Small Town Mysteries: Recent Episodes
Kate, Christine, and Rachael
3 lifelong friends who like to dish on true crime and the kind of drama that only small towns can provide 💀
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Today, we’re going to Norway! We’ve got another international case on our hands this week, with some parallels to The Somerton Man, which was recently covered. This one goes back to the autumn of 1970, to a place nicknamed “The Ice Valley”.
It is the story of the (still unidentified) Isdal Woman -- a woman with no name, two suitcases, and perhaps a secret.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isdal_Woman
2) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39369429
3) https://www.aetv.com/articles/isdal-woman
4) https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/who-was-the-isdal-woman-and-what-do-we-know-about-her-death/
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Did this famous Brazilian television presenter and politician really murder for more views? Let's talk about it on this new episode of Small Town Mysteries.
Sources:
1) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-10785494
2) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32377654
3) https://www.mamamia.com.au/wallace-souza/
4) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32573467
5) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/wallace-souza-the-journalist-who-orchestrated-the-murders-he-covered-6d59a01388f1
6) https://www.thetimes.com/world/latin-america/article/wallace-souza-and-the-incredible-true-crime-drama-behind-netflixs-killer-ratings-kkwvwd5xt
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Souza#cite_note-Times_Online-4
8) https://agenciacenarium.com.br/justice-dismisses-accusation-of-wallace-souzas-son-in-case-of-plot-to-kill-judge/?lang=en
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The murder of teenager D'Andre Green remains unsolved - and someone knows who his killer is.
Sources:
1) https://www.wdel.com/news/video-7-years-on-family-of-teen-killed-in-brookside-community-center-shooting-still-seeking/article_9f234312-3f20-11eb-a652-6b6d733d7c1c.html
2) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/31/delaware-teen-killed-seeking-community-help/4262275/
3) https://www.newcastlede.gov/DocumentCenter/View/60047/DAndre-Green-
4) https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/baltimore/news/press-releases/fbi-offers-10-000-reward-for-information-in-murder-of-teenager-at-community-party
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Today we're talking about The Somerton Man - a case that reads like a novel and frustrated investigators for over seventy years.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerton_Man
2) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/27/somerton-man-mystery-identity-solved-identified-australia
3) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-somerton-man-one-of-australias-most-puzzling-cold-cases-50795611/
4) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-21/somerton-manfamily-photographs-revealed-/101643524
5) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62314555
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The 1970s and 80s was a hotbed of excellent paranormal horror films – The Exorcist, the original Amityville Horror, Halloween, Carrie, Eraserhead, Dawn of the Dead, Suspiria, Invasion of the Body Snatchers…. I could go on. It was quite the era of film – and remarkably, some of these legendary tales are based on true stories.
One of the lesser known films of this era is The Entity. It’s sort of your run-of-the-mill poltergeist film: single mother, claims she’s being attacked and harassed physically and sexually by a ghost or demon or something…
But! It was based on the true story of Doris Bither…whose case was, in fact, rather unique for an alleged haunting.
Sources:
1) https://skepticalinquirer.org/2021/10/a-closer-look-at-the-entity-photographs/
2) https://laghosttour.com/the-entity-house/
3) https://www.themysticmedium.com/the-entity-haunting-the-doris-bither-story/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Bither_case
5) https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/paranormal-activity-ucla-haunting-story
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Today on STM I’m taking it back to the early 1800s and the village of Hammersmith, located in foggy London.
Nowadays, Hammersmith is a populated area within the Greater London area, home to almost 200,000 people . In December of 1803, However, the village only had about 5,500 inhabitants - the perfect setting for local gossip to run amok.
And amok it ran! Tales of an ominous specter were spreading among the village. It was described as a white-shrouded figure that would stalk Black Lion Lane. Some said it wore calfskin clothes and had horns and large glass-like eyes. Local legend was that the spectre was actually the restless spirit of a man who’d taken his own life the year before, and who was now condemned to haunt the grounds of St. Paul’s churchyard.
But was the figure really a ghost?
And how did this lead to a legal dilemma that would last for 200 years?
Sources:
1) https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/10/the-case-of-a-ghost-haunted-england-for-over-two-hundred-years/
2) https://www.historicmysteries.com/history/hammersmith-ghost/37316/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith_Ghost_murder_case
4) https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/the-hammersmith-ghost-londons-paranormal-murder/
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The Dybbuk box first gained popularity in 2003, after a man by the name of Kevin Mannis posted the Dybbuk box for sale on ebay. He claimed that the Dybbuk box was haunted and was causing a lot of strange and supernatural things to happen to both him and his family.
Sources:
1) https://jewitches.com/blogs/blog/the-deal-with-the-dybbuk?srsltid=AfmBOooiwzKe-kwg8ZBK2fCzzIa10aX_7PbGLT9DV-QiFa2KlCeknEQl
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance_in_Judaism
3) https://www.inverse.com/input/features/dybbuk-box-dibbuk-kevin-mannis-zak-bagans-haunted-hoax-revealed
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dybbuk_box
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Hello and welcome to Small Town Mysteries, spooky season edition! This October we’re bringing you some truly bizarre cases – ones that we think simply scream Supernatural…are they truly the works of ghosts and phantoms? Are these crimes caused by otherworldly beings…or are humans the most depraved creature of all? I’m Kate, here with Christine and Rachael, bringing you our the first episode of our annual Spooky Season Series, The Death of Zona Shue…also known as the Greenbrier Ghost.
Sources:
1) https://appalachianmemories.org/2025/01/10/the-greenbrier-ghost-the-case-where-a-spirit-helped-convict-a-murderer/
2) https://dannyechase.com/blog/greenbrier/
3) https://greenbrierwv.com/editorials/the-greenbrier-ghost
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbrier_Ghost
4)
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On a Monday morning in February 1986, in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, Sherri Rasmussen’s life came to a violent end. Sherri, a young nurse, was found dead in her condo. She had been brutally beaten and shot three times.
Following this discovery, the Los Angeles Police Department quickly labeled the case as a botched burglary. But to Sherri's father, Nels, this felt wrong. He had a suspect in mind from the very beginning, one he had even told police about. A woman who couldn't let go of the man Sherri had just married. A woman who just happened to be an LAPD officer herself.
This is the story of a cold case that went unsolved for over two decades. A story of obsession, murder, and the blue wall of silence.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sherri_Rasmussen
2) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-lapd-detective-hid-murder-decades-wont-paroled-reversing-earlier-de-rcna173723
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/stephanie-lazarus-former-lapd-detective-who-shot-ex-lovers-new-wife-has-parole-denied-again/
4) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-15/it-took-lapd-23-years-to-identify-police-detective-as-culprit-in-fatal-love-triangle
5) https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-lapd-detective-murdered-lovers-wife-hid-crime/story?id=113955531
6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52954546/sherri_rae-rasmussen
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On July 4, 2016, David Isaiah Goodwin (age 25) murdered Wendy Tamagne (age 37) and then dismembered her body and shoved her remains into trashbags.
Sources:
1) https://wcti12.com/news/local/deliberations-finish-jury-begins-discussion-of-sentencing-for-david-godwin
2) https://www.wnct.com/news/david-godwin-sentenced-to-death-justice-has-been-served/
3) https://www.jdnews.com/news/murder-suspect-to-be-returned-to-carteret-county-to-face-charges/article_3d2ca89e-a450-5cc6-9941-4f1e0c8e4aee.html
4) https://www.newbernsj.com/news/local/wendy-tamagne-remembered-as-caring-friendly/article_dfa05da8-d8ab-5827-8e18-e82585b744f0.html
5) https://www.gofundme.com/f/welovewendyrae
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Sometimes on this podcast, or in true crime in general, there’s discussion over so-called “black widows,” or women who have had multiple husbands die mysteriously, with the implication that they were responsible for those deaths.
But that’s not why we’re here today. Today, we’re going to talk about a bluebeard – yes, a man rather similar to a black widow, whose wives or partners mysteriously died.
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Over 40 years ago, on July 15th, 1984, in the rugged wilderness of the Madison Range in Montana, 22-year-old Kari Swenson went missing.
Kari was a recent Montana State University graduate and rising star in the world of biathlon, a sport that combines cross country skiing and rifle shooting. One sunny morning in July, Kari went for a run on a scenic forest trail. She was actually hoping to see a grizzly bear during her run, as it was an animal she’d always wanted to see. But instead of a bear, she encountered two men.
Sources:
1) https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/100/newsmakers/mountain-men-kidnap-murder-captured-world-s-attention/article_b7b40ff8-c53e-11e0-b014-001cc4c03286.html
2) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/24/mountain-man-freed-32-years-after-kidnapping-athlete-to-be-sons-bride
3) https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28086785/30-30-podcast-how-gender-politics-tragedy-changed-kari-swenson-biathlon-generation
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kari_Swenson
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One unhinged person murders their in-laws and the sister of her mother-in-law via death cap mushrooms.
Sources:
1) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3ngr2n3vo
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leongatha_mushroom_murders
3) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-02/police-charge-erin-patterson-mushroom-poisoning-deaths/103056694
4) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/30/erin-patterson-mushroom-poisonings-murder-trial-ntwnfb
5) https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/son-pays-tribute-to-extremely-thoughtful-and-generous-parents-gail-and-don-patterson-after-they-died-from-mushroom-poisoning-following-leongatha-lunch/news-story/2b5f5ad4e303390e5312c4077b7b46a9
6) https://www.sgst.com.au/news/memorial-service-brings-home-depth-of-korumburra-tragedy
7) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67002918
8) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides
9) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-04/mushroom-poisoning-victim-heather-wilkinson-memorial-service/102929526
10) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-10/gail-don-patterson-heather-ian-wilkinson-erin-patterson-mushroom/105513208
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On May 13, 1998, the body of a woman was found on the side of I-85 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. On September 25 of the same year, the body of a young boy was found underneath a billboard off of I-85 in Mebane, North Carolina. The bodies were found about 3 hours away from each other – in different months, in different stages of decay, even in different states. But more than 20 years later, the truth would come out – connecting these bodies, their lives, and their deaths, once and for all.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_palynology
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope_analysis
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Bobby_Whitt_and_Myoung_Hwa_Cho
4) https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article225508170.html
5) https://people.com/crime/john-mebane-doe-murdered-north-carolina-new-photo/
6) https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/two-decades-ago-a-10-year-old-was-killed-now-his-fathers-been-charged-with-murder/275-b4a44661-02a5-4269-a8ee-fad621c769ee
7) https://local12.com/news/local/brown-co-family-says-final-goodbye-to-missing-boy-found-murdered-in-1998
8) https://www.wral.com/man-to-spend-rest-of-life-behind-bars-for-killing-wife-boy-whose-remains-were-found-under-mebane-billboard/18888831/
9) https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article230338529.html
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In the summer of 2005, Melanie Metheny’s family had a cookout. For Catherine Moles, it's a vivid memory of her niece, Melanie, then 20, doting on her three-year-old son, Ryan. Catherine remembers Melanie as "very, very watchful," and "very protective." The cookout was just a small glimpse into Melanie's world: her kids were everything to her. But little did Catherine know that the cookout would be one of the last times that she saw Melanie.
On July 19, 2006, just a year later, Melanie Metheny, at 21 years old, vanished.
Sources:
1) https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/melanie-metheny-missing-person-west-virginia-rcna216494
2) https://www.wvsp.gov/missing-persons/Pages/MissingPerson_Detail.aspx?personid=3
3) https://www.kanawhasheriff.us/Documents/MelanieMetheny.pdf
4) https://melaniemetheny.wordpress.com/
5)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7wgihm/where_is_melanie_metheny_unresolved_disappearance/
6) https://www.melanieshope.org/?page_id=16
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On September 21, 1909, six members of the Meadows family were murdered and had their log cabin set on fire. George and Lydia Meadows, as well as their children: Will, Noah, and Lafayette, and Lydia's mom, Elizabeth, were all hit in the head with an axe or hatchet.
Sources:
1) https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/p/death-rides-a-fast-train-the-laurel?open=false#%C2%A7an-unsettling-development
2) https://www.oocities.org/rmbaker66/jstsmrdr.html
3) https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2019/09/laurel-creek-murders-part-2.html
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237051360/william-howard-little
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Listen to Kate talk about how truly witless this man was!
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Wozniak_(murderer)
2) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/theater/inspired-by-true-events-true-crime-play.html
3) https://abcnews.go.com/US/community-theater-actors-final-performance-chilling-confession-double/story?id=63181588
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_(musical)
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Today, Christine talks about a person whose mission to complete a charitable act ended in tragedy. We are going to uncover the truth that was buried in the remote Scottish Highlands for three, long years. This is the story of Tony Parsons.
Sources:
1) https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-66614488
2) https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-56927878
3) https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/25/drink-driver-killed-cyclist-on-remote-scottish-road-jailed-for-12-years
4) https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23686444.red-bull-can-helped-find-body-missing-cyclist-tony-parsons/
5)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/9mgrdz/tony_parsons_set_out_on_a_170_km_bike_ride_across/
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Today we are going back in time to the 1890s to talk about the murder of the Meeks Family.
Sources:
1) https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2011/04/meeks-family-murder.html
2) https://sullivan.mogenweb.org/meeksmurders.html
3) https://www.hannibal.net/archive/article/history-in-hannibal-folktale-relates-towns-horror-over-meeks-family-murders/article_78cc9a66-7ce1-521a-a5e6-10c7363aa413.html
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61610270/delora-meeks
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_County,_Missouri
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Over the course of just two days, so began a panic that ultimately led to the deaths of at least 7 people directly, and more from copycats – and borderline hysteria that would change the pharmaceutical industry forever.
Sources:
1) https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/09/30/the-tylenol-murders-40-years-ago-an-infamous-chicago-area-crime-took-these-7-lives/
2) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/tylenol-murders-1982
3) https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/15/us/tylenol-figure-is-convicted.html
4) https://time.com/archive/6914067/a-brief-history-of-the-tylenol-poisonings/
5) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1982/10/11/tylenols-maker-shows-how-to-respond-to-crisis/bc8df898-3fcf-443f-bc2f-e6fbd639a5a3/
6)https://web.archive.org/web/20111030094338/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/18703672/detail.html
7) https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/tylenol-murders-40-years-later-who-have-investigators-identified-as-suspects-or-persons-of-interest/
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On December 5th, 1872, about 400 miles off the coast of the Azores, crew members on the British ship Dei Gratia spotted a ship adrift in the sea. The Captain of the ship was shocked to find that the unguided ship was the Mary Celeste, which had departed from NYC eight days before him, and had been well past-due to have arrived in Genoa, Italy.
A small crew was sent to the ship. Below deck, items had been tossed around, and crewmen’s belongings were still in their quarters. The only lifeboat on the ship was missing, and one of the pumps was disassembled. There was a large supply of food and drink, but not a soul on the ship to consume it. So what happened to the ten people who had been on board the Mary Celeste?
Sources:
1) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste
3) https://sippican.theweektoday.com/article/family-gathers-celebrate-legend-mary-celeste/58992
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This week, we talk about the murder of Patricia Richmond. This case will throw you for a loop!
Sources:
1) Murder in the Heartland, Season 3, episode 3: Beautiful Mess
2) https://www.yampavalleyfh.com/obituary/5151291
3) https://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/24/man-pleads-guilty-to-killing-cousins-fiance-in-routt-county/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_County,_Massachusetts
5) https://www.uncovercolorado.com/towns/clark/
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An online connection that Vickie Edge thought was fate, turns out to be a nightmare.
Sources:
1) https://www.wkrg.com/true-crime/vickie-edge-owner-of-destin-day-spa-murdered-by-man-she-met-online/
2) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/vickie-edge-allegedly-murdered-by-boyfriend-jerry-odum
3) https://www.wkrg.com/video/family-remembers-murder-victim-vickie-edge/5754161/
4) https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/murder-confession-video-jerry-geisler-odum-b2480750.html
5) https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/08/10/srso-destin-woman-vickie-edge-killed-milton-boyfriend-jerry-odum/3340369001/
6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APgSbV7BD3M
7) https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/just-science-podcast-just-research-dating-apps-and-violent-sexual-assault
8)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359178922000623#:~:text=A%20Pew%20Research%20survey%20of,et%20al.%2C%202020).
9) https://respect.uq.edu.au/swipe-left-online-abuse
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When Bobbi Parker vanishes one day, her family is concerned. She was thought to be taken by an inmate under her care. However, over a decade later, the mystery begins to unravel, and let's just say that everything is not as it seems!
Sources:
1) https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Bobbi_Parker
2)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/f6nhp0/bobbi_parker_sufferer_of_stockholm_syndrome_or/
3) https://allthatsinteresting.com/bobbi-parker
4) https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/seven-years-dateline-producer-follows-devil-bobbi-parker-flna1b6035031
5) https://www.newson6.com/story/5e368c655c62141fdeebfcd3/bobbi-parker-sentenced-for-helping-inmate-escape
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Often in true crime spaces we come across cases where a murder is never solved, where a murdered person’s family never finds justice, where a body is never properly laid to rest. Sometimes we get one of these things, or two, and, more rarely than it SHOULD happen, sometimes we get all three. Today’s case is all 3: a body found, a murder solved, and justice served. This is the case of April Tinsley.
Sources:
1) https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/may/april-tinsley-murder-pt.-3/tinsley-killer-profile
2) https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/april/tinsley_040309
3) https://theburr.com/3058/blogs/season-of-justice/season-of-justice-april-tinsley/
4) https://www.insideedition.com/april-tinsley-case-man-tied-8-year-olds-1988-murder-through-genealogy-website-dna-technology-cops
5) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/07/16/i-been-watching-you-a-child-killer-taunted-little-girls-with-terrifying-notes-police-say-after-30-years-dna-led-to-an-arrest/
6) https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/arrest-made-in-april-tinsley-homicide-case
7) https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/tinsley-detectives-reveal-new-details-about-case-suspect/1724738759/
8) https://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/04/indiana.fbi.cold.case/
9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_April_Tinsley
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Do you know the expression: "The Dingo ate my baby"?
Okay, but did you know that it was based on an actual case in Australia in the 1980s?
This week, Christine covers the famous Australian case - and talks about how one of the most publicized cases of its decade was botched, in large part due to public pressure.
Sources:
1) https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/azaria-chamberlain-inquest
2) https://justice.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/205377/azaria-chantel-chamberlain.pdf
3) https://www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/azaria-chamberlain-dress
4) https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/why-didnt-she-cry-how-lindy-chamberlain-became-the-poster-child-for-life-shattering-gender-bias/
5) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Azaria_Chamberlain
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_Chamberlain-Creighton
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo
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Rachael walks us through the murders of Bruce and Darlene Rouse. As always, there's a niiiiice little twist in there...just to keep you all on your toes.
Sources:
1) https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/william-billy-rouse-confesses-parents-murders-illinois
2) https://vocal.media/criminal/the-libertyville-murders
3) https://www.lhsdoi.com/3511/news/libertyvilles-own-american-horror-story/
4) https://idoc.illinois.gov/offender/inmatesearch.html
5) Snapped. Season 27, Episode 25, “William Rouse”
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Daniel Williams was 21 years old when he was sentenced to one year in prison for non-violent drug charges. He was bounced around to multiple facilities during this year, and was set to finish out the last few weeks of his sentence at Staton Correctional Center in Elmore, Alabama. Little did Daniel know that he would die in that prison, both at the hands of someone yet to be convicted of any crime AND at the hands of the mind-boggling negligence of the entire prison facility.
Get your pitchforks ready for this one, folks.
Sources:
1) https://abc3340.com/news/local/fathers-outrage-as-no-charges-filed-in-sons-torture-rape-death-in-prison
2) https://abc3340.com/news/local/suspect-in-murder-and-rape-of-22-year-old-inmate-had-history-of-sexual-violence-according-to-adoc-documents
3) https://alabamaappleseed.org/author/eddie-burkhalter/after-investigation-no-criminal-charges-in-the-torture-and-homicide-of-daniel-williams-at-staton-prison/
4) https://abc3340.com/news/local/fathers-outrage-as-no-charges-filed-in-sons-torture-rape-death-in-prison
5)https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrime/comments/1gx6qge/no_charges_in_22yearolds_kidnapping_torture_gang/
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On the morning of September 16th, 2010, Greg Fleniken's body is found in his hotel room. Police are puzzled - they cannot find any motive for his murder and no explanation for his strange internal injuries. Greg’s wife, Susie turns to a private investigator in order to crack the case...and he does, revealing a series of truly stupifying events.
Sources:
1) https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/05/true-crime-elegante-hotel-texas-murder
2) https://abcnews.go.com/US/caused-mans-mysterious-death-texas-hotel-room/story?id=20656854
3) https://kpel965.com/greg-fleniken-death-true-crime-mystery-body-in-room-348-vanity-fair/
4) https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/wife-of-man-found-dead-at-mcm-elegante-proceeds-4725451.php
5) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theadvertiser/name/gregory-fleniken-obituary?id=9169857
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Who was Julie Doe? And how did investigators identify her decades after she had been murdered, despite several roadblocks? Find out on this weeks episode of Small Town Mysteries!
Sources:
1)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1j840cn/dna_doe_project_identifies_transgender_julie_doe/
2) https://dnadoeproject.org/case/transgender-julie-doe/
3) https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6030
4) https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/12/self-taught-sleuths-trying-solve-trans-murders/603976/
5) https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2752umfl.html
6) https://www.forensicmag.com/3594-All-News/615429-Meta-Rejects-DNA-Doe-Project-s-Ad-for-Transgender-Doe/
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This week, Rachael talks about the tragic murder of 15-year-old Trish Autry.
Sources:
1) https://casetext.com/case/state-v-nielsen-40
2) https://www.nelsonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/trisha-autry
3)https://web.archive.org/web/20070812080555/http://www.unsolved.com:80/0109-TrishaAutry.html
4) https://www.deseret.com/2001/5/16/19586566/missing-teen-is-found-dead/
5) https://www.hjnews.com/alleged-rapist-a-suspect-in-trisha-autry-homicide-too/article_9444eddd-43d5-556f-9000-4d67a99d556d.html
6) https://www.heraldextra.com/news/2001/jul/20/murder-charge-is-raised-to-capital-homicide/
7) https://www.deseret.com/2004/1/28/19809056/autry-s-family-tells-jurors-evil-has-a-face/
8) http://hardnews.ansci.usu.edu/archive/jan2004/0130_nielsen.html
9) https://www.hjnews.com/news/autrys-bid-farewell-to-slain-daughter/article_86cdb878-c808-5eaa-b77e-a4272f8d24e8.html
10) https://www.hjnews.com/a-leroy-autry/article_76f6e7c0-e2be-59d3-8f07-94073aa81c6f.html
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This week, Christine dives into the murder of Helen Jewett. Helen was a sex worker in New York City in the 1830s. Was the murderer her most recent client? You can decide...
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Jewett
2) https://darkdowneast.com/helenjewett/
3) https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-long-island-star-murder-and-arson-t/102699744/
4) https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-post-trial-of-richard-p-rob/102702143/
5) https://www.newspapers.com/article/bangor-daily-whig-and-courier-the-murder/102794404/
6) https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-the-murder-of-the-girl-in-gr/117166824/
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Tune in this week to hear Kate cover one of the most badass survival stories we've covered: the unbelievable survival of 15-year-old Mary Vincent.
Sources:
1) https://people.com/archive/a-victims-life-sentence-vol-29-no-16/
2) https://archive.vcstar.com/news/crime-survivor-speaks-ep-371969784-350886431.html/
3) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-25-mn-22808-story.html
4) https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/28/us/rape-victim-gives-up-on-collecting-award.html
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Vincent_(artist)#cite_note-12
6) https://morbidology.com/left-for-dead-mary-vincent/
7) https://keypennews.org/stories/the-heart-of-a-survivor-blood-courage-triumph,6663?
8) https://www.ranker.com/list/mary-vincent-lawrence-singleton-case/laura-allan
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When three people are wrongly convicted as a result of police manipulation tactics, you have to wonder: who was actually responsible? Miscarriages of justice are rampant in this case, but most important is to remember that Lynette White's life was taken from her, and she cannot ever get that back.
Sources:
1) https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-02-09/lynette-whites-murder-why-it-took-16-years-to-find-her-real-killer
2) https://www.forensic-access.co.uk/cold-cases/lynette-white/
3) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c079vl109x2o
4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21GVUsQcKc&t=25s
5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ltZFJ_Mng
6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPTS9TZDWJU
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_White
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This week, Christine covers the puzzling death of Alexander Stevens. This case was never cut and dry from the beginning, but only gets more puzzling as more details emerge.
Sources:
1) https://www.courts.state.md.us/sites/default/files/unreported-opinions/0993s18.pdf
2) https://www.wvnews.com/garrettrepublican/news/megan-shaffer-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-second-degree-murder/article_487d0751-30db-5b9a-a536-5d9d723f204d.html
3) https://people.com/crime/maryland-woman-charged-boyfriend-murder-throat-slash/
4) https://kromatic.media/audio
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This week, Kate dives into an unsolved mystery, and a rather perplexing one, at that. This one is a great example/reminder of why colonialism is bad. When Michael Rockefeller (yes, of THE Rockefeller Family) disappeared during an expedition in the Asmat region of southwestern Dutch New Guinea (now South Papua), no one knew what had happened to him.
There's a few theories. Some are simple, and some are sinister.
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This week, Rachael covers the murder of Gregory "Sky" Erickson, who was just 15 years old. And buckle up, because the cast of characters involved in this case is EXTENSIVE--there were TEN people charged in connection with his murder!
Sources:
1) https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2012/a11-1379.html
2) https://www.facebook.com/p/In-memory-of-Sky-Erickson-100069079830324/
https://www.dglobe.com/news/man-serving-life-sentence-testifies-about-murder
3) https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/man-now-eligible-for-parole-for-1997-sky-erickson-killing/
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147884681/gregory-sky-erickson
5) https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/40/1073/2380789/
6) https://casetext.com/case/us-v-lua
7) https://www.change.org/p/joe-biden-my-brother-has-been-in-prison-for-over-23-years-and-deserves-a-second-chance
8) https://doc-search.iowa.gov/Offender/Search
9) https://www.change.org/p/clemency-for-luis-lua
10) https://law.justia.com/cases/iowa/supreme-court/1999/98-1417.html
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Around 4:00 AM on August 23, 1987 in the tiny city of Alexander, Arkansas, a locomotive engineer noticed that there were people laying down on the train tracks. The engineer engaged the train’s brakes and sounded the horn, but the train was unable to stop in time.
When 16-year-old Don Henry and 17-year-old Kevin Ives were hit by this freight train, their death was initially and unsurprisingly ruled an accident. However, after researching this case, I think it’s safe to say that the deaths of these teenagers were anything but accidental.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Don_Henry_and_Kevin_Ives
2) https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jun/05/mom-of-cold-case-victim-dies/
3) https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/kevin-ives-and-don-henry-12289/
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120221988/lionel_keith-mckaskle#view-photo=190741804
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Seal
6) https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jun/05/mom-of-cold-case-victim-dies/
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Despite there being security camera footage of Missy Bever's killer, there have been frustratingly few major leads over the last 9 years.
Sources:
1) https://people.com/crime/missy-bevers-murder-mother-in-law-asks-will-we-feel-like-celebrating-arrest/
2) https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/internet-sleuths-muddy-waters-and-wreck-lives-in-missy-bevers-murder-investigation-9129736
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/docs-church-murder-victim-terri-missy-bevers-received-creepy-linkedin-message/
4) https://people.com/crime/missy-bevers-texas-fitness-instructor-dead-one-year-later/
5) https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/missy-bevers-died-from-multiple-puncture-wounds-to-head-and-chest-police/132143/
6) https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/who-murdered-missy-bevers-six-years-after-killing-the-question-remains-unanswered/2943550/
7) https://www.audacy.com/krld/news/local/reward-increases-to-usd150-000-dollars-in-missy-bevers-murder
8) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Missy_Bevers
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Katarzyna Zowada was murdered in a truly horrific way. After police didn't file a police report for Katarzyna initially when she went missing, it took almost 20 years for investigators to find out who her killer was, with the help of DNA technology.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Katarzyna_Zowada
2) The Most Bizarre True Crime Stories Ever Told by Jack Rosewood
3) https://www.krakow.sa.gov.pl/komunikat-dotyczacy-wyroku-sadu-apelacyjnego-w-krakowie-z-dnia-31-pazdziernika-2024-r-wydanego-w-sprawie-roberta-j-sygn-akt-ii-aka-39223,new,mg,281.html,1181
4) https://the-line-up.com/katarzyna-zowada-the-skin-case
5) https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Katarzyna_Zowada
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Michele Anne Harris, born on September 29th, 1965, left the restaurant she was working at at the end of her shift, and had a couple drinks with coworkers in the parking lot. She went to see a boyfriend in Smithsboro, New York, leaving shortly after 11pm. This is the last time she was seen.
The day that Michele disappeared was unique. It was not a day that would soon be forgotten…because Michele Anne Harris disappeared on September 11th, 2001.
Sources:
1) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Michele_Anne_Harris
2) https://charleyproject.org/case/michele-anne-harris
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-mystery-a-time-to-kill-26-06-2010/
4) https://abcnews.go.com/US/cal-harris-acquittal-4th-murder-trial-total-relief/story?id=39564152
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Journalist, radio personality, and socialite Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead in her apartment in New York City on November 8, 1965. She was found sitting up in bed, fully dressed and made up. Her official cause of death was an overdose of barbiturates combined with alcohol. But alcohol and barbiturates cannot explain why Dorothy’s notes on the single most famous case she had ever investigated were missing–and why, two days later, a friend to whom she had given a draft of a chapter exploring theories of this case was also found dead under mysterious circumstances. Alcohol and barbiturates cannot explain why every trace of her research and theories were never seen again.
Sources:
1) https://historyandimagination.com/2020/09/22/the-strange-death-of-dorothy-kilgallen-part-one/
2)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy
4) https://spartacus-educational.com/JFKkilgallen.htm
5) https://oceanwriterreads.com/2024/03/25/book-review-the-incredible-life-and-mysterious-death-of-dorothy-kilgallen-by-sara-jordan-heintz/
6) https://arapahoenews.com/12462/uncategorized/dorothy-kilgallen-reporter-cloaked-in-controversy/
7) https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=fac_pm
8) https://www.tigertimesonline.com/entertainment/2018/04/the-scandals-of-jfk/
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This episode has so many twists and turns that if it was a novel, someone on Goodreads would complain about it being "unrealistic".
A whole family was murdered one night in the 1870s. The motive was clear, but the perpetrator was (and still is) a mystery. Though a trial ensues, the town decides to take matters into their own hands.
Otherwise known as The Horsey Episode.
Sources:
1) https://johnbrassardjr.com/2020/01/11/the-spencer-family-massacre-part-1/
2) https://johnbrassardjr.com/2020/01/25/the-spencer-family-massacre-part-2/
3) https://khqa.com/news/local/family-of-five-brutally-murdered-in-clark-county-in-1877
4) https://www.mississippivalleypublishing.com/group-takes-another-look-at-125-year-old-murder-case/article_b57f4759-a9c7-5ef7-89f9-0be4783df114.html
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Today, Christine covers the heartbreaking murders of Jack and Paul, two young boys who were killed by their father. Despite evidence and testimony from the boys' mother that their father was a dangerous man capable of killing his own sons, the judge awarded him 5 hours of unsupervised contact each week. This decision would sadly prove to be fatal for the 9 and 12-year old brothers.
Sources:
1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pD1Yt34vqw
2) https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/01/paul-and-jack-were-murdered-by-their-abusive-father-why-had-the-family-courts-granted-him-contact
3) https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/07/he-saw-our-children-as-possessions-my-husband-killed-our-sons
Consider signing this petition!
Child First Campaign Petition: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/child-first-safe-child-contact-saves-lives
- In the UK, the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid.
- In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453.
- In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732
- Other international helplines can be found via befrienders.org or at Child Helplines International.
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This case if not covered enough. Have you heard of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride? Probably. But there is a horrific detail of that midnight ride that most do not know about. Learn about it here on Small Town Mysteries, then tell all your friends to listen...because this one is important.
Sources:
1) https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials
2) https://www.loc.gov/resource/llst.023/?sp=1&st=image
3) https://www.paulreverehouse.org/mark-hung-in-chains-slavery-paul-reveres-midnight-ride/
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The tragic murder of 5-year-old Farah Khan is discussed in this week's podcast.
Sources:
1) https://globalnews.ca/news/6276192/farah-khan-murder-toronto/
2) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/father-stepmother-convicted-of-murdering-5-year-old-farah-khan-1.496891
3) https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA112724200&sid=sitemap&v=2.1=r&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=mlin_oweb&isGeoAuthType=true&aty=geohttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/murder-convictions-for-farah-s-parents-1.496223
4) Crime Beat - Season 1 episode 2- “Farah Khan: A City’s Lost Child
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What killed Kathy Wangler is known. Kathy, a wife and mother of two, was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in her upstairs bedroom on September 4, 2006.
What is not so clear is how this happened.
Some believe it was a tragic accident set off by a faulty water heater inside the home. Others believe it was something more sinister and calculated.
Sources:
1) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15657786/kathleen_s-wangler
2) https://www.oxygen.com/dateline-secrets-uncovered/crime-news/mark-wangler-convicted-of-killing-wife-kathy-with-carbon
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima,_Ohio
4)https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1bi8jxs/did_ohio_anesthesiologist_mark_wangler_gas_his/
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-killers-son-wife-continue-innocence-crusade/
6) https://casetext.com/case/state-v-wangler
7) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-ohio-anesthesiologist-gas-his-wife-to-death/
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Rachael talks about our last three cryptids of this spooky season: the Black Annis, the Jersey Devil, and The Dover Demon. Which one will become Small Town Mysteries' Cryptid Congeniality?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Annis
2) https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Annis
3) https://astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2023/10/15/black-annis
4) https://pinelandsalliance.org/learn-about-the-pinelands/pinelands-history-and-culture/the-jersey-devil-and-folklore/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dover_Demon
6) https://cryptozoologycryptids.fandom.com/wiki/Dover_Demon
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A Halloween party turned sour. What happened to Arpana Jinaga? And why did the cops immediately zero in on one suspect, when several people at the party exhibited suspicious behaviors?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redmond,_Washington
2) https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/emanuel-fair-trial-lawsuit-dna-murder-charge-1330251/
3) https://www.crimescenecleanup.com/arpana-jinaga-halloween-party-murder/
4) https://unresolved.me/arpana-jinaga
5) https://people.com/crime/suspect-podcast-explores-unsolved-2008-halloween-party-murder-arpana-jinaga/
6) https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/halloween-horror-woman-found-dead-after-hosting-costume-party-at-her-apartment
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Tonight, Christine transports us all to prom. But there are no humans to be found at this prom. Oh no. This is a prom for the Cryptids. The theme? Under the Sea. And it is up to us and YOU to decide who is crowned our Cryptid King!
Get out your writing utensils or note app on your phone and decide which of our contenders deserves the esteemed title.
Let us know your thoughts and who was your "Cryptid King" by DMing us or commenting @smalltownmysteriespod on Instagram!
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard_Man_of_Scape_Ore_Swamp
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browntown,_South_Carolina
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(folklore)
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loveland_frog
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Sometime between late October 30th and early Oct 31, 2010, William “B.J.” Liske murdered his father, stepmother, and his stepbrother. The family was murdered in their own home located in Martin, Ohio.
Sources:
1) https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2011/09/15/Liske-gets-life-for-deaths-of-3/stories/201109150097
2) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-triple-murder-teen-thought-it-was-halloween-prank/
3) https://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/story/news/local/2015/04/07/man-killed-family-found-dead-prison-cell/25420415/
4) https://sanduskyregister.com/news/1672/liske-pleads-guilty-to-triple-homicide/
5) https://www.oxygen.com/homicide-for-the-holidays/crime-news/bj-liske-kills-3-family-members-in-halloween-murders
6) https://www.wtol.com/article/news/family-grapples-with-loss-of-4-relatives-in-24-hours/512-0da1e144-353c-49a7-867f-8daebce189fd
7) https://sanduskyregister.com/news/40338/tragic-timeline-details-surface-on-halloween-family-killings/
8) https://www.crosserpriesmanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/William-E-Liske-Jr?obId=4107444
9) https://www.crosserpriesmanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Susan-M-Liske?obId=4107443
10) https://www.crosserpriesmanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Derek-L-Griffin?obId=4107442
11) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228968455/william_j-liske/photo
12) https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/43445/
13) https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/1048948
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This week on Cryptid Chaos, Kate talks about Chupacabra and Mothman!
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra
2) https://www.britannica.com/topic/chupacabra
3) https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/land/modern-myths
4) https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/ology-cards/281-chupacabra
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bridge
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothman
7) https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia
8) https://www.mothmanmuseum.com/
9) https://www.mothmanfestival.com/
10) https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1418
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In this heartbreaking case, Kennedy Ife's family attempted to exorcise what they believed to be a "demon" out of him, but unfortunately ended up killing their own relative.
Sources:
1) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exorcism-possession-uk-london-death-kennedy-ife-parents-family-brothers-restrained-a8763026.html
2) https://vocal.media/criminal/the-deadly-exorcism-of-kennedy-if
3) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6810045/Christian-parents-brothers-marketing-executive-cleared-killing-botched-exorcism.html
4) https://www.vice.com/en/article/exorcisms-rise-2019-pentecostalism-catholicism/
5) https://www.vice.com/en/article/exorcisms-rise-2019-pentecostalism-catholicism/
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In September of 1999, Ronald Cohen had just finalized the sale of his home in Jericho, New York, where he had lived for the previous nine years. In cleaning out his home for the new owners, he came across something startling in his basement–left behind from the previous owner of the house and weighing about 300 pounds. Its discovery would reopen a 30-year-old cold case.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho,_New_York
2) https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/reyna-marroquin/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reyna_Marroqu%C3%ADn
4) https://projectpulso.org/2022/11/14/reyna-marroquin/
5) https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Ang%C3%A9lica_Marroqu%C3%ADn
6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215199418/reyna_angelica-marroquin
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On March 25, 2003, Shonda Dee Walter murdered her elderly neighbor, James E. Sementelli, in order to rob him and gain gang initiation in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She stole money from him and his car, and proceeded to return to the crime scene with other people, in order to show them James’ body.
Sources:
1) https://murderpedia.org/female.W/w/walter-shonda.htm
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_Haven,_Pennsylvania
3) https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local-news/2016/08/victim-s-family-others-resigned-to-walter-life-sentence/
4) https://creative-resistance.org/an-untimely-death-by-shonda-walters/
5) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81062304/james-e-sementelli#:~:text=Sementelli%20was%20a%20murder%20victim,a%20gang%20initiation%20and%20robbery.&text=World%20War%20II-,He%20grew%20up%20in%20Lock%20Haven%20and%20was%20stationed%20at,Harbor%20on%20December%207%2C%201941.
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This case created a lot of room for discussion. It is not a morally black or white case - there's a lot to unpack here!
The clip on social media that made me dig into this can be summed up as: a 15-year-old kid shot dead his parents and 17-year-old sister, citing his dislike for his mother’s loud chewing and his sister’s “annoying” accent, as well as his father’s disapproval of his anti-war views.
Sources:
1) http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/wolcott.pdf
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown,_Texas
3) https://vocal.media/criminal/the-unforgettable-crime-and-the-remarkable-transformation-of-james-gordon-wolcott
4) https://thecrimemag.com/james-gordon-wolcott/
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No spoilers for this one - the synopsis itself is horrible. Find out why this case is known as "The Windshield Murder" during this episode of Small Town Mysteries!
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-1-1_(TV_series)
2) https://people.com/crime/chante-mallard-2017-movie-about-homeless-man-murder-windshield/
3) https://medium.com/p/6ea6a6217201
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7622278/gregory_glenn-biggs
5) https://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/mallard-chante.htm
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Gregory_Glenn_Biggs
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Between September 1st and 4th, in 2006 Christian Charles Neilsen went on a killing spree at the Black Bear Inn located Newry, ME, which resulted in the death of 4 people: James, “Jimmy” Whitehurst (age 50), Julie Attebury Newby Bullard (age 65), Selby Bullard (age 30), and Cindy Ellen Cabral Beatson (age 43).
What could his motive have been?
Sources:
1) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/me-supreme-judicial-court/1377622.html
2) https://murderpedia.org/male.N/n/nielsen-christian.htm
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Charles_Nielsen
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105419041/james-william-whitehurst
5) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/julie-bullard-obituary?id=25551786
6) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15916100/cynthia_ellen-beatson
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This case highlights what some men in immense positions of power will do to try and cover their tracks. Anne Marie Fahey was only 27 when she was murdered by Thomas Capano, a prominent lawyer and political consultant who was well-known in Delaware, and who came from a family of rich real-estate developers. Although their relationship was not exclusive by any means, Capano was angered when he thought Fahey was going to end things with him, wanting to keep Fahey all to himself.
Sources:
1) https://www.capanomanagement.com/the-capano-family-today/
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Capano
3) https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2017/11/15/20-years-after-capano-arrest-juror-breaks-silence/839587001/
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The senseless, and potentially racially-motivated, crime that killed eight-year-old Noah Bush will have you seething.
Sources:
-https://home.army.mil/stewart/about/Garrison/DPW/environmental/prevention-and-compliance/borrow-pits#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20Borrow%20Pit,for%20fill%20at%20another%20location.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesup,_Georgia
-https://johndrogerslaw.com/the-controversial-debate-of-trying-juveniles-as-adults-in-the-criminal-justice-system/
-https://www.thedailybeast.com/georgia-family-demands-justice-after-drowning-of-8-year-old-black-boy-noah-bush
-https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/sentencing-delayed-for-child-charged-in-noah-bushs-death-in-jesup/PWX6LFWZFFA7NKXKSLBF7BMRJ4/
-https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/29/minors-charged-noah-bush-death-jesup-georgia/74584663007/
-https://www.wjcl.com/article/jesup-residents-protest-death-noah-bush/60865381
-https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-noah-bush-and-his-family-through-this-difficult-time
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In this episode, Rachael talks about Linda Lee Couch, who murdered her husband, Walter Couch Jr., in their home In Cincinnati, Ohio. The two of them were married for 14 years. As their history is unraveled, the question of self-defense is brought into the mix.
Sources:
1) https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/W017943
2) I Am A Killer, Season 2, Episode 4 - “Trapped”
3) https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/linda-couch-convicted-of-murder-in-1985-is-up-for-parole-her-daughter-doesnt-believe-shes-changed
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Dubbed by the media as “The Tube Sock Killings,” these four unsolved murders occurred in 1985 in the remote areas of Lewis and Pierce County, Washington, near the unincorporated community of Mineral, Washington. Tube socks were tied around the necks of the women.
Was it the same killer? You might think so, but it's not so cut and dry!
Let's talk about it.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral,_Washington_murders
https://unsolved.com/gallery/diana-robertson/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral,_Washington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Stoppers
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Stephen_Harkins_and_Ruth_Cooper
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Kate talks about a case that was only recently solved using DNA evidence. The Grim Sleeper was identified after having committed at least 10 murders (that he was convicted of) and at least 4 others he was suspected of carrying out. His crimes spanned decades, and he targeted sex workers who were black women. Would he have been found out sooner if he had targeted wealthy, white women? Would Lonnie Franklin Jr. be a household name if this was the case?
The answer to both questions:
Probably.
Sources:
1) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-29/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-dies-death-row-san-quentin
2) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grim-sleeper-guilty-killings_n_572bb5e3e4b016f37895382f
3) https://web.archive.org/web/20141223085642/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-08-28/news/grim-sleeper/
4)https://web.archive.org/web/20160610190831/http://news.sky.com/story/631629/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-hunted
5) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38133825
6) https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-grim-sleeper-death-verdict-20160606-snap-story.html
7) https://people.com/crime/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-lonnie-franklin-once-gang-raped-a-german-teen/
8) https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/familys-dna-led-police-grim-sleeper-serial-killer/story?id=11116381&page=2
9) https://www.ebony.com/grim-sleeper-case/
10) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grim-sleeper-serial-killer-may-have-left-photos-of-more-victims-in-refrigerator-says-lapd/
11) https://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-grim-sleeper-victims-20160508-story.html
12) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-16-la-me-0716-grim-sleeper-search-20100716-story.html
13) https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-oct-29-la-me-grim-sleeper-20111029-story.html
Doe Network for information on victims
14) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grim_Sleeper
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Bison Dele, an ex-NBA player who walked away from it all at the prime of his career, his girlfriend, and the captain of his catamaran are all missing when Bison's brother docks their boat. What does his brother know about what happened to them all?
Sources:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison_Dele#:~:text=Dele%20won%20a%20championship%20with,have%20been%20killed%20by%20Dabord.
2) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mystery-nz-woman-link-to-mid-sea-triple-killing/6J7QWIE3B5FUCS4X6NOBRV5DVI/
3) https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-what-happened-bison-dele-cause-death-late-nba-player-explored
4) https://www.sportscasting.com/news/the-mysterious-life-and-murder-at-sea-of-nba-champion-bison-dele-aka-brian-williams/
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-believe-ex-nba-player-was-slain/
6) https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123837&page=1
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Rachael talks about the brutal, horrific murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in Madison, Indiana, which involved several other young girls.
This will leave you shaking your head and wondering how individuals this young can commit such horrible acts of violence.
Sources:
1) https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanda-sharer
2) https://www.talesfromtheunderworld.com/p/lured-to-her-death-the-heartbreaking
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer
4) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-31-mn-1053-story.html
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Indiana
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The decades-old case of the multi-homicide of the Short Family is ongoing and with few reliable leads.
Twenty-two years later, the Short family is still searching for justice - but an inadequate initial investigation might make that impossible.
Sources:
1) https://unresolved.me/the-short-family (very detailed!)
2) https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/after-20-years-are-we-any-closer-to-answers-in-short-family-murders-in-henry-co/
3) https://myfox8.com/who-killed-jennifer-short/
4) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/short-family-triple-homicide-haunts-virginia-20-years-later
5) https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/crime/house-near-martinsville-where-jennifer-shorts-parents-were-murdered-is-now-in-ashes/article_27c7db1c-3544-11e9-8c64-4b79d4325a42.html#:~:text=Nearly%2017%20years%20after%20the,destroyed%20by%20fire%20Wednesday%20morning.
6) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/va-michael-50-mary-36-jennifer-short-9-bassett-15-aug-2002.11660/
7) https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/three-indicted-for-charges-related-to-the-short-family-murder-case/83-403875927
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Julie Ann Gonzalez was only 21-years-old when she went missing, leaving her young daughter, Layla, and a large group of family and friends who cared for her. They immediately knew that something was wrong - Julie would never disappear of her own volition.
Find out how there was a murder conviction with no body found.
Sources:
1) https://www.oxygen.com/killer-relationship-with-faith-jenkins/crime-news/george-delacruz-convicted-killing-wife-julia-gonzalez
2) https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2016/10/06/george-de-la-cruz-found-guilty-of-killing-julie-ann-gonzalez/986801007/
3) https://www.tdcaa.com/journal/a-murder-case-with-no-body/
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Gerald Bloom is found buried underneath a trailer in 2010. The story that unfolds when police talk to Bloom's neighbors and roommates is terrifying and sad.
Sources:
1) https://law.justia.com/cases/wyoming/supreme-court/2012/s-11-0281.html
2) https://www.championfh.com/obituaries/gerald-bloom
3)https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/09/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0.pdf.pdf
4) http://wdoc-loc.wyo.gov/Home/Detail/?id=27637&dbType=WCIS
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheridan,_Wyoming
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The Axeman of New Orleans terrorized the city in the 1910s, while the world was in the midst of both war and pandemic. Hear about several theories regarding who the Axeman was - are any of them convincing?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axeman_of_New_Orleans
3) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/axeman-new-orleans-preyed-italian-immigrants-180968037/
4) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/la-axeman/
5) https://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/louisiana-true-crime-the-new-orleans-axeman-who-murdered-italian-grocers-unfond-of-jazz/article_0a263482-8744-11ec-85de-7b60c0b7252f.html
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The Moore family was an affluent family located in the town of Villisca, Iowa. They were well-known and well-liked in town. So when all 6 of them, along with 2 young guests, were found bludgeoned in their own home one morning in 1912, people had no idea who would have committed such a crime. Was this heinous crime committed for some financial motive, or could it have been a serial-killer going on a murder spree through the town?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villisca_axe_murders
2) https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2022/06/09/1912-villisca-ax-murders-what-to-know-iowa-cold-case/7567590001/
3) https://www.traveliowa.com/places/villisca-axe-murder-house/201/#:~:text=Curated%20guided%20tours%20are%20available,restoration%2C%20plus%20see%20authentic%20mementos.
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In this episode, Rachael covers a 1800s case in which a woman by the name of Cordelia Botkin is jealous of her lover's wife, Mary, causing her to go to great lengths to have Mary killed.
Sources:
1) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/death-by-chocolate-ab1f379e705c
2) https://billypenn.com/2023/09/17/botkin-dunning-case-murder-by-chocolate-delaware-valley/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordelia_Botkin
4) https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/botkin-cordelia.htm
5) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65486684/flower
6) https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/candy-from-a-stranger-the-cordelia-botkin-case-of-1898/
7) https://www.measuringworth.com/dollarvaluetoday/result.php?year=1898&amount=4000&transaction_type=PURCHASE
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At first, when Stacey Castor's husband unexpectedly passes away, no one thinks anything of it, and his death is ruled a suicide. But when police dig deeper and search the Castor's home, what they find shocks them. And as they delve into Stacey's past with her previous husband, they begin to uncover a sinister web of lies...
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Castor
2) https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-black-widow-stacey-castors-shocking-crimes/story?id=60860538
3) https://abcnews.go.com/US/detectives-caught-black-widow-deadly-web-lies/story?id=60854018
4) https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a30715508/stacey-castor-true-story-facts-poisoned-love-lifetime/
5) https://www.oxygen.com/exhumed/crime-news/black-widow-stacey-castor-convicted-for-murder-after-exhumation
6) https://cnycentral.com/news/local/did-stacey-castor-murder-her-own-father
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Marlene Warren answered the door to her home and was fatally shot by a mysterious clown, who then calmly walked away to their getaway car. Although there were eyewitnesses, circumstantial evidence, and a prime suspect, it would take over three decades for her killer to face any kind of justice.
Sources:
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/killer-clown-marlene-warren-sheila-keen-warren-florida-murder/
2) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sheila-keen-warren-marlene-warren-murder-florida-killer-clown-case/
3) https://abcnews.go.com/US/killer-clown-victims-son-reflects-33-year-fight/story?id=98941520
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On December 7, 2017, the body of Telma Boinville was discovered inside a North Shore vacation home in Pupukea, Hawaii by a pair of Australian tourists. In addition to the discovery of Telma’s remains, Makana, Telma’s 8-year-old daughter, was also found inside the home, with both her hands and feet bound.
Throughout this episode, Rachael covers Telma's case and the prosecution of the two individuals responsible for her senseless murder.
Sources:
1) https://vocal.media/criminal/how-two-burglars-brutally-murdered-telma-boinville
2) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/stephen-brown-guilty-in-2017-murder-of-telma-boinville
3) https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/02/separately-trials-likely-in-north-shore-murder-as-defendant-claims-abuse/
4) https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/video/2023/12/07/both-defendants-grisly-north-shore-murder-sentenced-life-prison-with-possibility-parole/
5) https://www.facebook.com/groups/811488909034020/
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C5%ABp%C5%ABkea,_Hawaii
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This week, we take a brief break from covering cases and reflect on our favorite moments from the podcast over the last 100 episodes. We also hear from listeners and play a fun game at the end!
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During a first date, 24-year-old Erin Marie Gilbert vanishes without a trace. Almost 20 years later, and there are still no answers. Could her date have anything to do with her disappearance? Or was another ill-intentioned player involved?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Erin_Marie_Gilbert
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girdwood,_Anchorage,_Alaska
3) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/07/09/cold-case-forest-fair-28th-anniversary-erin-marie-gilberts-disappearance/
4) https://dps.alaska.gov/getmedia/6dc56c2a-03e1-46c8-8953-7568ad92974d/Gilbert
5) https://uncovered.com/cases/erin-gilbert
6) https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/sister-seeks-answers-24-years-after-erin-marie-gilbert-vanished-n1106786
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In this week's episode, Rachael talks about the decades-long mystery of the Lyon sisters, who disappeared from a local mall in Wheaton, Maryland in March of 1975. The case went cold for a whopping 38 years. Eventually, a man who was only 18-years-old at the time of the crime and who had involved himself in the investigation was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering the Lyon sisters.
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Tune in to learn about the heartbreaking and harrowing murder of Warren Barnes by 19-year-old Brian Cohee, and about the treasured life of Warren Barnes--victimized for being homeless, because his life "didn't matter." The way the community has honored Barnes is truly moving.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Junction,_Colorado
2) https://www.unilad.com/news/brian-cohee-jr-documentary-police-bodycam-footage-548532-20240327
3) https://www.mesacounty.us/news/district-attorney/cohee-found-guilty
4) https://www.kkco11news.com/2023/01/30/brian-cohee-events-leading-murder/
5) https://www.westernslopenow.com/news/the-people-v-brian-cohee-sentencing-hearing/
6) https://www.gjsentinel.com/a-look-back-cohee-trial-top-crime-story-of-2023/article_0874ef32-9937-11ee-8995-a3539ebe6dc3.html
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This week we dive into the bizarre disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Just 20 years old, investigators looked into some questionable relationships she may have had, substance abuse issues, and one particularly odd interaction with her father just before she disappeared.
An overworked and under-funded police force leads to some devastating missteps within this case, and several untrustworthy characters make it difficult to know who is really telling the truth.
Sources:
1) https://uncovered.com/cases/ashley-loring-heavy-runner
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning,_Montana
3) https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/ashley-loring-heavyrunner
4) https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ashley-loring
5) https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/suspect-arrested-by-fbi-in-great-falls-has-been-identified
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This week, Rachael covers the shocking murder of Tracy Mondabough, which occurred as a result of a love-triangle gone wrong. Because the murder happened right around the start of Covid, the defense had some pretty interesting arguments for why the perpetrator might have committed the crime...
Sources:
1) https://www.chillingcrimes.com/blogs/news/tracy-mondabough
2) https://www.rfh-ia.com/obituaries/Tracy-ThrogmartinMondabough?obId=14125426
3) https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/appeal-denied-for-iowa-woman-convicted-of stabbing-ottumwa-woman
4) https://www.thedailybeast.com/michelle-boat-testifies-she-snapped-and-killed-tracy-mondabough-after-she-hit-her
5) https://doc-search.iowa.gov/offender/detail?offenderNumber=6267652
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pella,_Iowa
7) https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/men-ipvsvandstalking.html
8) https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/
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This is one of those cases that is solved, but justice was unfortunately never served. Today on Small Town Mysteries, hear about the murder of Cathy Sposito, which was solved 36 years (!!!) after it occurred.
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Despite there being a good amount of circumstantial evidence in the murder of Jan Kruse, a mom of two who is known in town for being extremely kind and friendly, this is sadly a case that is not solved. Though many people believe they know who committed the crime - is it really that simple?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster,_Minnesota
2) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/nbcs-dateline-features-southwestern-minnesota-murder-case/89-135ae613-2a94-496d-baec-579ceac5fdec
3) Far From Spider Lake, Dateline NBC
4) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/nbcs-dateline-features-southwestern-minnesota-murder-case/89-135ae613-2a94-496d-baec-579ceac5fdec
5) https://www.bensonfh.com/obituaries/Jan-Krista-Pigman-Kruse?obId=882872
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This week, Rachael dives into two shocking murder cases - both technically still unsolved!
George Carroll Sources:
1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/12/13/he-was-told-his-father-walked-out-then-he-started-digging-up-basement/
2) https://www.fresherslive.com/latest/articles/george-carroll-disappearance-1961-what-happened-to-george-carroll-was-george-carroll-found-1555224839
3) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195154157/george_gaffney-carroll
4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169642123/dorothy_ethel_darress
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Grove,_New_York
Jackalin Thompson Sources:
1) https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/detectives-searching-for-clues-in-homicide/article_8613d6a0-74ac-5be6-b692-398655005f86.html
2) https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/remains-identified-as-missing-woman/article_e1293d33-8c89-590f-9f67-9b2072ba5aff.html
3) https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/missing87975/topic/3745/Families-Looking-For-Closure
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culver,_Oregon
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When a woman is found in tarp off the side of the highway in 1968, she remains unidentified for over 30 years. This was a case that took decades to get to the bottom of - and even now, there are still so many questions remaining.
Sources:
1) https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-barbara-ann-hackman-taylo/24013583/
2) https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19980423&id=9PEaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6796,2875583
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Ann_Hackmann_Taylor
4) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-story-of-tent-girl/
5) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-body-in-kentucky-the-30_b_11389174
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Thirteen year old Jayme Closs witnesses her mother and father being murdered, and is then abducted by their killer, who had been carefully planning her abduction for a long time. Jayme is held in captivity for 88 days before she bravely escapes. Listen to Rachael cover this heartbreaking story this week on Small Town Mysteries.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon,_Douglas_County,_Wisconsin
2) https://www.foxnews.com/us/jayme-closs-jake-patterson-new-documents.amp
3) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jayme-closs-wisconsin-teen-who-escaped-captor-2019-doing-good-n1253938
4) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jayme-closs-wisconsin-teen-who-escaped-captor-2019-doing-good-n1253938
5) https://www.fox9.com/news/missing-barron-wisconsin-teen-jayme-closs-found-alive-in-town-of-gordon
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Jayme_Closs
7) https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/missing-wisconsin-girls-family-faces-painful-holiday-season/
8) https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/14/us/jayme-closs-suspect-court/index.html
9) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/jayme-closs-jake-patterson-can-never-take-away-my-courage/89-31197bea-36bd-41ac-8934-5858e266b935
10) https://www.wbay.com/2024/01/11/this-week-marks-five-years-since-jayme-closs-was-found-alive-after-kidnapping/
11) https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/accused-closs-kidnapper-jake-patterson-calls-wccos-jennifer-mayerle/
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Natalee Holloway is a name that many people within the true crime circle have heard of and are familiar with - but just how much do you know about Natalee and what happened surrounding her disappearance? This is sadly a case that is still not resolved, despite law enforcement and the general public having a very good idea who likely committed the crime.
Sources:
1)https://www.newsweek.com/cracking-holloway-case-93881
2)https://web.archive.org/web/20100609034708/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,594062,00.html
3)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Natalee_Holloway
4)https://people.com/timeline-natalee-holloway-case-vanishing-aruba-suspects-admission-8362756
5)https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/18/us/joran-van-der-sloot-natalee-holloway-plea-wednesday/index.html
6)https://www.npr.org/2023/10/18/1206824624/natalee-holloway-joran-van-der-sloot-guilty-extortion-death-aruba
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This week, Christine highlights the devastating story of Relisha Rudd, an 8-year-old girl who disappeared from a Washington, D.C. homeless shelter in 2014. What did her family know? Why didn't anyone report her missing for 18 DAYS? And most importantly, why was no one taking care of this vulnerable child?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Relisha_Rudd
2) https://charleyproject.org/case/relisha-tenau-rudd
3) https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/relisha-tenau-rudd
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A group of three young men befriend and then brutally torture 19-year-old Chester Poage, with the only motive seeming to be to rob him.
This is just one of those cases that make you wonder - how do these horrible people find each other?!
Sources:
1) https://medium.com/@Charlie_OBrien/the-horrifying-kidnap-and-murder-of-chester-poage-d131d77cb1f1
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Chester_Poage
3) https://www.kotatv.com/2021/03/02/murder-victims-mother-shares-thoughts-on-potential-bill/
4) https://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/07/11/sdexecution
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearfish,_South_Dakota
6) https://www.yankton.net/news/article_6b2876a2-a622-511e-92b4-5900d1a26c3a.html
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In this case, what was thought to be a case of religious fanaticism gone wrong might have actually just been a crime of passion. Hear about the brutal murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter on this episode of Small Town Mysteries. This case inspired the recent series: Under the Banner of Heaven.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints#:~:text=The%20Church%20of%20Jesus%20Christ%20of%20Latter%2Dday%20Saints%2C%20informally,the%20Latter%20Day%20Saint%20movement.
2) https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/4/29/23043175/under-the-banner-of-heaven-series-hulu-lafferty-brothers-ron-dan-murders-what-happened-timeline
3) https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/lafferty-murders
4) https://www.newsweek.com/what-happened-ron-dan-lafferty-where-are-they-now-under-banner-heaven-fx-hulu-1705909
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Banner_of_Heaven_(miniseries)
6) https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/5/11/23064288/under-banner-of-heaven-brenda-ron-dan-lafferty-murder-lds-church-real-fiction-sharon-weeks-sister
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This week, Christine talks about a horrifying case in which 2-year old DeOrr Cruz vanishes from a campground. Little information on this case exists, but what information does exist causes people to be skeptical of those who were on the camping trip with DeOrr.
Sources:
1) https://www.eastidahonews.com/2020/07/deorr-kunz-vanished-5-years-ago-today-heres-where-the-investigation-stands/
2) https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/regional/8-years-since-deorr-kunz-jr-disappeared-at-timber-creek-campground/277-f87192e1-2291-458e-a61b-f83d51c1e1d7
3) https://www.reddit.com/r/deorrkunzjr/comments/17w6nwj/openminded/
4) https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/article232504452.html
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The murder of 6-year-old Eli Hart by the hands of his mother was tragic and entirely preventable. There were many missteps taken by social workers assigned to the case - it's safe to say that the foster care system failed Eli Hart.
Sources:
1) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-eli-hart-child-red-protection-failures/89-a0878e1a-f655-48bc-96ce-b25114aef1ac#:~:text=Sometime%20on%20the%20morning%20of,pizza%20as%20police%20interrogated%20her.\
2) https://www.fox9.com/news/eli-hart-killing-mom-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murdering-her-son
3) https://elihartplayground.com/
4) https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/julissa-thaler-sentenced-murder-6-year-old-son-eli-hart/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnetrista,_Minnesota
6) https://www.fox9.com/news/eli-hart-killing-boys-dad-testifies-at-julissa-thalers-trial
7) https://medlineplus.gov/download/genetics/condition/townes-brocks-syndrome.pdf
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Micki Kanesaki and Lonnie Kocontes were seemingly working on re-igniting their former marriage, which had previously ended in divorce. As such, they booked a beautiful Mediterranean cruise for May of 2006. However, what Micki was not aware of was the fact that Lonnie had booked that particular cruise, as well as the particular room they stayed in, for a very nefarious reason.
Can you get away with murder in international waters? Is there legal grey area with cases like these? Tune in to find out!
Sources:
1) https://www.oxygen.com/dateline-unforgettable/crime-news/lonie-kocontes-convicted-of-killing-wife-micki-kanesaki-on-cruise
2) https://www.the-sun.com/news/8118838/what-happened-to-micki-kanesaki/
3) https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/5-shocking-details-micki-kanesaki-s-murder
4) https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/irvine-lonnie-kocontes-micki-kanesaki-cruise-murder-life-prison/2430425/
5) https://allthatsinteresting.com/cruise-ship-disappearances/6
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Susan Powell believes that she found the perfect opposite to her outgoing personality - Joshua Powell. They marry quickly and have children. But as their marriage progresses, Susan learns that Joshua is far from the man she thought he was.
This case involves a dangerous obsession, a couple of different heart-wrenching tragedies, and a family who seemingly lies (and potentially kills) for each other.
Sources:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powell#:~:text=Susan%20Marie%20Powell%20
2) https://www.susancoxpowellfoundation.net/about-susan/#:~:text=Susan%20is%20an%20outgoing%2C%20optimistic,belief%20that%203) families%20are%20forever.
4) https://uncovered.com/cases/susan-cox-powell
5) https://ksltv.com/541768/susan-powells-father-relieved-by-courts-98m-decision/
6) https://abcnews.go.com/US/susan-powell-disappearance-young-sons-horrific-death-haunts/story?id=73983127
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On March 15, 1989, Tracey, only 17 at the time, was found at her job laying in a pool of her own blood. It was the first time that Tracey had closed the store on her own. After decades of leads that have never fully panned out, the case is still unsolved to this day.
Who murdered Tracey Kirkpatrick?
Sources:
1) https://www.intothesilentland.com/
2) https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tracey_Kirkpatrick
3) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9588951/tracy-lynn-kirkpatrick
4) https://thecinemaholic.com/tracy-kirkpatrick-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/
5) https://medium.com/@jennbaxter_69070/the-brutal-murder-of-tracey-kirkpatrick-923fec1bc4dc
6) https://medium.com/@jennbaxter_69070/the-brutal-murder-of-tracey-kirkpatrick-923fec1bc4dc
7) https://www.biggestuscities.com/city/frederick-maryland
8) https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2020/04/17/the-murder-of-tracy-lynn-kirkpatrick/#:~:text=EARLY%20LIFE%3A,to%20Point%20of%20Rocks%2C%20Maryland.
9) https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/crime_and_justice/family-members-gather-on-30th-anniversary-of-one-of-citys-oldest-unsolved-homicides/article_fb21adab-c039-5240-a2c3-e1c87343e134.html
10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHfDKN6nzXo
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This week, Kate talks about the case of Ellen Rae Greenberg, which was ruled a suicide early on in the investigation. However, the physical evidence points toward homicide...
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Rae_Greenberg
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manayunk,_Philadelphia
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/ellen-rae-greenberg-death-court-ruling/
4) https://gavinfish.com/cases/ellen-greenberg/ (all primary documents)
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/philadelphia-teacher-death-suicide-ellen-greenberg-parents-say-murder-48-hours/
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This week, Christine talks about the mysterious deaths and disappearance of the Yuba County Five - a friend group of 5 young men. This group attended a basketball game one night in 1978, and were later found either dead or missing - in a very puzzling place.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuba_County_Five
2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/
3) https://www.historicmysteries.com/yuba-county-five/
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It took 40 years for investigators to find out the identities of a Jane and John Doe, only to discover that they had an infant at the time of their deaths...but where was she?
In this episode of Small Town Mysteries, find out what happened to Baby Holly, where she is now, and how this case involves a cult.
The murder of her parents, Harold Dean Clouse Jr. and Tina Gail Lin, is still unsolved and currently an open investigation.
Sources:
1) https://abcnews.go.com/US/baby-holly-speaks-1st-time-after-missing-40/story?id=104425263
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Dean_and_Tina_Clouse
3) https://justicefordeanandtina.com/
4) https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/investigators-reveal-unprecedented-murder-case-baby-holly-parents-104605797
5) 20/20 Baby Holly Found - David Muir Reporting Baby Holly Found
6) https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/baby-found-alive-missing-40-years-parents-murdered-85286297
7) Finding Baby Holly: Lost to a Cult, Driving My parents Murders, and Saved by a Prayer by Holly Marie
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This case takes place in Napa, California, in the early morning hours of November 1, 2004, when a young woman was woken around 2AM by the sound of breaking glass and a blood-curdling, terrified scream. When she heard whoever was in the house exit, she went to investigate, and found both of her roommates lying in a pool of blood.
Who did this, and why? The answer to both of these questions is shocking.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa,_California
2) https://loriajohnston.medium.com/the-2004-napa-halloween-murders-37c8d97e3d4b
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nightmare-in-napa-19-04-2007/
4) https://www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/parallels-in-idaho-stabbings-2004-napa-murders/#:~:text=It%20was%20Halloween%20night%20in,killer%20creep%20up%20the%20stairs.
5) https://www.swordandscale.com/jealous-rage-to-double-murder-in-napa-valley/
6) https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/napa-arrest-made-in-fatal-stabbings-of-2-women-2567339.php
7) https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/LegalCenter/story?id=1187524&page=1
8) https://www.crimescenecleanup.com/napa-ca-halloween-massacre/
9) https://truecrimedetective.co.uk/one-night-of-terror-the-napa-valley-halloween-murders-38a7433d027f
10) https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-library/cathy-harrington/
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During the last Spooky Szn episode of October 2023, Christine talks about a haunted tunnel in Massachusetts and the story of Eunice Cole, a woman in New Hampshire who was accused of (and tried for) being a witch 3 TIMES throughout her life.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosac_Tunnel
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida,_Massachusetts
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha
4) https://hoosactunnel.net/hauntings/
5) https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/eunice-cole-the-witch-of-hampton-who-could-not-be-stopped/
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunice_Cole
7) http://www.hamptonhistoricalsociety.org/gcole.htm
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In the first case, Rachael talks about a man who killed the woman he was seeing...over halloween candy.
In the second case, we cover the murder of Timothy O’Bryan, a young boy who was killed by his father on Halloween night.
Sources:
1) https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Resources/0c5a6fb2-702d-4961-ad07-c4763daa4ea7/1161735_R23.pdf
2) https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/woman-stabbed-over-halloween-candy-dies-ledell-peoples-maria-adams/1914915/
3) https://idoc.illinois.gov/offender/inmatesearch.html
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Clark_O%27Bryan
5) https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/the-man-who-killed-halloween
6) https://www.vice.com/en/article/8ge87v/halloween-killer-ronald-clark-o-bryan-candy-man
7) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15208882/timothy-marc-o'bryan
8) https://www.census.gov/glossary/#term_Populationestimates
9) https://www.texasalmanac.com/drupal-backup/images/CityPopHist%20web.pdf
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On this spooky season episode, Kate talks about the real-life stories that The Conjuring series are based on!
Sources:
1) https://allthatsinteresting.com/true-story-of-the-conjuring-perron-family-enfield-haunting
2) https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/07/22/conjuring-true-story-perron/2457209/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_and_Lorraine_Warren#cite_note-ProvidenceJournal-15
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Arne_Cheyenne_Johnson
5) https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/conjuring-3-devil-made-me-do-it-ending-explained-true-story
6) https://archives.law.virginia.edu/dengrove/writeup/arne-cheyenne-johnson
7) https://allthatsinteresting.com/arne-cheyenne-johnson
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This week, Christine takes on the heartbreaking (and still unsolved) abduction of Morgan Nick.
In 1995, Morgan was a vibrant 6-year-old girl who was enjoying an evening catching fireflies with her friends at a little league baseball game. After going toward her mom's car to empty sand from her shoes, Morgan is never seen of or heard from again.
There are a couple of people of interest that police have investigated throughout the years within the case, and we go over each one, as well as the 4-part Hulu documentary which heavily features Morgan's family.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Morgan_Nick
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma,_Arkansas
3) https://morgannickfoundation.com/about/morgans-story/
4) https://www.hulu.com/watch/a0239ec1-7e1b-4c9a-935a-561232d0d7eb
5) https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/what-happened-to-river-valley-killer-charles-ray-vines#:~:text=In%20the%201990s%20in%20Fort,bodies%20after%20they%20were%20dead.
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Spooky Szn Episode 2 is OUT!
Learn about the spookiest stories from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine in this episode. We talk about a college, a couple of cemeteries, and even an Inn.
At the end, we discuss a book club we will be starting up in January. Let us know @smalltownmysteriespod (on Instagram) if you have any suggestions (true crime or mystery/thriller genre) that you want us to read and discuss in an episode at the end of the month!
Sources:
1) https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/maine/haunted-mount-hope-cemetery-me/
2) https://archive.vpr.org/vpr-news/vermont-college-said-to-be-home-to-a-ghost/
3) http://hauntedne.blogspot.com/2018/01/college-hall-girl-killed-for-love.html
4) https://www.timesargus.com/news/local/ghost-of-anna-still-haunts-vcfa/article_4dcf023c-3002-5a55-9545-f65f5b9bdcdd.html
5) https://www.ghostsofnewengland.com/blood-cemetery-pine-hill-cemetery/
6) https://www.hauntedrooms.com/maine/haunted-places/haunted-hotels
7) http://hauntedhouses.com/maine/captain-fairfield-inn/
8) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Brady
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1922 - When a family and their maid are all found dead on their farm in Germany, there are far more questions than answers. Unsolved to this day, learn about the Hinterkaifeck murders and the different theories surrounding the case.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinterkaifeck_murders
2) https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/the-hinterkaifeck-murders-germanys-oldest-unsolved-massacre-17dea740e031
3) https://curiouscaseof.com/the-hinterkaifeck-murders/
4) https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502044/chilling-story-hinterkaifeck-killings-germanys-most-famous-unsolved-crime
5) https://allthatsinteresting.com/hinterkaifeck-murders
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ALERT, ALERT!!! FIRST EPISODE OF SPOOKY SZN!!
This Spooky Szn, we are covering cases in New England.
Today, Christine talks about The Lady in Black (a famous New England Ghost story) and all about VAMPIRES. No, not the ones who sparkle in the sun. No, sadly not the ones who are brothers pining over a doppleganger of their ex-gf (hello, fans of Vampire Diaries?).
No, no, no. We're talking about the OG vampires here. The ones who existed in a time where Tuberculosis was a very real threat in the U.S.
Let's sink our teeth into it...
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In 1969, a body is discovered in the brush off of Mulholland Drive in LA California. The murder was extremely gruesome -- the woman was stabbed over 150 times. This unidentified woman became known as “Sherry Doe” or “Jane Doe 59.” It took 46 years for this woman to get her name back.
Jane Doe #59 is actually a woman named Reet Jurvetson, who was murdered at the young age of 19 years old.
Though there are some persons of interest, the amount of time that has passed between the murder and discovering Reet's identity, as well as some unfortunate events, have made identifying those suspects (and finding them) extremely difficult.
Sources:
1) https://abcnews.go.com/US/original-forensic-drawings-jane-doe-found-manson-killings/story?id=38732628
2) https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/mobile/man-who-found-body-of-montrealer-glad-she-s-finally-identified-1.2879082
3) https://medium.com/the-crime-center/the-brutal-murder-of-reet-jurvetson-9f3c8c1a500
4) https://www.lapdonline.org/newsroom/1969-jane-doe-no-59-murder-victim-identified-after-46-years-nr16140rh/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Reet_Jurvetson
6) https://nationalpost.com/news/world/tracking-reets-killers-lapd-releases-sketches-of-two-men-linked-to-canadian-womans-1969-murder
7) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/reet-jurvetson-la-murder-sketch-released-1.3745895
8) https://www.cbc.ca/news/reet-jurvetson-jane-doe-neighbour-hollywood-1.3835406
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Today, Kate explores the kidnapping of Carlee Russell, which recently EXPLODED on social media. Carlee was missing for about 2 days before she suddenly re-appeared. What might have led Carlee to make the choices she made?
This case is still very much unfolding, and if there are any major developments, we’ll be sure to cover them!
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover,_Alabama
2) https://www.vox.com/2023/7/22/23804086/carlee-russell-missing-black-woman-hoover-alabama-social-media-hoax
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carlee-russell-timeline-alabama-woman-missing-found/
4) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/28/carlee-russell-charged-fabricating-kidnapping
5) https://abcnews.go.com/US/evidence-toddler-walking-highway-carlee-russell-disappearance-case/story?id=101486824
6) https://www.pennlive.com/news/2023/07/carlee-russell-what-we-know-about-woman-who-vanished-after-pulling-over-to-help-toddler-along-i-459.html
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This case will leave you enraged.
When twin sisters Dannette Millbrook and Jeannette Millbrook go missing, nothing happens. They are labeled runaways by the primary investigator (despite clear evidence that points to the contrary) and no actual investigation is conducted until years later.
If it weren't for the horrendous lack of investigation in this case, as well as numerous errors on the part of the lead investigator and on the police reports, Dannette and Jeannette might have been found, but sadly this case is still unsolved.
On the day of their disappearance, Dannette was wearing white jeans with a white Mickey Mouse shirt and Jeannette was wearing a khaki skirt and a white turtleneck. Both girls have brown eyes and had short Jheri style curls in their hair at the time of their disappearance. They would be 49 years old today.
Please check out our instagram @smalltownmysteriespod to see pictures of both Dannette and Jeannette.
Anyone with information can contact the Richmond County Police Department dispatch at the non-emergency line of 706-821-1080, or the Criminal Investigations Division at 706-821-1020.
Sources:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Dannette_and_Jeannette_Millbrook
2)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta,_Georgia
3)https://uncovered.com/cases/dannette-millbrook
4)https://www.oxygen.com/the-disappearance-of-the-millbrook-twins/season-1/episode-1/the-disappearance-of-the-millbrook
5)https://charleyproject.org/case/jeannette-latrice-millbrook
6)https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/little-sister-still-searching-twins-dannette-jeannette-millbrook-last-rcna80952
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In this episode, Rachael covers the heinous crimes committed by two teenage girls, Holly Harvey and Sandra Ketchum, which includes the murder of Holly's grandmother and grandfather. What drove them to do this?
Sources:
1) https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/killer-couple-murderous-lesbian-teens-holly-harvey-sandra-ketchum
2) https://murderpedia.org/female.H/h/harvey-holly.htm
3) https://thecinemaholic.com/sarah-and-carl-collier-murders/
4) https://heavy.com/news/2015/08/holly-harvey-killer-instinct-sandra-ketchum-grandparents-carl-sarah-collier-murder-stab-trail-bio-age-facebook-tv/
5) https://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/2021/s21a0871.html
6) https://kileystruecrime.squarespace.com/kileystruecrimeaddict-blog/the-murders-of-carl-and-sarah-collier
7) https://fayettecountyga.gov/information/fayette-facts#keys
8) https://latestnews.fresherslive.com/articles/holly-and-sandy-killers-where-are-they-now-what-happened-to-sarah-and-carl-collier-507340
When Helen Wilson is murdered in her apartment on February 8th, 1985, investigators work to find a suspect. However, they soon have a total of 6 - most of whom willingly state that, yes, they were involved in the crime in some way.
What do the majority of these people have in common? A psychologist they all see - who helps them uncover certain "repressed" memories...
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice,_Nebraska
2) https://www.1011now.com/2023/02/02/woman-wrongly-convicted-beatrice-6-murder-case-dies/
3) https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/who-killed-helen-wilson-bruce-allen-smith-beatrice-six
4) https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/who-was-helen-wilson-hbo-mind-over-murder-beatrice-six
5) https://www.thedailybeast.com/mind-over-murder-reveals-how-the-beatrice-six-were-brainwashed-into-confessing-to-murder
6) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/remembering-the-murder-you-didnt-commit
When multiple people in Circleville, Ohio start to receive increasingly threatening letters regarding their supposed dirty laundry, everyone is questioning who this person could possibly be.
Years later, after a gun from a booby trap is traced back to someone, everyone believes the case is solved. The person who had been writing the letters for the last several years has been found and sentenced, right?
Except that the letters don't stop. They continue for around 20 years.
This is a mystery that may very well never be solved. Tune in to hear about all the crazy twists and turns this case takes.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circleville,_Ohio
2) https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/circleville-letters-mail-gallery/
3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/circleville-letters-author-unmask/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circleville_Pumpkin_Show
5) https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/he-deserved-worse-than-what-he-got-circleville-doctor-may-have-abused-150-patients/ar-AA179BnF
6)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/rrh499/who_was_the_circleville_letter_writer/
All four members of The Thrasher Family were found murdered in their home in Woodward, Oklahoma. The person who was eventually convicted of the murders had no obvious motive for this senseless murder.
Sources:
1) https://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/court-of-appeals-criminal/1977/1068.html
2) https://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/ThrasherMurders1974.txt
www.finndagrave.com
3) https://www.woodwardnews.net/news/local_news/collins-up-for-parole/article_c0c4519f-786c-537a-83ff-0fd23da42381.html
4) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1992/07/25/board-denies-parole-for-two-in-70s-slayings/62486871007/
5) http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ok/county/ellis/obits/brown-dorothyl.htm
6) https://okoffender.doc.ok.gov/
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward,_Oklahoma
8) https://stephenjoneslaw.com/
This week is a doozy! We are sure a lot of you are familiar with The Duggar Family, who had their own TV show, called 19 Kids and Counting, throughout the late 2000s. This run ended in 2015, when some horrifying court documents came to light regarding the Duggar's eldest son, Josh.
Or, you might be familiar with the family through the new documentary about them and the cultish group they belong to, called "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.
Familiar with the case or not, tune in for a detailed summary regarding everything that went down with this family (and trust us, there's a lot).
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tontitown,_Arkansas
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_in_Basic_Life_Principles
3) Podcast: Some Place Under Neith
4) Reporter: CC McCandless
5) Reddit: r/DuggarsSnark ; r/FundieSnarkUncensored
In this case, Christine covers the case of Logan Tucker, a 6-year-old boy who is the victim of a murder in which no body has never been found.
Logan Tucker was living with his mother, brother, and a roommate of his mother's at the time of his death, in a small city called Woodward (Oklahoma).
The large amount of circumstantial evidence in this case made it clear that one person was highly suspicious: Logan's mother.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Logan_Tucker
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward,_Oklahoma
3) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ok-court-of-criminal-appeals/1488620.html
4) https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-the-oklahoman/looking-for-logan-tucker-part-1-nobody-knows
5) https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-the-oklahoman/looking-for-logan-tucker-part-2-meet-monty-clem
6) https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-the-oklahoman/looking-for-logan-tucker-part-3-wildflowers
7) https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-the-oklahoman/looking-for-logan-tucker-part-4-trials-and-tribula
8) https://omny.fm/shows/from-the-newsroom-the-oklahoman/looking-for-logan-tucker-part-5-call-me-katie
9) https://charleyproject.org/case/logan-lynn-tucker
10) https://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/boy-testifies-in-mother-s-murder-trial/article_9512dbf3-5986-5b96-b0ec-e6c3d9ae34e8.html
Rachael reports on the case of Colleen Ritzer - a teacher from Massachusetts who was brutally murdered and sexually assaulted by her student. This student was only 14 years old, and was tried as an adult in court. Shortly after his prison sentence begins, more shocking details emerge.
Sources:
1) https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/06/family-of-colleen-ritzer-danvers-teacher-murdered-by-student-philip-chism-in-2013-to-appear-in-court-for-lawsuit-over-death.html
2) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teen-suspect-murder-teacher-colleen-ritzer-left-hate-note-documents-flna2d11641586
3) https://allthatsinteresting.com/philip-chism
4) https://www.wbur.org/news/2015/12/15/philip-chism-guilty-murder-rape
5) https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2015/12/15/philip-chism-guilty/
6) https://talkswithholly.medium.com/the-colleen-ritzer-case-teacher-murdered-by-student-18984373eb29
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danvers,_Massachusetts
8) https://www.salemnews.com/news/chism-appeal-moves-forward-as-2014-case-remains-open/article_af0d72b4-1bc2-11ec-bb43-7353b0fcc60d.html
9) https://www.facebook.com/ColleenERitzer/
10) https://biographygist.com/colleen-ritzer/
11) https://obituaries.andovertownsman.com/obituary/colleen-ritzer-772741521
In this episode, Kate discusses a murder that occurred in the 1930s and is still unsolved. Mamie Thurman was only 32 when she was brutally murdered. Small town politics is definitely at play in this one and factors heavily into the trial.
Sources:
1) https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/06/unsolved-murder-of-mamie-thurman.html
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan,_West_Virginia
3) https://wvbookco.com/product/secret-life-and-brutal-death-of-mamie-thurman/
4) https://westvirginiahauntsandlegends.com/22_Mine_Road.htm
5) https://loganwv.us/the-murder-of-mamie-thurman-remains-a-mystery/
6) https://www.wgpfoundation.org/historic-markers/mamie-thurman/
7) https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/06/unsolved-murder-of-mamie-thurman.html
In 1985, in two small towns in Massachusetts, 16-year-old Cathy Malcolmson and 9-year-old Sarah Pryor go missing within 2 months of each other.
When bone fragments are found, investigators are led to one person of interest.
Sources:
1) https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/313dfma.html
2) https://charleyproject.org/case/catherine-ruth-malcolmson
3) https://rcccmcc.com/2019/10/09/catherine-ruth-malcomson/
4) https://www.mass.gov/info-details/sarah-pryor
5) https://www.sara.org/page/sarahp/
6) https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/court-of-appeals/volumes/27/27massappct498.html
7) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/wayland-town-crier/2011/04/13/suspect-in-sarah-pryor-murder/38371268007/
8) https://www.waylandenews.com/tag/sarah-pryor/
9) https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/04/metro/when-man-you-believe-murdered-your-daughter-dies/
In today's episode, Rachael goes over the tragic murder of Alexandra "Ally" Zapp, a 30-year-old woman who was stabbed to death at a Rest Stop off of a highway in Massachusetts.
Ally's murderer had a lengthy history involving violent crimes, and her family has worked (and is still working) to pass legislature today that will keep persistently violent individuals in jail.
This is a case where the law failed who it was supposed to protect.
This one will leave you fuming.
Sources:
1) https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2002/07/19/woman-slain-at-mass-rest/50914727007/
2) https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/15/last-exit/
3) https://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/leahy-paul.htm
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Cup
5) https://www.theallyfoundation.org/
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater,_Massachusetts
7) https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/445/445mass481.html
8) https://www.justice.gov/archive/olp/pdf/adam_walsh_act.pdf
9) https://www.publiccounsel.net/pc/overview-of-sdp-process/#:~:text=The%20Massachusetts%20SDP%20statute%2C%20G.L.,dangerousness%20beyond%20a%20reasonable%20doubt.
In this episode, we talk about weird and creepy phone calls. Some certainly involve crime, some might involve the supernatural...and others just end up being downright hilarious.
Sources:
1) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-08-mn-54702-story.html
2) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-sep-17-me-victimpeck17-story.html
3) https://gizmodo.com/la-train-victim-makes-35-phone-calls-from-beyond-the-gr-5052314
4) https://www.facebook.com/missingdalewilliams/?fref=photo
5) https://apnews.com/article/1e238f5f9485e136815a91f4ed02885a
6) https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19910828&id=3yFNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NTYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5820,7622237
7) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-19-vw-5724-story.html
8) https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19900318&slug=1061629
9) https://www.cleveland.com/bay village/2014/03/fbi_offers_reward_for_informat.html
Asha Degree is 9 years old when she goes missing on a dark, rainy night in February 2000. Her backpack, which she seemed to have packed, is found 26 miles from where she was last seen walking along the highway.
What happened to Asha? Did she simply run away? Was she lured, in the early internet days? Did she encounter a bad actor who brought her harm?
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby,_North_Carolina
2) https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/nc/shelby/crime
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials
4) https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/north-carolina/districts/cleveland-county-schools/shelby-high-school-14361#:~:text=Overview%20of%20Shelby%20High%20School,ranked%20385th%20within%20North%20Carolina.
5) https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/shelby-cleveland-nc/reviews/
6) https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/The-Baffling-Disappearance-of-Asha-Degree
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Asha_Degree
8) https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/inside-the-fbi-searching-for-asha-degree-021422.mp4/view
9) https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/20th-anniversary-of-asha-degree-disappearance-021420
10) https://ncsbi.gov/Divisions/Cold-Case-Investigation-Team/Missing-Persons/Asha-Jaquilla-Degree
11)https://www.reddit.com/r/AshaDegree/comments/13ptlm4/my_analysis_interesting_points_of_view/
12)https://www.reddit.com/r/AshaDegree/comments/143jqtc/after_all_weve_seen_in_this_case_what_do_you_lean/
Rachael covers a tragic case this week involving the horrendous lynching of James Byrd Jr.
James was murdered by three white men - simply because he was black.
We talk about James, the crime, and what resulted after, as well as the legacy that his family wants to leave in James' memory.
Sources:
1) https://www.britannica.com/event/murder-of-James-Byrd-Jr
2) https://www.biography.com/crime/james-byrd-jr
3) https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/drawing-justice-courtroom-illustrations/about-this-exhibition/race-based-crimes/racist-tatoos-coer-james-byrd-jrs-murderer/
4) https://abc13.com/james-byrd-death-jamie-family-daughter/6256307/
5) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2019/04/25/racist-killer-executed-decades-after-dragging-james-byrd-jr-to-his-death-near-jasper/
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Byrd_Jr.
7) http://thebyrdfoundation.org/
8) https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/4837420/ utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=en
9) https://www.justice.gov/crt/matthew-shepard-and-james-byrd-jr-hate-crimes-prevention-act-2009-0
10) https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics#:~:text=FBI%20Releases%202021%20Hate%20Crime%20Statistics&text=Of%20these%20agencies%20who%20submitted,Based%20Reporting%20System%20(NIBRS).
11) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31663124
12) People Magazine Investigates- Season 6 episode 6: Evil comes to Jasper
Do you believe in psychics?
In this episode, we talk about our (very) different opinions on psychics and their involvement with criminal investigations.
Kate discusses several high-profile cases that were solved(-ish?) with the help of psychics, focusing primarily on the murder of California nurse Melanie Uribe.
Hear from a believer, a skeptic, and someone who just isn't sure what the f*** she believes in.
Sources:
1) https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/2004/04/11/psychic-tells-family-that-missing/51257304007/
2) https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/12/22/Three-young-suspects-were-in-custody-Monday-for-the/3439346309200/
3) https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,963923,00.html
4) https://www.maricopa.gov/919/Probable-Cause-Versus-Reasonable-Suspici
5) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-19-me-14152-story.html
6) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-31-me-1552-story.html
7) https://unsolved.com/gallery/premonition-of-murder/
8) https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/lkl/date/2004-04-29/segment/00
9) https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Melanie_Uribe
College student Brooke Wilberger goes missing one day while at work. The crime scene? Just a pair of flip flops and some cleaning supplies off of a parking lot. Brooke’s wallet/purse, cell phone, and car were also left behind. A break in the case comes several months later, when another young woman is kidnapped - but manages to escape.
Brooke's murder case was one of the most publicized in Oregon's history.
Sources:
1) https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/full-episode--bringing-brooke-home-515002435992
2) https://abcnews.go.com/US/remains-brooke-wilberger-found-years-disappearance/story?id=8632233
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Brooke_Wilberger
4) https://www.kgw.com/article/news/new-wilberger-revelations-air-on-dateline/283-73536048
This week, Rachael takes us back in time to the early U.S. to discuss a case involving a loooot of dead bodies, a trap door, a tiny "cabin", and one murderous family.
Sources:
1) https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1871?amount=4600
2) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-benders/
3) https://crimereads.com/the-bloody-benders-americas-first-family-of-serial-killers/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherryvale,_Kansas
5)https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/civil_war/Homestead_Act.htm#:~:text=To%20help%20develop%20the%20American,western%20land%20to%20individual%20settlers.
This week, Kate covers the case of 7-year-old Maria Ridulph. Maria was taken off of the street by a stranger in the 1950s. This case was presumed to be solved not once, but TWICE, with the convictions being overturned both times.
Twice solved, but never closed, this case is as cold as ever.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore,_Illinois
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Maria_Ridulph
3) https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/08/us/oldest-cold-case/ch3.html
4) https://www.ranker.com/list/maria-ridulph-case/amandasedlakhevener
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maria-ridulph-murder-will-the-nations-oldest-cold-case-to-go-to-trial-ever-get-solved/
6) https://www.wcbu.org/tags/maria-ridulph
7) https://militaryjusticeforall.com/1957/12/03/cold-case-maria-ridolph-of-illinois-reported-missing-and-months-later-fatally-stabbed-air-force-veteran-john-tessier-wrongfully-convicted-of-homicide-1957/
8) https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/us/maria-ridulphs-killer-gets-life-55-years-after-her-death.html?partner=rss&emc=rss∣=tw-nytimes
9) https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-jack-mccullough-1957-sycamore-murder-hearing-20160422-story.html
10)https://web.archive.org/web/20130311143836/http://www.thonline.com/news/iowa-illinois-wisconsin/article_be60ade4-46f0-534c-8971-747f696dcbae.html
11) https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/
12) https://www.northernpublicradio.org/illinois/2012-09-11/half-sisters-testify-for-prosecution-in-trials-second-day
13) https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/17/us/jack-mccullough-freed-exclusive-interview/
In this case, we bring it allll the way back to the 1830s/40s to talk about the unsolved case of Mary Rogers. This case was a major catalyst for the start of the True Crime genre. Mary herself was a sort of a "reality celebrity" in town, with many people traveling to the tobacco store she worked at for the sole purpose of getting to see her. Mary had a suspicious disappearance in 1838, though this was only for several days. Three years later, though, Mary's body is found near Sybil's Cave in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The case spread so wildly that Edgar Allen Poe even wrote a short story about it, and attempted to crack the case himself.
There's some twists and turns in this one, so buckle up!
Sources:
1) https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Epidemiology-and-Emerging-Infections/A-Brief-History-of-Lyme-Disease-in-Connecticut
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rogers
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Moon_Hoax
4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Jqp7xVStE
5) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edgar-allan-poe-tried-and-failed-to-crack-the-mysterious-murder-case-of-mary-rogers-7493607/
A family disappears one day in 2009, and their skeletal remains are found several years later. In their car is 32,000 dollars, and videos show the family seemingly packing up in the days leading up to their disappearance. Theories range from murder or a drug deal gone wrong, to witchcraft and possession.
Sources:
1)https://allthatsinteresting.com/jamison-family
2)https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/mysterious-stories-blog/jamison-family-mystery
3)https://buzzfeedunsolved.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disturbing_Mystery_of_the_Jamison_Family
4)https://original.newsbreak.com/@herbie-j-pilato-1590342/2952980405969-the-strange-case-of-the-jamison-family-disappearance
For the episode this week, Kate tackles a VERY complicated topic: Salman Rushdie’s book THE SATANIC VERSES and the controversy that surrounds it. Spoiler alert: the last section of this episode will be about an assassination attempt on Rushdie’s life that occurred in New York on August 12, 2022
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_Verses
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Rushdie
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitoshi_Igarashi
5) https://medium.com/feedium/banned-books-list-2649e56db929
6) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/sep/14/looking-at-salman-rushdies-satanic-verses?INTCMP=SRCH
7) https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/25/world/iran-drops-rushdie-death-threat-and-britain-renews-teheran-ties.html
8) https://books.google.com/books?id=wYkQXO4sEoAC&q=From+fatwa+to+jihad+:
9) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/apr/12/salman-rushdie-reveals-fatwa-memoir
10) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/11/salman-rushdie-satanic-verses
11) https://www.proquest.com/docview/1866754374
12) https://www.nyspnews.com/state-police-are-investigating-an-attack-on-author-salman-rushdie.htm
13)https://web.archive.org/web/20120512105406/http://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2009/02/21/freedom-of-speech-wilders-orwell-and-the-%E2%80%9Ckoran-ban%E2%80%9D/
How does one woman manage to steal an estimated 5,000 babies from their parents, then sell them to the rich?
In this episode, Christine goes over the atrocities committed at the Tennessee Children's Home Society, an orphanage ran by a woman named Georgia Tann.
Tann committed everything from fraud to abuse, and even murder.
Learn how Tann got away with committing these crimes for over 20 years, and discover how adoption law (and adoption in general) was forever changed as a result.
As a warning, this episode does involve (minor and non-detailed) discussion surrounding child abuse and some mention of child loss
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Wingate
2) https://www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Tann
4) https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/daughter-origins-adoption-america/
5) https://adoption.org/what-is-the-history-of-adoption
6) https://consideringadoption.com/adopted/search-and-reunion/how-to-open-adoption-records/
7) https://lisawingate.com/
8) https://nypost.com/2017/06/17/this-woman-stole-children-from-the-poor-to-give-to-the-rich/
9) https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-36/chapter-1/part-1/36-1-127
One day in June 2015, Nicholas Godejohn stabs Dee Dee Blanchard 17 times, murdering her. His girlfriend, Gypsy Rose Blanchard (and Dee Dee's daughter), listens as her mom screams for help.
Later, it is discovered that Gypsy Rose was the one who requested that Nicholas commit the murder. But why? What was the motive? And where are they now?
Keep an ear out for some facts and stats about Munchausen by Proxy, now known as Factitious Disorder.
Sources:
1) https://www.biography.com/crime/gypsy-rose-blanchard-mother-dee-dee-murder
2) https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/5-disturbing-bizarre-facts-about-dee-dee-blanchard-gypsy-rose
3) https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/mommy-dead-and-dearest-doc-on-gypsy-blanchard-what-we-learned-109542/
4) https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/2017/05/10/gypsy-blanchard-everything-you-need-know-case/101499166/
5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy
6) https://now.aapmr.org/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy/
7) https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/factitious-disorder-dsm--5-300.19-(f68.10)
8) https://psychcentral.com/disorders/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy
9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28750264/
10) https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/the-act/
11) https://allthatsinteresting.com/nicholas-godejohn#:~:text=Soon%20after%20their%20first%20few,his%20first%20and%20only%20murder.
12) https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/04/228627/how-gypsy-rose-nick-boyfriend-met-online-relationship
13) https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a26887708/the-act-dee-dee-gypsy-blanchard-murder-trial-timeline/
14) https://www.etonline.com/gypsy-rose-blanchard-marries-ryan-scott-anderson-amid-prison-sentence-188138
There are many theories about the body that was discovered in a Wych Elm tree in Worcestershire, England. Who was the woman in the tree, and how did she die? Who wrote the graffiti saying: "WHO PUT BELLA IN THE WYCH ELM", and were they connected to the case?
This may just be a case that is never solved.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_put_Bella_in_the_Wych_Elm%3F
2) https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/
3) https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/revealed-after-75-years-face-14329271
4) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-mysterious-murder-of-bella-the-wych-elm-lady-bfb8c135272
5) https://crimereads.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/
On the evening of May 12, 2001, a 16-year-old girl named Timeka Pridgen vanished from the small town of La Grange, North Carolina. Timeka's mom had fallen asleep while waiting for her boyfriend to get to the house, and upon waking up, Timeka is just...gone.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Banks
2) https://charleyproject.org/case/timeka-donyale-pridgen
3) https://www.witn.com/2022/05/12/25-years-reporting-enc-biggest-mystery-i-have-covered-disappearance-timeka-pridgen/
4) https://ncmissingpersons.org/timeka-pridgen/
5) https://original.newsbreak.com/@the-vivid-faces-of-the-vanished-1590506/2915659739237-authorities-accused-missing-north-carolina-girl-of-running-away-now-they-realize-she-was-abducted
6) https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/violent-crime-strangers-and-nonstrangers
7) https://letsfindthem.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/timeka-pridgen-then-16-vanished-from-her-la-grange-nc-home-in-the-spring-of-2001/
8) https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/vvcs9310.pdf
SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT:
This week, Kate discusses The Enfield Monster, and how it served as a case study for "social contagion". A creature that someone witnesses in his backyard late at night turns into something MUCH bigger than anyone could have expected.
If you want, there is also a drinking game that you can participate in this episode.
Of course, please drink repsonsibly and only if you are 21+ and will not be operating heavy machinery
Quiz mentioned in episode:
http://thecryptidpersonalityquiz.weebly.com/
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield,_Illinois
2) https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Enfield_Horror
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_Monster
4) https://the-line-up.com/the-enfield-monster
5) https://www.jstor.org/stable/4105917
This is one of those cases that keep you thinking long after it is over.
On May 8, 2008, 18-year-old Joshua Maddux left his home in Woodland Park, Colorado to go for a walk. Unfortunately, Joshua Maddux did not come home and was never seen alive again. Seven years later, Joshua's remains were found inside the chimney of an old house that was only a quarter mile from his home.
We discuss the circumstances that could have led to Joshua's death, the history of the house he was found in, and a potential suspect.
Sources:
1) https://www.mountainmemorialfh.com/obituary/Joshua-Maddux
2) https://wtaw.com/arrests-after-bryan-and-brazos-county-detention-officers-were-injured/
3) https://medium.com/crimebeat/the-dead-body-in-the-chimney-febfed38984
4) https://www.denverpost.com/2015/10/19/chimney-discovery-ends-mystery-over-young-mans-disappearance-but-questions-remain/
5) https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/strange-indoors/joshua-maddux
6) https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/2021/08/joshua-maddux.html
A lot lies beneath the surface of a small town called Bardstown in Kentucky.
This week, we discuss the murder of a mom of 5, Crystal Rogers, and how it may connect to a series of other murders in the town's recent past.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardstown,_Kentucky
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Talbott_Tavern
3) https://www.crimeonline.com/2019/09/02/bardstown-mystery-four-dead-one-missing-in-the-most-beautiful-small-town-in-america/
4) https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2022/10/17/crystal-rogers-what-to-know-about-missing-kentucky-mom/5599212001/
5) https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2022/10/17/crystal-rogers-fbi-investigation-bardstown-farm-search
6) https://uncovered.com/cases/crystal-rogers
7) https://www.oxygen.com/the-disappearance-of-crystal-rogers
This week, Kate gets into the intricacies of The Bar, and what might happen when someone has a past history with the law...and then wants to become a lawyer. This is one that is chock-full of legal knowledge!
Sources:
1) https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/convicted-murderer-in-tulane-law-school-welcomes-scrutiny/article_73286970-6c56-5ca4-bc2b-b9483ff6b768.html
2) https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/new-york-times-profiles-convicted-murderer-who-graduated-from-tulane-law/article_0dea65b5-7109-569b-9173-ffe19706c878.html
3)https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/resources/lawyer_ethics_regulation/model_rules_for_lawyer_disciplinary_enforcement/rule_19/
4) https://nylegalethics.attorney/lawyers-who-commit-crimes-disciplinary-consequences/
5) https://abovethelaw.com/tag/bruce-reilly/
6) https://abovethelaw.com/2011/09/new-tulane-1l-is-an-advocate-a-writer-and-a-murderer/
7) https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-board-of-bar-examiners
8) https://www.calcagnilaw.com/rhode-island-homicide-lawyers/second-degree-murder/#:~:text=Second%2Ddegree%20murder%20charges%20in%20Rhode%20Island&text=If%20a%20person's%20conscious%20intent,characterized%20as%20Second%20Degree%20Murder.
This week, Rachael goes over the case of Maren Sanchez, a junior in high school who was murdered by a fellow student the night that she was supposed to attend her prom.
Sources
1) https://www.cnn.com/2014/04/25/justice/connecticut-school-assault/index.html
2) https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/Maren-Sanchez-16-stabbed-to-death-at-11724922.php
3) https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Milford-to-pay-5M-to-settle-Maren-Sanchez-14921774.php
4) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctor-teen-who-killed-classmate-over-rejected-prom-invitation-is-mentally-ill/
5) https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/classes-resuming-at-conn-high-school-after-prom-day-slaying/
6) https://nypost.com/2021/01/13/convicted-killer-sues-prison-officials-over-medical-care/
7) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/nyregion/connecticut-teenager-is-fatally-stabbed-by-fellow-student-police-say.html
8) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/ctpost/name/maren-sanchez-obituary?id=9884031
9) https://www.milfordmirror.com/news/article/Jonathan-Law-names-Maren-Sanchez-prom-queen-at-13872742.php
10) https://nypost.com/2021/01/13/convicted-killer-sues-prison-officials-over-medical-care/
Tune in this week to hear a truly shocking case about the torture and murder of a 16-year-old girl named Sylvia Likens. This one involves an entire family AND neighborhood, and is frequently regarded as one of the worst true crime cases ever.
Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sylvia_Likens
2) https://sylviascac.org/sylvias-story/#:~:text=of%20our%20community-,Sylvia%20Likens,Assembly%2C%20plus%20movies%20and%20books.
3) https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/23/indianapolis-most-sadistic-act-sylvia-likens-gertrude-baniszewski-torture-slaying-indianapolis-news-indianapolis-crime-crime-horror-torture/74209878/
4) https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-later
Though Elliott Smith's friends and family could not quite say they were surprised by his untimely death (he had been abusing drugs for quite some time), they were surprised by the manner of his death...
Tune in to this week's episode to hear Kate talk about the famous musician, his rise to fame, and the mystery surrounding his death.
George Brinkman was treated with nothing but kindness from his friends -- they let him live in their home when he was unhoused, and he was like a father to their children. He had known his victims for decades. So why did he betray them?
Sources:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Brinkman_murders#:~:text=George%20Brinkman%20Jr.,%2Dyear%2Dold%20Kylie%20Pifer.
2) https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A764906
3) https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2018/11/north-royalton-man-admits-killing-woman-daughters-as-judges-hear-evidence-in-potential-death-penalty-case.html
4) https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/10/04/convicted-killer-receive-sentencing-after-admitting-additional-murders/
5) https://heavy.com/news/2017/06/suzanne-taylor-kylie-pifer-north-royalton-ohio-mother-daughters-murder-photos/
6) https://www.sandersfuneralhomes.com/obituary/Rogell-John
Bobby Dunbar was a four-year-old boy who had gone on a fishing trip with several members of his family, along with family friends. When Bobby goes missing one day in 1912, his family searches for him for weeks, but finds no evidence of an animal that has eaten him, someone who kidnapped him, or any sort of accident. There's just...nothing.
Eight months later, a telegram comes in stating that a boy who looks like Bobby was spotted in Mississippi. Bobby's mother is hesitant to say for sure that this is her missing son, but soon finds birthmarks and other signs that this boy is Bobby. She is ultimately certain that her lost son has been found.
On the other side, you have a different mother claiming that the boy is actually HER son, a boy by the name of Bruce Anderson.
DNA evidence comes in decades later to solve a part of this mystery and determine if the boy found was actually Bobby Dunbar.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Bobby_Dunbar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYUdnsIn5OU
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/352/transcript
If you look up the death of Christopher Morris, you will likely not find any news articles. Only a podcast with his sister, Ashley, and several online forum posts about his death exist.
Why is it nearly impossible to find any information about this case? What information DO we know? And why would someone (or many different someones) want to hide the truth about Christopher Morris?
Sources:
1)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1080gcu/what_is_the_strangest_most_baffling_disappearance/
2) https://imgur.com/a/6ALQycH
3)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/eiqkgf/unsolved_death_in_wichita_falls_tx/
4) http://penilecodeavenger.blogspot.com/2005/05/child-abuse-deaths-on-military.html?m=1
5) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20453859/christopher-aaron-morris
6)https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/oucwt2/christopher_morris_found_dead_in_a_dishwasher/
On today's episode, Christine starts by describing the murder of Melissa Gosule, a teacher in Boston who accepted a ride from a supposed "good samaritan" after her car broke down. Find out how the JFK Jr. plane crash ties in to the case, and how a Massachusetts law was created due to Melissa's murder. Melissa's killer had 27 prior convictions.
Next, Rachael talks about the murder of Melissa Benoit, who was raped and murdered by her next-door neighbor. Her killer admitted to many other atrocities that he was never formally charged for (but he claimed insanity during the trial...)
Sources (Melissa Gosule):
1) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132181460/melissa-stacey-gosule
2) https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/state/1999/07/19/searchers-rest-in-case-missing/50514507007/
3) https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/state/1999/08/04/cambridge-marchers-honor-melissa-gosule/50512520007/
4) https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/1999/07/20/gosule-s-body-found-at/51032908007/
5) https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/1999/07/24/thousands-mourn-for-melissa/50512153007/
6) https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/1999/09/09/suspect-in-woman-s-death/51020943007/
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_Jr._plane_crash
8) https://apnews.com/article/a14c1a684a00cae519c403f41f978e34
9)http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/09/11/family_settles_suit_against_aaa_driver/
10) https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2011/11/11/bill-prompted-by-1999-murder/49837924007/
11) https://www.masslive.com/news/2011/03/adovocates_of_melissas_law_whi.html
12) https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/08/02/quiet-ceremony-governor-signs-melissa-law-legislation/3lAsmuWaaZqEESAKwFwRqL/story.html
Sources (Melissa Benoit):
1) https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-bible-school-instructor-abducts-a-teenage-girl
2) https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/09/29/Funeral-for-slain-teen-as-history-of-suspect-emerges/9048654580800/
3) https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/09/28/Police-find-no-more-bodies-in-Meinholzs-backyard/2876654494400/
4) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-07-mn-1615-story.html
5) https://apnews.com/article/6af14b2c4a114fe9e21c0c397004e1e9
6) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/old-colony-memorial/2015/10/19/plymouth-look-back-in-time/33241269007/
7) https://nempb2015.wixsite.com/nempb/melissa-benoit#:~:text=June%2020%2C%201995%20%2D%2D%20The,his%20Kingston%20home%20in%201990.
8) https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/05/michael_hand_indicted_for_murd.html
9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston,_Massachusetts#Demographics
Tune in to hear about how it is possible for two people to be buried in their own backyard by their own flesh and blood for FIFTEEN YEARS without anyone asking a question.
Also: why would someone do such a thing? I bet you wouldn't believe me if I told you it had something to do with memorabilia...cause that's just TOO insane, right? Right.
Sources:
1) https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/2012-to-present-value?amount=10000&year2=2022&frequency=yearly
2) https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/25/the-murderers-next-door
3) https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/20/william-patricia-wycherley-murder-unnoticed-15-years
4) https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/where-are-susan-and-christopher-edwards-from-hbo-series-the-landscapers
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day#United_Kingdom
6) https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/business-community/economic-data/population-estimates
7)https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/admin/nottinghamshire/E07000174__mansfield/
8) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gerard-Depardieu
9) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Cooper
10) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Cooper
11) https://www.choosingtherapy.com/shopping-addiction/
12) https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/process-addiction/shopping-addiction/compulsive-spending-statistics/
Michelle O'Connell was a young mother to a 4-year-old daughter and had just gotten her dream job. Which is why her loved ones are in disbelief when police say that Michelle has committed suicide.
What makes this questionable is the fact that Michelle's supposed suicide occurred the night she told her sister she was going to break up with her boyfriend, a police officer for the county.
Sketchy police work abounds in this one.
Sources:
1) https://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2010/09/fl-its-that-simple-anonymous-deputy.html
2) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/murder-or-suicide-the_b_10110682?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHtOMf1we9cKO0OloJ59xw3INq-8dwaValrJy6NivsCd1_BDWZszghDXSR6Vyme_SPMcpnnEOT-JqYS0dR-E_K6Cl55QHeD-TF-5BQrBnutGC0s52Vew55t83F3Jt_0GOfdE3bVoTLNJGGKFXTQxWHxhee2hBpMdLXmKMbcJZaot
3) https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/03/02/killing-of-michelle-oconnell-case-researcher-remains-unsolved-more-than-2-years-later/
4) https://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-woman-found-dead-authorities-ruled-suicide-family/story?id=65105939
5) https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/michelle-o-connell-7-things-to-know-about-suspicious-death-of-person-looking-into-case/915046040/
6) https://www.news4jax.com/news/2016/03/15/after-3-year-investigation-fdle-agent-back-on-job/
7) https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2018/06/01/2020-tonight-airs-michelle-oconnell-death-case-involving-st-johns-deputy/12083959007/
8) https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/17/us/michelle-oconnell-jeremy-banks.html
The year is 1933. It's the Great Depression, the last year of prohibition, and alcoholism is widespread.
This sets the scene for the case of Michael Malloy, otherwise known as "Iron Mike" and "Mike the Durable". Mike is an alcoholic who drinks 24/7...and he's also the target of a group of people known collectively as "The Murder Trust".
Let's count how many attempts on his life that they made:
1...2...3...4...5...and it goes on and on.
Sources:
1) https://the-line-up.com/bizarre-true-crime-cases-by-state-part-one
2) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wouldnt-die-89417903/
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Malloy
6) https://www.thejournal.ie/mike-malloy-donegal-bronx-murder-trust-prohibition-depression-alcohol-2410813-Dec2015/
I mean, the title really does say it all! This week, Rachael digs into (get it?) people who bury others in their backyard. Get ready for some very gratifying karma in this one, folks.
Rachael highlights four separate cases and goes into some statistics on backyard burials, because this is apparently something that is common enough for people to write academic journals on...yikes.
Sources:
1) https://lawandcrime.com/crime/man-strangled-girlfriend-to-death-then-had-a-fatal-cardiac-event-while-burying-the-body-sheriff/
2) https://nypost.com/2022/05/11/joseph-mckinnon-dead-of-heart-attack-while-burying-patricia-dent-after-he-killed-her/
3) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/joseph-mckinnon-dies-burying-patricia-dent-murder
4) https://www.hatcherfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Mrs-Patricia-Ruth-Vaughn-Dent?obId=24833199
5) https://people.com/crime/man-dies-heart-attack-trying-bury-girlfriends-body-after-murdering-her/
6) https://www.wlox.com/2022/09/19/st-martin-man-gets-life-killing-woman-found-buried-his-backyard/
7) https://www.wxxv25.com/missing-woman-found-backyard-identified/
8) https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/body-of-missing-woman-found-buried/
9) https://www.tapinto.net/towns/coral-springs/sections/police-and-fire/articles/missing-coral-springs-woman-found-buried-in-mississippi-backyard
10) https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/DocumentCenter/View/919/State-of-the-Department-2020
11) https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2014/04/25/lake-alfred-woman-found-guilty/8174473007/
12)https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2014/4/24/jury_deliberating_in#:~:text=Prosecutors%20argue%20Scott%2C%2066%2C%20shot,used%20it%20to%20kill%20him.
13) https://www.news9.com/story/5e35ada383eff40362beabfe/wife-who-buried-former-oklahoma-man-in-garden-charged-with-murder
14) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2128396/Elderly-woman-murdered-husband-buried-body-backyard-tired-looking-him.html
15) https://westorlandonews.com/woman-who-buried-husbands-body-in-backyard-charged-with-murder/
16) https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2012/04/11/wife-of-man-buried-in-yard-charged-with-murder/
17) https://www.wesh.com/article/police-woman-shot-tied-up-buried-husband/4415772
18) https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2012/04/11/wife-charged-with-killing-ailing/8057965007/
19)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2694780/#:~:text=Filicide%20is%20defined%20as%20the,of%20life%20it%20is%20neonaticide.
20) https://www.newsweek.com/baby-discovered-buried-backyard-parents-arrested-north-carolina-1735666
21) https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-north-carolina-baby-dead-murder-cousins-20220831-ucrqn4s2xfg4dllcppe2zjcb6a-story.html
22) https://abc11.com/infant-death-erwin-body-found-autopsy/12180924/
23) https://www.wspa.com/news/crime/its-heartbreaking-neighbors-shocked-saddened-after-dead-baby-found-buried-at-erwin-nc-home/
24) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/202106/why-would-killer-bury-bodies-in-the-yard-0
25) Article: Serial Murders Spatial Decisions: Factors that influence Crime location Choice
26) Article- Body Disposal: Spatial & Temporal Characteristics in Korean Homicide
When an 11-year-old girl named Sabrina Buie is found murdered, Henry McCollum and Leon Brown are brought in for questioning and eventually confess after long interrogations. They are 19 and 15-years old, respectively, and both have intellectual disabilities, with Leon Brown not even able to read his own signed confession. They are charged with rape and murder and are given the death penalty.
Years go by and both men are adamant about their innocence. What evidence exists that ties them to the crime, and what evidence exists that can exonerate them? And if they didn't commit the crime, who did?
Sentenced to death at 16, Brown became the youngest person on North Carolina’s death row, and McCollum became North Carolina’s longest-serving death row prisoner.
Stay tuned toward the end for some statistics on wrongful convictions and a discussion about what wrongful convictions mean for the family of victims.
Sources:
1) https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4493
2) https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/north-carolina-jury-awards-death-row-exonerees-henry-mccollum-and-leon-brown-75m-for-their-wrongful-capital-convictions
3) https://nccadp.org/stories/henry-mccollum-leon-brown/
4) https://ncpolicywatch.com/2022/11/02/court-of-appeals-backs-suspension-for-lawyer-who-swindled-wrongfully-convicted-black-men/
5) https://wcsj.law.duke.edu/2021/10/event-recap-henry-mccollum-leon-brown-attorneys-talk-wrongful-convictions/
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_McCollum_and_Leon_Brown
7) https://abc11.com/child-rape-murder-red-springs-1983-killed/293662/
8) https://www.theroot.com/my-sister-s-convicted-killer-was-innocent-23-years-lat-1790877141
9) https://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/2022/02/01/beneath-the-statistics-the-structural-and-systemic-causes-of-our-wrongful-conviction-problem/#:~:text=Studies%20estimate%20that%20between%204,result%20in%20a%20wrongful%20conviction.
This Tuesday, Kate talks about the infamous D.B. Cooper skyjacking case, in which a man who called himself "Dan Cooper" alerted a flight attendant that he had a bomb and demanded 1.3 million dollars (in today's money) in cash ransom. The plane lands, cash is brought aboard, and Cooper parachutes out of the plane, never to be seen again.
Who is D.B. Cooper? Well, that's still unknown. But there are always theories :)
Missing person spotlight of the week: Greisy Ramirez Cruz is 16 yo hispanic female who was last seen in Seattle, WA on October 8, 2022. Greisy has brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5 foot 1 and weighs 105 pounds. If you have any information,
Call 911 or 1-800-843-5678 or the Seattle Police Department at 1-206-625-5011
Sources:
1) https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2014/10/the-10-crimes-that-shook-seattle-october-2014
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper
3) https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/db-cooper-hijacking
4) https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NPAjAAAAIBAJ&pg=6509%2C3689150
5) https://nymag.com/news/features/39593/
6) https://vault.fbi.gov/D-B-Cooper%20/d.b.-cooper-part-64/view
For this week's episode, Rachael first goes over some very exciting true crime news involving a decades-old unsolved case in Massachusetts.
The main case this week surrounds a triple murder in the VERY small town of Machias, Maine, which is only about 30 minutes south of Canada. Thomas Bonfanti killed three individuals and attempted to kill a fourth. He claims that all murders and attempted murders were either accidental or in self-defense. Cue suspicious looks/noises.
Word of the day for this pod episode is: "pro se". Find out what it means (if you don't already) from an actual lawyer!
Sources:
1) https://machiasme.org/
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machias,_Maine
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonesboro,_Maine
4) https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/crime/2022/10/31/lady-of-the-dunes-dna-provincetown-massachusetts-victim-identity-headless-body/69605688007/
5) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lady-dunes-identified-nearly-50-years-mutilated-body-was-found-massach-rcna54817
6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Marie_Terry
7) https://q1065.fm/thomas-bonfanti-found-guilty-of-murder/
8) https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/crime/trial-begins-in-washington-county-man-accused-of-shooting-four-killing-three-in-2020-northfield-machias-jonesport-maine-thomas-bonfanti/97-294e4a1e-5cf0-4b90-be69-9c8ac6ec013c
9) https://www.pressherald.com/2022/06/02/man-convicted-of-killing-3-people-in-down-east-rampage/
10) https://www.newsweek.com/triple-murder-suspect-represents-himself-trial-tell-story-better-1712058
11) https://lawandcrime.com/crime/maine-man-convicted-of-murder-after-shooting-spree-that-left-3-dead-and-one-woman-severely-injured-motive-remains-a-mystery/
12) https://www.wabi.tv/2022/06/01/northfield-murder-suspect-takes-stand-his-own-trial/
13) https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-man-found-guilty-in-2020-triple-murder-thomas-bonfanti-downeast-gun-violence-machias-shooting-spree
14) https://wgme.com/news/local/2-victims-feared-for-their-lives-days-before-down-east-shooting-spree
15) https://q1065.fm/washington-county-man-sentenced-to-life-for-3-murders-in-2020/
16) https://www.foxbangor.com/news/item/several-witnesses-claim-thomas-bonfanti-admitted-guilt/
17) https://rewind1009.com/news/074470-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-triple-murder-in-downeast-maine/
18) https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Survivor-of-Machias-area-shooting-spree-released-from-hospital-568262511.html
19) https://www.foxbangor.com/news/item/machias-shooting-victims-condition-improves-to-serious/
This week, hear about the incredible survival of an 8-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, and left for dead in a field.
Jennifer Schuett waited almost two decades to get the answers she desperately wanted: what was the name of her kidnapper? Was he still out there, potentially harming others?
Today, Jennifer is an advocate for other victims of crime and has continued to beat all the odds.
She is a survivor.
Sources:
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jennifer-schuett-case-afraid-of-the-dark-texas-woman-seeks-justice-in-childhood-kidnapping-attack/
2) https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2009/oct/14/nlr-man-arrested-90-assault-20091014/
The last episode of our Bridgewater Triangle Series has a little bit of everything to satisfy all of your spooky-season needs!
Christine goes over hauntings said to plague Bridgewater State University and the Hornbine School. We go over some personal accounts from people in the area and touch on the Mayflower Hill Cemetery in Plymouth, MA.
Christine then moves on to cult activity in the area: is it really cults or just a cover for more organized crime? The infamous Cult Killings are covered, and "Satanic Panic" is summarized.
Sources:
1) https://commentbsu.com/2013/10/ghostly-happenings-on-bsu-campus/
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater_Triangle#cite_note-enterprise.southofboston.com-13
3) https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-places/bridgewater-triangle/
4) https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/massachusetts/boston/creepy-small-town-near-boston/
5) http://www.reportertoday.com/stories/haunted-rehoboth,28427
6) https://www.theclio.com/entry/40616
7) https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/entertainment/2021/10/13/bridgewater-triangle-halloween-taunton-rehoboth-freetown-nippenicket-hockomock-ghosts-haunted/6060701001/
8) https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/entertainment/2021/10/13/bridgewater-triangle-halloween-taunton-rehoboth-freetown-nippenicket-hockomock-ghosts-haunted/6060701001/
9) https://www.heraldnews.com/story/entertainment/2021/10/01/taunton-area-haunted-sites-ghost-tales-paranormal-sightings-halloween-haunting-legend-scary/5944177001/
10) https://www.mattbarnsley.com/notes-of-a-fairly-clean-man/2020/9/17/paranormal-files-the-bridgewater-triangle
11) https://www.ranker.com/list/bridgewater-triangle-stories/laura-allan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology)
12) “Dark Woods: Cults, Crime, and Paranormal in the Freetown State Forest” by Christopher Balanzo
13) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River_murders
14) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_panic#As_a_moral_panic
TW: Domestic violence
This week's episode involves the town of Libby, Montana, which has had its fair share of tragedy over the years. Kate dives into a bit of history surrounding the town, then focuses on the heart-wrenching case of Sheena Devine, a 30-year-old mother of two who was killed by an ex-boyfriend.
This might seem to be just an ordinary case, but after listening to this episode, we are positive you will understand why this one was so important to cover.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence and needs help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website at thehotline.org for resources and assistance. If you are unable to use the website to live chat, you can call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788. All help is fully confidential and available 24/7 to those who need it. Everyone deserves happy and healthy relationships–there’s no mystery about that.Sources:
1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libby,_Montana
2) http://montanian.com/top-stories/brutal-murder-shocks-libby/
3) http://montanian.com/top-stories/mercier-convicted-of-deliberate-homicide/
4) https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/police-libby-murder-was-domestic-violence/article_dedf2700-af14-5374-bec4-a798727be0df.html
5) https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2017/oct/13/convicted-murderer-sentenced-to-life-6/
6) https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2017/10/13/northwestern-montana-man-gets-life-prison-murder/106590730/
7) https://casetext.com/case/state-v-mercier-27
8) https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/libby-man-charged-with-murder-of-30-year-old-woman/article_743dfcb4-eadd-54b5-a5c3-86fbf7f4fcab.html
A true crime episode TWICE this week? YES.
Rachael talks about true crime in the Bridgewater Triangle in this episode. Several murders, including the well-known murder of Mary Lou Arruda, are discussed.
We also talk about (and get very angry about) the rape of Cheryl Ann Araujo, which occurred in a bar (and yes, there were multiple people in the bar who did absolutely nothing). Her case was actually one of the first to be publicly televised, and inspired the movie, The Accused, which featured Jodie Foster as Cheryl.
Lesser known and unsolved murders, assaults, and missing person cases are also discussed.
Sources:
1) https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/crime/2008/09/25/conviction-upheld-for-man-who/40363654007/
2) https://www.wcvb.com/article/with-death-of-mary-lou-arruda-s-killer-raynham-hopes-wounds-will-heal/8231151
3) https://themorbidlibrary.com/2020/03/30/murdered-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-iv/
4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Araujo
5) https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/se-mass/freetown-police-searching-for-car-involved-in-deadly-hit-and-run-last-year/
6) https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/topic/93244-freetown-state-forest/
7) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-sun/2015/03/25/bodies-found-in-brockton-woods/34902023007/
8) https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/31/gruesome-discovery-shocks-brockton-man/35622917007/
9) https://fletchermarple.com/post/137633110144/the-mystery-of-two-women-and-a-potential-serial
10) https://www.wcvb.com/article/brockton-killer-likely-did-it-before-may-do-it-again-experts-say/8215074
11) http://www.truecrimedeadline.com/episode-show-notes/previous/3
12) https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/03/01/closer-look-louis-coleman-man-charged-connection-with-murder-jassy-correia/lNX6LBiDUdvfcJ51HiNpeJ/story.html
13) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ma-jassy-correia-23-last-seen-at-club-venu-phone-shut-off-boston-24-feb-2019-arrest.427946/page-10
14) https://unsolvednews.substack.com/p/a-serial-killer-at-work
15) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/louis-coleman-iii-convicted-federal-jury-kidnapping-resulting-death
16) https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/05/louis-d-coleman-iii-accused-of-kidnapping-and-killing-23-year-old-jassy-correia-heads-to-trial-in-boston.html
17) https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/louis-coleman-guilty-of-kidnapping-murder-of-boston-mom/
18) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1038292.html
19) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/01/26/no-tears-in-raynham-on/987501007/
20) https://apnews.com/article/348f4ce7d6d08d260c7cc15b8718b48d
21) https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/new-bedford-rape-trial-1984
22) https://www.850wftl.com/first-the-accuser-book-now-netflix-features-big-dans-rape-trials/
23) https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2020/05/13/new-netflix-series-puts-spotlight/1208033007/
24) https://www.westfield.ma.edu/historical-journal/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-Winter-Michael-New-Bedfords-Infamous-1983-Rape-Case.pdf
25) https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a32585426/cheryl-araujo-trial-by-media-true-story/
Tune in to this week's episode to hear Rachael talk about a possible serial killer in Brockton, Massachusetts...or is it two different killers, using the same dumping ground?
Authorities have connected this potential serial killer's DNA to several rapes as well, though no successful matches have come from it.
Rachael connects this to the 2019 kidnapping and murder of Jassy Correia which happened in downtown Boston. When the killer's picture was released, there was an influx of calls from people who thought he looked identical to a sketch of this supposed Brockton serial killer.
Jassy Correia's killer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole only a few days prior to the release of this episode.
Sources:
1) https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2022/10/11/louis-coleman-life-sentence-prison-kidnapping-death-jassy-correia/
2) https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/03/01/donations-pour-2-year-old-daughter-boston-victim-found-delaware/3026361002/
3) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-sun/2015/03/25/bodies-found-in-brockton-woods/34902023007/
4) https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/31/gruesome-discovery-shocks-brockton-man/35622917007/
5) https://fletchermarple.com/post/137633110144/the-mystery-of-two-women-and-a-potential-serial
6) https://www.wcvb.com/article/brockton-killer-likely-did-it-before-may-do-it-again-experts-say/8215074
7) http://www.truecrimedeadline.com/episode-show-notes/previous/3
8) https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/03/01/closer-look-louis-coleman-man-charged-connection-with-murder-jassy-correia/lNX6LBiDUdvfcJ51HiNpeJ/story.html
9) https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ma-jassy-correia-23-last-seen-at-club-venu-phone-shut-off-boston-24-feb-2019-arrest.427946/page-10
10) https://unsolvednews.substack.com/p/a-serial-killer-at-work
11) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/louis-coleman-iii-convicted-federal-jury-kidnapping-resulting-death
12) https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2022/05/louis-d-coleman-iii-accused-of-kidnapping-and-killing-23-year-old-jassy-correia-heads-to-trial-in-boston.html
13) https://nypost.com/2022/06/02/louis-coleman-guilty-of-kidnapping-murder-of-boston-mom/
14) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1038292.html
15) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2016/01/26/no-tears-in-raynham-on/987501007/
16) https://apnews.com/article/348f4ce7d6d08d260c7cc15b8718b48d
This is the second episode of our October series!
In this one, Rachael discusses all things folklore and paranormal. She covers The Freetown State Forest, the Taunton State Hospital, and the legend of Pukwudgies (which culminates in a tantalizing discussing surrounding...strawberry bread? It'll all make sense in the end, trust me).
There's mention of Big Foot (because how could there not be?), UFOs, and several different ghosts, each with very different personalities and methods of inducing fear.
This is very likely our most unhinged episode thus far. You've been warned!
Sources:
1) https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/accident/2020/06/15/wareham-man-medflighted-after-jumping-from-ledge-in-freetown/42908547/
2) https://www.swordandscale.com/the-bridgewater-triangle/
3) https://wbsm.com/taunton-state-jolly-jane-female-serial-killer/
4)https://bridgewaterpubliclibrary.org/sites/bridgewaterpubliclibrary.org/files/attachments/01_TriangleCollection_001-merged-compressed.pdf
5) https://themorbidlibrary.com/2020/03/30/murdered-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-iv/
6) https://wickedxcrime.wordpress.com/2020/11/28/episode-sixteen-murder-monsters-and-mysteries-inside-the-bridgewater-triangle/
7) https://www.maryannpoll.com/mary-ann-s-blog/haunted-destinations-freetown-fall-river-state-forest-massachusetts/
8) https://southcoastmurdersmysteries.weebly.com/freetown2.html
9) https://the-line-up.com/the-most-haunted-forest-in-america
10) https://www.ranker.com/list/bridgewater-triangle-stories/laura-allan
11) http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2016/04/ghosts-of-assonet-ledge.html
12) https://www.swordandscale.com/the-bridgewater-triangle/
13) https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2022/05/10/399962/creatures-of-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-1
14) https://globalbizarre.com/bridgewater-triangle/
15) https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/archive/2007/10/30/man-falls-to-his-death/38126441007/
16) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Coleman
17) https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/2016/01/22/195-things-freetown-ledge-will/32715363007/
Books:
1) Ghosts of Bridgewater Triangle by Christopher Balanzo
2) Mysterious America by Loren Coleman
3) Monsters of Massachusetts: Mysterious Creatures in the Bay State by Loren Coleman
A family purchases a house in an affluent neighborhood and only three days later begins to receive eerie and threatening letters from someone who calls themselves "The Watcher".
Kate did some great research on this one, and goes into the details of the case, the investigation, and theories (because, yup: it's still unsolved).
You don't want to miss this one!
Sources:
1) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/the-watcher-netflix-stalker-new-jersey-b2175373.html
2) https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/real-estate/a28680321/657-boulevard-westfield-new-jersey-watcher-house-sold/
3) https://www.thecut.com/article/the-haunting-of-657-boulevard-in-westfield-new-jersey.html
4) https://nj1015.com/the-watcher-house-on-netflix-what-really-happened/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield,_New_Jersey
This is the first episode of our Bridgewater Triangle Series!!!
Kate provides historical context for why many believe the Bridgewater Triangle is a hotspot of paranormal activity. She talks about the Native American land that the swamp is in, King Philip's War, and about a BUNCH of different rocks (these are cool, interesting rocks, we promise). Kate also delves into different theories for the origin of the mysterious inscriptions that are found on some of these rocks.
Sources:
1) “Hockomock: Place Where the Spirits Dwell” by Peter Tower
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wampanoag
3) https://openlibrary.org/books/OL26124680M/Haunted_Objects_Stories_Of_Ghosts_On_Your_Shelf
4) https://web.archive.org/web/20071026061648/http://www.historyplace.com/specials/kingphilip.htm
5) https://web.archive.org/web/20070527112525/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/10/30/the_old_haunting_grounds/
6) http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/10/30/tales_from_the_swamp/https://web.archive.org/web/20171014083258/http://www.thebridgewatertriangle.com/2013/12/hockomock-swamp_2.html?m=1
7) http://www.strange-new-england.com/2015/10/22/ministers-rock/
54-year old Colonel Philip Shue left to go to work on the morning of April 16, 2003. He left an hour earlier than usual, at 5:30AM, in order to get a jumpstart on some paperwork. He made his wife, Tracy, coffee, kissed her, and said “I love you”. The next report of Shue is from two witnesses who saw him driving his vehicle on the highway, going around 60mph. After swerving from one lane to another, his car eventually hit a tree. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they noticed several oddities about this particular accident. First, Shue's shirt is ripped from his chest to his navel. Shue’s nipples were cut off. There was an almost 6-inch slash on his chest, and he was missing part of his finger. Shue also had duct tape around both of his arms and ankles.
The case was determined to be a suicide.
Listen to this week's episode in order to find out why, for many people, this case is still unsolved.
Sources:
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/BCME_autopsy.pdf
2) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/first_warning_note.pdf
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0itSpglLimo
4) https://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/psychological_autopsy.pdf
5)https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?ID=155997&cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person
Christine opens up the episode with a new segment. Each week, we will be briefly reporting on a recent missing child case, as we all feel that it is important to spread awareness for cases that may not be getting the recognition they deserve.
During the main segment this week, Kate tackles a couple of different hate crimes relating to the arsons of several Jewish-affiliated buildings. She also goes over some very interesting aspects of how hate crimes are charged and categorized. If someone commits a hate crime, is it also a hate crime if a person covers for them?
Rachael (who is Jewish) leads an important discussion on acts of anti-semitism that she and others have faced.
Sources:
1) https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/massachusetts-man-indicted-obstructing-investigation-fires-jewish-affiliated-institutions 2) https://www.masslive.com/boston/2022/02/alexander-giannakakis-arrested-in-sweden-accused-of-misleading-authorities-in-massachusetts-investigating-2019-fires-set-at-jewish-institutions.html 3) https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bja/162304.pdf 4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime#United_States 5) https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics
Marise was only 9 years old when she was brutally murdered in Hazleton, Pennsylvania in 1964. Despite being found the same day that she disappeared, Marise's murder was unsolved for FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS. Just this year, in 2022, her killer was found through DNA testing. This is the fourth oldest cold case to be solved using genetic genealogy in the United States and the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania.
Sources:1) https://www.timesleader.com/news/1539205/who-was-james-paul-forte-suspected-killer-left-few-clues
2) https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/this-is-marises-story-family-investigators-share-emotions-as-hazleton-cold-case-is-solved/523-77ac08cf-0923-43d1-9ab3-a35d3b3bd98a
3) https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-monday-edition-1.6350961/how-a-genealogist-helped-solve-the-murder-of-a-girl-from-nearly-60-years-ago-1.6350962
4) https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/1964-murder-of-marise-ann-chiverella-solved-pennsylvania-authorities-say
5) https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/us/hazleton-pennsylvania-cold-case-solved-trnd/index.html
6) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/14/marise-chiverella-cold-case-pennsylvania/
7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazleton,_Pennsylvania
8) https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/picture-gallery/opinion/2022/02/24/two-towns-two-murders/6837615001/
9) https://genwhypod.com/blogs/the-generation-why-podcast-blog/killer-of-1964-child-murderer-identified-the-marise-chiverella-case
10) https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/woman-recalls-forte-he-wouldnt-leave-it-marise-chiverella-hazleton-cold-case/523-169b9f9a-58f7-4076-9cf9-d431aacc7c1a
On March 9, 2018, a veteran entered the The Pathway Home, a residential treatment facility offering care to veterans, armed with the intention to kill multiple employees. Rachael talks about the victims of this crime: Christine Loeber, Jennifer Golick, and Jennifer Gonzalez Shushereba. She delves into their lives prior to the tragedy and discusses the tangible marks they left on their communities, even after their passing. Lastly, we close with a discussion regarding veterans and mental health, and Rachael provides statistics that will leave you speechless.
Kate talks about the infamous 1892 murder case of Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother, which Lizzie was tried and acquitted for. We discuss the events in Lizzie's life leading up the murders, possible accomplices, multiple theories, and how gossip spreads through a small town. This one is infamous for a reason!
Sources:
1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden
2)https://web.archive.org/web/20140201220523/http://www.thelizziebordencollection.com/fall-river-history.php
3)https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22543295/the-seattle-post-intelligencer/
4)https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22529704/statesman-journal/
5)https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22543087/the-boston-globe/
Christine starts off this episode talking about the disappearance of Cleashindra Hall, a smart, soon-to-be pre-med student who vanished after clocking out of her part-time job in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Twenty-eight years later, her case is still unsolved, and one particular individual remains a person of interest.
Kate then talks about the Watts Family Murders, which took place in Frederick, Colorado in 2018. Chris Watts murdered his wife, who was 15 weeks pregnant, along with his two children. This is a huge case, but Kate delves into the small town aspects of it that aided in the investigation.
In the early hours of the morning, 12-year-old Christopher Pittman walks into his grandparent's room and shoots 4 times, killing both Joe and Joy Pittman before setting their house on fire.
We discuss Christopher's difficult early childhood leading up to this moment, and analyze his legal team's "Zoloft defense", as Christopher had recently been made to switch from antidepressant Paxil to Zoloft and double his prescription dosage. He was allegedly experiencing severe side effects in the weeks leading up to the murders.
So many factors add to the mix in this case, making you question what could have been if just one had been different.
Sources:
1) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prescription-for-murder-13-04-2005/
2) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/sertraline-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20065940
3) https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=christopher+pittman&view=detail&mid= FA2FE8819690A54690ACFA2FE8819690A54690AC&FORM=VIRE
4) https://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/pittman-christopher-opinion.htm
5) https://public.doc.state.sc.us/scdc-public/inmateDetails.do?id=%2000307734
In this episode, Kate first investigates the serial killer Tony Costa, locally known in Massachusetts as the Cape Cod Cannibal. Tony Costa committed a series of murders in the late 1960s. Famous writer Kurt Vonnegut was intrigued by Costa, comparing him to Jack the Ripper. This case is still talked about today in the small town community in which it originated, and several books have been written about Costa which have been quite controversial...
Next, Rachael covers the case of 17-year-old Maggie Long, who was burned in a fire in a burglary gone wrong. It was revealed that a physical altercation likely took place during this burglary between Maggie and her assailants. Recently, the FBI has explored the possibility that this was actually a hate crime. Maggie's case is still active, and a reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for her death.
This week, we discuss two cases that will make your stomach turn. First, Christine covers the case of Keiosha Marie Felix, a 15-year-old who went missing and was immediately labeled a "runaway" by police. Keiosha was last seen in the tiny town of Duson, Louisiana on April 30, 2012, where she went to visit her aunt with her 1-year-old daughter. A botched police investigation interferes heavily with this case.
Next, Rachael covers the recent murder of Jonathan Amerault, who was murdered by a jealous husband by the name of Armando Barron, who believed that his wife, Britney Baron, was having an affair with Jon. Armando ended up forcing Britney to decapitate Jon's body. Trigger warning for domestic violence on this one!
This week, we discuss two cases that will make your stomach turn. First, Christine covers the case of Keiosha Marie Felix, a 15-year-old who went missing and was immediately labeled a "runaway" by police. Keiosha was last seen in the tiny town of Duson, Louisiana on April 30, 2012, where she went to visit her aunt with her 1-year-old daughter. A botched police investigation interferes heavily with this case.
Next, Rachael covers the recent murder of Jonathan Amerault, who was murdered by a jealous husband by the name of Armando Barron, who believed that his wife, Britney Baron, was having an affair with Jon. Armando ended up forcing Britney to decapitate Jon's body. Trigger warning for domestic violence on this one!
What drives two people to collectively decide they are capable of, and have a desire to, commit murder?
This week, Christine discusses the case of Melissa Jenkins, a 33-year-old schoolteacher and single mother who was lured away from her home, beaten, and strangled to death by a married couple in 2012. We go over the investigation, their motives, and the MESSINESS of this case.
Next, Rachael covers the gut wrenching murder of 16-year-old Skylar Neese. Skylar was brutally stabbed by her alleged 2 best friends in 2012, who murdered her when her back was turned and after counting to three. This famous case lead to Skylar's Law being enacted, which loosened the criteria for AMBER alerts.
A college student who has recently had a string of bad misfortune is driving up North from Massachusetts in the winter. She loses control of her vehicle and it hits a snowbank, making it inoperable. Someone sees the wreck and offers her assistance, but she refuses, saying that she has already called for help. When the cops come...she's gone.
This week, the three of us dig deeper into Maura's case. While Part 1 addressed Maura's background and the events leading up to her disappearance, we shift the focus this week toward the timeline of events, investigation, and potential theories that could explain what happened on that cold winter night.
What can we make of the limited evidence we have? Does any theory hold more credibility than the others?
This week’s episode focuses on one of the most famous missing persons cases of the 21st century—Maura Murray. Maura grew up in our hometown of Hanson, Mass, and even though she was a bit older than us, her story hits very close to home. In this part one of two, we dive into Maura’s childhood, her teenage years, and her time at West Point. We also set up Maura’s mental state at the time of her disappearance—what was going through Maura’s head on that fateful night? Stay tuned for part two as we delve into the disappearance itself and the prevailing theories.
This week, Rachael talks about Gary Lee Sampson, a spree killer from the South Shore of Massachusetts. In 2001, Sampson originally committed a series of bank crimes in North Carolina in the span of three months, and then went on to murder three strangers after fleeing to Massachusetts. We explore his background, his victims, and his trial. Sampson's case was only the second time prosecutors in Massachusetts had sought the federal death penalty.
Stay tuned for a personal story at the end that you won't get anywhere else!
Yes, you read that title correctly. This episode, Christine and Kate cover two cases: one in which there is a conviction without a body found, and one in which there is a body found with no conviction.
Christine starts us off this episode by talking about the murder of 30-year-old Elizabeth Ann Kutz. Elizabeth, known as Beth, goes to work on the morning of July 27, 2000 and sends a text to her mom saying that if she is not home within 30 minutes, to go looking for her. Sadly, she is never seen again. Marital problems with her husband at the time, Daniel, will be discussed, and holes in his story will definitely be questioned.
Kate then goes on to talk about the case of Molly Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard who was murdered in 2000 as well. Her belongings were found unattended at her lifeguard station, with Molly nowhere to be found. The search for Molly became the largest missing person search in Massachusetts history.
FIRST EPISODE ALERT!
This one is truly a wild ride. Kate starts us off by delving into the century-old case of Alice Burrage, who met her tragic fate on the day of her wedding. On that same day, another person disappears and is never seen again...until a macabre hint is discovered years later that could possibly provide some answers.
Next, Christine talks about Sandra Crispo, a recent missing person case that has rocked the small town of Hanson, Massachusetts. On August 7th, 2019, Sandra was dropped off at her house by her son-in-law Tim and has not been seen since. Suspiciously, her house told the story of someone who fully intended on sticking around: watermelon in the fridge for her grandkids to have the next day, beds set up for them, and to-do lists for the coming days. This case will truly leave you scratching your head and wondering where she has gone, or rather, who took her. And just when you think you know everything about the case, family matters get thrown into the mix.
Buckle up and get ready for the ride!