantinos, showcasing significant EVP captures. One standout episode, titled "Queen Mary," highlighted Debby’s ability to communicate with a ghost named Jackie, believed to be the spirit of a little girl haunting the once-luxurious ship. This location is now recognized as one of the most haunted places on Earth.

[Shaun]

It's funny you mention the Queen Mary. John and I have always been interested in that ship which is permanently docked in Long Beach California. We were there just a few days ago! 

They have a haunted house event where ghost figures from the ship’s past haunt mazes on the ship and it's a bit of a carnival atmosphere. 

We’ve stayed on the ship a couple of times since it’s back to operating as a hotel again, but this time it was haunted by scary taxes and fees so we just stayed at an Air BnB. 

[John] 

Many people who live in Vegas or have visited here know about Zak Bagans. His haunted museum is in downtown Vegas near the arts district, and we’ve visited it. It was pretty interesting, and some of the things they have are just disturbing, 

To be clear, I’m a skeptic, and I went into the “haunted” museum with that mindset, but I found it very interesting how many people seem to really believe in ghosts, demons and hauntings. For example, they have what they claim is a “haunted mirror” and to make it “extra scary” they didnt “allow” anyone under 18 to look at the mirror because.. reasons.

Adults were allowed to look at this terrifying item, and I gazed into its depths I came away only having seen the one and only John, and as far as I'm aware, I wasn't possessed by demons or whatever. 

I was a little disappointed, I was hoping that I’d see hands trying to push through it or something. Maybe the demons just avoid a science guy like me though.

When we were researching this case, it was kind of fun to see several places that Shaun and I have visited on these haunted Nevada lists. Like Goldfield or the Clown Motel in Tonopah. 

If you dont know about the Clown Motel In Tonopah, you need to google that as soon as you can. It’s exactly what the name implies and it didnt disappoint.. It’s even built next to a spooky old graveyard filled with Nevada residents who were killed in a mine fire in the early 1900s.

Sadly, we didnt see any ghosts then, but the hotel is fun and creepy… or maybe terrifying depending on how you feel about clowns.

[Shaun] 

Janice thought that Debby and Mark had the potential to achieve “para-celeb” status, that’s a celebrity in the paranormal field, like Zak Bagans, so as you mentioned sherry, she introduced them to Zak when they asked her to, along with other para celebs. 

She was right, and their down-to-earth nature and charming public personalities got them noticed and before long they were being asked along on ghost-hunting investigations including being featured on Ghost Adventures with Zak.

Janice also noticed – I guess it might have been a little difficult not to notice – that Debby was incredibly jealous. She was suspicious of any women being around Mark. Janice wrote in her book that Debby had told her that Janice was the only woman that she could trust to be around Mark.

It wasn't only women that Debby was jealous of though. Janice recounted a story of a night where they met a well-known person in the paranormal world for dinner. He was much more interested in talking to Mark for whatever reason, and Debby told Janice that she thought (without any evidence at all), that he was gay and was “after Mark”. 

Later that night Debby blew up at Mark when she caught him talking to two women about horoscopes after he told them his birthday. It was one of the first examples Janice saw of them having a public fight based on jealousy, and she pointed out to them that it wasn't a good look for people in the public eye.

This started happening a LOT, and in front of other people, about Mark paying too much attention to women that Debby thought were getting too close to her husband. The stories that Janice included in her book – the way Debby would curse at Mark or call the women sluts or bitches.

It was really intense. 

This was the toxic part of their relationship that was on display for everyone to see. 

[Sherry]

It was this toxic behavior that would ultimately start to impact the relationships that Debby and Mark relied so heavily on in the paranormal community.  One instance in particular was also mentioned in the book Demon Song.  With the grumbling about their fighting and rumors of domestic violence becoming more widely known,  they found themselves cut out of participating in events that they once were sought after for.  

Nick Groff had a Virginia City event in 2015 that Debby in particular was so excited to be a part of.  Debby reached out to Groff to see if she could possibly do the event on her own because at this point their marriage was falling apart. Groff feared that the drama that came with the couple would ruin his popular and lucrative event.  So he cut them from the lineup altogether.  

Debby was crushed.

[John] 

When we started researching Debby and Mark, we assumed we’d be able to just turn on Hulu and see them in some of the old episodes, so we could learn more about their relationship and what they did on the shows, and see their dynamic in action

It turns out those episodes are no longer available on streaming. I looked it up, and I guess Zak and the producers decided it would be best to just remove those episodes in their entirely. We did try to find some clips on YouTube and we did see some, but it’s surprising that you can’t find their episodes on streaming anymore. Sherry, what did you think about that?

[Sherry]

I was honestly surprised by that.  I know that after the tragedy, Zak naturally had a really hard time.  Though he was friends with both of them, when the marriage began to fall apart he sided with Debby. In light of the tragic way the couple died Zak and producers made the call to remove the episodes.  It’s not uncommon , VH-1 had a popular reality show called, I Love Money.  The season 3 the winner, Ryan Jenkins, murdered his wife, model Jasmine Fiore in August 2009.  It was a very gruesome and tragic end for her at just 28 year old.  When he was officially charged with murder, days later he was found deceased of an apparent suicide.  VH-1 not only chose to not air season three, but ultimately canceled the show after that. So yeah it definitely happens.

[John]

So the Constantinos were in the paranormal reality TV world and getting more and more popular. Janice told stories of several investigations they went on together including a very popular location a few hours north of Las Vegas, Goldfield. 

Goldfield was the largest city in Nevada at one time due to the discovery of… as you might have guessed, gold, in 1903. It experienced a huge population and economic boom from 1903 to about the mid 1920’s when the production started decreasing, and now there are just over 200 people who live there.

The Goldfield Hotel is known in the paranormal world as an actively haunted place and the Constantinos visited there with Janice on an investigation in 2013, before they really had their surge in popularity.

Janice recounted this investigation in Demon Song and described that as they were investigating, Debbie recorded some EVP which was actually Janice’s voice. 

She was talking during the recording and the recorder picked up her voice.. But Mark and Debby somehow convinced themselves that the voices they heard were spirits, not Janice

Janice told them it was a “corrupted EVP” and they should just get rid of it, and definitely not use it…. but instead they essentially used that recording to propel themselves to para celeb stardom. 

Their friendship wasn't the same after that, and shortly after, they were no longer friends, or even speaking.

[Shaun] 

We mentioned earlier about the intense jealousy and constant fighting that the people around the Constantinos had noticed. There were also many criminal acts of domestic violence that occurred over the years. The police had been to the Constantino home many times, and both Mark and Debby had been arrested. 

Janice included in her book that the couple had at different times received Temporary protection orders against each other. One source reported that the police had been to Debby and Mark’s home 10 times between 2012 and 2015. Alcohol seemed to be a factor in many of these arguments, and some of these fights involved one of their adult daughters. In 2012, Debby was arrested for shoving Mark when she was trying to throw their daughter out of the house. 

In June of 2012, Mark and Debby were the highlight of an event being held at the Washoe Club. Tickets were sold for $99 each and guests would be able to do some paranormal investigating with the couple. However, on the night of the event, Debby drank heavily, and according to Janice, she did so many shots that she was so intoxicated that she could barely stand. We don’t know exactly what upset Debby, but she went on a tirade against Mark, swearing at him and even called him a “mother effer.” 

Some of the guests at the event asked for their money back because not only were the two of them arguing, but Debby was so inebriated that she was stumbling her way through the EVP session. It sounds like the whole event was just a complete disaster. 

[Sherry]

Mark and Debby’s colleagues and fans were well aware of their fighting, and it was starting to affect their careers. Dave Schrader, another well-known paranormal investigator, paid them to attend an event at the Stanley Hotel. Many of you may know the Stanley Hotel as the location where the movie The Shining was filmed. 

Debby and Mark had one of their huge fights, and Mark was so angry he walked out and flew home to Reno before their scheduled appearance. Dave Schrader warned them that their careers would not last if they kept up this behavior. 

Both their marriage and their careers were starting to fall apart. 

[John]

It’s also likely (but it's not exactly clear) that Mark was dealing with some serious health issues. Janice wrote in Demon Song that he was looking much older and paler. Debby and Mark had told people that he was unable to work his regular job due to a leg injury and that he had been collecting disability. 

In one of his TPO applications against Debby, he claimed he had gone through chemotherapy. It’s been alleged that the Constantinos may have been using drugs (athough we can't corroborate that), and they were definitely having money issues. 

In March of 2015, in a fight about money, Debby slashed Mark’s arm with a knife which several tabloids reported was a grapefruit knife. Debby was arrested, and Mark again applied for a TPO, but he rescinded it the next day. 

One of the most serious allegations of domestic violence happened on August 8, 2015, and involved one of their daughters, Raquel. As Sherry said, their relationship had completely fallen apart by that point, with Debby having moved out of their home on Daybreak Drive in Sparks and moving in with two roommates in a rental house on Escalera Way in Reno, Summer Myers who was younger than her, and James Anderson, who was a bit older.

[Shaun] 

On this day in August, Mark lied to Debby. He seemingly lured her back to the house by calling her and telling her that their dog had escaped from their yard. Debby was worried about what had happened to her dog – who was probably lost and terrified.  Debby and Summer drove over to the house, where Mark and their 23-year-old daughter were waiting. 

According to Debby, Mark and Raquel grabbed Debby and Summer and started hitting and beating them. Mark dragged Debby from the car and into the house. He continued to beat her, and even strangled her until she passed out. He threatened to slit her throat with a knife. 

The assault went on for an hour before the police arrived. In Demon Song, Janice quotes Debby saying “I would have died that night.” if it wasn’t for the police. 

Both Mark and their daughter, Raquel, were arrested on charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree domestic battery, and kidnapping in the second-degree for their assault of Debby and Summer. 

[Sherry]

This fact of the case is upsetting. Janice writes in her book that Mark and Raquel were released on bail. These charges were serious, and I think Mark would have gone to prison had this case ever made it to trial. 

I know you both tried to look into the case records for the Constantinos, did you find anything related to why the judge granted them bail? 

[John]

No, unfortunately, we don’t have access to that info, but Shaun and I run into that a lot. 

It seems pretty apparent in hindsight, but things were spiraling out of control. We’ve talked before on show about risk factors and aggravating factors such as alcohol abuse, unemployment, and loss of their sense of self or identity can lead to murder and suicide. 

It feels like every week we say how the most dangerous time for a victim is when they try to leave, and here we are again with another example of that

Rebecca Evans, Life Coach and Spiritual Guide for Debra Constantino compared the situation to the “Frog in a pot analogy”: 

“It was a slow build up, and I don’t think in the beginning of their relationship they had those kinds of problems. The years rolled on, and she said (the domestic issues) progressed.” and “I was really scared for her”

Debby filed for divorce in September of 2015 and was very direct and harsh in her description of their relationship and her demands. She claimed that Mark controlled all of their finances and that he had “bled” their accounts dry. She also wanted full ownership of their paranomal business, saying that she had started the business and that Mark was only “along for the ride”. 

[Shaun]

Early on the morning of September 22nd, around 6:15 am Summer was dropped off by her boyfriend at the home she shared with Debby and James. In the interview she had with Janice, she noted that she thought it was strange that the garage door was open, because Debby took her privacy and security seriously.

Summer went into the house and made a horrible discovery.. Their other roommate Jimmy had been murdered. He was lying in the hallway, having been shot in the head. She and her boyfriend looked for Debby, but she wasn't there, they had no idea where she might be, and of course, they called the Reno police immediately, and Summer told them without hesitation “Mark Constantino did this”

As we mentioned, Reno police were all too familiar with the name Constantino between the mutual restraining orders, the recent wild kidnapping incident, and countless domestic violence incidents, so it seemed reasonable to them to think that this might be another incident of Mark Constantino kidnapping of Debby.

[Sherry]

Police attempted to locate Debby using her cellphone, and it will come as little surprise that they located it and her in their daughter Raquel’s apartment in Sparks. They headed over and officers knocked on the door and heard gunshots according to the Deputy Chief of Police in Reno. 

It was Mark, and he shouted at them through the door, an ominous “Give me 15 minutes to gather my thoughts or I’ll kill her”

Police called in the SWAT and spent the next two hours negotiating with Mark to release Debby. At 1:15 they stopped hearing from him, and then shortly after, heard a single gunshot. They breached the door with explosives and found both Mark and Debby, dead. Mark had shot her twice in the head, and then shot himself.

[John]
Many of the news accounts of the murder of Jimmy Anderson seem to gloss over his tragic murder. Summer’s boyfriend spoke to KTVN Channel 2 In Reno and wants people to remember Jimmy for the kind person he was. He offered Debby a place to stay when she had no other options, even knowing about the couple’s violent history of domestic violence.. He was a generous person who was always thinking of others who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.. He paid for his kindness with his life.

[Sherry]

This stood out to me. According to Janice, three days after their deaths, one of their daughters posted on Facebook that While her father was in heaven watching over her, her mother was burning in hell where she belonged. 

That was a chilling quote.  Imagine feeling that way about your mother.  In some of my research, it was stated that the girls were privy to the fights AND to Debby’s violent outbursts.  There was an instance that was mentioned in an article by a family friend (not Janice) that Debby while drunk got into a fight with Raquel and tried to kick her out the house when she was a teenager.  Apparently they also had a toxic relationship. It was also mentioned that Debby didn’t have much of a relationship with her own mother. Sometimes those cycles repeat.

[Shaun] 

We also want to take a moment to note that in 2016, their daughter, Raquel, pled guilty to the charge of battery against Summer, a misdemeanor. The remaining charges, including the felony burglary, were dropped. 

She received a suspended sentence of 175 days and was directed to undergo anger management and treatment for alcohol abuse.

Summer had received a black eye during the assault, and according to court records she needed to undergo therapy both because of the attack, but also because of Debby’s murder. However, the court did not order Raquel to pay any restitution to Summer. 

During the sentencing, Raquel’s defense attorney stated: “Ms. Constantino has had since that time, perhaps the most horrific situation that could happen to someone.”

The final thing we want to talk about is how the paranormal community dealt with Debby’s murder. 

Janice shared with us in the interview that after their deaths, people divided themselves into two camps – the side that saw Debby as a victim of domestic violence, with Mark as the abusive aggressor, and the other side that saw Debby as being equally aggressive and Mark being pushed to the edge – and even some thinking he was possessed by demons and not acting under his own free will. 

[John]
We took a look at what their fans have said in comment threads and on Reddit, and to be honest, what they were saying were common things that we see all the time with domestic violence cases. There's some victim blaming and a ton of denial and disbelief. These events are so startling and horrifying that we struggle to accept that just an average human would commit them. There were 16 murder-suicides in Nevada in 2023, and it’s not literal demonic possession. It’s probably closer to what Janice said, we all have our figurative demons to battle. 

And, Sherry, I’m interested in getting your opinion on this. In 2020, Zak Bagans went back to the Washoe Club and tried to make contact with Mark and Debby. This event was documented on an episode of Ghost Adventures: the Screaming Room, 5 years after Debby was killed. 

During the episode, the crew specifically called out to Debby and Mark, and Zak shared that it wasn’t fair that Debby was taken and that he’s still really angry with Mark, which is understandable.

What can you tell us about this episode and if you think this is something expected in the world of reality TV?

[Sherry]

Yeah there are mixed thoughts on that episode.  Most fans were looking for it and expected Zak and crew to try to contact them or many of them solely wanted him to contact Debby since most fans see Mark as a monster.  Some think that Zak was using it for ratings but let’s be clear this is what they do.  They try to contact ghosts and it wasn’t surprising to me that they would dedicate an episode to trying to contact the couple.  Zak really had a hard time with this episode though.  You have to tune into the interview to hear Janice’s account of how Zak was feeling.  I don't want to give it away but she talks about their conversation about that.

Look, Reality tv can be exploitative at times.  Paranormal reality tv in particular goes for the shock factor, it speaks to those that share that interest in all things paranormal and it reaches those that have always been curious about ghosts, hauntings and the idea of being able to speak to those that have crossed over.

The thing is, a lot of the time reality tv isn’t real. I mean it is, but it’s heavily produced, scenes are set up, folks are coached to do this or say that.  But in this instance it was very real. The Constantinos were real people, that had real issues and despite how great they were for tv it did not absolve them from the ugliness of domestic violence, nor did it prevent the tragic way that their lives ended.  

[Shaun] 

Tara Bohren Lorentzen wrote the forward of Janice’s book, Demon Song, and I really connected with this quote from her:

“Mark and Debby lived in a cycle of domestic violence. This is not a tale of demonic possession. It’s a glimpse behind the curtain and into the private space of two people… It’s a story about relationships that break and how silent and vicious domestic violence can be… Sometimes the demons that haunt us are of our own making.”

[John]

Sherry, thank you again so much for collaborating with us. As a reminder, head on over to Alleged Actually to hear the full interview with Janice Oberding. 

Janice not only shared info about Debby and Mark, but also included some stories about her adventures in paranormal investigating, so fans of both true crime and the paranormal should definitely check it out. 

Sherry remind everyone where they can find more about your podcast?

[Sherry]

You can find Alleged Actually Podcast on Youtube for all things reality tv, pop culture and some amazing interviews.  Also follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).  It’s been such a pleasure working with you both!!!!! Thank you so much for the amazing collab opportunity!

[Shaun] 

Thank you again Sherry and thank you all again for listening. A reminder that if you or someone you care about is experiencing domestic violence that we have a list of resources available on our website. Also, for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, feelings of hopelessness, any kind of mental stress, you can call 988 and speak to someone who can offer support and resources. 

It’s not your fault and you are not alone.

[Sherry]

Until next time remember what happens here, happens everywhere.