Panic True Queer Crime: Recent Episodes
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Panic: Queer True Crime, a podcast, and youtube channel featuring stories about the life and death of queer folks.
To watch any of the true-crime episodes join me at Panic on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
A little bit about Panic.
I created this true-crime channel to focus on the life and death of queer folk.
I called the channel Panic because, for much more of the recorded history of LGBTQ+ people, there’s always been a panic.
The primary focus of the channel is an investigation of homophobia through hate crimes murders and intimate partner violence which is underreported in the queer community.
Panic is both a podcast and a YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@panicqueertruecrime
Sometimes being queer can be murder.
Join me!
Check out the first two seasons of the podcast for a little something different.
This is one of those stories whose details are almost too surreal to believe, but they also provide a sharp insight into what can happen when a group of people is ostracized and treated like pariahs. In 1952, 34, Dale Jennings went into a public restroom and was propositioned by a vice cop. When Jennings showed no interest, the cop followed him home, barged his way inside, and attempted to seduce Jennings before finally just arresting him. Unbeknownst to the vice squad, Jennings was one of the founding members of the Mattachine Society, which later evolved into the Mattachine Foundation. The members banded together, raised money for Jennings' defense, and launched a campaign to end the practice of entrapment.
Years Before Stonewall: The Dewey's Sit-In
In 1965, activists staged a sit-in at a popular spot for queer folks, Dewey's in Philadelphia. Dewey's, like lots of spots across the USA, would often allow queer folks in, take their money, then call the police when they were tired of their custom.
Two Encore Stories
How Chris Bearchell Led a Toronto Bathhouse Uprising. In 1981, Toronto police raided 4 gay bathhouses in Operation Soap—arresting 253 men. Activist and organizer Chris Bearchell turned rage into revolution. Bearchell stood up at the protest and started the iconic proclamation. A chant that led 3,000+ demonstrators in Canada's first massive gay rights uprising.
The Black Cat Raid
On New Year's Eve 1966, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, triggering one of the earliest LGBTQ civil rights protests in U.S. history. There was another bar raided on the same night as the Black Cat, two patrons were arrested bring the total to 16. The protest against police violence across Los Angeles was one of the first protests where LGBTQ+ folks joined in common cause with members of the African American and Latino communities, also protesting violence at the hands of police.
To watch any of these episodes, check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic
Thanks to Million Podcasts for including this podcast in its list of top 100 podcasts.
To see the complete list: https://www.millionpodcasts.com/california-true-crime-podcasts/
Thanks to Freespot for including Panic in the top ten queer podcasts:
https://podcast.feedspot.com/queer_true_crime_podcasts/
Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs
and news in one place.
Susan Hyde
In 1978, the women's tennis team at California State University, Northridge was rocked by a grisly murder borne out of jealousy. Susan Hyde and her partner of several years, Janis Hasse, lived and worked together on campus, but Hasse's relationship with 21, Loni Andersen, carried on even though Hasse lived with Hyde. When Hyde was out of town, Hasse and Andersen would get together. Finally, Hasse ended the affair, and though Andersen seemed to move on, she was silently plotting and planning to get back together with Hasse, but it would all end in murder.
Robert Evans
In 1986, Robert Evans went missing until his body was found beaten, battered, and bruised. His killer would be a young man who had developed a penchant for cruising gay men and robbing them; in this case, a victim stood between him and what he wanted. The trial's ending might surprise you.
Fred Pletka
In 1977, the nude bodies of Robert Schmeckpeper and James King were found in their Sioux City trailer, setting off a case that would spiral into a brutal trial and a disturbing legal defense. Fred Pletka was eventually convicted, but the way the crime was framed says as much about the era's prejudice as it does about the murders themselves.
The Black Cat
On New Year's Eve 1966, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, triggering one of the earliest LGBTQ civil rights protests in U.S. history. There was another bar raided on the same night as the Black Cat, two patrons were arrested bring the total to 16. The protest against police violence across Los Angeles was one of the first protests where LGBTQ+ folks joined in common cause with members of the African American and Latino communities, also protesting violence at the hands of police.
To watch any of these episode check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic
In this episode, the murder of Richard Heakin for whom San Francisco's Butterfly Brigade was named.
On June 6, 1976, 21-year-old Richard Heakin of Lincoln, Nebraska, was leaving Tucson's Stonewall Tavern, a gay bar, when a group of teenage boys attacked him in the dirt parking lot. They had reportedly gone there "looking for fags to beat up," and witnesses saw them kicking Richard on the ground before one landed a brutal blow to his neck that proved fatal. He died shortly afterward at the University of Arizona Medical Center.
In April of 2023, in 48 hours period, Jer Auntey Pleasant lured San Antonio, Texas, Larry Wilson, and Joseph West. In April 2023, two gay men were lured through Grindr and murdered days apart, leaving a terrified community and a digital trail of evidence. In this short, we break down how the killer targeted his victims, what went wrong in those final meetings, and how investigators finally connected the dots.
Ed (Edward) Cornes was a 19‑year‑old gay first‑year history student at University College London who was found dead in a King's Cross hotel basement room in October 2021. The two men arrested for death were released, and the case was closed. The Cornes' family believes the investigation into their son's death was tainted by homophobic assumptions on the part of the Metropolitan Police.
On February 22, 2026, at 2:31 a.m., Orlando Police responded to a shooting outside Savoy Orlando nightclub on N Orange Ave. 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz was found with a gunshot wound during chaotic closing time—patrons scattering as cars passed and tensions boiled over into deadly violence.
To watch any of these episode check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic
While researching the 1976 murder of Robert Hillsborough, I encountered references to San Francisco's Butterfly Brigade — officially known as the Richard Heakin Memorial Butterfly Brigade. Why would a hate crime murder in Arizona become the rallying cry for LGBTQ+ folks in San Francisco? In researching that question, I stumbled on five murders, including Mr. Heakins. In this episode, a 1970s gay community under siege, and the uneven application of justice. In this first episode, two 1974 murders committed by shockingly young perpetrators and a third committed by a group of teens police seemed to identify, interview, and release. Thanks for joining me for Hunted: Part One. 📜 Sources, links, and the Robert Hillsborough case video can be found here: https://youtube.com/shorts/-4rimvr69RU
Panic Queer True Crime, uncovering hidden queer history through true crime. The channel covers crimes in two categories: violence fueled by hate and intimate partner violence. In addition, we cover stories of LGBTQ+ folks targeted by extortion, arrest, and other forms of life-altering violence that don't result in murder. These stories deserve our loving attention, because sometimes being queer can be murder.
If you'd like to watch this episode: https://youtu.be/zOPufn1wBm8
In this episode an update, stories of intimate partner violence, and folks you should know about. I wanted to bookend the episode with a story of bravery and power. Please stick around til the end, you will want to know about Chris Bearchell. She rocks.
I'd like to thank Feedspot for alerting us to the amazing fact that Panic: queer True Crime is, for the second year, in the top ten most listened to queer true crime podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot and thanks to you for making it happen. Hugs! Fanny & Stella: A Wild, Wild Victorian Ride Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park were "respectable" Victorian gentlemen who found freedom onstage as Fanny and Stella. Their drag performances thrilled audiences across 1860s–70s England—until they brought their show into the streets. Their arrest and scandalous trial exposed the era's hypocrisy and crushed both love and ambition. Fanny, Stella, and their circle lived boldly in a world that punished authenticity, making them pioneers to be celebrated.
2025 Update: Justice for Jimmie 'Jay' Lee in the Ole Miss Murder Case After an 11–1 mistrial and the later discovery of Jimmie "Jay" Lee's body, Timothy Herrington Jr. took a plea deal for Lee's killing. The judge said Mississippi "got it right this time," yet the state still lacks LGBTQ+ protections or hate crime coverage. Both young men had promising futures ended by homophobia—a reminder that being gay isn't deadly, but hate is.
Her Short, Brilliant Life Was Cut Short by Violence When Girlalala (LaLa) and her boyfriend, Shanoyd Whyte Jr., fought on November 14, 2025, tragedy struck. Whyte pulled a gun and killed LaLa, leaving the community in shock. Intimate partner violence is alarmingly high in the trans community—but help is available. If you or someone you know is in danger, please seek support.
Timothy Smith Murder Trial Update Timothy Smith and Herbert Swilley seemed the picture of happiness in Ocala, Florida—until coworkers found Smith dead in March 2023. He'd been drugged, strangled, and left in a staged scene. Months later, Swilley was charged with first-degree premeditated murder.
Warrior Chris Bearchell: "No More Sht" Christine "Chris" Bearchell was a fearless Canadian lesbian activist who helped reshape LGBTQ+ rights. From challenging sexist dress codes in high school to leading protests after Toronto's 1981 bathhouse raids, she fought back against police harassment and public shaming. A founder of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and key voice in securing Ontario's human rights protections, she also championed sex workers' rights and HIV/AIDS outreach. Bearchell died in 2007 at 53—remembered as a visionary warrior who deserves wider recognition.
You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE National Hotlines and Support National Domestic Violence Hotline Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Text: Text "START" to 88788 Live Chat & Information: thehotline.org Services are available 24/7, confidential, and support all individuals regardless of identity or background. Trans Lifeline: A trans-led hotline providing emotional support and crisis intervention for trans people. Call 877-565-8860 or visit translifeline.org. The Network/La Red: A 24-hour confidential hotline for LGBTQ+ people experiencing domestic violence. Call 617-742-4911 (local) or 800-832-1901 (toll-free). If you or someone you know is in danger: Call 9-1-1 immediately. Please subscribe and share this story. These stories deserve our loving attention.
At first glance, these stories might seem disparate in time, history, and gender—but they aren't at all. From resistance to bar raids, arrests, and harassment long before Stonewall, to hate crime murders and legal defenses ratified in courts across the world, until gay panic could no longer be sustained as a murder rationale.
Each one of these stories of heartbreak and victory adds a vital detail to the larger story of queer folks and their struggle to achieve equality and full protection under the law.
Please subscribe and share these stories.
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The Homosexual Advance Defense (1993) In 1993, Malcolm Green confessed to killing a man who tried to help him—a case that exposed Australia's "homosexual advance defense" loophole and sparked decades of activism that eventually changed the law.
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The Black Cat Cafe During WWII, San Francisco police and the liquor board joined forces to shut down queer gathering spaces. The Black Cat Cafe became an early model of resistance, laying groundwork for the activism that would eventually transform law enforcement's relationship with the city's LGBTQ+ community.
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Colorado's Conversion Therapy Ban at the Supreme Court (2025) On October 7, 2025, a Colorado counselor challenged the state's conversion therapy ban before the Supreme Court. Research consistently shows these practices cause depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation—especially in minors. A ruling against the ban could allow harmful practices to resume nationwide.
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Cooper Donuts Riot (1959) On a May night in 1959, trans women, lesbians, drag queens, and gay patrons at Cooper Donuts in LA's Skid Row fought back against police harassment—an early act of LGBTQ+ resistance.
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Pepper Hill Club Raid (1955) Baltimore police arrested 162 people at the Pepper Hill Club, requiring six wagons and 24 trips. A judge condemned the abuse of power, resulting in only a handful of convictions.
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Justice for Kier Solomon (2021–2025) Kier Solomon, a 21-year-old transgender woman, was found fatally shot in her car at an Arlington, Texas, apartment complex in September 2021—the 38th transgender person killed by violence in the U.S. that year. After nearly four years unsolved, investigators charged Arthur Morris Jr. with her murder in 2025, using digital evidence, app records, and cell phone data to build the case. This episode honors Kier's life and examines what her case means for LGBTQ+ communities safety and justice.
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The Murder of Julio Rivera (1990) In 1990, 29-year-old Julio Rivera was killed in a brutal act of anti-gay violence in New York City. His murder galvanized the queer community into action, pressuring police to investigate and sending a clear message: they would no longer tolerate being battered, murdered, and ignored.
Please subscribe and share these stories.
On March 16th, 1973, three members of the Schallock family were found dead in their driveway as their home burned behind them.
This episode explores the tragic descent of Brent William Bedayan, a former athlete whose treatment of schizophrenia couldn't prevent the devastating, violent outcome.
Discover how the defense relied on the discredited psychiatric theory "homosexual panic," even though the decade had ushered in advances in the understanding and treatment of paranoia and schizophrenia.
Join me to explore the rarely discussed intersection of mental health, LGBTQ+ history, and the legal system.
Subscribe and share these stories.
61, Melvin Schallock was a partner in a food brokerage firm. His brother, Art Schallock pitched for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. 53, Ruth Derr Schallock attended the University of California, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. The Schallocks had three children, all sons, all musically inclined, a talent the inherited from their mother.
Sex, Identity, and The Fight for Basic Rights
Two landmark cases that overturned the targeted attempts on the part of states across the United States to criminalize being queer. In 1982 and 1998, both Michael Hardwick, John Geddes Lawrence Jr., and Tyron Garner were arrested for having sex in the privacy of their own homes.
A State of Emergency: Violence Against Black Trans Women, A Cry for Justice
4 Black Trans Women Killed – A State of Emergency from across the country of black transgender women murdered by gun violence. All but one of these cases is solved. All of the women deserve the same justice.
A College Football Player's Deadly Secret: The Ty Underwood Case
On January 26, 2015, residents of a quiet Tyler, Texas neighborhood were startled awake when a car came to a sudden stop, followed by the sound of gunfire. When police arrived, they found the body of 24-year-old Ty Underwood shot to death behind the wheel of her car. Following a trail of clues, police soon arrested 21-year-old Texas College student and football player Carlton Ray Champion Jr. The trial that followed would expose a relationship a killer was desperate to hide.
The Mysterious Death of Timothy Lee
On the evening of November 2, 1985, 23-year-old fashion design student Timothy Charles Lee fell asleep on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train while traveling home after work in San Francisco. Eleven hours later, he was found hanging from a tree in a vacant lot near the Concord BART station.
The Murder of Mr. Tidd
On a warm Miami, Florida evening in 1959, 32, Chelcie Tidd met a handsome stranger and invited him home. At the end of the evening, Tidd's body would be found floating in his pool, and the 23, James Seitz would be on the run. In custody, Seitz would recite line and verse a tale of an unwanted advance and his violent homosexual panic response. A closer look at his past would challenge the idea of panic.
Sex, Identity, and The Fight for Basic Rights
Two landmark cases that overturned the targeted attempts on the part of states across the United States to criminalize being queer. In 1982 and 1998, both Michael Hardwick, John Geddes Lawrence Jr., and Tyron Garner were arrested for having sex in the privacy of their own homes.
It would take decades to overturn the redefinition of sodomy that sought to criminalize the act of same-sex sex. Some of you might be surprised, as I am every time I review these facts, how recent they are. Now and then, someone leaves a comment about how long ago some of the events covered on the channel were.
My response is that current events make a powerful case for telling these stories. Having a firm grounding in what's come before is a solid way of facing the triumphs and challenges to come.
Please subscribe and share.
RESOURCES:
Here is a list of contact information for inquiries or tips about these homicides:
Honee Daniels (Rochester, NY) Rochester Police Department Public Information Officer: Gregory Bello (no direct public phone listed, contact via main line) Rochester Police Department non-emergency: (585) 428-6690 For general tips, contact Rochester Police or check local news sources for updates.
Redd / Barbie (Chicago, IL) Chicago Police Department Non-Emergency: 311 (within city limits) Anti-Gun Enforcement Hotline: (877) CPD-GUNS (273-4867) Gang Hotline: (312) 746-GANG (4264) General contact and tips: Chicago Police Department website or hotline numbers.
Tai Lathan (Baltimore, MD) Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit: (410) 396-2100 Metro Crime Stoppers (anonymous tips): 1-866-7-LOCKUP (1-866-752-6587) Community advocates such as Maryland Safe Haven are also involved.
Monique Brooks (Orlando, FL) Orange County Sheriff's Office Crimeline (anonymous tips and reward): 1-800-423-TIPS (1-800-423-8477) Orange County Sheriff's Office main line: (407) 836-4357 For updates, check Orange County Sheriff's social media or news releases.
Shannon Boswell (Atlanta, GA) DeKalb County Police Department Non-Emergency: (404) 294-2911 For further tips or information, contact DeKalb County PD or local community organizations.
These contacts are intended for providing information or tips related to these homicide investigations. If immediate assistance is needed or to report a crime in progress, always call 911.
A Serial Killer in the Suburbs of Paris
The first victim was spotted by a passerby on August 13, 2025, as officials fished the body out of the Seine in a suburb of Paris near a known gay cruising spot. Divers searching the area found another body, then another, then another. As investigators search for answers and other possible victims, speculation swirls about the motive for the murders.
The Murder of Ryan Godbey: A Family Seeks Justice
Ryan Godbey, a beloved member of Canton’s LGBTQ+ community, whose a disappearance and murder shocked the Canton, Ohio area in 2025. The arrest and charging of the ex-boyfriends answered some questions, leaving others wide open.
If you or anyone you know is the subject of violence, please use the resources below.
The Brutal Murder of Jacob Zieben-Hood?
On August 1, 2025, 34-year-old Jacob Zieben-Hood was found stabbed to death in the Harlem apartment he shared with his husband, Donald Zieben-Hood. Behind their social media image of happiness was a history of domestic violence, protective orders, and escalating threats.
From alleged strangulation in February to a knife threat in June, the abuse intensified. On July 31, Jacob called his father during another violent altercation. Hours later, he was dead. Donald was found with self-inflicted wounds and arrested for violating a protective order.
Christopher Hunnisett: Vicar's Murderer Freed to Kill Again
When the dismembered body of a Reverend Glazebrook was found, his lodger, Christopher Hunnisett, was arrested and put on trial, and found guilty. Acquitted of the vicar's murder, Hunnisett went on a crusade to kill as many "pedos" as he could. Studying investigative techniques, Hunnisett followed a tip to 57-year-old Peter Bick, whom he assumed was an abuser. Pretending to be a date, Hunnisett went to Bick's flat and murdered him.
The details of this case are unusual, but in some ways they align with what I've been exploring in the next episode, which is the origins and legacy of the provocation defense.
A State of Emergency. Three trans women of color, three cities, all lost to unsolved murderous violence.
In Boston, Rita Hester’s 1998 murder inspired the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Decades later, her name lives on with a dedicated green space, but justice was never served.
Boston Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. You can also submit information anonymously by calling the Boston Police CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS (8477) or by texting the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).
In Minneapolis, Ra’Lasia Wright, a beloved mentor, was found shot outside a home in 2024. Her loved ones still seek answers, and her case remains open.
If you have information regarding the murder of Ra'Lasia Wright in Minneapolis, you can contact the police through several channels:
Minneapolis Police Department tipline:
Email tips to policetips@minneapolismn.gov or leave a voicemail at 612-673-5845.
In Detroit, Karmin Wells, cherished in the ballroom scene, was killed during what police call a setup date in 2025. Her killer hasn’t been caught.
CrimeStoppers (anonymous tips): Call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit information online at CrimeStoppersMN.org.
Tips leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a reward
Detroit Police Dept: 313‑596‑2212
Crime Stoppers: 1‑800‑SPEAK‑UP
Their lives and their senseless murders deserve justice.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Text: Text "START" to 88788
Live Chat & Information: thehotline.org
Services are available 24/7, confidential, and support all individuals regardless of identity or background.
If you or someone you know is in danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Additional Inclusive National and LGBTQ+-Specific Resources
The Trevor Project
Phone: 866-488-7386
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13–24.
LGBT National Hotline
Phone: 888-843-4564
Confidential peer support, information, and resources for the LGBTQ+ community.
Trans Lifeline
Phone: 877-565-8860
Peer support and crisis intervention for trans and non-binary individuals.
NYC Anti-Violence Project
Phone: 212-714-1141 (24/7)
Bilingual support for those affected by violence in the LGBTQ+ and HIV+ communities.
loveisrespect (National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline)
Phone: 1-866-331-9474, Text “LOVEIS” to 22522, or chat on loveisrespect.org
Specifically for youth and young adults, including LGBTQ+.
DomesticShelters.org
Searchable directory covering shelters and services with LGBTQ+-inclusive filters.
International and Specialized Resources
Thank you, Mystic Magazine Global Resource Guide
https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/
Paul Carlile and William Sakosky
On November 5, 1982, Paul Carlile and William Sakosky checked into a room at the gay Florida resort Parliament House, only one of them would leave.
Alana Miccolis and Megha Saluja
Alana Miccolis and Megha Saluja agreed to spend a weekend at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, Florida. No one could have imagined how the trail of texts would lead detectives to a volatile trail of obsession, intimate partner violence, and death.
Timothy Charles Lee
On the evening of November 2, 1985, 23-year-old fashion design student Timothy Charles Lee fell asleep on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train while traveling home after work in San Francisco. Eleven hours later, he was found hanging from a tree in a vacant lot near the Concord BART station. Was he targeted and killed, or did he choose that night to end his life?
Jonathan Joss
By the time Jonathan Joss and Tristan Kern de Gonzales were married on Valentine’s Day, February 2025, they had been through quite a lot. In January of 2025, the couple's home burned to the ground, and a few months later, Joss would be shot to death in front of his husband. Was the killing an incident of hate?
Ryan Godbey
Ryan Godbey, a beloved member of Canton’s LGBTQ+ community, whose disappearance and tragic murder shocked the Canton, Ohio area in 2025. The arrest and charging of the ex-boyfriends answered some questions, leaving others wide open.
Karmin Wells, Rita Hester, and Ra’Lasia Wright
Three trans women of color, three cities, all lost to unsolved murderous violence.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE National Domestic Violence Hotline Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Text: Text "START" to 88788 Live Chat & Information: thehotline.org Services are available 24/7, confidential, and support all individuals regardless of identity or background.
If you or someone you know is in danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Additional Inclusive National and LGBTQ+-Specific Resources The Trevor Project Phone: 866-488-7386 Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13–24.
LGBT National Hotline Phone: 888-843-4564 Confidential peer support, information, and resources for the LGBTQ+ community.
Trans Lifeline Phone: 877-565-8860 Peer support and crisis intervention for trans and non-binary individuals. NYC Anti-Violence Project Phone: 212-714-1141 (24/7) Bilingual support for those affected by violence in the LGBTQ+ and HIV+ communities.
Loveisrespect (National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline) Phone: 1-866-331-9474, Text “LOVEIS” to 22522, or chat on loveisrespect.org.
Specifically for youth and young adults, including LGBTQ+.
DomesticShelters.org Searchable directory covering shelters and services with LGBTQ+-inclusive filters. International and Specialized Resources Thank you, Mystic Magazine Global Resource Guide https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/
Panic Queer True Crime, uncovering hidden queer history through true crime. The channel covers crimes in two categories: violence fueled by hate and intimate partner violence. In addition, we cover stories of LGBTQ+ folks targeted by extortion, arrest, and other forms of life-altering violence that don't result in murder. These stories deserve our loving attention because sometimes being queer can be murder.
The story of Ian McLoughlin's murder spree contains mentions of crimes against teenagers and children. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. This content is intended for educational purposes only and aims to examine flaws in the justice system. It is not suitable for viewers under 18.
Please prioritize your mental health and well-being. Ian McLoughlin - a serial killer who exploited the UK's controversial "provocation defense" to escape murder charges and continue killing for decades.
In 1983, McLoughlin brutally murdered Len Delgatty but convinced a jury he was "provoked" by alleged audio recordings, receiving just 5 years for manslaughter instead of life for murder.
This legal loophole - similar to the US "gay panic defense" - allowed prejudice against LGBTQ+ victims to influence courtroom decisions. Released early as a "model prisoner," McLoughlin killed again in 1990, murdering Peter Halls using the same defense strategy. F
inally sentenced to life in 1992, he was inexplicably granted temporary release in 2013, leading to the senseless murder of a man coming to the aid of his elder neighbor. A fair amount of attention has been paid to the use of the gay/trans panic defense in the USA, but not quite enough attention has been paid to the ravages of the Provocation Defense before it was ended in the UK.
I will do another story about murders committed under the Provocation Defense in the next episode. The victims mentioned in that episode have rarely been discussed in print or on social media. These are difficult but I think important stories to tell.
If you'd like to watch this episode, join Panic on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/8CcqvF0osGQ
Please subscribe and share. Thanks.
To belatedly celebrate Pride, this special month-long podcast series highlights four extraordinary figures—some queer, some allied—whose lives and work shaped LGBTQ+ history in ways both bold and quietly revolutionary.
We begin with the mysterious, evocative collaboration between African American model Thomas McKeller and famed artist John Singer Sargent. Their decade-long connection, hidden in Sargent’s private collection, speaks volumes about art, desire, and survival in the shadows.
Next, we honor Lorraine Hansberry—a trailblazing playwright, civil rights activist, and quiet radical. Though best known for A Raisin in the Sun, her life was filled with passion for justice, intellectual rigor, and unspoken queerness.
We then dive into the wild, theatrical worlds of Charles Ludlam and Ethyl Eichelberger—two avant-garde legends who redefined queer storytelling with flamboyance, wit, and fearless creativity.
Finally, we celebrate Dr. Evelyn Hooker, a straight ally whose groundbreaking 1950s research challenged the psychiatric establishment and helped declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. Her work—alongside activist pressure—paved the way for a seismic shift in how queerness was understood and treated.
It's never too late for an extra dose of Pride.
Two corrections: The pronunciation of Beaulieu is closer to "B-you-ly" or BYOO-lee. In the episode, I mention that the age of consent was 16. That was the age of consent for heterosexuals only. Homosexuality was illegal across all ages until a minor reform in 1967.
The Sexual Offences Act 1967 legalized homosexual acts between two men over 21 in private. This did not apply to the armed forces or the merchant navy. Lesbian acts were never criminalized, so there was no legal age of consent.
In the spring of 1953, four men, including a British lord and two RAF officers, would become the focus of a national homosexual sex scandal—one that would destroy reputations, shock the country, and ultimately help change the law.
From the moment I read about this scandal many years ago, I was fascinated. As an American, I have to confess, I cannot fully understand the British class situation. It seems that Lord Montagu's penchant for surrounding himself with "commoners" seemed to alarm those in his social strata to such a degree that open season was declared on him and any of the lower orders around him.
Montagu and Peter Wildeblood were from similar backgrounds, but when Wildeblood and his RAF boyfriend spent the weekend at Montague's estate, the event presented the perfect opportunity to come down hard on Montagu.
The result was something of a show trial with a preordained conclusion. That level of invasion of privacy led to a change in the law.
Several of these stories and their victims are part of the anti-queer wave of legislation put in place by the UK conservative government seeking to outlaw homosexuality. As the anti-queer rhetoric rose, so did the violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
The de Gruchy case was the first time the mainstream press began to use the term “queer-bashing” to describe the murderous level of hate crimes. Before this, the tone was unmistakably mock and/or cruel, but the standard would not hold.
In 1969, Michael de Gruchy was attacked and beaten to death by a teen gang trolling a gay cruising spot in Wimbledon, England. In 1972, Leonard Bestwick was stabbed and left to die after an attempted robbery by two young men who “Set out to roll a queer.” The murder of Mr. Bestwick highlights the capriciousness of hate. Bestwick and his friend were just out, as many others were having a drink, and for this, he was brutally murdered. If his friend had gone into the bathroom first, he might have met the same terrible fate.
On the evening of September 18, 1989, 40, Christoph Schliack, a German immigrant living in the UK for more than 20 years, was murdered in his Shepherd’s Bush, London flat. Kenneth Williams, the 20-something who killed him, managed to flee the city of London for Ireland. Mr. Schliack had attended Leeds University, studying Chinese. He was also a lawyer, but did not practice at the bar for unclear reasons.
On August 30, 1987, Richard Lynn Earnest went to his estranged wife's home, where he removed his wife's and her lover's shoes from the car, replacing them with his carpentry tools. Before driving off, he left two notes, one for his son and the other for his wife. A day later, Richard Earnest would be dead. Mr. Earnest left behind a son and a family who loved him.
On Monday, June 9, 2008, 37, Jeremy Waggoner, a Royal Oak, Michigan hairdresser, was last seen leaving a Detroit, Michigan bar getting into his SUV with a man identified as Rich. When he didn't return home, his partner of seven years called the police, reporting Waggoner missing.
On Monday, March 31, 2025, 31, Kaitoria “Kai” Bankz and 27, Kelmen Merrell King made arrangements to hook up in Autaugaville, Alabama, around 11:40 pm. When they did meet, King and an accomplice attempted to carjack Bankz and her brother, resulting in the death of Bankz.
Watch any of these stories of any of the cases covered on the podcast, check out and subscribe to the YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic
One of the reasons I wanted to cover the murders of actor, Michael Boone, and hotel porter William Dalziel is that, like me, some of you will be surprised at when they happened. As it turns out, the crackdown on gay men using indecency laws meant gay men were arrested, and the signal to the homophobes was that it was hunting season. In 1990, the lives of lesbians and gays, not to mention trans and gender nonconforming people, were under assault. Section 28, a cynical bit of anti-gay legislation hung a shadow over the well-being of queer folks. In researching these cases, one of the sad realities is that there are men and women whose lives were brutally ended, and no one will ever know who killed them. By listening and sharing these stories, you are joining me and a growing group of people who know a little bit more than you did before, and you're sharing these stories, and for that, I am grateful.
When I started telling these stories, I understood the organized efforts to shame homosexuality out of existence. What I didn't expect was the level of criminality that would grow out of the demonizing of LGBTQ+ people. In the 1960s, Chicago police officer John J. Pyne began to organize a group of criminals and con men in an extortion ring that would go on to scam more than 1,000 men out of a million dollars across the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The FBI called the Chicken and the Bull extortion scheme the largest scheme of its kind up to that time. It is, in fact, the largest organized extortion of gay men ever. It is also another example of the depths and cold brutality of homophobia unchecked. Here's the link to the fantastic article William McGown wrote for Slate. The article has become one of the few references to this scandal.
To watch this episode:
https://youtu.be/qSvPhDqNXKU
William McGowan's 2012 article in Slate:
https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/07/the-chickens-and-the-bulls-the-rise-and-incredible-fall-of-a-vicious-extortion-ring-that-preyed-on-prominent-gay-men-in-the-1960s.html
In my ongoing exploration of the history of homophobia in life and the law, I've been researching the trends, and I do mean trends, of attacks fueled by the targeting of mostly gay men.
From the late 1950s through the 1970s in the United States, "Rolling a Queer" became such an epidemic that both Democrats and Republicans came together to introduce legislation that would create some minor protections for gays and lesbians. It failed, of course, and the attacks continued at pace.
This crime wave helps to explain why the "Homosexual Panic Defense" began to be used in the 1960s in courtrooms across the country. A young man defending himself from the advances of a predatory homosexual is much more defendable than a defendant targeting gay men for fun and profit.
I have many more of these stories from the 1950s through the 1970s to share.
Please subscribe.
In this week's episode:
Sam Nordquist left home to visit his online girlfriend. When his mother and other family members couldn't get ahold of him, they begged authorities to help him, but sadly, help came too late.
In September 2024, Zsolt Zsolyomi disabled his leg monitor and disappeared onto the north Florida Island of Miami Beach and Little Havana using an alias to court, rob, batter, and then murder two older men with disabilities. Would the police stop him before he could kill again?
In 1973, the Long Beach murder of a World War II veteran and beloved school teacher, Hollis Voas, exposed the escalating cycle of rolling a queer that spiked during the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S. Law enforcement quickly tracked down the suspects Don James Myers and Kenneth Evans, after discovering the victim tied to his blood-soaked bedroom. Thirty-nine pieces of evidence, a stolen Cadillac, and a childhood friend would lead police to the perpetrators a few hours after the murder. I saw this 1973 news item so quietly tucked away in a newspaper that I knew I had to share his story. Thanks to one of Mr. Voas' relatives for sharing a picture of him for the YouTube coverage.
The 1953 murder of bartender Walter Thalen by a drifter who wandered into the bar where Thalen worked at the end of a night of drinking would have a devasting impact far and wide.
In March of 2025, Buffalo, New York, Allentown was rocked by the double murder of two beloved men. Mickey Harmon and Jordan Celotto contributed to their community in art and activism, and they were snatched away senselessly and violently.
49, California Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi and 53, Yolanda Olejniczak-Marodi, began dating in 2018, marrying in 2022. By February 2025, Marodi was ready to end what friends called a controlling and isolating marriage, but she would never get the chance. This wasn't the first time Yolanda Olejniczak-Marodi was involved in a murder.
Reports of intimate partner violence among lesbians are the most underreported. If you or anyone you know needs help, use the resources below.
Finally, an update on cases we've covered on the channel and a cold case.
I hope you stay with me as I continue to share more of these hidden stories of lives lived and snuffed out. They deserve our loving attention.
If you'd like to watch any of these episodes, you watch them all at:
https://www.youtube.com/@panicqueertruecrime
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Thanks to Mystic Magazine for the global resource guide, one of the first to be compiled.
https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/
Please subscribe to the podcast and YouTube Channel.
In this episode, five cases of homophobic rage, mental illness, alcohol abuse, and murder. Dream City Fire: One of the worst fires in modern London that you've probably never heard of. A combination of alcohol and anger sparked a series of events that ended in the death of 11 men in an unlicensed and uninspected second and third-floor cinema. Ashia Davis: On June 01, 2023, Carlos Scotland and Ashia Davis met at the Woodward Inn in Highland Park, Michigan. By the end of the evening, Ashia Davis would be dead, and the search for her killer would lead to a young killer whose motives remain unclear. Jake Kelly: On August 27, 2023, 49-year-old Jake Kelly was brutally beaten in his Phoenix, Arizona home. Instead of calling for medical assistance, his roommates, Shannon Higgins (37) and Corey Young (44), moved him into a bathtub, delaying any hope of help. This tragic case raises questions about justice, accountability, and the events leading to Jake’s untimely death. Gerald Declan Radford: An update to the 2024 Florida case of the murder of John Walter Lay. After a six-day trial and a quick verdict 66, Gerald Declan Radford, under the banner of the stand-your-ground law, left John Walter Lay's family in pieces. Kevin Baker: On March 8, 1977, having left his New Jersey home looking for adventure, 18-year-old Kevin Baker would find himself in a Las Cruces, New Mexico courtroom accused of murdering 47 Charles Thompson, a South Dakota truck driver on his way to a new life. Baker's trial would be filled with questions of sanity and, of course, homosexual panic.
In the television show The Sopranos, the character of "Big P*ssy" was based on a New York or New Jersey mobster targeted because of his sexual antics, but in Italy, there was a similar situation involving a highly respected hitman who stepped out of line by loving and wanting to make a life with the man he loved.
Anthony “Bubbles” Torres was a character, a creation. He tended to amuse and sometimes irritate people. On the night he was killed, witnesses saw the beginnings of a confrontation and Torres's murder. Years later, police struggle to solve the case.
In my research into the history of indecent proposals and indecent advances and the role of the homosexual panic used in court to explain murder, I've learned something new. In the later 1960s and all of the 1970s, there was a rash of robberies targeting gay men. It became so excessive that both Democratic and Republican politicians sought to cool the temperature when it came to some of the laws and rhetoric around homosexuality. Those efforts were shot down, of course, but the awareness on the part of defense lawyers that their clients might just be seen as a thief attempting to exploit a gay man made the homosexual panic defense even more urgently needed.
The cases based on people meeting up on apps are an ever-evolving story. Is it any more dangerous than meeting someone at a bar at 3 am? When imagining an open relationship, neither Scott nor his husband couldn't possibly imagine how it would end.
Filippo Gangitano - Gay in the mob
Anthony “Bubbles” Torres -Murdered on a San Francisco street
Harold St. John - AWOL, Kidnapping, and Homosexual panic
Bobby Scott - Murdered on a Date
While researching a story for the next episode I found a 1960 article examinign the growth of homophobic attacks on mostly gey men for financial gain. Rolling a Queer crimes grow to such a degree that lawmakers across the country sought to minimize legal prohibitons agaisnt LGBTQ folks as a partial remedy. Most of these efforts failed contributing to the mid-sixties appearance of homosexual panic as a legal defense.
The fisrt two stories in this episode involve murders that resulted from attempts to rob a gay man.
- Charles James Mourey
- Chelie Todd
Steve Marose story is one of murder but of the lingering effects of the governments pink scare that started in the 1950s when President Eisenhower signed on over ridding the governnment and the military of lesbians and gay men.
Marose was thrown out of the military in the 1990s after spending eight months in a military priison for the crime of being gay. Fulfilling a promise, President Biden issued a pardon for many of these men and women but the process is anything but easy and Marose remains without his pension and without having his name cleared.
If you know anyone in the same position pass along these links that might set them on the path to having their rights restored.
The Murder of Patricia Malone
Patricia Malone was a lesbian women working the London streets as a sex worker when she met and was killed by a police officier. The officier came in for a beating in the press but so did Ms. Malone whom they dobbed, "Pasty Butch Malone." Her treatment in the press and the twist to the story give you a glimpse into the times in which her murder took place.
The Murders of Page Cegelski and Paula O'Connor
The two women were discovered in a Green Bay, Wisconsin duplex. The killer would confess to the murders with an evolving story. Peter Sotka's long history of intimate partner violence and his contradictory statements make his confession suspect. There is no record of either woman's state of undress and there is no evidence from family and friends that the women who were best friends were having an intimate relationship. Using a version of gay panic as the setting for a double murder is worth noting.
Resources:
Resources chrome-
APPLICATION-FOR-PARDON
Legal Services and Information
https://ptsdlawyers.com/lgbtq-military-pardon-va-benefits/
Molotov Cocktail of Hate
Pamela Cobbas, Mercedes Roxana Figueroa, Andrea Amarante, Sofía Castro Riglos
Intimate Partner Violence
The Murder of Chen Chen Fei
The Murder of Quanesha Shantel
The Murder of William Nicholas Abraham
Disappearance
The Murder of Levi Davis?
Ex Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries Charged: Human Trafficking and Assault
The Shocking Murder Of Eduardo Xol
Ex-Partners, a Mysterious Friend, and Two Bodies Found in Suitcases on Bristol's Clifton Bridge
Kasim Omar: Escaped to America Seeking Safety, Only to Face a Horrific Tragedy
The Murder of Paul Taylor
The Murder of Howard Bresendine
Mental Health Resources
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
LGBTQ & Gay-Friendly Rehabs: Statistics, Risk Factors & Treatment
(888) 402-1504
https://www.addicted.org/
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
Thanks to MysticMag for the global resource guide. One of the first to be compiled.
https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/
In 1960, Smith College's Professor Newton Arvin and two of his colleagues were swept up in a scandal concocted in large part as a way of shaming being queer out of existence.
Efforts to control the flow of what is erotica or smut is an ongoing crusade in the United States and in many places in the world. When those crusades are weaponized against targeted groups of people they can be lethal.
Some of you listening to this episode might think a professor at a private college is a fairly privileged person, and you're not wrong, but his homosexuality stripped away much of that privilege.
The other reason I'm sharing this story is that Newton Arvin and his two colleagues are stand-ins for the hundreds, perhaps thousands of mostly gay men who were arrested, jailed, and had their lives ruined for the offense of being gay.
The potential loss of one's freedom and profession is both unbelievable from today's vantage point and entirely possible to imagine happening again.
Please subscribe the the podcast.
Thanks
This collection of cases includes the murder of three trans women of color, the most at-risk group in the LGBTQ+ community. Two cases of intimate partner violence, please see this description for help.
The murder of a 19-year-old murder in prison because he was gay and black. A gay man was murdered in his home by a jealous boyfriend and the victim's friend, and two gay men were murdered by a group of friends led by a homophobic leader.
Intimate Partner Help:
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org If you or someone you know is in danger, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Thanks to MysticMag for the global resource guide.
One of the first to be compiled. https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/domestic-violence-resource-guide/
Episode Description
Benjamin Renwick
Dylan Gurley
Micah Laureano
Leo Nunes
Tzatzi Sanchez
Savannah Williams
Starr Brown
Tommy Lee Trimble and John Lloyd Griffin
Vanity Williams
Peter Coshan
Lisa Stone
Curtis Marsh
Gaurav Gopalan
Matthew Mickens-Murrey
Ukea Davis and Stephanie Thomas
Vanity Williams
Several of the cases in this episode involve unsolved cases. In the next episode, I will delve into the reasons why this might be the case.
Two of these cases involve the murder of black trans women, the highest rate of murder in the LGBTQ+ community.
The last two cases happened at the same time in the same city
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
If you suspect elder abuse, call 1-833-401-0832 and enter your 5-digit zip code to be connected to the Adult Protective Services in your county, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Please subscribe to the channel.
Anna Flores
Pauly Likens
Alex Rodda
Liara Tsai
Bruce Becker
Curtis Marsh
Kevin Clewer
Charles Gibson
Brad Nelson Winters
Here is a collection of murders some of them due to intimate partner violence and some hate crimes. The thing they have in common is the loss and heartache of family and friends.
While might surprise some that young men, mostly, still struggling with their sexual identity resort to murder when threatened, ongoing scholarship suggests that the causes might be complicated, a mixture of internalized homophobia and other pathologies that fuel murder.
Intimate partner violence in the queer community remains underreported. Please use the resources below if you or someone you know needs help.
Finally, the murder of Kevin Clewer remains unsolved though it seems authorities have a suspect. The murders of Clewer, Charles Gibson, and Brad Winters were thought to be part of a serial killer’s ramp-up thank goodness they were not.
Murders of queer people continue to be under-reported so I thank you for your loving attention to these cases.
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
If you suspect elder abuse, call 1-833-401-0832 and enter your 5-digit zip code to be connected to the Adult Protective Services in your county, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Please subscribe to the channel.
In 1998, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia became the location of two of the most violent murders Australia has ever seen. In 1998, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia became the location of two of the most violent murders Australia has ever seen. 19-year-old, Mark Valera's pent-up rage led him down the path of murder, leaving destruction in his wake and sparking an equal fury that ultimately led to the killing of his own father. The murders committed by Mark "Valera" van Krevel further revealed a disturbing wave of child molestation in New South Wales, implicating some of the community's most respected figures including one of Valera's victims. At the time, Australia, like many places worldwide, was experiencing a surge of violence against the LGBTQ+ community, involving the police on some occasions. Equally damaging is the capricious conflation of pedophiles, hebephiles, and homosexuals. Wollongong's former Mayor Frank Arkell, who was not gay, was shortly before his murder with 29 charges of child molestation. Valera's vigilantism removed the possibility of justice for the 29 victims and possible vindication of the alleged victims from a previous case. Valera's first victim, David O'Hearn, was a quiet man beloved by his family and friends. The extreme violence surrounding these events has unfortunately overshadowed O'Hearn's life and death. This retelling serves to honor his memory.
Six stories of possible greed, intimate partner violence, murderous internalized homophobia, and your garden variety homophobia.
Toslimy Bang and Terence Brown
Blaze Bernstein
Kelly Moriarty and Doris “Pat” Carter
Michael Causer
John Paul Kelso
John Walter Lay
John Edwards
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
Or click on any of the titles.
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
In this episode four stories of murder, homophobia, and mental health in crisis.
Isaac Herrera
Jordan Taylor
Terrance Brown
Reginald Folks
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
Happy Pride and welcome to season four of Panic.
This is the second season of Panic and the fourth for the podcast as a whole.
In the second season, I want to continue to explore the themes of the podcast and YouTube channel, and how homophobia in all of its permutations plays itself out in the lives of queer folks and the people who love them. I'll continue to explore intimate partner violence while providing resources for help and healing.
I want to explore more stories of murdered trans people. I only learned when I started to cover some of these cases that many states across the United States have no formal process for addressing gender identity often referring to a murder victim by their dead name which is then disseminated to the media and family. How do those inequalities affect an investigation?
Thanks and hugs to those of you who continue to listen and those of you who are new.
Happy Pride.
Panic
Gary Gleeson
Alex Rodda
Raymond Kindred
John McGrail
Leonard Riendeau
Charles Kimball
John Fuoroli
Brandi Mells, Shanta Myers, Jeremiah, and Shaniese Myers
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
If you suspect elder abuse, call 1-833-401-0832 and enter your 5-digit zip code to be connected to the Adult Protective Services in your county, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Please subscribe to the channel.
George Webber In this episode, A closeted man's search to fulfill his fetish leads him to hire a 16-year-old from a Craigslist ad.
Charlie Howard Two gay men are attacked by a group of teens ending in murder.
Carlos Collins A former police officer's inability to let go ends in murder.
James Sheehan Suffering from stage 4 cancer, an elderly man leans on a friend whose only interest is his money.
Darrin Thorpe His death has been called a drug overdose but his husband suspects it might be a murder.
Carzella Little A late-night argument between girlfriends ends in murder.
To watch any of these stories you can find them on the Queer True Crime YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource worldwide.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
If you suspect elder abuse, call 1-833-401-0832 and when prompted enter your 5-digit zip code to be connected to the Adult Protective Services in your county, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Please subscribe to the channel.
On September 7, 1982, the Gainesville, Florida Labor Day Weekend was disrupted when University of Florida's Professor Howard Appledorf's neighbors spotted his condo had been broken into.
Inside police found a highly staged scene and the professor asphyxiated on his sofa, as the three young suspects fled they left behind a frenzy of fears about cults and witchcraft.
The tale that would unravel would be far sadder, exposing the life of a victim lived in the closet and three young perpetrators abandoned to the streets where they became both prey and predator.
If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it on the Panic YouTube Channel.
https://youtu.be/8GMO1WoZnyo
Podcast Notes:
Akira Ross
Allan Lanteigne/Demitry Papasotiriou
Summit Kumar
Raymond Scotter
Shawndell McCloud
Dr. Louis Chen/Eric Cooper/Cooper Chen
Warning this case involves the death of a child. Starts at 3:20.
To watch any of these episodes you can find them at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
This episode has a case of homophobic murder by a stranger, the murderous obsession of a former lover, the corruption and greed of love gone wrong, a son killing a father to save the honor of the family, and more, a robbery and a murder, and a doctor and family annihilator.
For lots of historical and personal reasons intimate partner violence continues to be under-reported in the queer community but resources are available.
First are resources for the United States.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
The International Domestic Violence Resource Guide (2024) is the largest resource from around the world.
https://www.cvpsd.org/post/domestic-violence-resources-in-the-north-america
Here are seven cases of stalking, and homophobia in the United States and Sweden, a case of a stepfather's homophobic rage, and an unresolved case of a body in a fish tank.
These shorts are taken from the Panic YouTube channel. If you’d like to see any of these shorts please join me at the Panic channel using the link below.
Brittany Cosby and Crystal Jackson
Brain Eggs
Josef ben Meddour
Marcus Volk
Lawrence Wong and Thomas Whitney
Zachary Kennedy
Steen Fenrich
To watch these episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
Please subscribe and like.
Thanks!
Robert Bennett Jr. was a smart guy from a wealthy family he was also a violent sadist who liked to inflict pain on unwitting strangers.
Though this is not a murder case it illustrates what happens when you mix a homophobic cultural attitude filtered down to law enforcement mixes with the influence of a predator from a wealthy family who'd go to any length to protect their son.
Note: I've only just realized that the audio for the previous upload of this episode was icky and is only a few minutes long. Here is the episode in its entirety.
I have also wanted to delve into the lives of Jeffrey Trail and David Madson and Andrew Cunanan's relationship with them both. In part, because as tragic as Gianni Versace's murder was, not to mention the murders of Lee Miglin and poor Andrew Reese who was just doing his job, Trail and Madson's murders seem particularly devasting.
Friends and lovers, secrets and lies.
People who knew them said Cunanan loved and admired Trail and Madson, and they at some stage loved him, yet he killed them both as some sort of retribution for his life falling apart.
I hope you'l listen and share this episode because these two men are worthy of your consideration. Having spent time reading about them I feel even more affection for them and for their loved ones who were lucky to have these extraordinary young men in their lives.
Here are a few links to the 48-hour interview with Jeffrey Trail and a link to some of the letters and pictures Cunanan wrote to Madson.
To watch this episode: https://youtu.be/zFhfVTudwQg
48 Hours Richard Schlesinger's connection with a Cunanan victim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elzxfa2cwdg
Pictures and Letters
https://www.tumblr.com/andrew-cunanan-true-crime-blog
Peeble LaDime Doe
Wendy Thorpe
Gordon Church
Luke Davies and Jesse Baird
Ranjith Kankanamalage
Zach Kennedy
August Provost
Seven cases of intimate partner violence and hate crime murders.
The case of Peeble LaDime Doe, a transgender woman who was murdered by her former lover.
This is the first case in the nation to use federal protections to prosecute a hate crime based on gender identity even though South Carolina remains one of the two states with no hate crime protections for queer people.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone you know is in danger call 9-1-1 immediately.
I you'd like to watch any of these episodes you can find them on the Panic: Queer True Crime YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@panicqueertruecrime
Before you go subscribe here and while you're there subscribe there. Hugs!
Finally, Panic has been voted one of the best gay true crime podcasts to listen to by the folks at Feedspot. Thanks to you all for making it happen.
https://crime.feedspot.com/queer_true_crime_podcasts/
This week a mixture of intimate partner violence, madness, and homophobia.
If you'd like to watch any of these stories join me at the Panic Queer True Crime Channel on YouTube.
Jake Marandino
Harley Walker
Annie Meyer
Brian Campbell
Jun Lin
Crystal Parker
Naasire Johnson
Filippo Gangitano
Sylvia Lugo
Howard Efland
If you or anyone you know is the victim of violence please use the link above.
In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
Eight stories of intimate partner abuse, theft, murder, and a historical case that has never been solved.
To watch any of these stories you can find them at:
https://www.youtube.com/@panicqueertruecrime
Gary Ruby
Ronald Shumway
Heather Diebert
Dr. Gary Jenkins
Timothy Smith
The Slasher
Brian Williamson
Casey Taylor
If you or anyone you know is the victim of violence please use the link above.
In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
The story of Jimmy Zappalorti's life and death is the story of the times in which he lived. The love of a family, and community, and the search for self-acceptance and a small amount of joy. Jimmy Zappalorti died twice.
Once while stationed in Danang, Vietnam, and some twenty years later on Staten Island where he grew up when two hate-filled young men decided to take his life.
It has been an honor to tell Jimmy's story and to get to know his story. I think you might have as much affection for him as I do. Please join me and share the story of the life and times of Jimmy Zappalorti.
To watch this story: https://youtu.be/nBHzEYjqoAY
Eight stories of love, friendship, homophobic hate, and murder.
Annamarie Rintila Brian Bergeron Daniel Clancy Harry Major Jorge Diaz Johnston Steven Nelson Allen Leroy Anderson Devon Hoover
In this episode stories of queer folks targeted and murdered for the crime of being gay.
If you'd like to watch any of these episodes join me at the Panic: Queer True Crime Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@panicqueertruecrime
Bernardo Pantaleon
Benjamin Anderson
A'Nee Robertson Gerry Edwards and Chris Bevan David Morley David Iwo Jimmie ‘Jay’ Lee Lauren "Lela" Leslie Sakai Gunn Yousef Palani Steven Lorenzo Devan Hoover Jesús Ociel Baena and Dorian Daniel Herrera
This is the last of the thirty cases Australian investigators reopened to explore whether or not the victims were the victims of gay hate crimes.
You can find the other cases here or on the Panic YouTube channels.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
I have listed the cases that have the least amount of evidence pointing to a hate crime. Out of respect for the victims, I am posting their names here.
Anthony Cawsey
Kenneth Brennan
Peter Bauman
Richard Slater
William Dutfield
The Greek Consul
Less Compelling evidence of a hate crime murder.
This is among eight of the original 30 unsolved cases that former police gay liaison coordinator Sue Thompson and criminologist Stephen Tomsen have set aside as less compelling. With the help of gay community leaders, they conducted a “conservative” review of their 30 cases last year and cut the list to the 22 deaths they believe deserve the most police attention.
John Gordon Hughes
Samantha Raye
Scott Miller
Ali Mokdad
Graham Paynter
If you have information on any of these cases. Contact:
CRIMESTOPPERS 1800 333 000
WWW.CRIMESTOPPERS.COM.AU
This episode continues to collect and share the unsolved, and a few solved murders of gay men who were bashed along the cliffs and beaches of Bondi Beach in Australia between the 1970s and 1990s.
Investigators have begun a serious effort to solve as many of these cases as possible. Part of their dedication is an acknowledgment of the neglect on the part of the police and the large society when it came to violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes this violence was led by the police themselves.
As the police continue to try and solve these cases I wanted to share their stories here and on the Youtube channel.
If you want to watch any of these shorts you can find them all on the Panic: Queer True Crime channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
Cyril Olsen
Kritchikorn Rattanajuathaporn
William Allen
Raymond Keam
Here is a group of shorts from the Panic Queer True Crime channel. If you’d like to watch any of these episodes join me at the Youtube Panic channel.
Australian Gay Bashing Murders
Gilles Mattaini
John Hughes
Stephen Dempsey
William Rooney
Intimate Partner Violence
Anthony Morley
Matthew Leveson
The link to watch any of these episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK4r13FF8ExLGbhfSH6i4hw
You can find the episode Bashed here in the Panic podcasts.
Here is a group of shorts from the Panic Queer True Crime channel. If you’d like to watch any of these episodes join me at the Youtube Panic channel.
Mohammed Altaher
Steven Cozzi
Crispin Dye AC/DC's Former Manager
Heuermann, Gilgo Beach Serial Killer (The only male victim
Jody Dobrowski
Colin Ireland
Intimate partner violence in queer relationships is real.
You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Hours: 24/7.
Languages: English, Spanish, and 200+ through interpretation service.
For help call: 800-799-7233
Deon Brown told his mother he was returning to Nashville after performing in a drag show in Memphis. When she got home from work Brown was sleeping, later he told her he'd be visiting a friend.
The next day she would get the news that her son was dead. On November 14, 2016 police responding to a call of a body in the parking lot of Nashville's Western Express trucking company found Deon Brown's body surrounded by blood. Police found several items covered in blood but Brown's car was missing.
If you'd like to watch this episode use the link below.
Youtube:
https://youtu.be/vZam97aI240
To watch this episode: https://youtu.be/BeZm9dh4sKo
Adrian Murphy was a successful Irish dancer who had traveled the world performing and teaching. In 2019, he moved to London for a position at the Royal Academy of Dance when he was murdered in a scheme to rob rich gay men.
What followed was a race by the police to stop a pair of Scapolomine-wielding lovers from robbing and killing anyone else. Will the police catch them in time? Will they be brought to justice for the murder of Adrian Murphy?
A note: In printed reports of this case the Coke can found in the toilet had traces of scopolamine in it. Having reviewed the statements from police on the scene the can was tested for prints. No mention of anything inside.
As incidents of robbery via dating apps rises attention and caution should be paid.
From the 1970s to 2021 here are nine cases of women and men who were murdered driven by hate, greed, and hate.
To watch any of these stories checkout the Panic: Queer True Crime channel:
Richard Rogers was respected in his job by patients and colleagues he often blended into the background by the patrons at the bars he frequented. He was also a serial murderer. Strictly speaking, Rogers is not a serial killer. He was convicted of killing two men, suspected of killing two others. He also killed another man almost 20 years before the murders in New York and New Jersey in the 1990s.
Rogers was quiet and unassuming. He worked for years as a nurse in the children's ward at Mount Sinai Hospital, one of the great hospitals in the world where he was respected and liked by patients and colleagues alike.
His quietness hide a volcano of anger that would play out with older men whom he met in Manhattan. Called the last-call killer because he targeted men who drank a lot and by closing time were easy to lure back to his home.
The one surviving victim said he was given orange juice and when he came to he was bound with hospital id bracelets up and down both arms. He managed to get away and went to the police. The case went to trial and Rogers's mask of respectability got him acquitted as it did in the 1970s after murdering his college roommate with a hammer, suffocating him, and hiding his body. No one could quite believe this quiet guy was a killer.
An advancement in fingerprint technology would allow police the evidence they needed in the murders of two men. In 2005, Richard Rogers was found guilty of the two murders as well as hiding the body parts. He remains the prime suspect in the murders of two of the other men let's hope technology helps solve their murders as well.
Michael Pierro
A friend of 12 years said of Rogers ''He is a lovely fellow who likes antiques and everything that has to do with money,'' Mr. Henry said. But, he said, Rogers never got beyond ''the outskirts'' of the circle of friends he sought.
At times, his friend said, Rogers had pretended to be the descendant of an aristocratic New York family. But he added that Mr. Rogers was a do-gooder who volunteered to shop for homebound men with H.I.V. and was considered thoroughly trustworthy by those who knew him. ''He was the kind of guy you could trust with your A.T.M. card.''
A few words about this moment we're in and pride. I hope you had a good one.
Hugs and Love and Hugs!
Intimate Partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community is understudied and under-reported with lesbian couples the least studied of all. These are starting to improve and resources are available.
This episode features eight cases of intimate partner murder.
Resources are available if you or anyone you know is in an intimate partner violent relationship.
You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
24, Alexander Duberek, and 30, Chad Luera were in a year-long, long-distance relationship. On Oct. 31, 2020, Duberek flew from San Diego where he lived to his boyfriend’s home in Texas with a plan to end the long-distance love affair.
28, Fang Yao was addicted to gambling. She was in debt to friends and her ex-girlfriend 26, Wang Lei, but she wanted more. At 5:30 am on January 30, 2018, her habit would come at a terrible price in the city of Yangzhou.
In 1996, wealthy Utah restauranteur John Williams met Craig Crawford in San Francisco on a blind date. Initially, they bonded over their similarities but drug addiction, mental illness, and domestic violence would take their toll.
On November 24, 2021, officers responded to a report of a body on the northbound Beltway Parkway in Maryland. Officers found 26, Sharisse Denise Carr lying face down on the shoulder of the road. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Around 3:15 on the morning of Oct. 3rd, 2021, police responded to gunshots fired in Pittsburgh's Sheraden neighborhood. When they arrived they discovered the lifeless body of the mother of three 38, Kia Reynolds.
On Sunday 22 May 2016, Lyndsey Vaux of Platt Bridge in England died from the 90 untreated injuries she received over the five years of being assaulted, abused, and starved by her girlfriend, 32 Becky Reid, and Reid's mother.
When Peter Farquhar died in his home the cause was thought to be acute alcohol intoxication but his diary would lead law enforcement to the love of his life Ben Field.
According to friends 48, Keith Harris and 26, Othman Al-Muttablaby lived happily together in San Francisco until Thursday, November 2, 2017, when Harris was found with multiple stab wounds he died in the hospital from his injuries. Al-Muttablaby was nowhere to be found.
Resources: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Online live chat: thehotline.org
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline LGBTQ & Gay-Friendly
(888) 402-1504
https://www.addicted.org/ If you or someone else is in immediate danger call 9-1-1.
I've just made a group of shorts for the Panic True Crime channel and I thought I'd put them together and present them to you here. Serial killers of LGBTQ+ folks are the rarest of the rare and often highlight the societal temperature towards queer folk. For example in the murders committed by Michael Lupo in the UK in the 1980s evidence was not tested in a timely way because of a fear of A.I.D.S. The attitudes towards gay men may have hobbled the San Francisco police from solving the murders of the Doodlers forever. On the other hand, when Adam Ezerski was thought to have committed two murders Florida homicide investigators, the FBI, and the gay community helped find and stop a very young killer before he could do anymore.
If you'd like to see any of these shorts you can find them on the Panic True Crime channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@panictruecrime/shorts
Featured Killers:
Killer Cannibals
The Doodler’s Victim?
Herb Baumeister
Chance Seneca
Richard Rogers
Juan Chavez
Adam Ezerski
Michael Lupo
Daniel Conahan
Allan Grimson
John Snavely and Samuel Del Brocco seemed to come from different worlds. One a stripper, model, and gay-for-pay adult star. The other a businessman with powerful GOP connections. A 2010 chance meeting in a Fort Lauderdale strip club would link them forever.
A loved man with a double life, a gay-for-pay porn star, a brutal murder, and a possible rush to judgment.
Join me for, Collision the Murder of Samuel Del Brocco.
Resources: Human Rights Commission. A great resource for making a plan.
https://reports.hrc.org/coming-out-living-authentically-as-lgb Trevor Project. They have a
hotline, an online chat, and an email. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
Floridians Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams had been together for 29 years, when they failed to show up for a family Christmas in Ohio they would be discovered murdered in their home.
Peter Avsenew was troubled most of his life he had a troubled upbringing including physical and sexual abuse, but it was the sudden death of his sister that seemed to gin up his rage and anger.
In December of 2010 responding to a welfare check police went to the Broward County home of Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams. The couple had been shot and bludgeoned multiple times, their bodies were wrapped in bleach-soaked blankets. Police found several copies of Craigslist ads written by Peter Avsenew looking for financial support in exchange for sexual favors.
The couple's SUV and many of their valuable items were stolen. When Avsenew arrived unannounced at his mother's house he was driving the SUV. After a few days at his mother's house, which included drafting her into ditching the SUV, a frightened Jeanne Avsenew became suspicious searching the computer his son was using she found he was wanted for two homicides.
What would you do in this situation?
Would you keep your child's secret or would you turn him in?
Wicked and cruel are the words that come to mind for what Ed Buck did when he invited mostly young black men to his apartment in West Hollywood. Buck would entice these men into a meth-fueled session that sometimes lasted for days. On two separate occasions, these sessions ended in death. When a third surviving man agreed to cooperate with police the private life of a wealthy, politically connected predator would finally be exposed.
Resources: SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/nati...
LGBTQ & Gay-Friendly Rehabs: Statistics, Risk Factors & Treatment (888) 402-1504 https://www.addicted.org/
Ed Buck Superseding Indictment https://www.documentcloud.org/documen... The hero of the piece,
Jasmyne Cannick. Please support her work. https://iamjasmyne.com/category/ed-buck/
AAll Palm Springs, Ca. Clifford Lambert wanted love, all Danny Garcia and Kaushal Niroula wanted was Mr. Lambert’s wealth, all of it. In 2008, years of scams, lies, and greed would finally end in murder.
In some ways, this con was your standard con involving an older man and a younger man, but that is where anything standard ends. Mr. Lambert became the victim of con artist working covertly first in person and then through email which was where the catfish began. The scam to steal everything from Lambert would grow to a six-man team and the result would be ruin for all.
If you think you've been the victim of a scam or catfish here are a few resources that offer help and resources.
https://www.thecyberhelpline.com/guides/catfishing
https://www.cybersmile.org/
To report the crime Go to
www.ftc.gov/idtheft
Or call 877-438-4338 or TDD (202) 326-2502 to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In the early morning of July 8, 2015, Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student living in Hampton County, South Carolina, was found dead in the middle of a dark country road. His death would be the first in a long line of heartaches and tragedies connected to Alex Murdaugh and his family. Was Stephen Smith's killing intentional, was he the victim of a hate crime, or was his death the result of a hit-and-run? As the Alex Murdaugh trial captures worldwide attention let's not forget the person who might have been the first victim to lose their life in a tidal wave of unchecked power and greed.
Why would a sober and smart 19-year-old who grew up in the area get out of his car on a dark road in the middle of the night? Why wouldn't he use the phone found in his right pocket to call for help? Why would he leave his wallet in the car if he needed gas? Why wouldn’t he call his twin sister or his father to come to get him? While investigating the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which only investigates homicides, found evidence related to Stephen Smith's killing and reopened the investigation into his death. Who killed Stephen Smith and why? Hope we'll have answers soon.
Here is a link to the two reports from the highway patrol and the police department. Investigator Summary: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20971438-stephen-smith-investigator-summary-documents
This report is a part of reporting on the case: https://www.fitsnews.com/2022/02/17/murdaugh-murders-saga-forensic-review-of-stephen-smiths-autopsy-required/
For a depth overview of the entire Murdaugh, case check out the Murdaugh Murder podcast channel. The reporting has been exhaustive.
https://www.youtube.com/@UC6t_kdvrDw2p1F79IBnnNWQ
Please feel free to leave your kind thoughts about Stephen Smith you never know who will see them.
One of the reasons I wanted to make this video focused on lesbian intimate partner murder is that the attention to intimate partner violence amongst LGBTQ folks is so underreported even academic research is only now being consistently collected. One of the most poorly covered groups is women in lesbian intimate partner murders. These are three stories of women murdered as a result of intimate partner violence. P.S. I named the episode women in love because, in the reporting of these murders, the love relationships were diminished as they have been across time.
I've included the first story for its rarity. Until the 1950s homosexuality was never mentioned in the media unless it was particularly sensational. In 1926, Reba Stobtoff decided to throw a rent party, the 1920s - 30s way to raise money to pay bills. What started as a fun money-making evening ended in a bloodbath fueled by jealousy and booze.
In 2012, when officer Crystal Parker was found dead in her bed the fatal truth about her marriage and the woman she loved would be exposed as an emotional trap she nearly escaped before time run out.
By all accounts, Annie Meyer was generous to a fault. When that generosity clashed with bottomless greed Annie would lose her life. If you or anyone you know is a victim of intimate partner violence please check the resources below. You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
Resources:
Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
The Network/La Red is a survivor-led, social justice organization. The site has a safety exit so your browsing can't be tracked. http://www.tnlr.org
Victim Network: https://victimconnect.org/
To watch this episode:
https://youtu.be/VdTk2VORI2U
What happens when you mix love and sex and the fear of exposure?
It can sometimes result in murder. In this episode three cases of love turned to murder. On February 17th 2022, the twenty year olds Philadelphians, Naasire Johnson and Kylen Pratt’s secret relationship would end in murder. The brutality of the crime would leave loved ones bereft and heartbroken.
In Methuen, Massachusetts, 41-year-old Willie Escobar’s attempt to end his long relationship with a closeted man would end in murder. Would Escobar’s other relationships with closeted men complicate solving his murder?
In 2015, a 27th floor of a high-rise Atlanta, Georgia condo would be the setting for the end of a high-stakes love affair between two married men leaving one man dead and the other on the run. Being in the closet increases the chances of depression, suicidal idealization, and substance abuse.
I choose these cases because these extremes can be enlightening for folks living in less extreme circumstances. If you’re struggling with your sexual identity there are resources to help you. You deserve to live a life free of self-hatred and fear.
You deserve to be happy.
Resources: Human Rights Commission. A great resource for making a plan.
https://reports.hrc.org/coming-out-living-authentically-as-lgb Trevor Project.
They have a hotline, an online chat, and an email. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
This one of those cases that's a punctuation point for the use of the gay panic defense in law. The poor victim was sidelined as the defense did all they could to, if not justify the murder, contextualize it, which now and then seemed like a mission impossible. My heart goes out to Hajna.
The 1962 acid murder of 25-year-old Hajna de Kaplany by her doctor husband of five weeks has at its core an element that is rarely discussed. For all his professional accomplishments, Dr. de Kaplany felt his beautiful wife only wanted him for the social standing and the wealth he could someday provide. On one hot California night, the planning, implanted sense of betrayal, and the need for revenge would explode in an act so brutal that only death could be the possible outcome.
At trial, Dr. de Kaplany's lawyer would be one of the first in the United States to use homosexual panic as part of a mental illness defense to explain the defendant's murderous actions. By the end of the 1960s, homosexual panic would be used solely as a rationale for heterosexual men murdering gay men then trans men and women.
Thanks for joining me for, Acid The Murder of Hajna de Kaplany.
To watch this episode find it at: https://youtu.be/A0Mo9639wvk
In the 1920s through the 1960s indecent proposals, indecent advances, and honor slayings were all buzzwords used to explain one man's rationale for killing another. The handsome singer Louis Kenneth Neu murdered two men for their clothes, their cars, their cash, and his honor.
When 35-year-old Lawrence Shead didn't arrive for work his Patterson, New Jersey colleagues went to his apartment. They found Mr. Shead dead on his bed. His suits, shoes, cash, and car were missing. Neighbors and friends reported Shead had a guest for a views days.
As police pursued this guest they would find they were several steps behind as Lious Kenneth Neu had ditched Shead's black and yellow coupe escaping by train to New Orleans. In the lobby of the luxurious Jung Hotel Neu thought he'd hit the jackpot when he met a wealthy man from Tennessee. When he was finally caught and put on trial questions about Neu's mental health would be central as would his need to keep himself, the court, and the press entertained right up to the end.
To watch this episode join me on Youtube: https://youtu.be/If3t9TqVgwI
San Francisco resident 75-year-old James Sheahan had terminal cancer but that wouldn't be his cause of death. It would be his friendship with a man whose greed and desperate need to be with the love of his life that would cost Mr. Sheahan dearly.
To report elder abuse or find services for older adults and their families, visit The Eldercare Locator. You can also access the Locator by calling 1-800-677-1116.
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging.
Adult Protective Services
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aps/index.htm
To watch this episode on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/t88uVHAdJZg
San Francisco resident 75-year-old James Sheahan had terminal cancer but that wouldn't be his cause of death. It would be his friendship with a man whose greed and desperate need to be with the love of his life that would cost Mr. Sheahan dearly.
To report elder abuse or find services for older adults and their families, visit The Eldercare Locator. You can also access the Locator by calling 1-800-677-1116.
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging.
Adult Protective Services
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/aps/index.htm
To watch this episode on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/t88uVHAdJZg
Daniel Greeley, a homeless veteran, met Bruce Becker who worked for the IRS on Austin, Texas' The Drag in May 1995. Nearly a year later Becker would be dead and Greeley would be on the run. What was the nature of their relationship, why did Greeley kill a man who had been so generous and kind to him? Join me for, The Drag: The Murder of Bruce Becker.
To watch this episode: Youtube: https://youtu.be/11Ude47J
In 1988, 55 year-old, Yale educated Dr. Richard Boggs and business partners 46 year-old, Melvin Eugene Hanson, and 25 year-old John Hawkins joined together in an insurance scam that would net them a million dollars. The only problem was, in order to get the money someone would have to die.
The victim of the scheme, 36 year-old Ellis Greene was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to bring the suspects to justice law enforcement would reach across the Atlantic ending in four ruined lives and a kind and loving man murdered for financial gain.
Join me for Scammed: Dr. Richard Boggs and the murder of Ellis Greene
To watch this episode join me on Youtube: https://youtu.be/3c8ciclJQIE
Thank you for joining me for, Intimate Partner Murders.
Intimate partner and domestic violence have many of the same root causes as they do elsewhere. Here are three stories of same-sex intimate partner murder.
39-year-old, Dr. Louis Chen, his decade-long partner 29-year-old, Eric Cooper, and their adorable 2 1/2-year child moved into a gleaming Seattle, Washington penthouse in the summer of 2011, but things were not as ideal as they appeared. An explosion of violence would end lives and open questions that remained unanswered to this day.
35-year-old Shawndell McLeod sounds like an amazing person. She had turned her love of cooking into her career, she bought a house, and a new car then she disappeared. She had also managed to escape an abusive relationship that may have claimed her as its victim.
49-year-old Allan Lanteigne and 39-year-old Demitry Papasotiriou met at a Toronto city bus stop in the 1990s. They would go on to marry in a lavish ceremony but the marriage would end in bloodshed. The race for justice would take many years and several continents.
If you or anyone you know is the victim of intimate partner violence there are resources for you. You are not alone.
Remember, you deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind. Hugs and Love!
Resources:
Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/
24 Hour Hotline https://www.tnlr.org/en/24-hour-hotline/
Community United Against Violence https://www.cuav.org/resources
To watch this episode:
https://youtu.be/3NbywuZnIdg
For decades murders of gay men were happening on the cliffs of Bondi Beaches. Between 1970 and 2010 gay men were hunted, brutally attacked, and in some cases thrown to their deaths from the cliffs of cruising spots above the beautiful beaches of Sydney, Australia. Many of these murders remain unsolved.
John Russell was a barmen in Bondi he’d spent the night with his friends then capped the evening off with a visit to the gay cruising spots above the beaches of Bondi, Australia his body was found the next morning.
Ross Warren was an up and coming newsreader who never showed up for his on air job. His body has never been found.
Scott Johnson was a brilliant mathematician who was approaching the end of Ph.D. studies when his naked body was found on craggy rocks of Manly beach. Decades of terror and violence in Sydney, Australia treated like sport and a right of passage.
Thanks for joining me for Bashed.
I choose these three cases for the things they have in common. All of them are unsolved or unresolved. None of the three cases are terribly well known and I wanted to share them with you. Howard Efland was a nurse who lived his life in the closet until he was murdered in a seedy downtown Los Angeles hotel. No one knew the murder of three men shot execution style in a tiny adult bookstore in North Carolina would have its roots in a declaration of hate. Navy Seaman August Provost’s short life would come to an end at his Camp Pendleton post.
Thanks for joining me for Hated.
Murder and financial crimes are rare but they do happen and when these crimes are coupled with the desire for love and intimacy they can be doubly complicated to escape. In this episode we’ll take a look at three men who were killed for their money.
Jake Merendino thought he found a young handsome man who he could shower with gifts and affection. Harley Walker would meet men in online chat rooms for the possibility of sex and romance. Silent movie star Roman Novarro cultivated a reputation for hiring sex workers for occasional preasure.
What happens when loneliness and desire collide with the possibility of financial gain?
If you;d like to watch this episode you can find it on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/_rOrhpxtdxk
Thanks for joining me for Blood Money.
If you think you’ve been the victim of a financial crime: https://ovc.ojp.gov/topics/fraud
Please support the channel by subscribing and liking to the podcast. Thanks!
For me one of the worst types of murder are those commmitted by a family member. In this episode six people, actually seven, murdered by the family. One of the reasons I wanted to compile this list was to illustrate that homophobic hate crimes can happen anywhere from the leafy green suburbs of Los Angeles county to a small town in Iran.
A note: I say there are six cases covered but there are actually seven people. Brittney Cosby and Crystal Jackson are often referred to as a couple and I'm afraid I've done the same in the description. If you or anyone you know is in fear of bodily harm please reach out to your local law enforcement. If you are having difficulty with your family’s acceptance of your sexual preference here are a few resources to reach out to for help.
The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/friends-family-support-systems-for-lgbtq-youth/
Here’s a state by state resource for youth: https://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/publications/downloads/fs_resources-for-lgbtq-youth-by-state_1.pdf
If you'd like to watch this episode check out the link: https://youtu.be/QpXltR_c9WE
Please subscribe! Please like the episode.
Hugs!
Between 2010 and 2017 Bruce McArthur killed eight men in the city of Toronto. Despite the imploring of families and friends, despite two separate task forces looking into the missing men, it would take investigators nearly a decade to track a serial killer who had been arrested and detained for assaults and banned from Toronto’s Gay Village.
Using court records and investigative research this episode will take a look at the murders, the missing men, and the missed opportunities that allowed Bruce McArthur to kill without detection.
If you haven't listened to the Stephen Port episode, part one of this mini-series be sure to check it out.
Please subscribe to the podcast. That would be swell.
P.S. If you'd like to watch this episode here's the link. https://youtu.be/UADfheMHEcs
The serial killer Stephen Port was able to murder 4 men in plain sight leaving all of his victims within feet of his Barking, East London home.
After Port’s trial and sentencing, several inquests were convened to look at why the police failed so spectacularly to identify and stop Stephen Port before he became a serial killer.
Over the next two episodes, I'm going to use the inquest details to track the murders, the evidence, and the lack of investigation to try to understand how the serial killer Bruce McArthur in Canada and Stephen Port in the United Kingdom were able to kill so openly.
Visit the Panic website to read the inquest report and learn more about Port's victims and more stuff.
https://reggiedeepdive.com/queerpanicdive/
To watch this episode:
https://youtu.be/iT_NzNpuvRY
Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Victimconnect.org
Thomas Whitney came out late in life and when he met Lawrence Wong he thought his life had finally begun. Instead, a relentless campaign of obsession would culminate in an act of violent brutality. Whitney and Wong were murdered one day after Wong’s 51st birthday.
The pair were both classical musical talents and seemed to everyone who knew them a happy pair. Vincent Choy Cheung even according to his mother Cheung has led a troubled life including emotional tumult and criminal activities including theft that led to him being ordered to leave the United States.
You might ask yourself, what would I do if my date wouldn’t stay away, inundated you with gifts and cards? How long would it take you to call the police?
If you are a victim of stalking or any other act of aggression and domestic abuse please use the links below. You deserve to live a life free of violence of any kind.
Victimconnect.org
https://victimconnect.org/learn/types-of-crime/stalking/ NATIONAL VictimConnect Resource Center is a weekday phone, chat, and text-based referral helpline for all victims of crime in the United States and its territories that provide emotional support, information, and individualized referrals. Call or text us: 1-855-484-2846
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The DC Victim Hotline can provide you with emotional support, information, and individualized referrals. Call or text us: 1-844-443-5732
https://www.stalkingawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SPARC_Stalking-LGBTQ-Fact-Sheet.pdf
National Sexual Assault Hotline – can also refer you to a local rape crisis center 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) 24/7 or Online Counseling at https://ohl.rainn.org/online/
Love is Respect Hotline 1-866-331-99474 (24/7) or Text “loveis” 22522
The Anti-Violence Project– serves people who are LGBTQ Hotline 212-714-1124 Bilingual 24/7
LGBT National Help Center National Hotline (1-888-843-4564) or National Youth Talkline (1-800-246-7743)
Online Peer Support Chat https://www.glbthotline.org/peer-chat.html or Weekly Youth Chatrooms
https://www.glbthotline.org/youthchatrooms.html
National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 Text LOVEIS to 22522
FORGE Serves transgender and gender non-conforming survivors of domestic and sexual violence; provides referrals to local counselors
Iris SantosThe murders of transgender women of color are alarmingly high once again this year. Frequently, transgender murders go unsolved. Here are eight transwomen of color who's murders remain unsolved. Courtney Eshay Key, Tyianna Alexander, Bianca “Muffin” Bankz, Keeva Scatter, Iris Santos, Nedra Sequence Morris, Duval Princess, Kitty Moore were all murdered by gun violence between 2020 and 2022.
According to the HRC Foundation’s “Dismantling a Culture of Violence” report anti-transgender stigma, denial of opportunity and increased risk factors compound to create a culture of violence. One of the things that shocked me in putting this piece together is how many of these victims are misgendered in local police statements and media reports.
Aside from being deeply disrespectful, on. a practical level misidentification can delay investigation efforts. I know it can sometimes seems impossible to know how to show support particularly when violence is involved. While there are concrete steps to take, see below, I think one of the very first steps is to be aware of the reality on the ground.
I will return to these murders and other murders of transgender and non-gender conforming people. My love and condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the people in this story and all the human beings who's only crime is living the truth of their lives.
For resources and links or to watch this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/wc7BRAn8Dr0
Our history is bound up in the stories of women and men who have created and inspired, as Alice Walker wrote, in love, and in trouble. In honor of Pride, here are five gays to make you proud.
Included in this episode, musical genius Billy Strayhorn, Tomatsu Yato’s stunning photography of Japanese men, Sadao Hasegawa’s bravura graphic artwork put Asian men at the center of an erotic world, fashion designer Willi Smith revolutionized American fashion, and the internationally renowned sculpture Richard Barthe’.
Hugs and Happy Pride!
Jeffrey Mundt and Joseph (Joey) Banis met, did lots of meth, and one night they invited an acquaintance over for some drug-fueled sex. The results of that night wouldn't be discovered for months to come.
A domestic violence call from a historic house in Louisville, Kentucky, would bring an ill-fated relationship to an end. The body buried in the wine cellar would answer the question of where a missing man had gone. The resulting murder trial is still being talked about to this day.
Join me for Graveyard Love, the murder of Jamie Carroll.
A new episode starts on June 19.
I created this true-crime channel to focus on the life and murders of LGBTQ+ people.
I called the channel Panic because for much more of the recorded history of LGBTQ+ folks there’s been a panic.
By investigating everything from hate crimes to domestic violence murders and serial killers we'll gain insight into how societal views can affect the fight for justice.
now and then we'll celebrate some of the people who’ve lived their lives out loud and proud often at great sacrifice.
Panic is both a podcast and a Youtube channel.
Sometimes being queer can be murder.
Join me!
In this episode the political life and times of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer. Community organizer and civil rights activist Mrs. Hamer endured threats of violence and brutal physical harm to ensure poor black voters had the right to vote.
If don't who she is or if you heard of her you'll be inspired hearing her tell her story in her own words.
We'll look at some terrible apologies and a few public and private apologies and how to be better at it.
Thanks for joining me for the first episode of season two of the podcast. I wanted to look at racism and what feels like a real moment of change.
One of the things I forgot to mention in this episode is my favorite idiom use of the zipper is Zip it. As in, "Hey, you with the face, zip it." A slang version of Shut-up. I've only used it in jest but it's pretty satisfying.
In 2019 the San Francisco police announced they had DNA evidence, a digitally aged photo and a $100,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the 1970s serial killer The Doodler.
Be sure to visit the Deeper Dive section for maps, photos and other details I couldn't fit in this episode.
https://reggiedeepdive.com/adeeperdivepod/
In the digital age how much has scandal changed? Why are we so drawn to scandal? What if anything do scandals have to tell us about who we are and the things that matter to us?
For more visit the website:
https://reggiedeepdive.com/adeeperdivepod/
“The poems introduce the girls to other kinds of people of color, other worlds. To adventure, and kindness, and cruelty. Cruelty that we usually think we face alone, but we don’t. We discover that by sharing with each other we find strength to go on.” ― Ntozake Shange
The history of men's clothes is colorful, bold and at times dangerous. Don't forget to check out the Deep Dive website for a deeper dive. www.reggiedeepdive.com
In this episode two Japanese films who use lust and desire to examines the human need for belonging and order even as it all vanishes right before our eyes.
Male/male love among the samurai is the facade for much larger themes. A muted beautiful film of a closed society destroyed from the inside out.
A Beautiful Mystery is an erotic comedy biting as it is drenched in the sweaty of muscled young men looking for something to believe in.
Join me for Gohatto, A Beautiful Mystery.
Three works by one of the greatest playwright in the world writing about nearly every aspect of the human condition with humanity, humor and poetry.
My love for the Newton J. Tharp Commercial School in San Francisco and the struggle to educate all of San Francisco's children before and after the 1906 earthquake. Visit www.reggiedeepdive.com for photos, a program transcript and more.
Often the story of natural disasters and their aftermath lump everyone's experience into one narrative but what about communities of color who survived the 1906 earthquake, what about their children, their education?
In this episode, I share my love for the Newton J. Tharp School in San Francisco. Built in 1910 it survived a turbulent history only to be left frozen in time by an attempt to save it.
Two live recordings by Lena Horne one on New Years Eve 1956 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and the other recorded in the Rat Pack's playroom, The Copa at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas over three nights in 1960 released in 1961 on the RCA Victor label.
Be sure to check out two part and the trial that helped put the gay and trans panic defense on the map.
If you haven't listen to part one please be sure to check out part one.
https://reggiedeepdive.com/#gaypanic01