Web Desk
Julie Mattson’s Monday morning was off to a rough start. She misplaced her keys, left her camera battery behind, and struggled with a camera strap that kept blocking her shots at a crime scene.
Then, as she prepared to check a body’s surface temperature, the thermometer’s batteries tumbled to the floor.
Frustrated, she joked with colleagues about restarting her day. But the day only got worse. Mattson, a forensic nurse death investigator in Denton County, faced multiple cases, including an overdose, a hanging, and a self-inflicted gunshot death.
Despite the grim start, Mattson lightened the mood in her podcast Pushing Up Lilies.
She mentioned how their town has two Kroger grocery stores—one nicknamed “MILF Kroger” for its attractive shoppers and another called “Murder Kroger” due to its crime history. The discussion set the tone for Episode 137 of her true crime podcast, which she records from her Denton home.
With nearly 30 years of nursing experience, including work in emergency rooms and as a sexual assault nurse examiner, Mattson has hosted her weekly podcast for three years.
Recently, she celebrated reaching 50,000 subscribers. She also launched a YouTube channel, Brains, Body Bags and Bedside Manner, offering behind-the-scenes insights into forensic nursing and sexual assault examination.
One of Mattson’s earliest homicide cases left a lasting impression. The victim had been stabbed over 80 times. Blood covered the walls and door of a Houston home, where the victim’s children slept in the next room.
In the morning, they told a neighbor their mother wouldn’t wake up but didn’t mention the blood. The neighbor, unaware of the violent scene, assumed she had passed out from drinking.
“That case made me realize how evil people can be,” Mattson recalled. “Those kids will never forget what they saw.”
Mattson, who grew up in Valley View, Texas, pursued nursing at North Central Texas College and the University of Texas at Arlington.
She later earned a forensic death investigator certification from Saint Louis University and joined the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office in 2006.
Her interest in forensic investigations grew while working as a sexual assault nurse examiner in Denton County.
She conducted forensic examinations on victims of all ages and testified as an expert witness.
“Forensics helps solve crimes in ways many people don’t realize,” she said.
Unlike the glamorous portrayals of crime scene investigations on TV, Mattson’s reality includes unpleasant odors, corpse flies, and grueling work.
When she met her husband, he quickly learned the job’s challenges.
“She smells terrible sometimes,” he admitted, laughing. “She’ll come home after a long day, covered in sweat and insect repellent, with the scent of decomposition still lingering.”
Despite the harsh realities, Mattson has dedicated 14 years to death investigations in Denton County. She also runs The Filling Station, a medical spa she opened in 2019.
Mattson launched Pushing Up Lilies after receiving constant questions about her work.
Many wanted to know if real investigations resembled TV dramas. Others sought advice on becoming forensic nurse death investigators.
She records her podcast episodes at home and sends them to an editor in California for production. The podcast is available on Apple, iHeartMedia, and Spotify.
Capt. Orlando Hinojosa of the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, who has known Mattson for over 20 years, praised her professionalism.
“She’s meticulous and energetic,” Hinojosa said. “She gives 100% in every role she takes on.”
A spa client who worked in podcasting connected Mattson with an industry expert, helping her launch Pushing Up Lilies.
Since its start in 2022, the podcast has gained a strong following, drawing interest from nurses and families seeking help with unsolved cases.
Mattson hopes to monetize her podcast and expand her reach. She recently started a YouTube channel to take advantage of ad revenue and created a subscription-based crime-themed box, Serial Box.
Additionally, she appeared on The Blox, an entrepreneur competition show on Amazon Prime, to promote her podcast.
Though she invests time and money into the podcast without major financial returns, Mattson remains passionate about her work.
“It’s like being a teacher,” she said. “You don’t do it for the money—you do it because you love it.”
