True Crime Brewery

Crime or Tragedy? The Garrett Wilson Story

Jill — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:10:03 +0000

This story begins with a question that plagued investigators, doctors, and a jury: how did the life of an infant end, and how can we tell who was responsible when science and the law collide? In the hours, days, and years after Garrett Michael Wilson’s death, explanations moved from natural causes to something far more deliberate. As grief gave way to scrutiny and accusation, a case that had remained a family tragedy led to a criminal prosecution.

Join us for Crime or Tragedy? The Garrett Wilson Story. In this episode, we follow the evidence that moved the case from the realm of unexplained loss into a courtroom, the testimony that carried extraordinary weight, and the decisions that closed the case officially while leaving lasting questions behind. This is not a story about reopening a verdict, but about understanding how investigators and courts decided that a death was a crime.

Sources

American SIDS Institute publishes top research priorities in sudden unexpected infant death, ttps://sids.org/american-sids-institute-publishes-top-research-priorities-in-sudden-unexpected-infant-death/, retrieved 4/18/2026.

48 Hours: “Unmasking the Mastermind,” CBS News, 7/20/2001.

Criminal Minds & Methods, Garrett Wilson – Crime Library, retrieved 4/16/2026.

While Innocents Slept: A Story of Revenge, Murder, and SIDS by Adrian Havill, 2011.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Not Again! Waneta Hoyt’s Babies (re-release)

Jill — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:06:00 +0000

Please listen to this re-release of a 2021 members-only episode about sudden infant infant deaths which were determined to be homicide. We will be covering another SIDS v. Homicide case in May and I think listening to this episode is a good prequel!

In 1985, authorities in New York State arrested a father who they believed had murdered his three children. In the course of the investigation, they became aware of a mother who claimed to have lost five children to SIDS. Thinking this was highly unlikely, they opened an investigation into the family. First, the family needed to be identified. Once this was done, the investigation of Waneta Hoyt moved right along, culminating in her trial for murder in 1995.

Join us at the quiet end for Not Again! Waneta Hoyt’s Babies. This story of SIDS or infanticide or Munchausen by Proxy took many twists and turns before justice was done. At the heart of this story is the tragic and unnecessary end of five young lives and the question of how it took five suspicious deaths before Waneta Hoyt was stopped.

One Night, Too Many Questions: The Moody Massacre

Jill — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:21:45 +0000

In May of 2005, a quiet part of rural Ohio woke up to something no one was prepared for. By the time most people finished their morning coffee, six people were dead, one teenage girl was barely alive, and a town that thought it understood itself was now living inside a nightmare. Answers came fast. Too fast. And once they did, people were told the story was over—it was solved, wrapped up, and explained. But that is not how it felt then. And for a lot of people, it still does not feel that way now.

Join us for One Night, Too Many Questions. This is not just a story about a violent night on a farm. It is about what happens after—when a community wants peace so badly it is willing to grab onto the first explanation that lets everyone breathe again. It is about the questions that never really went away, even when the official story said they should have. So we are slowing things down— taking a closer look at what happened, what was said, and the questions that still haven’t gone away.

Sources

Former detective sentenced for endangering teenage witness, The Columbus Dispatch, 5/29/2008.

Massacre’s survivor yet to receive inheritance, The Columbus Dispatch, 2/5/2009.

Saving Stacy by Rob St. Clair

Teen suspected in slayings of 5, NBCnews.com, 5/29/2005.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

What Really Happened to Ellen Greenberg?

Jill — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:28:45 +0000

It was during a snowstorm, on a snow day in Philadelphia, when a young teacher was found dead in her apartment under very bizarre circumstances. Her name was Ellen Greenberg. She was 27 years old. She was engaged and she lived with her fiancé. Ellen’s fiancé called 911, and almost right away, investigators said they knew what happened. But then the story changed. And then it changed again.

Join us today as we talk about what should have been a straightforward investigation that, over time. turned into something far more complicated. For years now, Ellen’s parents have been asking the same thing everyone else eventually starts asking when they look closely at this case: Does any of this make sense? We’re starting with who Ellen was, who the people in her life were, what is known about the day she died, and what has never been adequately explained. Because, more than a decade later, the core question is still hanging in the air: What Really Happened to Ellen Greenberg?

Sources

Ellen Rae Greenberg, https://gavinfish.com/cases/ellen-greenberg/

Family of teacher who died from 20 stab wounds sues Philadelphia medical examiner to have suicide ruling changed, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stephanie Farr, 10/16/2019. Retrieved 3/15/2026.

Medical Examiner’s Office Investigation Report, Ellen Greenberg Case Docs, 3/18/2022. Retrieved 2/20/2026.

Suicide or homicide? Parents’ anguished search for answers lasts years after daughter dies of 20 stab wounds, PennLive.com, Steve Marroni, 5/13/2019.

What Happened to Ellen? by Nancy Grace & Benee Knauer.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Just Seven Minutes: The Abduction of Ann Harrison

Jill — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:04:54 +0000

Please enjoy this re-release of a premium episode from 2023! You can get all of your episodes ad-free plus all of our bonus episodes by subscribing to TCB Premium at tiegrabber.com/subscribe!

On March 22, 1989, 15-year-old Ann Harrison went outside of her house to wait for the school bus. Nothing seemed different than any other morning, but Ann would never make it to school that day. As she waited by the mailbox, two men in a car pulled up and asked her for directions. Another girl waiting for the bus down the road saw the car speed past moments later. Back at Ann’s house, the school bus arrived and honked its horn, but no one was there.

Join us at the quiet end for Just Seven Minutes: The Abduction of Ann Harrison. The school bus driver noticed that Ann’s books, purse, and flute were still by the mailbox. Ann’s mother heard the horn and came outside. After a search of the house, she reported her daughter missing. What happened to Ann was every parent’s worst nightmare. Today we’re discussing the search for Ann, the monstrous crimes of her abductors, and a family’s enduring pain.

End to Innocence: The Abduction and Murder of the Grimes Sisters

Jill — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:54:28 +0000

Please enjoy this classic premium episode from 2017!

On a cold, sunny morning in January 1957, Leonard Prescott, a 39-year old construction worker, was driving into the town of Willow Springs, Illinois, when he noticed two strange-looking objects underneath a bridge railing. He stopped to get a better look and told himself they must be department store mannequins. He drove off, but his mind kept returning to the flesh-colored figures.

Were they naked, dead girls? He wasn’t entirely convinced, so he drove home and got his wife Marie. They returned to the bridge and got out of the car. The two bodies had a blue hue against the whiteness of the snow. One of the girls was on her side with her legs drawn up in a fetal position. The other girl was on her back, apparently tossed on top of her.

Joseph Grimes’ daughters Barbara,15, and Patricia, 13, had been missing for nearly a month. They were big Elvis Presley Fans and had gone together to see his film “Love Me Tender” on the night they disappeared, 3 days after Christmas.

Joseph was called to the station and escorted to the scene where he had the heartbreaking task of identifying his murdered daughters.The heartbreaking disappearance and unexplained deaths of Barbara and Patricia Grimes shattered the innocence of the Chicago area forever. Things like this just hadn’t happened before. The case launched one of the biggest investigations in history. Over the years, there have been numerous leads but the case remains unsolved.

Join us today for End to Innocence: The Abduction and Murders of the Grimes Sisters

Pushed: Florence Unger

Jill — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:26:29 +0000

In the fall of 2003, a life ended in a way no one saw coming—and for years, the truth stayed buried beneath rumor, silence, and unanswered questions. Florence “Flo” Unger was someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, someone who mattered. Yet when she was killed, the story of what really happened to her was fragmented, distorted, and, in many ways, forgotten.

Join us at the quiet end for Pushed: Florence Unger. In this episode, we take a closer look at Flo’s murder: the last known moments of her life, the people who crossed her path, and the investigation that followed. We’ll examine what was known, what was assumed, and what may have been deliberately ignored. This story teaches us about how fear, secrecy, and power can shape the narrative of a murder case long after the violence is over.

Sources

Afraid of the Dark by Tom Henderson

Florence Unger: The Last Resort, Forensic Files, https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2021/09/30/drowning-sorrows/

Lady of the Lake, Dark Waters: Murder in the Deep, S2E6, 8/21/2019.

Lady in the Lake, NBCNews.com, 1/2/2007.

Michigan man who pushed wife off roof, dragged her into lake, loses bid for new trial, MLive, 7/18/2018, https://www.mlive.com/news/2018/07/michigan_man_who_pushed_wife_o.html

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

A Conspiracy of Dunces: The Plot to Kill Kevin Spann

Jill — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:56:25 +0000

In the early hours of a quiet morning, a kind man named Kevin Spann was killed. It was a tragic event, but along with his death came a story that overflowed with stupidity and lacked any semblance of critical thinking or empathy. What should have been a straightforward search for the truth unraveled a maze of misconceptions and missteps. Official accounts left gaps in simple logic and suspects seemed surprised by their own decisions. But somewhere between incompetence and intention, the truth was clear.

Join us for A Conspiracy of Dunces. This is not just a story about a murder. It’s about how people are manipulated and the truth is deliberately distorted. Today we’re examining the people, decisions, and failures that led to Kevin Spann’s death—asking not only who is responsible, but how confusion, greed, and error can collectively create evil. In a case where everyone seemed sure and no one was right, we dig into the uncomfortable reality that humans are capable of doing horrendous things for the most ridiculous reasons.

Sources

Judge rejects plea to reduce woman’s life sentence, The Augusta Chronicle, 2/17/1998.

Kelly v. State, Supreme Court of Georgia, 10/2/2000.

The Mother’s Day Murder: The Startling True Story of a Seductive, Murdering Wife and Her Three Teenage Pawns by Wensley Clarkson.

Murder-for-hire motive often insurance, The Augusta Chronicle, 5/18/1997.

Spann gets life sentence, The Augusta Chronicle, 11/22/1997.

Three others say wife tried to hire them to kill Fort Gordon soldier, The Augusta Chronicle, 5/24/1997.

CCTV, Lies, & Murder: Grace Millane

Jill — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:00:38 +0000

There are some stories that stay with us—not because of how they end, but because of who is lost. Grace Millane was a young woman with a future, a plan, and a warm spirit that took her across the world. She was exploring new places and doing what so many young people dream of doing—exploring life on her own terms. But Grace’s journey took a devastating and unimaginable turn.

Join us for CCTV, Lies, & Murder: Grace Millane. What should have been a celebration of Grace’s 22^nd birthday became a tragedy. This podcast isn’t just about a crime but about the life behind the headlines. It’s about Grace: her kindness, her courage, her hopes, and the world she was eager to explore. Together, we’ll examine her final days, the investigation that followed, and reflect on the impact her loss left on all who knew her. Because Grace deserves to be remembered not for what happened to her, but for who she was.

Sources

The complete evidence in the Grace Millane murder trial: Inside the case that gripped a nation, Stuff, Edward Gay, 2/20/2020, retrieved 1/29/2026.

Grace Millane murder: Details of alleged killer revealed, Anna Leask, 12/8/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

The Lie:The Murder of Grace Millane, 2023 Documentary, retrieved on Tubi 1/29/2026.

Missing backpacker Grace Millane: From Disappearance to Murder Charge, Stuff, Natalie Crockett, 12/9/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

Suspect to be charged with murder of missing British backpacker Grace Millane, TVNZ, 12/8/2018, retrieved 1/27/2026.

Timeline: The trials and conviction of Jesse Kempson, the man who murdered Grace Millane, RNZ.com, 12/22/2020, retrieved 1/29/2026.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Shirt-Tail Alley: The Murder of Theora Hix

Jill — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:58:55 +0000

Just outside of Columbus, Ohio, in the early summer of 1929, two teenage boys set out to settle a friendly argument over who was the better shot. The sky was clear after a night of rain—and the world was only months away from the Great Depression. But that morning, in a field known to locals as “Shirt‑Tail Alley,” the boys discovered something that would ignite one of the most scandalous murder investigations in history.

Join us for Shirt-Tail Alley: The Murder of Theora Hix. The body of Theora was there in the tall grass, brutally beaten and unrecognizable. Within hours she would be identified as a twenty-four‑year‑old medical student at Ohio State University. As police scrambled for answers, a shocking truth emerged, exposing a web of secret relationships, illicit rendezvous, and a killer no one would ever have suspected.

Sources

The Murder of Theora Hix, The Ohio Project, https://theohioproject.net/history/the-murder-of-theora-hix/

The Mystery of the Thirteenth Key, https://archive.org/details/TrueDetectiveJan1930/page/n11/mode/2up

The Professor & the Coed: Scandal & Murder at the Ohio State University, Mark Gribben, 2010.

The Trial of Dr. James Howard Snook, Short North Gazette, Nancy Patzer, 9/1999.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Something’s Wrong with Mommy (re-release)

Jill — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:10:06 +0000

Please enjoy this TCB premium episode from 2022!
You can get access to all of our premium episodes and get all episodes ad-free by subscribing at tiegrabber.com/subscribe

From the outside looking in, Shele Covlin seemed like a woman who had everything figured out. She had a handsome husband, two beautiful children, and a high-paying job that she loved. Her marriage, however, was a disaster. Her husband Rod could not, or would not, hold down a job. He was convinced he could earn a living off of his passion: playing backgammon! Rod also had a weakness for other women. Over the years, he had too many affairs to count. As if that isn’t bad enough, this apparently charming husband and father had become mentally and physically abusive.

Join us at the quiet end for Something’s Wrong with Mommy. When Shele finally reached her breaking point, she and Rod separated. Shele prepared for a divorce and made plans to move forward in life. Unfortunately, before the divorce was finalized, Shele was found dead in her own bath tub. Was it an accident? Was it murder? There would be much speculation and some fascinating details would be brought to the surface before everything was said and done.

Sources

At Any Cost: A Father’s Betrayal, a Wife’s Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice, by Rebecca Rosenberg, 2021

Endgame, Dateline NBC, S27 E24

People v Covlin, Supreme Court, New York County, 1/22/2018

Finding Becky (re-release)

Jill — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:11:16 +0000

The Search for Becky Godden-Edwards & Sian O’ Callaghan

Please enjoy this re-release of a premium episode from 2022—to get all of our premium, ad-free shows, subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe

Becky Godden-Edwards went missing in early 2003, but her remains weren’t recovered until 2011. The main reason for this delay was Becky’s lifestyle. She was a heroin addict and a sex worker, given to long absences from her home. The last time her mother saw her alive, Becky told her, “I’ll come home when I’m clean.”

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Becky. Becky was not found until her killer confessed to the murder of another young woman, Sian O’Callaghan. After he confessed to killing Becky, a legal loophole prevented his confession from being presented as evidence. It took five years, but with the persistent efforts of Becky’s grieving mother, the confession was ultimately admitted in a trial and her killer was brought to justice. Still, the suspicions of more unidentified victims linger to this day.

Sources

A Killer’s Confession by Karen Edwards

A Confession, TV limited series on ITV

Judiciary of England and Wales v. Christopher Halliwell

Murderpedia, Christopher Halliwell

Into the Fog: Jackie Johns

Jill — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:30:51 +0000

On a summer night in 1985, the small town of Nixa, Missouri was shaken by a crime that would haunt them for decades to come. Jackie Johns, a vibrant 20-year-old with her whole life ahead of her, vanished without a trace.

Join us for Into the Fog: The Case of Jackie Johns. Her case set off community wide fear, outrage, and a pursuit of justice that went on for years. In this episode, we will dive into the chilling details of Jackie’s final hours, the investigation that followed, and the shocking twists that kept this story alive long after that horrible night.

Sources

Murder On a Lonely Road by Beth Hundsdorfer & George Pawlaczyk

Queen of the Ozarks, Cold Case Files, S2 E21, 4/1/2022

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Behind the Dorm Room Door

Jill — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:29:15 +0000

On May 4, 2003, just as the sun was rising over Western Kentucky University, one dorm room was especially dark. Katie Autry, a bright and beautiful student, was lying dead in that room. She had been raped, stabbed, drenched in an accelerant, and burned alive.

Join us for Behind the Dorm Room Door. Two men emerged as suspects once the investigation onto Katie’s death began: Stephen Soules, a poor drifter, and Lucas Goodrum, a man with a history of violence. One confessed while the other denied everything. The truth behind Katie’s murder seemed lost forever. What happened in that room? Who was responsible for this act of cruelty and horror? The echoes of that terrible night continue to resonate in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Sources

Bluegrass by William Van Meter

Death in the Dorms, S1 E6, 1/5/2023

Murder She Wrote, On the Case with Paula Zahn, S4 E30, 11/28/2010

Stephen Lee Soules Appeal, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 3/20/2009

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

The Grudge

Jill — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:17:58 +0000

Anthony Garcia seemed to have made it. He had overcome a severe learning disability to earn a medical degree from the University of Utah. Afterwards, he was admitted into the Pathology program at Creighton University. However, he washed out of that program and the two that followed. Garcia seemed to have weathered these setbacks, but then four murders were committed five years apart. And all four of the victims had ties to Creighton University’s Pathology Program. Were the murders somehow connected? It was difficult to believe that someone could have held a deadly grudge for so long.

Join us at the quiet end for The Grudge. As we dissect this fascinating case, we’ll tell you about Anthony Garcia’s childhood, his difficulties in medical school and residencies, and the unhinged life Garcia was living when these murders were committed.

Sources

Anthony Garcia’s Attorneys Want Him Evaluated for Mental Illness Before Death Penalty Hearing, World-Herald, Todd Cooper, 3/13/2027

Haunting, Dateline, S25 E24 Pathological: The Murderous Rage of Dr. Anthony Garcia by Henry J. Cordes and Todd Cooper

Resident Evil, 48 Hours, S30 E27

Trial Day 16-In Anthony Garcia Trial, Defense and Prosecution go at it One Last Time Before Handing Case to Jury, World Herald, Christopher Burbach

Vanished on Heworth Road: Claudia Lawrence

Jill — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:31:01 +0000

She was a vibrant young woman with a close-knit family and a promising life ahead. Then Claudia Lawrence vanished without a trace. No signs of struggle, no clear suspects—just a multitude of unanswered questions.

Join us for Vanished on Heworth Road. Today we dive deep into the mystery that has haunted York for over a decade. Despite extensive investigations, searches, and media coverage, no trace of Claudia has ever been found. The case remains unsolved, and it continues to raise questions about trust, secrets, and the people closest to her.

Sources

Answers for Claudia Podcast, Wondery

Claudia Lawrence: Timeline of her disappearance and suspected murder, The Press, Dan Bean, 12/22/2020. Retreived 6/12/2025.

Gone: The Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence and Her Father’s Desperate Search for the Truth, Neil Root, 3/14/2013.

No Leads from Claudia Lawrence searches in York, BBC News, 3/26/2010. Retreived 6/20/2025.

What Happened to Claudia? Alex Moss, 3/15/2019. Retreived 7/15/2025.

Behind the Veil

Jill — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 19:41:53 +0000

On a quiet morning in rural Michigan, a beloved television personality was gunned down in her own driveway. At first, it seemed like a stalker’s obsession had finally turned deadly. But as investigators dug deeper, the truth was much more sinister. The man she trusted most—the man she had vowed to love forever—was hiding his true character behind a mask of lies. Diane Newton King—mother, wife, and rising tv news personality—never made it to the inside of her home that day. Her children never had another moment with their mother.

Join us for Behind the Veil: Diane Newton King. Behind the wedding vows, the smiles, and the years of building and sustaining a family, there lurked a dark truth which threatened to destroy everything. This is not just a story about murder—it’s a story about trust shattered, love twisted, and the frightening question: How well do we really know the person we share our life with?

Sources

The Diane King Case, Suburban Secrets, S2, E2

Eye of the Beholder by Lowell Cauffiel

Killer Relationship, Oxygen Network, S3, E12

Mi v Bradford King, Court TV, https://www.courttv.com/?s=bradford+King, retreived 11/02/2025

News at 11, Forensic Files, S9, E5

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Murder by Injection

Jill — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:08:08 +0000

Michelle Herndon seemed to have it all. She was nearing completion of her degree and had a bright future ahead of her. She was engaged to a wonderful man. She had a lot of plans for her future. The only negatives for Michelle were her migraine headaches, which were excruciating.

She had tried many medications and remedies, including alternative medications, without much success. Then she met Oliver O’Quinn, a new roommate of her best friend. Oliver was an ICU nurse at Shands Teaching Hospital, and he had a medication that could benefit Michelle: Propofol. This medication worked wonders for Michelle. The only problem was that Oliver was infatuated with Michelle, and when his affection was not reciprocated, it led to deadly consequences. Join us at the quiet end for Murder by Injection, a discussion about the tragic death of Michelle Herndon.

Murder in the Suburbs

Jill — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:25:21 +0000

On a cool October morning in Richmond, Virginia, gunshots shattered the silence of the quiet suburban street where Fred Jablin lived with his two children. Fred, a respected professor and devoted father, had just stepped outside to grab his morning newspaper—something he did every day. But this day would be his last. Oblivious to the danger, he was ambushed in his own front yard as his children slept upstairs.

Join us for Murder in the Suburbs. As investigators searched for suspects and motivations for Fred’s murder, the name Piper Rountree came up again and again. Piper was Fred’s ex-wife. Their bitter divorce and custody battle had ended years earlier, but her resentment and hatred endured. Did Piper, a mother of three and former attorney, travel across state lines to execute her ex-husband. Today, we unravel this story of love turned lethal—the murder of Fred Jablin.

Sources

Die, My Love by Katherine Casey

Piper Ann Rountree v. Commonwealth of Virginia, Court of Appeals, 7/24/2007.

Piper Rountree gets life: She will be eligible for release after she turns 60, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/7/2005.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

The Day Andi Disappeared

Jill — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:14:27 +0000

On a quiet spring day in 1999, in the small town of Mena, Arkansas, 12-year-old Andi Brewer vanished. What began as a stay at her grandfather’s house cruelly turned into a nightmare that shook a community, devastated a family, and changed the way many people saw children’s safety and security forever.

Join us today for The Day Andi Disappeared. This is the story of a precious girl whose life was stolen far too soon and of her mother, who somehow turned her unimaginable grief into a force for justice. In today’s episode, we will go through the timeline of Andi’s disappearance, the chilling confession of her abductor, and the heartbreak and resilience she left behind for those who knew her.

Sources

Ark. inmate cites mental illness in death penalty appeal, Corrections1, Andrew DeMillo
Associated Press, 01/12/2020, retrieved 10/14/2025. https://kfor.com/news/man-tries-to-attack-12-year-old-daughters-killer-rapist-in-courtroom/

Man tries to attack 12-year-old daughter’s killer, rapist in courtroom, Oklahoma News 4, 12/29/2014, retrieved 10/14/2025. https://www.corrections1.com/capital-punishment/articles/ark-inmate-cites-mental-illness-in-death-penalty-appeal-tha6TJoOzfKebZvk/

ROBERTS v. STATE, Supreme Court of Arkansas. Karl D. ROBERTS, Appellant v. STATE of Arkansas, Appellee. Decided: January 30, 2020. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ar-supreme-court/2044572.html

Stolen by Rebecca Petty

Read “Stolen” by Rebecca Petty

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Bad Seed: The Bart Whitaker Murders

Jill — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:25:27 +0000

Please enjoy this premium episode from way back in 2017! To get more premium episodes, minus the ads, subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe.

Sugar Land is a peaceful, upper-class suburb southwest of Houston, Texas. But one quiet evening in December 2003, the community was shattered when a family of four was ambushed by an armed intruder as they entered their home.

Tricia Whitaker and her son Kevin were murdered. Now, son and brother of the deceased, Bart Whitaker, is on death row, convicted of capital murder and sentenced to lethal injection for masterminding a plot to murder his parents and brother. His father has forgiven him and visits him often. But does Bart deserve his father’s forgiveness? Does he feel any remorse?

Join us at the quiet end for a discussion of the crime and the punishment of Bart Whitaker on this episode of True Crime Brewery— Bad Seed: The Whitaker Family Murders.

Memory of Murder

Jill — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 15:12:39 +0000

On a warm September afternoon in 1969, 8-year-old Susan Nason vanished from her quiet suburban neighborhood. For two decades, her case remained cold, until a shocking bit of news broke the silence: a former playmate claimed she had witnessed Susan’s murder… and that it was committed by her own father.

Join us for Memory of Murder. Susan Nason’s story is not just a story about a horrible murder; it’s a story of dysfunctional family relationships and repressed memories. Memories can fade and some say they can return with devastating clarity. Today we are unravelling a complicated case that challenges the boundaries of psychology, criminal justice, and the truth itself. Are repressed memories a defense mechanism to protect oneself from painful experiences, or, like one prominent psychologist has said, are they the worst catastrophe to befall the mental health field since the lobotomy?

Sources

A Childhood Memory Sent Her Father to Prison for Murder. Was it Real? Los Angeles Times, Christopher Goffard, 8/7/2024.

Buried: Can you forget a murder? Showtime Miniseries, 2021.

Hey, Daddy, remember when you killed Susie? Arizona Dailoy Wildcat, Jamie Kanter, 8/27/1997.

Once Upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder, and the Law by Harry MacLean

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

The Doctor, the Wife, & the Set-Up

Jill — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:48:51 +0000

On a quiet dirt road in Brackney, Pennsylvania, two best friends went skeet shooting in the woods. One would walk away but the other would not. Martin “Marty” Dillon was a respected attorney, a father, and a husband. That day, after he was shot dead, the tragedy was ruled an accident. But the truth was darker. Marty’s best friend, Dr. Stephen Scher, told the authorities that Marty tripped while chasing a porcupine and his gun went off. And for two decades, they believed him.

Join us today for The Doctor, the Wife, & the Set-Up. Secrets don’t always stay buried forever, in fact, they seem to have a way of coming out eventually. This is especially true when a killer marries his victim’s widow and raises her children as his own. This is a twisted story of betrayal, obsession, and cold-blooded murder hidden in plain sight.

Sources

The Burger Chef Murders (re-release)

Jill — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:05:41 +0000

Please enjoy this re-release of a premium show from 2022!

For more of these episodes and to get rid of ads, you can subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe

Late on the night of November 17, 1978, Speedway, Indiana teenager Brian Kring stopped by his workplace, the Burger Chef fast food restaurant, to visit with his friends and offer them help closing up for the night. But when he arrived, he found the restaurant empty. The four employees working that night, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Daniel Davis, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 17-year-old Ruth Shelton were all gone, but the door was unlocked and all of the lights were still on. Unable to reach the assistant manager, Jayne, by phone, Brian finally called the police. But when the police arrived, they were surprisingly cavalier. In their opinion, a group of irresponsible teens had taken the cash from the till and gone off for a night of fun.

Join us at the quiet end for our discussion of the 1978 Burger Chef Murders. The next day, the police would realize that they had made a big mistake. None of the employees arrived home and their parents were frantic, but the police had not bothered to treat the abandoned restaurant as a crime scene. Two days later, four dead bodies were discovered about 20 miles south of the scene. The young Burger Chef employees had been stabbed, shot, and bludgeoned to death. Now, forty-three years later, no one has been arrested for these murders.

Sources:

American Crime Journal, “Forrester Confession”

https://www.insider.com/burger-chef-murders-unsolved-speedway-indiana

Indianapolis Monthly, “Next in Line: The Burger Chef Murders”

The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana, by Julie Young

Keddie Cabin 28 Murders

Jill — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:15:42 +0000

In the quiet mountain town of Keddie, California, a brutal crime shattered the peace of a spring night back in 1981. Four lives were taken in a cabin tucked deep in the woods—three victims were found in a scene of unimaginable violence, and one victim was missing for years. Despite decades of investigation, the case remains unsolved, draped in mystery and fear. Who committed the murders? Why were key pieces of evidence ignored? And why did this small-town tragedy become one of the most haunting cold cases in American history?

Join us for Keddie Cabin 28 Murders. The murders of Susan Sharp, John Sharp, Tina Sharp, and Dana Wingate were all the things that make a horror movie. But this is real life and real people were devastated by these murders. All that is left of Cabin 28 is the land, and that’s where dark secrets linger while justice remains just out of reach.

Sources

Cabin 28 Behind the Scenes of the Keddie Murders by Brian Lee Tucker

A Daughter’s 35-Year Fight For Justice, People Magazine, 11/28/2016, retrieved 8/30/2025.

Keddie murder revisited, Plumas County News, Victoria Metcalf, 4/15/2018, retrieved 8/28/2015.

Plumas County Sheriff seeks pair in Keddie triple slaying, Lassen County Times, 5/27/1981, retrieved 8/30/2025.

Solving Keddie: A News Report About the Northern California Cold Case Homicides by David Keller

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Final Arrangement

Jill — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:06:50 +0000

On a quiet January morning in Atlanta, Georgia, Lita McClinton opened her front door to accept a delivery of pink roses and was quickly shot dead. The shocking murder of this vibrant young socialite sent shockwaves through the community and started a decades-long pursuit for justice.

Join us today for The Final Arrangement. Lita McClinton’s story is a haunting example of love turned lethal, lies and betrayal masked by wealth, and a mother’s unshakable fight to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s murder. Today we are unlacing the tangled web of lies spun by Lita’s estranged husband, James Sullivan. The investigation spanned years and Lita’s family suffered, but they persisted in their relentless efforts to get justice for more than 20 years after the crime.

Sources

Hitman Freed 31 Years After Shooting Millionaire’s Estranged Wife in Her Doorway in Murder-for-Hire, People.com, Adam Carlson, 5/28/2018, https://people.com/crime/hitman-atlanta-socialite-murder-for-hire-released-prison/.

Lita McClinton, Black Socialite is Murdered, African-American Registry, 2/1/1987, https://aaregistry.org/story/african-american-socialite-murdered/

The Palm Beach Murder by Marion Collins.

Social Disgraces, Atlanta Magazine, Debra Miller, 10/2004.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Twisted Affection: Hope Masters & G. Daniel Walker

Jill — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 14:10:58 +0000

In the quiet hills of Springville, California, a cold-blooded murder shattered the illusion of a perfect world. The lives of a wealthy rancher, a beautiful woman, and a charming stranger with a dark past collided, resulting in a twisted series of disquieting incidents. This is more than a true crime story. It’s a story of manipulation, survival, and the power of persuasion.

Join us today for Twisted Affection. We’re delving into the chilling case of Hope Masters and G. Daniel Walker—a man who posed as a charismatic friend but was a psychopathic sexual predator, a fugitive, and a remorseless killer. We’re peeling back the layers of deception, exploring the psychology of criminal and victim, and asking ourselves: how much can one person control the actions and feelings of another?

Sources

A Death in California by Joan Barthel

The Case of the Lady and the Killer, The New York Times Magazine, Joan Barthel, 9/27/1981. Retrieved 7/15/2025.

Man, 86, denied parole for 1973 murder, Fox26News, Sarah Roebuck, 1/17/2018. Retrieved 7/22/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Most Likely Suspect (re-release)

Jill — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:59:41 +0000

Please enjoy this re-release of one of our favorite premium episodes from 2020. If you want access to these premium episodes (without ads of course) subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe or at Patreon.com/tiegrabber.

When former state trooper and serial philanderer David Camm’s family was shot to death in their garage, he was the most likely suspect. Evidence at the scene and opinions of family and friends prompted detectives to perform lengthy interrogations. Prosecutors were convinced of his guilt based on forensic evidence, including bloodstain pattern analysis.Camm was convicted in his first trial, but the conviction was overturned on the basis of prejudicial testimony about his infidelity. Then, a reevaluation of crime scene evidence identified the modus operandi and DNA evidence of a career criminal. Did one of these men act alone or did David Camm hire this man to kill his family?

Join us at the quiet end for Most Likely Suspect. We’re starting at the beginning with the early relationship of David and Kim Camm, learning about their marriage and family, and examining testimony and evidence from Camm’s three separate murder trials.

Fatal Foraging: The Deadly Mushroom Lunch

Jill — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:05:44 +0000

In the quiet Australian town of Leongatha, a family lunch turned into a shocking crime that has fascinated the world. And at the center of it all was a modified gourmet recipe: Beef Wellington made with one of the world’s most lethal fungi: the death cap mushroom.

Join us for Fatal Foraging. Today we are going to unravel the chilling case of Erin Patterson, a woman accused of orchestrating one of Australia’s most unusual and cruel murder plots. Over the next hour or so, we’ll dive into the evidence, the trial, and, best of all, the tangled web of family secrets and sentiments behind this case that has captivated us.

Sources

Australian mushroom poisoning: Texts detail Erin Patterson’s ‘horrible’ upbringing, details of past revealed, The New Zealand Herald. 11/24/2023. Retrieved 8/1/2025.

Death cap mushroom site found on Patterson’s computer, 1News, 5/21/2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.

Erin Patterson’s daughter says accused mushroom poisoner was ‘very good’ cook, murder trial hears, The Guardian. 5/12/2025. Retrieved 7/30/ 2025.

Forensic expert explains analysis of deadly mushroom lunch-as it happened. ABC News, Silva, Kristina; Callanan, Tim; Boaz, Judd; Brown, Melissa 5/16/2025. Retrieved 7/25/2025.

The Mushroom Murder Trial Podcast, https://www.mushroommurdertrial.com/, 4/27/2025-7/30/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Not My Boy! The Crimes of Christopher Porco (re-release)

Jill — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 14:59:00 +0000

We hope you enjoy this 2019 re-release from our premium show! If you want more content like this, minus the ads, please go to tiegrabber.com/subscribe or patreon.com/tiegrabber to sign up for TCB Premium!

Suspicions turned to college student Christopher Porco soon after his parents, Peter and Joan Porco, were attacked with an ax in the middle of the night back in 2004. It seemed unimaginable. Christopher came from a stable, middle-class family. He did well in high school, scoring 1400 on his SATs. But Christopher had dark secrets.

Once Christopher was in college, he created a false image of himself as a trust fund kid, buying rounds of drinks for his friends, designer clothes, and a customized jeep. He financed this lifestyle with thefts and forged student loans. But Christopher was failing his classes and his lies were catching up with him. Once Peter and Joan learned that Christopher had forged his father’s name on a $30,000 loan, they were shocked and angered. Both parents attempted to reason with him, but things had already gone too far. When Peter failed to show up for work one Monday in November, he was found dead of massive head injuries inside his home. Joan was still alive, but barely.

The case against Christopher Porco was circumstantial but strong. Today at the quiet end, we’re talking about a brutal murder and attempted murder planned and perpetrated by a most unlikely suspect. At the heart of this case is the love of a mother for her son and the power of denial.

Between the Pews: Faith, Envy & Murder

Jill — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:01:09 +0000

Mary Jane Fonder was a 65-year-old woman living in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. She was known to be a bit of a loner—socially awkward, emotionally fragile, and very involved in her local church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran. But behind her reserved demeanor simmered a potent mix of envy and resentment, a hidden inner turmoil that would ultimately erupt into a shocking and tragic act of violence.

Join us for Between the Pews: Faith, Envy & Murder. In early 2008, a new face appeared at the church: Rhonda Smith, a 42-year-old woman looking for comfort and a supportive community after a difficult life. She quickly became a beloved member of the congregation, receiving support and attention from the pastor and others—attention that Mary Jane would grow to resent.

Sources

A life in prison, Bucks County Courier Times, Amanda Cregan, 1/17/2010., retrieved 6/23/2025.

Guilty: Jury says Mary Jane Fonder killed Hellertown resident Rhonda Smith, lehighvalleylive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.

Love Me or Else by By Colin McEvoy and Lynn Olanoff

Murder suspect noted church killing on calendar, police say. PennLive.com, retrieved 6/20/2025.

Pastor says he asked Fonder to leave church, Unnerved: Testifies suspect’s behavior upset him, even before shooting. tribunedigital-mcall, retrieved 6/20/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

A Dangerous Mind: Robert Peernock

Jill — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:36:12 +0000

In the early morning hours of July 22, 1987, a motorist came across a black Cadillac that had crashed into a telephone pole on a secluded road in Santa Clarita, California. When police were called to the scene, they found two unresponsive young women inside the car. The driver, who was later identified as 45-year-old Claire Peernock, had severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. Claire’s 18-year-old daughter, Natasha, who was in the passenger seat, also suffered severe head trauma, but she miraculously was still alive.

Join us for A Dangerous Mind: Robert Peernock. When Claire filed for a divorce that was still pending, she sought custody of Natasha and her younger sister. Claire had also asked the court for an order of protection from Robert, citing multiple instances of threats and abuse. So Claire had known that Robert could be a dangerous man, but not even she could have predicted his twisted plot to eliminate the people he was supposed to love and protect.

Sources

A Checklist for Murder by Anthony Flacco

Family Secrets LA Forensics, 2/19/2014. Retrieved 6/25/2025.

Man Charged with Soliciting Murders, Daily News of Los Angeles, 12/11/1987. Retrieved 6/20/2025.

Man Tried to Kill Wife and Daughter by Staging a Fatal Car Wreck, Oxygen, Becca Van Sambeck, 1/24/2023. Retrieved 6/29/2025.

Missing Man is Accused of Murdering Wife, Los Angeles Times, Gabe Fuentes, 8/23/1987. Retrieved 6/30/2025.

Prosecutors: Short Fuse, S1 E11, 2000. https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/319989/s01-e11-short-fuse. Retrieved 6/30/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Dateline Unforgettable Rewatch: Smoke & Mirrors

Jill — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:10:31 +0000

Enjoy this public release of a members-only show from a few years back! If you want more episodes like this (but without the ads) please go to tiegrabber.com/subscribe or patreon.com/tiegrabber for access.

Nailah Franklin was a young pharmaceutical sales rep for Eli Lilly. Until September 2007, she was casually dating Reginald Potts, a 32-year-old businessman. The two broke up when Nailah learned about Reginald’s lengthy criminal history and sexual relationships with other women. But, unfortunately, things did not end there.

Join us at the quiet end for our rewatch of Smoke & Mirrors. In this episode of Dateline Unforgettable, Keith Morrison looks back at the case of a Chicago woman from a big family who went missing. Investigators began to suspect a man in her life who was full of secrets.

The Terrible & Totally Preventable Death of Dennis Jurgens

Jill — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:10:34 +0000

Dennis Jurgens was a chubby, joyful, and active toddler when Harold and Lois Jurgens adopted him in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Unable to have children of their own, Lois and Harold adopted several children over the years. Dennis wasn’t their first or last. From the very beginning, case workers from the adoption agency had their concerns about whether Lois would accept Dennis, but homes were scarce and there was nothing factually wrong that would prevent the placement. The signing of the adoption papers sealed Dennis’ fate.

Join us today for The Terrible and Totally Preventable Death of Dennis Jurgens. One cold and wet Sunday morning, a local doctor responded to a call from Harold Jurgens, who said, “I think my son is dying.” When Doctor Peterson arrived, he found a 3-year-old’s body, long dead and clearly beaten. The cause of Dennis’ death was peritonitis from a ruptured bowel. But why had Dennis’ bowel ruptured? Lois and Harold claimed that Dennis had taken a fall, but that would not explain the multiple bruises of every shape and color that peppered his tiny body. On his death certificate, where “homicide” should have been, the coroner wrote “deferred.” This failure to acknowledge that a crime had even occurred or punish the perpetrator would leave five more children at risk of leading tortured lives, being murdered, or both.

Sources

The Battered Child Syndrome, Journal of the American Medical Association, C. Henry Kempe, MD et al., 1962, 1984. Retrieved 6/25/2025. The Battered Child Syndrome

A Death In White Bear Lake by Barry Siegel

A Mother Denies Guilt In Adopted Son’s Death, New York Times, 1/ 31/1987, retrieved 5/11/2-25.

A Mother’s Love, Jerry Sherwood in Her Own Words, Twin Cities Magazine, 2/1988, retrieved 6/14/2025.

State v. Jurgens, Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 5/3/1988, retrieved 5/11/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

A Life for a Life

Jill — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 04:34:30 +0000

On December 16, 2004, Becky Harper made a call to 911 after checking in on her 23-year-old daughter, Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo, who was 8 months pregnant, was lying on the floor in her home and something was horribly wrong. Paramedics raced to the scene, where they found Bobbie Jo dead with devastating injuries to her abdomen. Bobbie Jo had been brutally killed and her unborn baby was missing.

In today’s episode, A Life for a Life, we will discuss this case as well as a couple of similar cases and the phenomenon of fetal abductions. Investigators found no signs of forced entry into Bobbie Jo’s home, suggesting that she may have known her killer. An Amber Alert was put out for the baby as detectives canvassed the neighborhood. They found one witness, who reported seeing an unfamiliar car parked out front. Investigators would learn that Bobbie Jo’s murder was premeditated and the motive was the abduction of Bobbie Jo’s baby. Efforts to find the baby and solve this murder would lead investigators to a twisted plot and perpetrator.

Sources

Baby Be Mine by Diane Fanning, 2006.

Biden Administration orders Halt on Federal Executions After Surge Under Trump, Forbes, Walsh Joe, retrieved 6/4/2025.

Murder in the Heartland by William Phelps, 2006.

United States v. Montgomery, Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 4/5/2011.

The women who kill for babies, BBC news, Summers Chris, 10/1/2007, retrieved 6/5/2025.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Disappearance of Ann Racz

Jill — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:00:20 +0000

One April evening in 1991, Ann Racz’s three children waited for her to pick them up some burgers and fries at the local McDonalds, which was less than a mile away. But instead of seeing Ann’s white minivan pull into the driveway, their father showed up hours later with a small bag of cold French fries. He said that their mother had gone away on a trip to think things over. This was so unlike Ann, who planned everything and put her children above all else, that Ann’s children didn’t believe it. Neither would the police.

Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Ann Racz. 42-year-old Ann had been planning to divorce her husband John for several months. She had rented a condo and moved her and her children’s belongings there before she vanished. No one believed John Racz’s story, but there was no evidence that anything had happened to Ann. Years went by while her children tried to understand where she could be and their father behaved strangely, never fully cooperating with the investigation. The circumstantial evidence and suspicions were piling up, but could investigators prove murder without a body?

Sources

Ex-deputy held in death of wife in ’91, LA Times, Andrew Blankstein, 10/24/2006.

John Racz v. Sircoya Williams, Warden, Respondent, ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY PETITION SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED AS SUCCESSIVE, Petition of Habeas Corpus, 3/20/2025.

Prime suspect, Dateline NBC, 3/ 22/2023.

You’ll Never Find My Body, Don Lasseter.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Presumed Guilty: The Death of Monica Dunn

Jill — Mon, 19 May 2025 14:24:51 +0000

When Monica Dunn, a beautiful mother of three, was shot to death in her home, her husband was with her. But he claimed she had done it to herself. The couple had become estranged after months of infidelity and vicious arguments, so Monica’s police officer husband Paul Dunn was the logical suspect in her death. Paul maintained that he was innocent, but no one believed him. He was ostracized by his fellow law enforcement officers and friends, despised by Monica’s family, and lost custody of his children.

Join us at the quiet end for Presumed Guilty: The Mysterious Death of Monica Dunn. Monica and Paul lived a life of passion and volatility. After Monica’s sudden and violent death, shocking secrets about her life and relationships revealed a marriage that was doomed from the start. Would a trial provide closure to Monica’s family or would the reason for her death remain forever unknown?

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Dunn v. McFeeley, State of New Mexico, Office of the Medical Investigator, Larry Warehime, State of New Mexico, Department of Public Safety, State Crime Laboratory, Noe Galvan, and the New Mexico State Police, Defendants-Appellees, Court of Appeals of New Mexico, 4/28/1999.

Grave Accusations: A Suspicious Death, A Husband’s Arrest, A Fight for Justice – A True Story, Andrea Egger & Paul Dunn, 2001.

Within Arm’s Reach, Forensic Files, S19, E1, 8/25/2003.

Vanished in Blood (re-release)

Jill — Wed, 14 May 2025 23:40:52 +0000

Please enjoy this public release of a members-only episode from October 2023. For more of these bonus episodes and to get all of your TCB episodes ad-free, pop on over to tiegrabber.com/subscribe!

On the morning of October 24, 1961, Martin Risch left for Logan Airport to catch an early flight for an overnight business trip in Manhattan. Later that afternoon, the police were called out to his family home in Lincoln, Massachusetts. A neighbor reported that the Risch’s 4-year-old daughter, Lillian, had returned from a playdate after finding the kitchen covered in blood. Her mother, Joan, was nowhere to be seen, but her 2-year-old brother was safe in his bed.

Join us at the quiet end for Vanished in Blood. After Joan Risch was reported missing, there was speculation throughout the country about what could have happened to this wealthy young mother and homemaker. Early theories were that she had staged her death to escape a life she no longer wanted, that she had undergone a botched abortion, or that she had been assaulted, abducted, and murdered. Today we’re going over the events of October 14, 1961, as well as the years before and the years since Joan’s mysterious disappearance.

Sources

A Kitchen Painted in Blood by Stephen H. Ahern

Joan Carolyn Risch, The Charley Project, ret. 10/4/2023, https://charleyproject.org/case/joan-carolyn-risch

The Mysterious Disappearance of Joan Risch, The Grunge, Jennifer Deutschmann, 2/15/2022, ret. 10/2/2023 https://www.grunge.com/768932/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-joan-risch-explained/

Not the Usual Suspect

Jill — Mon, 05 May 2025 13:48:31 +0000

Susan Woods’ naked body was found with her head in a bathtub full of black water in 1987. In her small town of Stephenville, Texas, her murder was especially shocking and unimaginable. Susan was a softspoken and beautiful young woman, living alone since her biker husband had left her and fled the state. When she missed her shift at the local sandpaper factory, her father was notified. Sadly, he would be the one to find her body.

Join us at the quiet end for Not the Usual Suspect. Murders were very rare in Stephenville, and Susan’s case was the worst anyone there had seen. Since there was no sign of forced entry, detectives believed that Susan had known her killer. Suspicions quickly turned to her estranged husband, Michael. When he left Susan, he had left behind a cassette tape disparaging her for destroying their marriage. His anger frightened her, so nearly everyone thought he was responsible. But the case went cold, and Susan’s loved ones feared no one would ever be held responsible for her brutal murder. Until DNA testing changed everything.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The 1987 murder of Susan Woods, a Stephenville sweetheart, Brooklyn McKinney, 11/8/2024, retrieved 2/12/2025.

Everyone in Stephenville Thought They Knew Who Killed Susan Woods, Texas Monthly, Bryan Burrough, 7/2023, retrieved 2/12/2025.

The Monster at Large, Dateline NBC, S29 E 31, 2/12/2021.

Stephenville Podcast, Texas Monthly, June-July 2023.

There is a Monster in Me, 20/20, ABC, S47 E15, 1/19./2024.

I’m Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders-A Rewatch & Recap (re-release)

Jill — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:07:26 +0000

We hope you enjoy this re-release from a members-only show in 2024. It’s one of Jill’s favorites! Jill and Dick rewatch and recap the HBO 2-part docuseries I Am Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders. This is a shocking case of a mother and grandmother who kills her husband, then goes on the run […]

The post I’m Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders-A Rewatch & Recap (re-release) appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Operation Custody

Jill — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:42:23 +0000

One day in January 2009, 91-year-old Selma “Sally” Hill was not answering her phone calls, which was very unusual for her. Sally’s life partner, Lester, had a daily habit of speaking with Sally at 4:00 pm each day. When Sally didn’t answer Lester’s calls on January 7, 2009, Lester became concerned. He called Sally’s grandson Eric, who later showed up at Sally’s house to find Lester’s family waiting and worrying outside. While they waited, Eric went inside the house to search for his grandmother, but he could not find her. As Sally did not drive, it made no sense for her not to be at home.

Join us at the quiet end for Operation Custody. Eric and his young daughter had been living with Sally since Eric and his wife separated. A heated custody battle for their young daughter had gone on for some time, but what happened that January day would shock everyone involved and end in unforeseeable violence.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Defendant Seeks Separate Trial from Wife, Daughter in Dublin Murder Case, Patch.com, 3-7-2011, https://patch.com/california/dublin/defendant-seeks-separate-trial-from-wife-daughter-in-1ac34c3606, retrieved 4-8-2025.

Killing for Custody, Worst Ex Ever, E3, retrieved 4-8-2025.

People v. Hill, California Court of Appeals, Decision date 4-16-2025, retrieved 4-9-2025.

A Tale of Two Brothers

Jill — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 14:34:37 +0000

Raised in Riverside, California, twenty-year-old college student Jason Bautista and his fifteen-year-old brother Matthew were living roller coaster lives with their mentally ill and abusive mother, Jane. Jane Bautista’s mood swings and unpredictable behavior effected the two young men in ways not understood at the time. Then, one January night, the family’s dysfunction led to unfathomable decisions and a shocking crime.

Join us at the quiet end for A Tale of Two Brothers. On January 15, 2003, Jason returned to his college courses at Cal State Bernardino. Explaining that their mother had run off with yet another boyfriend, the two brothers tried to carry on with their lives as before. But when Jane did not return home, the truth of what had happened with the family of three would forever change them.

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Los Angeles Times Archives

Man who dismembered mom cites ‘Sopranos’, Associated Press, 4/9/2005

Murder, Mafia-Style, A “Sopranos”-style murder shocks the world, Psychology Today, 1/1/2003

Son sentenced to 25 years for mother’s murder, North County Times, 4/9/2005

Such Good Boys: The True Story of a Mother, Two Sons, and a Horrifying Murder by Tina Dirmann

Trading in Murder: The Brendel Family Murders

Jill — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 14:40:01 +0000

When Ernest Brendel, his wife Alice, and their 8-year-old daughter Emily disappeared from their Barrington Rhode Island home, the FBI and state police suspected that they were victims of foul play. The family of three had just moved to Barrington from Providence about three years earlier, believing they had found a safe and happy place for Emily to grow up.

Join us at the quiet end for Trading in Murder. When Ernest Brendel filed a complaint against commodity trader Chris Hightower, Hightower’s life was in a tailspin. The deadline for responding to the complaint came and went, Hightower’s wife asked for a divorce, and he was served with a court order barring him from contact with his children. Exposed as a conman and a thief, Hightower stalked the Brendels and plotted to kidnap young Emily.

Watch the Holland trailer

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Death of an Angel by Don Davis

Family of 3 Slain by Arrow, Strangling : Murder: Rhode Island family had been missing since Sept. 20. Autopsies on the mother and child point to asphyxiation, LA Times Archives, 11/17/1991

State v. Hightower, STATE v. Christopher J. HIGHTOWER, Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 8/1/1995.

World’s Most Evil Killers – Season 4, Episode 3 – Christopher Hightower, FilmRise, 8/12/2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hfk2XagJzE

Road Trip (re-release)

Jill — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 15:27:50 +0000

We hope you enjoy this re-release of a members-only episode from 2023!

It was the 1970s, a time of freedom and adventure for 16-year-old Jim Boucher and 19-year-old Daryl Barber, when they headed out from their Michigan homes to Daytona Beach Florida for a week of fun and sunshine. The two young men had saved for this trip, their first trip to Florida, having no idea that it would be their last.

Join us at the quiet end for Road Trip. When James and Daryl failed to check in daily as agreed, their parents were concerned. But maybe the two were having so much fun that they’d forgotten. After all, they were young and on vacation. But when James and Daryl didn’t come home from their trip on their planned return date, their parents began to panic. The Daytona Beach police didn’t have the resources to look for them—there were so many young people who disappeared from Daytona Beach. It was left to their families to find out what happened to them.

Sources

Orlando Sentinal Archives 1978-1990

The Snake & the Spider by Karen Kingsbury

While He Was Sleeping? The Murder of Yarmila Falater

Jill — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:33:35 +0000

One January night in 1997, Scott Falater’s next door neighbor looked on in horror as Scott dragged his screaming wife into the family pool and proceeded to hold her head under the water. When the police arrived, they found Yarmila Falater floating in blood filled water with 44 stab wounds to her body.

Join us at the quiet end for While He Was Sleeping? Scott told the police that he had no memory of hurting his wife, but they didn’t believe him. He was arrested and would go on trial for murder. His defense, that he was sleepwalking when he killed his wife, was controversial, and prosecutors worked to disprove it with evidence found at the scene.

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Forgive Me for Killing You by Marci Olsen Blau

His Dad Claimed He Ws Sleepwalking When He Killed His Mom-and Now Son is Speaking Out, People.com. Christine Pelisek, 1/29/2021

Scott Falater Today: Where is the Sleepwalking Killer Now? Alyssa Choiniere, Heavy.com, 12/8/2022

Scott Falater: Case of the sleepwalking husband who murdered his wife Yarmila, Daily Crime, Angelica N. Sumter, 1/6/2023

Sleepwalking, Criminal Behavior, and Reliable Scientific Evidence: A Guide for Expert Witnesses, American Psychological Association, M.R. Pressman, 2018.

While He Was Sleeping, 20/20, S43 E11, 1/29/2021

No Happy Endings

Jill — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:15:43 +0000

One Christmas morning in Madison, Wisconsin, a young man named Gerald Davies led the police to a dead body lying in a snowbank. Gerald was insistent that he did not kill the man. He explained that he and his fiancée, Barbara, had simply found the body in her apartment and buried it in the snow.

Join us for No Happy Endings. The circumstances of this situation were challenging to believe, but Gerald appeared genuine. It was then learned that the dead man was Barbara’s former partner who had recently transferred his house and an insurance policy over to her. Gerald too had named Barbara as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. So, the question arose: was Gerald Barbara’s accomplice or was he now a potential victim?

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

STATE of Wisconsin, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Barbara G. HOFFMAN, Defendant-Appellant. Court of Appeals of Wisconsin. Argued 10/281981. Decided 1/261982. Retrieved 2/10/2025

Winter of Frozen Dreams: The Shocking True Story of Seduction, Suspicion, and Murder in Madison by Karl Harter

How to Create a Sex Scandal (and ruin lives) Re-release

Jill — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:46 +0000

This is a re-release of a members-only episode from 2023. Jill & Dick remember being riveted by this series and had to talk about it! Enjoy! A Recap of the Three-Part Series Jill and Dick recap and discuss this docuseries about an alleged child sex ring in Mineola, Texas. Spoilers abound so you may want […]

The post How to Create a Sex Scandal (and ruin lives) Re-release appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Lost Daughter: Aundria Bowman

Jill — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:30:42 +0000

Brenda and Dennis Bowman last saw their daughter Aundria on March 11, 1989. Dennis was the one who called the police when Aundria went missing that afternoon. He told them that he had come home from work and found Aundria missing, along with some of her things and some cash. He said that Aundria, 14-years old and adopted as an infant, was a troubled teen who fought with her mother and had run away before. When Brenda came home, she told the police that Aundria had stolen $150. This was enough for the police to get a warrant to arrest Aundria. Dennis was listed as the victim of Aundria’s crime.

Join us at the quiet end for The Lost Daughter. For decades, Aundria’s case was classified as a runaway. Then her biological mother began her own investigation, learning the stories of Aundria’s peers and those of similar women and girls who were victims of sexual assaults and murder. What they discovered was a much more complex and haunting story, leading back to Aundria’s adopted father.

Sign Cathy Terkanian´s Petition

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Allegan County woman tells court her husband admitted to burying their daughter’s remains, WWMT, 9/15/2024.

Commonwealth of Virginia v. Dennis Lee Bowman, Defendant, 6/5/2020.

The Girl in the Picture, The Atavist Magazine, No. 118, Nile Cappello.

Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, docuseries, Netflix, 9/12/2024.

Justice for Aundri Bowman Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForAundriaMBowman/, retrieved 12/20/2024.

Man arrested in 1980 death of Virgina woman charged with murder of adoptive daughter in 1989, WSET-TV, Associated Press, 5/15/2020, retrieved 12/10/2024.

Man pleads guilty to 1980 killing of Navy wife, https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/man-pleads-guilty-to-1980-killing-of-navy-wife/291-0fdea0d8-95d4-46c0-b696-397f4437dbcd, 6/10/2020, retrieved 12/10/2024.

Michigan man charged in 1980 Virginia Homicide extradicted, WTVR-TV, 5/16/2020, retrieved 12/22/2024.

Mom: Man Confessed to killing adopted daughter in 1989, FOX17, 9/16/2020, retrieved 12/22/2024.

State of Michigan, 58th District Court, Case No. C 741-00, Bail Bond, Felong Charges, Dennis Bowman, 5/30/1980, retrieved 12/10/2024.

Unsolved: The Bricca Family Murders (rerelease)

Jill — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:14:10 +0000

Welcome to a public rerelease of a premium episode from 2023. If you’d like to get all of our bonus shows and get our regular shows without ads, check out tiegrabber.com/subscribe for more information!

On the evening of September 25, 1966, Jerry Bricca, a 28-year-old chemical engineer, got home from work and took his trash cans out to the curb. Joan Janszen, who lived across the street, said hello to him and they exchanged some friendly small talk. Then he went inside. This was the last time that any member of the Bricca family was seen alive.

Join us at the quiet end for Unsolved: The Bricca Family Murders. What happened to Jerry Bricca, his wife Linda, and their four-year-old daughter, Debbie, after Jerry went into his house that night 57 years ago, remains a mystery. On September 27, two days after Jerry was last seen, the bodies of Jerry, Linda, and Debbie were discovered. All three had been stabbed to death. Today we’re discussing various theories of the case, including the suggestion of a love triangle that ended in murder and a possible connection to a friend of Linda’s who was murdered that summer.

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Bricca murders: A new push to solve Cincinnati’s infamous cold case, WLWT5, Sheree Paolello, 2/19/2020, https://www.wlwt.com/article/bricca-murders-a-new-push-to-solve-cincinnatis-infamous-cold-case/30984570

Death on a Quiet Street, Cincinnati Magazine, Jack Heffron, 4/1/2008

Summer’s Almost Gone by JT Townsend

The Strange Disappearance of the Jamison Family

Jill — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:24:44 +0000

The Jamison Family lived in Eufaula, Oklahoma back in 2009 when they mysteriously disappeared. 44-year-old Bobby and his wife Sherilyn, along with their 6-year-old daughter Madyson, were considering moving into the remote San Bois Mountains when their truck was found abandoned in the area that October.

Join us at the quiet end for The Strange Disappearance of the Jamison Family. Because the Jamisons were a private family who rarely spoke with relatives and friends, no one realized that they were missing for over a week. When their truck was found with their beloved dog inside, dehydrated and near death, the search finally began. Multiple pieces of evidence were found, but none explained what had happened. Multiple theories are out there about what happened, from simple exposure to kidnapping to the supernatural, but will we ever really know why a family of three went for a ride into the mountains and was never seen again?

Subscribe for ad-free, early, and bonus episodes

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Bobby Jamison and His Family are Missing in Oklahoma, True Crime Report, Pete Kotz, 10/22/2009.

The Vanishing at Smokestack Hollow by Jake Anderson

Paradise Lost, Disappeared, Investigation Discovery, S2 E10

Murdered for Money: George Kogan

Jill — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:34:35 +0000

George Kogan grew up in Puerto Rico before moving to New York City, where he became a successful antiques and art dealer. In 1990, at age 49, George was happy. He was planning a new life with his former publicist and current girlfriend, Mary-Louise Hawkins, after years in an unhappy marriage. But George’s newfound happiness was short-lived. One morning, while he was walking to his girlfriend’s apartment, he was approached on the street and shot to death.

Join us at the quiet end for Murdered for Money. Ever since George and Mary-Louise became involved, George’s estranged wife, Barbara, was consumed with bitterness. As she and George worked out conditions of their divorce, Barbara became angry and greedy, demanding more alimony than George could afford. Since Barbara stood to collect $4.3 million in life insurance upon George’s death, she was the first person suspected in George’s murder. But it would take investigators nearly twenty years to uncover a link between Barbara and the man who killed George, finally leading to an arrest.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Lawyer Got 25 Years for Brokering Hit on Client’s Husband But ‘Black Widow’ Gets Only 12 Years Today, ABAJournal, Martha Neil, 6/4/2010

The Millionaire’s Wife by Cathy Scott

New York’s Black Widow to be released on parole, Oxygen.com, Jill Sederstrom, 10/19/2020

Victim cries foul as NYC’s infamous ‘Black Widow’ makes parole: ‘She’s an animal’, New York Post, Laura Italiano, 10/19/2020

Dateline Unforgettable Rewatch: Even the Devil Went to Church (rerelease)

Jill — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 18:11:07 +0000

Here is a blast from the past—a members-only episode of a Dateline rewatch and recap! Happy New Year and we hope you enjoy our recap of a crazy episode of Dateline Unforgettable hosted by Andrea Canning.

In this case, an Alabama husband, Michael Reese, is murdered in his own home. His wife Cindy seems beyond reproach. That is, until she doesn’t eat her french fries before they get cold. Then, all eyes turn to her with suspicions of a torrid love affair and a murder done in cold blood!

If you would like more of these members-only episodes and rid yourself of ads from all of our episodes, you can support and subscribe at tiegrabber.com/subscribe

A Very Bad Husband: Robert Spangler

Jill — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 15:49:02 +0000

On the morning of December 30, 1978, the bodies of 45-year-old Nancy Spangler and her two teenage children were found in their home in Littleton, Colorado. All three had been shot to death with a handgun. The children were found in their bedrooms and Nancy was slumped in a chair in the basement, a bullet wound visible on her forehead. A typewritten suicide note was found nearby, signed with her initial.

Join us at the quiet end for A Very Bad Husband: Robert Spangler. Nancy’s husband admitted to police that he and his wife had marital problems, that he planned to leave her, and that he was having an affair with another woman. The implication was that Nancy was so distraught over her failing marriage that she took her and her children’s lives. But many people close to Nancy couldn’t believe that she could kill her beloved children. They wondered if Robert could have killed his entire family, setting the scene to make it look like a murder/suicide. This seemed even more likely after it was discovered that other people in Robert’s life had died suddenly in his company.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Dying Man Admits He Killed Four in Family, LA Times, Catherine Tsai, 10/22/2000, retrieved 12/2/2024

Colorado News & The Denver Post Archives, retrieved 12/2/2024

Married to Murder by Robert Scott, 2004

Dateline Rewatch & Recap: Kill Switch-rerelease

Jill — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:01:50 +0000

We’re back with another premium episode rerelease for the public, this time a rewatch and recap of a Dateline episode with our favorite reporter, Keith Morrison. If you haven’t subscribed for TCB premium ad-free and bonus episodes, maybe you should? Just something to consider! Happy Holidays!

Larry Isenberg disappeared on Feb. 13, 2018 while out on his boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho with his wife Lori. Lori claimed that Larry fell into the water while trying to fix a broken motor. She cried, insisting she’d done all she could to save him. But according to Lori, she’d tripped and hit her head, so it took her over an hour to call for help. There was sympathy for the new widow initially, but when it comes out that Lori was embezzling money from her job, suspicions came up about whether Larry’s death really was an accident.

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Swedish Tourist Murders

Jill — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:07:34 +0000

Engaged Swedish couple Heidi Birgitta Paakkonen and Sven Urban Höglin were in their early twenties when they disappeared on a visit to New Zealand back in 1989. They were on an adventure, backpacking through the bush that April, and they were reported missing that May.

Join us at the quiet end for The Swedish Tourist Murders. Heidi and Urban were due home on May 7, but no one had heard from them in over a month. Interpol was notified of the couple’s failure to return. Looking into the matter, they discovered that the couple had not boarded their flight home. It was out of character for them not to contact their families, so they were worried that the couple could have been victims of foul play. These concerns grew after they learned that a convicted killer was on the loose in the area where they were last seen.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

David Tamihere’s backpacker murder convictions will be heard by Court of Appeal again, Sam Hurley, New Zealand Herald, 4/20/2020, retrieved 12/6/2024.

David Tamihere’s murder convictions referred back to Court of Appeal, RNZ News, Anneke Smith, 4/21/2020, retrieved 12/2/2024.

Guilt podcast, Ryan Wolf, retrieved 11/14/2024.

Missing Pieces by Ian Wishart

Relative Guilt exerpts, Screen, NZ, nzonscreen.com, 1999, retrieved 12/4/2024.

Report By the police Complaints Authority on the Investigation into the Validity of Affadavit of Witness C, Police Complaints Authority, 9/3/1996, retrieved 12/2/2024.

Revealed: The identity of secret Witness C whose false testimony helped send David Tamihere to jail for 20 years for the 1990 Swedish backpacker murders, Television New Zealand, tvnz.com.nz, 4/26/2018, retrieved 12/2/2024.

Swedish tourists case: David Tamihere loses long fight, is again found to have murdered Swedes, New Zealand Herald, Ric Stevens, 7/10/2024.

Timeline: All developments in the David Tamihere murder case, Radio New Zealand, 7/11/2024, retrieved 11/24/2024.

Witness C Affadavit, retrieved 12/4/2024.

The Sherri Papini Kidnapping Hoax-Rerelease

Jill — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 20:51:03 +0000

This is a public rerelease of a members-only episode from last spring. Hope you enjoy it! If you would like more episodes like this, without ads, check out tiegrabber.com/subscribe or visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/tiegrabber.

On Nov 2, 2016, 34-year-old Sherri Papini was jogging near her home in Redding, CA. She was apparently kidnapped sometime between 11am and 2pm. When her husband Keith came home from work that afternoon, she wasn’t home and hadn’t picked up their two children. Keith located her phone by using the find my iphone app. It was about a mile from their house, sitting on the side of the road with a set of headphones and several strands of blonde hair. But there was no sign of Sherri.

Join us at the quiet end for The Sherri Papini Kidnapping Hoax. On Thanksgiving, after being missing for 3 weeks, Sherri showed up about 150 miles away from where she had disappeared. She was chained, bruised, and branded. So, what had happened to Sherri? It would take years to fully understand this event, but investigators were suspicious of Sherri’s story from the get go!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

“FBI affidavit unravels astounding claims about California mom Sherri Papini”, SFGate.com, Katie Dowd, 3/6/2022, Retrieved 3/5/2024.

Sherri Papini: Lies, Lies, and more Lies, Oxygen Network, 12/18/2022

Lucy Letby: The Common Denominator Part Two

Jill — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:20:19 +0000

So, now we’re back for part two of the fascinating and disturbing case of convicted child killer Lucy Letby. Since part one, we’ve reviewed interviews with her accusers, her defenders, scientific experts, and nurses who either worked in neonatal units, in the Countess of Chester neonatal unit, or worked directly with Lucy Letby. We’ve also read through the available evidence and testimony from her trial.

Join us at the quiet end for Lucy Letby: The Common Denominator Part Two. Today, we are going to talk you through Letby’s trials and what has been going on since her convictions. Dick’s been doing his homework, too, and he will share his interpretations of the statistical and medical evidence, outcomes, and published opinions surrounding the case.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A British Nurse Was Found Guilty of Killing Seven Babies, Did She Do It? The New Yorker, Rachel Aviv, 5/13/2024.

Countess of Chester Hospital: Woman held in baby deaths probe, BBC News, 7/3/2018.

Lucy Letby: The Complete Story by Katherine Smith, 2023.

Lucy Letby: how did a nurse commit such unthinkable murders? The Guardian, 8/18/2023.

Lucy Letby: Killer or Coincidence? Why some experts question the evidence, The Guardian, Felicity Lawrence, 7/9/2024.

Lucy Letby’s weird behaviors that could explain why she killed, Times Radio, 11/2024.

Lucy Letby whistleblower says babies would have lived if hospital had acted sooner, The Guardian, Josh Halliday, 8/18/2023.

The King v. Lucy Letby, Sentencing Remarks, Honorable Mr. Justice Goss Kt., 8/21/2023.

Manchester Crown Court, The Honourable Mr. Justice Goss Kt. Between The King v. Lucy Letby, Sentencing Remarks, Redacted Version, 8/21/2023.

Panorama, Lucy Letby: The Nurse Who Killed, BBC One TV documentary, 8/21/2023.

Pulmonary vascular air embolism in the newborn, Archives of Disease in Childhood, SK Lee & AK Tanswell, 507-510, 1989.

Revealed: the files that show how Lucy Letby was treated as a victim, The Times, Shaun Lintern & David Collins, 8/20/2023.

Sir David Davis: It’s Highly Probable Lucy Letby is Innocent, Good Morning Britain, 9/2024.

Sudden unexpected neonatal death in the first week of life: Autopsy findings from a specialist centre, The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, Martin A. Weber, Michael T. Ashworth, Anthony R. Risdon, Ivan Brooke, Marian Malone, Neil J. Sebire, 2009.

What I learned about Lucy Letby after 10 months in court, BBC News, Judith Moritz, 8/24/2023.

What is the evidence against Lucy Letby? Five key points that convicted baby killer, YorkshireLive, Sophie Corcoran, 8/24/2023.

What is the Truth About Lucy Letby and the Married Doctor? Daily Mail, Liz Hull, 10/10/2024.

A Perversion of Justice-Rerelease

Jill — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 23:54:06 +0000

This is a rerelease of a bonus episode released last summer for subscribers only. We thought we’d share this on the public feed for those of you needing an escape from the upcoming holiday stress. Hope you enjoy our discussion!

Cullen Davis was a man who believed that money could buy anything. And he may have been right. His life, loves, and even his crimes show this to be true. In the 1970s, Davis, a wealthy oil tycoon from Texas, was accused of murder. The first incident occurred in August 1976, when there was a deadly shooting inside his estranged wife’s Fort Worth mansion. In the second incident, he was charged with hiring a hitman and conspiring to kill 15 people.

Join us at the quiet end for A Perversion of Justice. Cullen Davis would become known for getting away with the criminal charges against him, thanks to the best defense his money could buy. But to many, the evidence against him was overwhelming. So, where and why did the justice system fail so miserably?

Sources

Blood Will Tell: The Murder Trials of T. Cullen Davis by Gary Cartwright, 1979.

Rich Man, Dead Man, Texas Monthly, Gary Cartwright, 1977, retrieved 7/5/2024.

A Texas Oil Dynasty: The Family Tree of T. Cullen Davis, Genealogy Magazine, Pylant, James, 4/3/2007, retrieved 7/2/2024.

Texas vs. Davis: The Only Complete Account of the Bizarre Thomas Cullen Davis Murder Case by Mike Cochran, 1980.

The Lost Women of Highway 20—rerelease

Jill — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:47:09 +0000

In this previously released for members-only episode, Jill & Dick recap and discuss the ID docuseries The Lost Women of Highway 20. We recommend that you watch it first, but you can definitely follow the story by just listening to the podcast. If you’d like more episodes like these without ads, check out subscribing options […]

The post The Lost Women of Highway 20—rerelease appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Lucy Letby: The Common Denominator Part One

Jill — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:48:41 +0000

When British nurse Lucy Letby went on trial in 2023, the case against her seemed overwhelming. She was charged with 22 murders and attempted murders in the neonatal unit where she worked at Countess of Chester Hospital. The case centered on an abnormally high number of deaths between June 2015 and June 2016. Although no one ever saw Lucy harming a baby and the coroner did not find foul play in any of their deaths, thousands of pieces of evidence were gathered to convict her. In August of 2023, Lucy was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Join us at the quiet end for Lucy Letby: The Common Denominator, Part One. At her sentencing, the judge said that Lucy had committed a cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children. A public inquiry was ordered to discern how Lucy Letby was able to commit her crimes and how the hospital failed to protect babies. But she maintains that she is innocent and there are questions about the statistical evidence used to convict her and the working conditions on the unit. Is Lucy Letby the cruel, calculated killer that the jury found her to be, or could she be the victim of a false conviction?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A British Nurse Was Found Guilty of Killing Seven Babies, Did She Do It? The New Yorker, Rachel Aviv, 5/13/2024.

Countess of Chester Hospital: Woman held in baby deaths probe, BBC News, 7/3/2018.

Lucy Letby: how did a nurse commit such unthinkable murders? The Guardian, 8/18/2023.

Lucy Letby: The Complete Story by Katherine Smith, 2023.

Lucy Letby whistleblower says babies would have lived if hospital had acted sooner, The Guardian, Josh Halliday, 8/18/2023.

The King v. Lucy Letby, Sentencing Remarks, Honorable Mr. Justice Goss Kt., 8/21/2023.

Panorama, Lucy Letby: The Nurse Who Killed, BBC One TV documentary, 8/21/2023.

Revealed: the files that show how Lucy Letby was treated as a victim, The Times, Shaun Lintern & David Collins, 8/20/2023.

What I learned about Lucy Letby after 10 months in court, BBC News, Judith Moritz, 8/24/2023.

What is the evidence against Lucy Letby? Five key points that convicted baby killer, YorkshireLive, Sophie Corcoran, 8/24/2023.

What Marli Forgot: The van Breda Axe Murders

Jill — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:27:03 +0000

The van Breda family enjoyed wealth, travel, and the love of friends and family. They travelled together, had apparently enviable relationships, and the children were educated at some of the best schools from around the world. All five family members were living what seemed like a dream life in a high-security, luxury estate just outside Stellenbosch, South Africa. But everything changed for them overnight in late January of 2015.

Join us at the quiet end for What Marli Forgot: The van Breda Axe Murders. The gruesome murders of patriarch Martin, his wife Teresa, and their adult son Rudi shocked South Africa. A bloody axe, identified as coming from the van Breda residence, was recovered at the scene. But there was no indication of forced entry or an outside assailant. Could it have been that a member of the family was responsible for the violence that night? The youngest child, 16-year-old Marli, had no recollection of what happened that night. But her 20-year-old brother, Henri, who remembered details from that night, had a story to tell.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

As it happened: Henri van Breda pre-trial postponed, News24, 9/9/2016, retrieved 10/19/2024

The De Zalze Murders: The Story Behind the Brutal Axe Attack by Julian Jansen

Henri van Breda guilty of triple axe murders, News24, 5/21/2018, retrieved 10/20/2024

THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA (WESTERN CAPE DIVISION, CAPE TOWN) Case No: SS17/16 THE STATE v HENRI CHRISTO VAN BREDA, retrieved 10/24/2024

The Killer Within: Why Did Henri van Breda Murder His Family? 60 Minutes Australia, 2018, retrieved 10/25/2024

Murder-Accused van Breda Claims He Saw Axe-Wielding Attacker Kill His Dad, Huffington Post, 4/24/2017, retrieved 10/22/2024

Listen to the emergency call: Henri van Breda call

To-Do List

Jill — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:00:11 +0000

When 15-year-old Holly Harvey’s grandparents forbade her from spending time with her 16-year-old lover, Sandy, both Holly and Sandy grew bitter and antagonistic. Carl and Sarah Collier loved their out-of-control granddaughter, who they were raising while her mother was in prison. Carl and Sarah did not give up on Holly, but then they began to fear her.

Join us at the quiet end for To-Do List. Holly and Sandy plotted against her grandparents. They asked around for a gun, made a to-do list, and told their friends about their horrific plans. Then, one hot summer night, the two teens put their plans into action. There was nothing spontaneous about the horrors they unleashed that night. In fact, their cold-blooded acts even shocked the most seasoned detectives on the case.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Harvey v. Georgia, Georgia Case Law, 2021, https://law.justia.com/cases/georgia/supreme-court/2021/s21a0871.html

If You Really Loved Me by Kevin McMurray, 2006

The Two Wives of Thomas Keir

Jill — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 15:19:21 +0000

Just three years after Thomas Keir told everyone that his first wife Jean left him and their young son behind to be with another man, his second wife Rosalina was found dead and severely burned on her bed. Keir’s claims to be unlucky and grief-stricken were questioned by investigators as well as family, friends, and members of the media. Could the suspicious deaths of two wives be bad luck or a strange coincidence?

Join us at the quiet end for The Two Wives of Thomas Keir. Thomas Kier was a man so jealous that he had hated for even his own child to touch his wife, Jean. His possessiveness was expressed with threats that he would cut her up and feed her to the dogs if she ever left him. Police finally found seven small fragments of Jean’s bones buried under the same house in which Rosalina died. This is the story of two wives, two murders, and a long, difficult fight to get justice for them and their families.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Convicted wife-killer’s ‘acts of concern’ after 22-year incarceration, 9news.com.au, 5/8/2020

Seven Bones, Two Wives, Two Violent Murders, A Fight for Justice by Peter Seymour & Jason K. Foster, 2011

Two wives murdered: husband convicted of one, The Sydney Morning Herald, 12/14/2004, retrieved 9/28/2024

Wife Killer Gets 22 Years Behind Bars, ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-12-13/wife-killer-gets-22-years-behind-bars/602088, 12/12/2004, retrieved 9/28/2024

Evil Out on Parole

Jill — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:41:00 +0000

On the afternoon of June 26, 2010, a Pennsylvania State Trooper witnessed a car driving erratically. It sped past him and crashed into a tree. Stopping to help, he found the driver alive and covered in blood. When asked what happened, the man answered: “I just killed everybody.”

Join us at the quiet end for Evil Out on Parole. Not far from the accident, police found a gruesome massacre. Then they learned that the man responsible had already been convicted of murder before and had been out on parole for just two months. Now, convicted killer Michael Ballard had used his freedom to murder four more innocent people, including an ex-girlfriend who had become his obsession.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Death Penalty 101: Why it’s (almost) impossible to execute someone in Pennsylvania, and what’s next, Billy Penn, 1/15/2015

Fatal Jealousy by Colin McEvoy

Man Who Stabbed 4 People Should Have Been in Prison: DA says four people would still be alive if suspect served a full sentence, NBCPhiladelphia.com, Teresa Masterson, 6/27/2010

Northampton DA pushes to set execution date for death row inmate Michael Ballard, Lehighvalleylive.com, Kurt Bresswein, 6/24/2015

Northampton Killer Sentenced to Die: Jury sentences Michael Ballard to die for quadruple killing, Patch.com, Josh Popichak, 5/17/2011

Into the Cold

Jill — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:02:42 +0000

Back in the winter of 1985, two friends from Detroit set out on a hunting trip in rural Michigan. Brian Ognjan and David Tyll, both 27-years-old, had been looking forward to this trip and had planned it for weeks. But somewhere along the way, the hunters became the hunted. They vanished somewhere in the bitter cold, leaving behind a legacy of grief and confusion.

Join us at the quiet end for Into the Cold. On November 22, Brian and David headed out for David’s family cabin in White Cloud. David picked up Brian, Brian cashed a check, and they left. They thought that they might stop to visit a friend along the way. But they never arrived at the cabin or the friend’s home. In fact, they were never seen again. And David’s vehicle, a 1980 black Ford Bronco, has never been found either.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

2 Michigan brothers are charged in hunters’ disappearance 18 years ago, Deseret News, 5/16/2003

Darker Than Night by Tom Henderson

Two Hunters Murdered Near Mio, Michigan Chopped Up and Fed to Pigs, WGRD, Tom Carroll, 8/8/2022

Two Sentenced for Murder of Detroit Hunters, The Michigan Daily, 10/30/2003

The Candy Man Killer & the Lost Boys of Houston Heights

Jill — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 14:49:53 +0000

Back in the summer of 1973, the Houston Police were called to a home where a 33-year-old man named Dean Corll had been shot to death. This crime scene led them to search a shed he had been renting and a wooded area nearby. Finally, the community would learn what had happened to their missing boys. And the details would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Join us at the quiet end for The Candy Man Killer and the Lost Boys of Houston Heights. In December 1970, two teenaged boys disappeared from the Heights neighborhood in Houston. Then more went missing, one after another. As the number of missing kids grew, people had no idea that a sadistic serial killer and his teenage accomplices were living among them. The police had been telling parents not to worry—their sons had simply run away to join a commune or find work. But the truth was heartbreaking, and the impact is still felt today.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Effort Continues to Identify Last Known Victim in Killing Spree, Houston Chronicle, Monica Rohr, 2014.

Filmmakers May have Discovered New Victim of 1970s Mass Murders, ABC13 News, Ted Oberg, 2012.

The Lost Boys, Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth, 2011.

The Man with Candy by Jack Olsen

Death of a Prison Bride

Jill — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:07:13 +0000

Carol Montecalvo was a devoted Christian who married her prison pen pal. Once he was released, they seemed happy. But on the evening of March 31, 1988, Carol and her husband Dan were shot. Dan survived. Carol was killed. After Carol’s death, Dan told police that, on the night of the shooting, he and Carol went for a walk together around the neighborhood. When they returned to the house, Carol was shot to death by an intruder. Dan suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Join us at the quiet end for Death of a Prison Bride. Dan claimed that he found his wife bleeding on the floor of their home that night. And evidence in the Montecalvo home seemed to support a burglary gone wrong— until it didn’t. Investigators became suspicious of Dan when they learned of his extensive criminal past, his large gambling debts, and the $600,000 in life insurance he held on Carol’s life. So, did Dan find God or did Carol just find herself an evil man?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Burbank Man Guilty of Murdering Wife: Jury decides that ex-convict killed his spouse to collect her insurance, Los Angeles Times, Jesse Katz, 11/6/1990

Final Vows by Karen Kingsbury, 2013

The Perfect Murder, Murder by the Book, S3 E9, 7/27/2016

Tardy Confession: Woman Says Convicted Man Didn’t Kill His Wife, Los Angeles Times, Victor Merina, 1/6/1991

Shop for quality clothing and home goods while supporting the show: go to Quince.com/TCB for free shipping and 365-day returns

The Parachute Murder Plot

Jill — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 16:25:13 +0000

Emile Cilliers tried to murder his wife Victoria by sabotaging her parachute, but that was not his first attempt to kill her. Emile had a long history of lying, stealing, and having extramarital affairs. He also had a temper. Victoria knew that her husband was often dishonest and emotionally closed off, but she desperately wanted to keep her family together for the sake of their children. She could not even imagine that the father of her children would want her dead.

Join us at the quiet end for The Parachute Murder Plot. Things were far from ideal in the Cilliers marriage, but Victoria was in love and unaware of much of what was going on behind her back. Emile liked to spend money on anonymous sex, frivolous luxuries, and vacations with his girlfriend. He took out high interest payday loans and skimmed money from Victoria’s bank account, all the while gaslighting her into thinking she was emotionally unstable. But as Victoria worried about her troubled marriage, Emile gave her bits of hope. He used her love for her family as a weapon against her and set her up for a terrifying death.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Chute to Kill: Jealous Belgian Skydiver Convicted of Murder, Time, Leo Cendrowicz, 11/30/2019

Els Clottemans, Belgian Skydiver Who Doctored Parachute of Love Rival Gets 30 Years, The Huffington Post, Robert Wielaard, 10/21/2010

The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot, Channel4UK, 5/28/2024

How Often do Parachutes Fail? Skydive Monroe, https://skydivemonroe.com/blog/parachute-fails-to-open-when-skydiving/, 8/23/2023

Inside the world of parachute murder plotter who was jailed for life for trying to kill his wife, https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/parachute-murder-channel-4-documentary-victoria-cilliers-emile-skydive-the-fall/, 6/11/2024

I Survived by Victoria Cilliers 2020

The Parachute Murder Plot, All3Media, with Fiona, 2018

Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, GC Smith & JP Pell, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC300808/, 12/20/2003

Sex, lies and payday loans: The parachute murder plot, BBC.com, Bethen Bell, 6/15/2028

The Burden of Bias

Jill — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 15:12:07 +0000

Christa Worthington was a Vassar grad from a prominent family, living on her own on Cape Cod. She had left behind her career as a fashion writer for a simpler life, having a daughter on her own and raising her on the Cape. Then, in January 2002, forty-six-year-old Christa was found stabbed to death in the kitchen of her cottage with her toddler daughter clinging to her body but unharmed.

Join us at the quiet end for The Burden of Bias. After Christa’s murder, suspicions pointed toward several local men she’d known. But in 2005, investigators arrested Christopher McCowen, a thirty-four-year-old African American garbage man. According to the police, McCowen gave inconsistent stories. He was convicted in a trial that was filled with conflicting testimony and police misconduct. But in January 2008, a hearing was held to determine whether racism was a factor in the jury’s decision to convict McCowen. Three jury members testified that fellow jurors made racist remarks during deliberations, raising questions about whether his trial was fair and unbiased. Since then, there have been two distinct sides to this story as McCowen’s attorneys work to get him a new trial.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A Killing on the Cape podcast, ABC News, 2017

COMMONWEALTH vs. CHRISTOPHER M. MCCOWEN, 458 Mass. 461, 5/7/2010-12/10/2010, https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/458/458mass461.html

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rejects McCowen’s Appeal of Conviction for Christa Worthington Murder, Lefteris K. Travaykis, Esq., 12/16/2010, https://www.bostoncriminallawyersblog.com/massachusetts-supreme-court-re-2/

Murder on the Cape, 48 Hours, S30 E8, 11/19/2017

Reasonable Doubt: The Fashion Writer, Cape Cod, and the Trial of Chris McCowen by Peter Manso

Revisiting the Christa Worthington Murder 20 Years Later, Caitlyn Flynn, 6/2/2022, https://crimereads.com/revisiting-the-christa-worthington-murder-20-years-later/

Where are they now? Key players in the Christa Worthington murder case 20 years later, Cape Cod Times, Eric Williams, 1/5/2022

Death Followed Her

Jill — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 15:36:42 +0000

Sandra Bridewell lived a life of privilege throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. In fact, her life could have been described as near perfect if not for the trail of dead bodies left in her wake. Her first husband, a prominent dentist, died in their home in 1975. Her second husband, a real estate developer, died of cancer in 1982. Shortly after his death, his oncologist’s wife was found shot to death in her car just hours after giving Sandra a ride to the airport. Three years after that, Sandra’s third husband Alan was found shot to death in his car where he was last seen driving to meet her. And six months after that, Alan’s cousin was found shot to death in his garage.

Join us at the quiet end for Death Followed Her. Sandra Bridewell had a way about her, especially when it came to men. She was a confessed con artist and a skilled liar. But finding her legally responsible for the suspicious deaths of the people around her would prove next to impossible for law enforcement. Under suspicion, Sandra would elude accountability for her crimes, frustrating victims’ families and detectives for years.

Click here to read John Leake’s book “The Meaning of Malice”

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The Black Widow, D Magazine, Glenna Whitley, 5/1/1987

Black Widow Feels the Sting of the Long, Long Arm of the Law, Dallas Observer, Robert Wilonsky, 3/8/2007

Black Widow Pleads Guilty, D Magazine, Glenna Whitley, 2/28/2008

Glenna Whitley Has a Date with Dateline NBC Tonight, D Magazine, Robert Wilonsky, 8/6/2007

The Meaning of Malice by John Leake

The Meaning of Malice Documentary, John Leake, https://vimeo.com/943420674

The Sting, Dateline Secrets Uncovered, S6 E1, 1/5/2019

Tangled Web, Dateline NBC, 8/6/2007

Web of Suspicion: The Oklahoma Tie to the Black Widow of Dallas, New9.com, Kelly Ogle, 5/5/2022

Whatever Happened to the Black Widow: Sandra Bridewell, D Magazine, Glenna Whitley, 5/1/1989

Killer Kids: The Plot to Kill Susan Bailey

Jill — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:18:32 +0000

In 2008, single mother Susan Bailey was working two jobs to make sure that her children, 17-year-old Jennifer and 13-year-old David, had everything they needed. But on September 26^th, when Susan didn’t show up for work, her employer called Susan’s mother, Kate, in Minnesota. Susan’s mother hadn’t heard from her daughter or her two grandchildren. She tried all of their phones repeatedly but no one was answering. Eventually, Kate called the police to go out to her daughter’s Roanoke, Texas home and do a welfare check. The police went to the house, but all was quiet and they saw no signs of trouble. No one answered the door and Susan’s car wasn’t there. What the police and Kate didn’t know was that Jennifer was obsessed with her boyfriend, Paul Henson, and that Paul and Jennifer had made plans to run away together.

Join us at the quiet end for Killer Kids. At 3:30 in the morning on September 28, a police officer in South Dakota pulled over three teenagers travelling in Susan’s car. The teens were taken into custody and Susan’s house was finally searched by police. What they found was a shockingly violent and bloody crime scene described by one detective as “a slaughterhouse.”

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Affidavits: 4 Teens Planned to Kill N. Texas Mom, NBC DFW5, 10/8/2008, retrieved 6/2/2024

Jennifer Bailey & Paul Henson, Snapped Killer Couples, S17 E14, 3/2024

Let’s Kill Mom by Donna Fielder

Teen Killers, Facing Evil, 12/2012

Teen takes plea bargain for killing girlfriend’s mother, WFAA ABC, 10/19/2009, retrieved 6/2/2024

Fatal Jealousy: The Plot to Kill Kendra Hatcher

Jill — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:40:42 +0000

In 2015, 35-year-old Kendra Hatcher became a victim of a murder-for-hire plot fueled by jealousy. Kendra was a pediatric dentist living in Dallas who was in a romantic relationship with dermatologist Ricky Paniagua. She was in love with Ricky, but she didn’t know that Ricky had a jealous ex who was stalking her and eventually wanted her dead.

Join us at the quiet end for Fatal Jealousy. Ricky’s ex-girlfriend Brenda Delgado had been devastated since he broke up with her in an email that June. That summer, Kendra and Ricky had gone out to dinner, taken trips, and posted smiling photos of themselves on Facebook. Then, on September 2, the day before Ricky and Kendra were to fly to Cancun for a long weekend, someone walked up to Kendra in her apartment parking garage and shot her in the back of her head. No one could imagine who would have a motive to kill Kendra—until investigators spoke with Brenda’s co-conspirators and learned of her obsession with Ricky and her simmering hate for Kendra.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

10 Minutes to Sunset, Dateline NBC, S29, E14, Aired 11/13/2020, Retrieved 5/19/2024

Brenda Delgado Found Guilty Of Capital Murder In Death Of Dallas Dentist Kendra Hatcher, CBS News Texas, 6/7/2019, Retrieved 5/18/2024

Brenda Delgado v. The State of Texas Appeal from 363rd Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Opinion filed 10/21/2021

The Doctor, the Dentist, and the Killer, Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth, 1/2020

Kristopher Love, Hitman in Killing of Dallas Dentist, is sentenced to death, NBC News, Alex Johnson, 10/31/2018

Dr. Killer: The Murder of Deepti Gupta

Jill — Mon, 20 May 2024 15:28:42 +0000

California physicians Deepti Gupta and Kevin Paul Anderson were starting their own pediatric practice together when they had an affair. Both were married to other people. Anderson was loved by his patients and had been a mentor to Deepti, who was ten years younger. The day before she was murdered, Deepti had finished all her requirements to become a fully-licensed pediatrician in the State of California and she was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. But Deepti had a secret—she was pregnant with Anderson’s child.

Join us at the quiet end for Dr. Killer. With his career and marriage at risk if news of Deepti’s pregnancy got out, Anderson asked her to meet him in the San Gabriel Mountains to talk. That same night, Deepti’s car and body were found at the bottom of a steep cliff. After recovering her body, it was determined that she had been strangled, her body and car doused with gasoline, and shoved over the cliffside. It was clear that Anderson was responsible, but was this premeditated first-degree murder or a crime of passion?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Death of a Doctor: Two Doctors, Obsessive Love, and Murder by Carlton Smith

Los Angeles Times Archives, 1999-2012

Visit our ExpressVPN link here!

The Missing Sodder Children

Jill — Mon, 06 May 2024 16:10:28 +0000

Just after midnight on Christmas Eve 1945, Jennie Sodder woke up to the smell of smoke. The home she shared with her husband, George, and nine of their children, was going up in flames. It would be over seven hours before the fire department arrived. By then, the two-story house had burned to the ground — and five of the Sodder children were missing. In fact, to this day, no one knows what happened to the Sodder children. Their family never saw them again and their remains were never found.

Join us at the quiet end for The Missing Sodder Children. Although authorities determined that the children — Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie Irene, 8; and Betty, 5 — had died in the fire, their family was not convinced. How could they have perished in the fire without any bones being found? Because of the strange events before, during, and after the tragic fire as well as a stunningly incompetent investigation, the case continues to be one of history’s most disturbing and intriguing unsolved mysteries.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The Children Who Went Up in Smoke, Smithsonian, Karen Abbott, 12/25/2012

Long, Long, Long Sodder Post, Stacy Horn, 12/28/2005

Mystery of Missing Children Haunts W.Va. Town, National Public Radio, 12/23/2005

No Direct Evidence: The Story of the Missing Sodder Children by Bob Lane Bragg

Click here to get a discount and Astepro & Go!

Split Decision: The Murder of Dr. Jack Wilson

Jill — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:33:27 +0000

As fraternal twins, Betty and Peggy were together from the very beginning. As adults, they were very different people but remained best friends. Then, in 1992, they either conspired together to have Betty’s husband killed or fought together to prove their innocence.

Join us at the quiet end for Split Decision. After Betty’s husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, was brutally murdered in his own home, suspicions turned to Betty. Betty was an outspoken, hard-headed woman who had engaged in numerous extramarital affairs. Her promiscuity, alcoholism and an adulterous affair with a black man in racist Alabama may have turned the police, and eventually a jury, against her. If the prosecution’s theory was that Betty and Peggy conspired together to kill Jack, then why was Betty found guilty while Peggy was acquitted? It may have just been the result of prejudice against Betty, the wild one, and appreciation for the sweet and amiable Peggy.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Betty Wilson, Snapped, Oxygen Network, S33 E2, 11/5/2023

The Betty Wilson Story, Old Huntsville, No. 77

By Two and Two, Jim Schutze, 1/1995

Finding Betty, Jean Adam Jr., Retrieved 4/9/2024

The Wilson Murder, Forensic Files, S1 E8, Retrieved 4/2/2024

Wilson v. State, Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1/13/1995

This episode is sponsored by ExpressVPN.

Stop letting people keep logs of what you do online! Visit ExpressVPN.com/TCB right now and find out how you can get 3 months free.

Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo

Jill — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 15:59:32 +0000

17-year-old Karla Homolka met 23-year-old Paul Bernardo in 1987. Some saw their meeting as love at first sight, but the two had a dangerous attraction which would drive them to commit abductions, sexual assaults, and even murder. This good-looking couple became obsessed with each other. And Paul was very controlling of Karla. But Paul Bernardo’s crimes were not all his own. Evidence, including videotapes, would show that Karla was a willing participant, despite her claims that she was just another one of Paul’s victims.

Join us at the quiet end for Killer Couple: Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo. The most basic question asked about serial killers is why. This becomes much more complicated and difficult to answer when murders are committed by more than one person. Today we’re analyzing one of the most notorious couples in modern history. What role did Karla play in Paul’s violent sex crimes and how did her gender affect the disparity in their charges and sentencing?

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Deadly Innocence, Scott Burnside, Alan Cairns, 1995

Investigating Gender Bias and Sentencing Disparity: A Case Study Analysis of the Paul Bernardo-Karla Homolka Case, Kathrine Lorraine Leafloor, Carleton University, 5/1997

Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes, Discovery Plus, 12/13/2021

The Ken Murray Case: Defence Counsel’s Dilemma, Criminal Defence News, 7/6/2011

Lethal Marriage: The Uncensored Truth Behind the Crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, Nick Pron, 2005

Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka Case, The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 3/30/2024

Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper

Jill — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 17:48:06 +0000

On a weekday afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, fifteen-year-old Paula Cooper stabbed 78-year-old Ruth Pelke to death. In a city with a history of racism, Ruth was a white, beloved bible teacher who refused to move out of her overwhelmingly black neighborhood. When Paula and her friends showed up at Ruth’s door that day asking about bible studies, Ruth had happily invited them in.

Join us at the quiet end for Death Sentence: The Murder of Ruth Pelke & the Punishment of Paula Cooper. When Paula was sentenced to death, few argued against the state’s impending execution of a tenth grader. But when the victim’s grandson forgave the girl, the media brought the story to the forefront and millions signed petitions in support of Paula. This case raises questions about the value of a human life and whether our justice system is made for rehabilitation or retribution.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A Clear Scientific Consensus that the Death Penlty Does Not Deter, Amnesty International, retrieved 3/14/2024,

https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/a-clear-scientific-consensus-that-the-death-penalty-does-not-deter/

A Pause in Federal Executions, but Uncertainty About What’s Next, The New York Times, Hailey Fuchs, 7/22/2021

Biden vowed to end the death penalty. Activists are demanding action as he nears the 100-day mark, CNN.com, Christina Carrega, 4/25/2021

Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates: The Views of Leading Criminologists’ Michael L. Radelet Traci L. Lacock, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Winter 2009,

IndyStar Archives 1985-2017

Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar, 2023

The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman

Jill — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 17:42:36 +0000

April Kauffman didn’t have an easy life growing up. When she was just seventeen, she gave birth to her daughter Kim and set out to make a better life for them both. April raised her daughter in a loving home despite an early split from Kim’s father. She earned her cosmetology license and worked as a hairdresser and as a model. April was fun, energetic, and independent. But life as a single mom could be lonely.

Join us at the quiet end for The Dr. & Mrs. Kauffman. In 2002, April believed she had finally found her happily ever after when she married Dr. Jim Kauffman, a successful physician and a former green beret. As the wife of a Vietnam Veteran, April became an outspoken radio personality and a fierce veteran’s advocate. But Dr. Kauffman had a dark side which April began to uncover. The doctor was running a pill mill out of his medical office and associating with a criminal motorcycle gang: The Pagans. When April had had enough and threatened divorce, she began to realize that her life was in danger, and she might never make it out of this marriage alive.

Subscribed with PayPal? Click here to update TCB Premium Payment info

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

April Kauffman, https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/april-christine-kauffman-atlantic-city-new-jersey, retrieved 2/27/2024

http://aprilkauffman.net/, retrieved. 2/27/2024

Doctor Dealer: A doctor high on greed, a biker gang high on opioids, and the woman who paid the ultimate price, George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano, 2020

The Doctor, the Hitman & the Motorcycle Gang : the true story of one of New Jersey’s most notorious murder for hire plots, Annie McCormick, 2020

Doctor’s Orders, Discovery Plus, 9/3/2021

Husband of slain radio host paid man to kill his wife 5 years ago, authorities say, NJ.com, True Jersey, Chris Franklin, 09/3/2018

Punishing Pill Mill Doctors: Sentencing Disparities in the Opioid Epidemic, William & Mary Law School, Adam M. Gershowitz, 12/2020

Who Was April Kauffman: Her Life, Her Mysterious Death and Why None of it Makes Any Sense, Boardwalk Journal, Sarah Colson and Ian Licht, 6/2012

With our promo code BREWERY20, you get 56% off your subscription of Magic Mind in the next 10 days and 20% off your one-time purchase.

You can get it at www.magicmind.com/brewery and redeem the discount code BREWERY20!

Get Magic Mind

Parent Trap

Jill — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:16:29 +0000

The Halderson family appeared to be living a happy middle-class life. Parents Krista and Bart had everything they had wished for and worked for, including a comfortable suburban home and two loving sons. Mitchell, 24, was working in the tech industry and Chandler, 23, was a college student living at home. But all was not as it seemed with Chandler.

Join us at the quiet end for Parent Trap. Chandler Halderson was weaving a complex web of lies for years. His college degree and job prospects were not what he portrayed them to be. In fact, Chandler’s life was going nowhere and his father was becoming frustrated and suspicious. But before Krista and Bart could uncover their son’s lies, the couple disappeared. Over the days that followed, evidence revealed that Chandler Halderson would stop at nothing, including murder, to protect his life of deception.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Chandler Halderson Trial, Channel 3000, https://www.channel3000.com/news/chandler-halderson-trial/, retrieved 1/3/2024

Parricide: An Introduction for Clinical and Forensic Mental Health Professionals, researchgate.net, Kimberly D. Dodson, 9/2017

State of Winconsin v. Chandler M. Halderson, Circuit Court Dane County Wisconsin, 8/24/2021

Timeline: Order of Events leading up to Chandler Halderson’s trial, WKOW.com, Sierra Rehm, 1/3/2022

Unemployed Son Mooched Off Parents He Killed and Dismembered, Claimed to Be College Student Who Got Job at SpaceX: Prosecutor, Law & Crime, Alberto Luperon, 1/4/2022

Try Magic Mind with our promo code Brewery20

Finding Karla Brown’s Killer

Jill — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:12:52 +0000

Karla Brown was 22-years-old in 1978. After five-years of an off and on relationship, she and her fiancé, Mark, bought their first home together. That June, the couple were focused on moving and decorating their new home. They had friends over to help with the move on June 20^th, followed by an evening of food and drinks. Next door, at the home of Paul Main, the pretty and outgoing Karla had not gone unnoticed.

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Karla Brown’s Killer. Karla’s fiancé Mark went to work on June 21^st, leaving Karla home alone. Between 10 and 11am, Karla ended a phone call with her future mother-in-law, telling her that someone was at the door. By the time Mark returned home that day, Karla would be the victim of a brutal murder and the focus of a lengthy, complex investigation.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Bite Mark Identification- A Relieable Forensic Tool or Junk Science, Penn State Dickinson Law, Samuel D. Hodge Jr., Robert E. Rains, 7/1/2017

The Karla Brown story: What happened and the latest updates, Tuko.co.ke, Florence Wanjiru, 4/5/2022

PCAST, Court Decisions Assessing the Admissibility of Forensic Science Evidence,

Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods

PEOPLE v. PRANTE, Supreme Court of Illinois, The People of the State of Illinois, Appellant, v. John Prante, Appellee. Decided: 5/12/2023

Silent Witness: The Karla Brown Murder Case by Don W. Weber and Charles Bosworth, Jr.

Victim on Trial: Elana Steinberg

Jill — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:51:47 +0000

Elana Steinberg’s husband, Steve Steinberg, was a well-liked restaurant manager with a gambling problem. Elana struggled to keep their finances afloat, but it wasn’t easy. Then, on an otherwise normal night in 1981, Elana was stabbed 26 times in their bed. Steve called 911 and told the dispatcher that two bearded men had robbed them and killed his wife.

Join us at the quiet end for Victim on Trial: Elana Steinberg. It wasn’t long after Elana’s murder when Steve confessed that he had killed her. Put on trial for murder, Steve’s defense was temporary insanity. Yes, he had killed his wife, but he had done it while sleepwalking. And, Elana had led him to it with her nagging and shopping. Prepare to be outraged. This is a case where the killer was treated as a long-suffering victim and the real victim was put on trial.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Crime/mystery: The Defense Pleaded Nagging, The New York Times, Tony Hillerman, 10/9/1988

Death of a Jewish American Princess by Shirley Frondorf

Homicidal Sleepwalking: To Kill While Asleep, TimeTraveller.org, Fiona Guy, 10/26/2017

The Missing Millbrook Twins

Jill — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 17:29:07 +0000

On March 18, 1990, 15-year-old fraternal twins Dannette and Jeanette Millbrook disappeared while out walking from a convenience store to their home in Augusta, Georgia. Earlier that day, the girls told their mother that a man in a white van had been following them. Nothing more is known about this man and he would not be the only person of interest in the girls’ disappearance.

Join us at the quiet end for The Missing Millbrook Twins. Dannette and Jeanette’s mother reported them missing that same evening, but she was told that she had to wait for 24 hours. Even after the 24 hours passed, the sheriff’s office failed to investigate or follow up in any way with the family. In fact, when the girls’ 17^th birthday passed, the case was closed. The sheriff’s explanation? The girls were now old enough that they could not be forced to return home. This suggests that the girls were runaways, but there was no reason to believe this to be true. In fact, it seems clear that two poor black children were not a priority for the sheriff’s department and a significant injustice was done when they never bothered to look for Dannette and Jeanette. Is it too late now or is there a chance that this cold case can somehow be solved?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

If you have any information on the Millbrook twins, please contact the Richmond County PD non-emergency line at 706-821-1020

Sources

The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins, Oxygen True Crime, 2019.

The Fall Line Podcast, Season 1, created by Laurah Norton & Brooke Hargrove, 6/12/2017-7/31/2017.

Frustrated Sister of Missing Twins Says Sheriff Hasn’t Fixed ‘Terrible Injustice,’ Huffington Post, David Lohr, 6/26/2017, ret. 12/28/2023.

How Black and Indigenous Women are Detrimentally affected by ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome,’ UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog, Mary Bailey, 11/1/2021, ret. 12/30/2023.

Little Sister Still Searching for Twins Dannette and Jeannette Millbrook Last Seen in Augusta, Georgia in 1990, NBC Cold Case Spotlight, Sarah Portney, 4/22/2023, ret. 12/28/2023.

Missing Dannette and Jeanette Millbrook, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/twwinsfammily/

Runaway Youth: Caring for the Nation’s Largest Segment of Missing Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, Clinical Report, 2/1/2020.

What is the Masters and how did it start? A brief history of golf’s most famous tournament, Golf.com, James Colgan, 4/11/2021, ret. 12/28/2023.

The Love Triangle Murders

Jill — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 22:33:26 +0000

At 6:00 a.m. on August 28, 1965, Carl and Carmela Coppolino’s physician, Dr. Juliette Karow, was awakened by a phone call. Carl Coppolino tearfully described to her how he had just found his 32-year-old wife dead, seemingly from a heart attack. Dr. Karow was concerned when she arrived at the house—young women in their 30s rarely die from cardiac arrest.

Join us at the quiet end for The Love Triangle Murders. Forty-one days after his wife’s death, Carl Coppolino married Mary Gibson. Imagine the chagrin of the Coppolino’s neighbor Marjorie Farber, who had moved from New Jersey to Florida in hopes of being with Carl. Incensed by this turn of events, Marjorie went to the police and told them that she had stood by helplessly as her husband was strangled to death by Carl. And she had information to share about Carmela’s death as well!

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The Crime That Never Was by Carl Coppolino, 1980.

No Deadly Drug by John MacDonald, 1968.

State v. Coppolino, Florida District Court, 1968-1970.

Tracing the Untraceable, Time.com, 5/5/1967, ret. 12/18/2023

The Trials of Dr. Coppolino by Paul Holmes, 1968.

Christmas Vacation Massacre (Bonus Episode)

Jill — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 19:01:04 +0000

On December 22, 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons began a killing spree that would become the worst massacre in Arkansas history as well as the deadliest domestic crime in the history of the United States. His murderous rampage ended six days later, leaving fourteen members of his family and two former coworkers dead.

Join us at the quiet end for The Christmas Vacation Massacre. Gene Simmons was a nightmare from early on in his marriage. He went from controlling but hard-working military man, to wife beater, to incestuous father, and, in the end, to a merciless mass murderer.

Sources

Arkansas Man Sentenced to Death for Killing 14 Members of his Family, Deseret News, 2/12/1989.

The Devil of Pope County: America’s Worst Family Massacre Podcast, Tony Holt, 2023

Ronald Gene Simmons, 1940-1990, Encyclopedia of Arkansas, retrieved 12/12/2023

Zero at the Bone: Story of Gene Simmons Mass Murder, Marshall & Williams, 1991.

Who Killed Ronda Reynolds?

Jill — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:01:23 +0000

Just nine days before Christmas 1998, thirty-three-year-old Ronda Reynolds was getting ready to visit her mother for the holidays. Ronda’s second marriage was falling apart after less than a year and her career as a Washington State Trooper had ended badly, but her friends and family would insist that Ronda had still been optimistic about her future. Barb Thompson, Ronda’s mother, was just happy that Ronda was coming home. But then a call early in the morning changed Barb’s life forever.

Join us at the quiet end for Who Killed Ronda Reynolds? Ronda’s soon-to-be ex, Ron Reynolds, had called 911 that morning to say that Ronda had committed suicide in their bedroom closet. Over the next several years, the coroner would change Ronda’s manner of death from “undetermined” to “suicide,” not once, but twice. But Barb Thompson never believed that her daughter committed suicide. Finally, Ron was arrested for Ronda’s homicide. But would there be enough evidence to get a conviction?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Former Trooper Ronda Reynold’s Death Ruled Homicide, Seattle Times, 10/19/2011

Husband in notorious Lewis County murder case to leave job as school principal, Seattle Times, Cathy McLain, 8/23/2012

Husband, Stepson arrested, freed in ex-trooper’s death, Seattle Times, Adam Pearson, 10/28/2011

In the Still of the Night by Ann Rule

Mystery on Twin Peaks Drive, 48 Hours, E25 S21, 4/21/2012, retrieved 12/4/2023

Two Innocents

Jill — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 22:21:38 +0000

In June of 1959, just two months before her thirteenth birthday, Lynne Harper was found dead in a wooded grove near a Clinton, Ontario, Air Force base. Lynne was small for her age, the middle child between two brothers. She was described as bossy and a “live wire.” She had her whole life ahead of her.

Join us at the quiet end for Two Innocents. The last person seen with Lynne on the day she disappeared was 14-year-old classmate Steven Truscott. Despite a lack of any physical evidence and witness accounts which gave Steven a clear alibi, he was arrested for Lynne’s murder just days after her body was found. Then, Steven was found guilty and sentenced to hang. This is the story of Lynne’s murder, Steven’s unjust conviction, the people who worked to free him and exonerate him of his murder conviction, and the continuing mystery of who was really responsible for this terrible crime.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Can Science Clear Truscott? thestar.com. 1/29/2007, retrieved 11/20/2023.

Steven Truscott Case, The Canadian Encyclopedia, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/steven-truscott-case, retrieved 11/25/2023.

Steven Truscott: His Word Against History, The Fifth Estate, 2015, retrieved 11/25/2023.

Steven Truscott, Innocence Canada, Sarah Harland-Logan, 2023.

Until You Are Dead: Steven Truscott’s Long Ride into History by Julian Sher, 2001, 2023.

Victim’s Family stunned by Truscott Compensation, CBS News, 7/8/2008, retrieved 11/14/2023

Youngest Canadian Sentenced to Death is Cleared in 1959 Case, The Seattle Times, 8/29/2007, retrieved 11/14/2023.

Love Bomber

Jill — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:53:30 +0000

Jayne Leebrick met David Miller on January 1, 1991 on a cross country flight from Florida to Los Angeles. He was in the seat next to her and seemed like the perfect man. Handsome, wealthy, and a brave cancer survivor, David won her over. If David seemed too good to be true, that’s because he was.

Join us at the quiet end for Love Bomber: The Seduction and Murder of Jayne Miller. David swept Jayne off her feet, giving her expensive gifts and portraying himself as an important and powerful man. Within six weeks, the two were married. But from early on, Jayne’s friends and family noticed that something wasn’t right with David Miller. Jayne’s dream man quickly turned into a nightmare, leaving Jayne in financial peril and afraid for her life.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Deadly Pretender: The Double Life of David Miller by Karen Kingsbury

Mr. Right Is Deadly Wrong, A Lie To Die For, S1E8, Oxygen Network

Confessions of Youth

Jill — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:04:11 +0000

On the morning of January 21, 1998, 12-year-old Stephanie Ann Crowe was found dead on her bedroom floor. She had been brutally stabbed to death as her family slept soundly in their bedrooms down the hall.

Stephanie’s parents desperately called 911 for help. After police officers arrived at the scene, a cursory search of the Crowe home found no signs of forced entry. There was an unlocked sliding glass door in the parents’ room, but it was covered by aluminum vertical blinds. They would have made too much noise for someone to enter undetected, officers decided.

Join us at the quiet end for Confessions of Youth, the story of the murder of Stephanie Crowe and the false confessions that followed. On the morning when Stephanie’s body was found, detectives came to an early conclusion that her murder was an inside job. From that day forward, they worked to make the evidence fit their theory instead of letting the evidence develop their theory. This method of investigation, wrong for many good reasons, sent the Crowe family and two other families into a prolonged state of victimhood.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Crowe v. County of San Diego, Order RE: Summary Judgment Motions, San Diego California, 2/17/2004

Haunting Questions: The Stephanie crowe Murder Case, San Diego Union Tribune, John Wilkens & Mark Sauer, 5/12/1999).

The Interrogation of Michael Crowe, 2002 movie

Juvenile Interrogations Reform Bill Signed by Governor Newsom, Makes California the Fourth State to Adopt Anti-Deceptive-Interrogation Reforms, California Innocence Coalition, 9/15/2022

The People of the State of California v. Michael Steven Crowe, Joshua David Treadway, & Aaron Paul Houser, Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego, 5/22/1998

The Reid Technique Controversies, Criticisms, and Evolving Interrogation Practices, Francesco Galvano, 6/2023

The Right to Remain a Child, New York University Law Review, Ariel Spierer, 11/2017

She’s So Cold: A Defense Attorney’s Inside Story by Donald E. McInnis

Destroyer of Worlds

Jill — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 21:08:19 +0000

“Disney” Dad Anthony Todt and his wife Megan seemed to be living an ideal, enviable life together. High school sweethearts, they married, had three children, and owned a busy Physical Therapy practice in Connecticut. But that life blew up in December of 2019.

Join us at the quiet end for Destroyer of Worlds. How did Anthony Todt end up in a rented Celebration, Florida, home, living alongside the decomposing corpses of his murdered family members and their beloved dog? We’re following this case from the family’s early years, to the time when Anthony Todt became a family annihilator, to his taking the stand in his own murder trial. It’s a sad story with a lot to talk about.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Anthony Todt Full Confession: Detective Interrogates Physical Therapist About Family Murders, Law & Crime Network, 4/13/2022

Anthony Todt Murder Trial, Law & Crime Network, 4/11/2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bxaLPPexPc&list=PLoW1SIeAWaWbYx1Y8zzwDKtoOcY1tpe2O

Looking for the Todt Family podcast, https://www.theday.com/todt/, retrieved 10/1/2023

Prosecutor: In Idyllic Celebration, Florida, a Father Killed His Family to Prepare for the ‘Apocalypse,’ Rollingstone.com, Andrea Marks, 4/11/2022

State of Connecticut Affidavit, Case 3:20-mj-00019-RAR, United States District Court, District of Connecticut, 1/15/2020

The Case of Gabby Petito

Jill — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:37:14 +0000

Perhaps no case more than that of 22-year-old Gabby Petito demonstrates that the images we see on social media do not accurately show us the reality of a person’s life. On July 2, 2021, Gabby enthusiastically set out on a “van life” journey with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. The two had quit their jobs and renovated a van, planning a four-month trip across the country. Along the way, Gabby documented their adventures on social media. But behind the scenes, Brian was abusive and manipulative, controlling Gabby.

Join us at the quiet end for The Case of Gabby Petito. During her travels, the couple was seen arguing, with Gabby crying and Brian yelling at her and even slapping her. One witness report led the police in Utah to pull over the couple, but no arrest was made and the incident was identified as a mental health crisis rather than a domestic violence incident.

Gabby’s mother Nichole last spoke to Gabby on August 25th. Then, on September 1st, Brian returned to his parents’ home without Gabby. What followed was one of the most public and emotional crime solving efforts in recent history.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Family travel vloggers share video they believe shows Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie’s van around time of her disappearance, Connor Perrett, 9/19/2021, Click to watch Bethune YouTube Video

Full Video: Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie Police Stop, Inside Edition, Click to watch

Gabby Petito Case: Timeline of travel blogger’s disappearance, ABC News, Haley Yamada, 10/21/2021

Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3 million in wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s estate, CNN.com, 11/17/2022

Gabby Petito Search: Remains Found in Wyoming Match Description of Missing Woman Gabrielle Petito, The New York Times, 10/20/2021

The Gabby Petito Story: An American Tragedy, 60 Minutes Australia, 11/16/2021

Gabby Petito: The Untold Story, 48 Hours, S35, E1, 9/25/2021

The Murder of Gabby Petito: A Look at the Police Response and Intimate Partner Violence Among Young People, A&Etv.com, Elena Ferrarin, 6/23/2022

The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media, Peacock, 2021

Petito-Laundrie trial moved to 2024, hearing set for Roberta’s ‘burn after reading’ letter, thehill.com, J.B. Biunno, 03/16/23

Who is Gabrielle Petito? The New York Times, Ethan Hauser, Maria Cramer, & Michael Levenson, 9/19/2021

If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence or feels trapped in a toxic relationship, call the national domestic violence hotline at:

1-800-799-SAFE

Or text START to 88788

You can donate to the hotline by going to https://www.thehotline.org/hopecantwait/

The Disappearance of Birna Brjánsdóttir

Jill — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 18:59:53 +0000

Confident and carefree, Icelandic woman Birna Brjánsdóttir was just 20-years-old when she disappeared in 2017. Birna grew up in the nearby suburbs, but she was very comfortable in the city of Reykjavik. It’s known as a safe place to be, even for a young woman in the dark of night. The main street was busy and well-lit, with bright storefront windows and lampposts on every corner.

Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Birna Brjánsdóttir. After finishing work on Friday, January 13, 2017, Birna played cards with friends in a pub. At midnight, when the parties were getting started, they went dancing at a popular club. But when Birna’s friends decided to go home at 2am, Birna stayed behind. When she didn’t show up for work on Saturday and her phone was off, Birna’s mother and friends knew immediately that something was terribly wrong.

CCTV footage

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

I Am Birna: Iceland Mourns Murdered Woman, CNN.com, Fréttatíminn, Iceland, Thora Tomasdottir, 2/3/2017

Key Witness Tells a Very Different Story in Birna Murder Trial, Iceland Monitor, 8/21/2017

A Murder Shocks Iceland and Dents Women’s Sense of Safety, BBC News, Anna Margret Bjornsson. 1/28/2017

The Murder of Birna Brjánsdóttir: The Case that gripped Iceland and the World, The Reykjavik Grapevine, Paul Fontaine, 2/7/2017

The Murder That Shook Iceland-Birna Brjánsdóttir, The Guardian, Xan Rice, 4/12/2018

Rare Icelandic Murder of Young Woman Leaves Country Devastated, The Independent, May Bulman, 2/7/2017

Young Local Woman Missing Since Saturday: Have You Seen her? Iceland Magazine, 1/16/2017

This episode is sponsored by Magic Mind!
Go to magicmind.com/brewery and use code brewery20. That’s 56% off your subscription for the next 10 days with code brewery20. It also works if you’re already a subscriber—you save on your next subscription payment!

This episode is sponsored by Factor!
Head to FACTORMEALS.com/tcb50 and use code tcb50 to get 50% off. That’s code tcb50 at FACTORMEALS.com/tcb50 to get 50% off!

Out of Wedlock

Jill — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 01:51:15 +0000

Rachel Hatfield was in a 14-year relationship with a struggling artist named Tim when she met her future husband, Todd Winkler. Todd couldn’t be much more different than Tim. He was a former F-16 fighter pilot with a big corporate job, a house, and even his own plane. When Tim heard about Todd, he hurried to propose to Rachel. But it was too late. Rachel had made up her mind to marry Todd within weeks of meeting him. She would be his third wife and the second one to suffer a violent and sudden death.

Join us at the quiet end for Out of Wedlock. Rachel had high hopes for a happy marriage and a family of her own. But after having three children together, the Winkler’s’ marriage was in trouble. Rachel fell in love with another man and asked Todd for a divorce. But Todd was having none of it. Then, on February 27, 2012, a neighbor received a call from Todd explaining that there had been a domestic violence incident at his house. And Rachel was dead.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Deadly Twist, Dateline NBC, E23 S31, 3/20/2015

Edge of Reason, American Monster, S4 E9, 10/27/2019

The People v. Todd Alan Winkler, In the Court of Appeal of the State of California Third Appellate Disctrict, 11/20/2020

Prosecutor points to gruesome evidence as Winkler murder case goes to jury, The Sacramento Bee, Peter Hecht, 3/21/2015

The Two Faces of Todd Winkler, 48 Hours, CBS, S28 E11, 12/13/2014

4 Bruises

Jill — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:31:13 +0000

29-year-old attorney Anna-Jane Cheney was looking forward to her wedding in March of 1994. But just a few weeks before she was to walk down the aisle, she was found dead in her Adelaide home.

Join us at the quiet end for 4 Bruises. At around 7:30pm on March 18, Anna went to the home of her best friend and sister-in-law, Susan, to walk their dogs together. Although she had been drinking earlier that evening, she did not appear to Susan to be intoxicated. But just two hours later, Anna’s fiancé, Henry, called an ambulance to their home. Henry told first responders that he had found Anna unconscious in the bathtub. Crying over the body of his beautiful bride-to-be, his story was believed. Until it wasn’t.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Horrifying scandal of forensic doctor never qualified to be one, Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, 60 Minutes Australia.2/22/2023

How to fix Australia’s biggest legal scandal, Wrongful Convictions Report, 7/29/2020, https://wrongfulconvictionsreport.org/2023/02/02/malpractice-incompetence-and-lies-the-manock-curse-part-1/

Reasonable Doubt, 60 Minutes Australia, 2011

Unmaking a Murder by Graham Archer, 2017

A Witness of Fact by Drew Rooke, 2022

Henry & Anna-Jane

The Last Seduction

Jill — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 02:20:18 +0000

Jeff Wright was always looking for a good time. When he met his future wife, Susan, he thought she would be a good time. But then things between the two became something more than just fun. Susan became pregnant, they married, and they moved into a house in the suburbs of Houston. But it was not happily ever after—not even close.

Join us at the quiet end for The Last Seduction. After stabbing her husband to death in 2003, Susan Wright claimed that she had acted in self-defense after years of abuse. But prosecutors argued that Susan had never reported any abuse to the police and that she had plotted and carried out Jeff’s murder in cold blood. At Susan’s trial, prosecutor Kelly Siegler described Susan as a calculating wife who seduced her husband into bed, tied him up, stabbed him 193 times, and buried his mutilated body in their backyard to collect on his life insurance. Susan’s only chance at convincing the jury of her innocence was for her to testify in her own defense. But was her testimony enough to overcome the brutal details of what she had done?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

193, Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth, 2/2010

A Wife’s Revenge by Eric Francis, 2005

Betting Her Life, 48 Hours Mystery, 5/15/2010

The Blue-Eyed Butcher TV Movie, Lifetime.com, 2012

Blue-eyed Butcher’: Texas woman who stabbed husband 193 times in 2003 released on parole, Crystal Bonvillian, Fox13 Houston, 1/5/2021

Susan Wright released from prison after serving 16 years for stabbing husband 193 times, ABC13 Houston, Jessica Willey, 12/31/2020

The Disappearance of Stephanie Kupchynsky

Jill — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 02:15:32 +0000

27-year-old music teacher Stephanie Kupchynsky disappeared from a Rochester, New York, suburb in 1991. Stephanie grew up in New Jersey and had taught on Martha’s Vineyard. She was scheduled to attend a music conference in New Jersey that was organized by her father, also a music teacher, when she disappeared. Soon afterwards, her car was found abandoned at the airport.

Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Stephanie Kupchynsky. Stephanie was an energetic, joyful person who was working to move forward from a life complicated by abuse and depression. She had recently escaped an abusive relationship and she was in love with a new boyfriend. She was looking forward to the future more than she had in a long time. But Stephanie didn’t show up for the music conference and she wasn’t answering her boyfriend’s calls. She was gone, seemingly without a trace.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Catch the Sparrow by Rachael Rear

Confessed killer Ed Laraby dies in prison, Gary Craig, 5/5/2014

The Disappearance of Stephanie Kupchynsky, Dateline Digital, 1/20/2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/the-disappearance-of-stephanie-kupchynsky-160292421640

METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW YORK; Woman Who Vanished In 1991 Is Found Dead, New York Times, The Associated Press, 4/17/1998

New York inmate admits murder of former Martha’s Vineyard teacher, MVTimes, Janet Hefler, 7/25/2012

Down the Wishing Well

Jill — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 01:48:58 +0000

After Jimmy Don Beets’ fishing boat was found abandoned in Lake Athens, Texas, the locals speculated that he had accidentally drowned. But two years later, his body was found buried in a wishing well on his own property. And, shockingly, another missing man was discovered entombed on the same property. These two men had one thing in common—Betty Lou Beets.

Join us at the quiet end for Down the Wishing Well. The story of the life of Betty Lou Beets has a continuous thread of hardship and dysfunction running through it that most of us cannot imagine. But does a difficult past excuse dishonest, cruel, and violent behavior? Even Betty’s children, who survived years with her, would be shocked by her hard-heartedness.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Application for Reprieve from Execution of Death Sentence and Commutation of Sentence to Imprisonment for Life, State of Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Betty Lou Beets Applicant, www.capitalclemency.org/file/1_beets_bettylou.pdf

Beets v State, Betty Lou BEETS, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee, Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, En Banc. 11/12/1987

Buried Memories by Irene Pence

Texas Executes Betty Lou Beets, cbsnews.com, 2/24/2000

Blood Atonement

Jill — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 02:28:51 +0000

In its immediate aftermath, the 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter had their community asking “why?” But once the investigation was under way, law enforcement began to look closely at the family Brenda Lafferty had married into. Brenda was a devout Mormon, but she disagreed with the extreme religious beliefs of her brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who had embraced fundamentalist views and were excommunicated from the LDS church.

Join us at the quiet end for Blood Atonement. Brenda has been described as a young woman who was dedicated to her husband Allen, her daughter, and the church. But Brenda had been raised in a much more liberal Mormon family and she wasn’t afraid to openly disagree with her in-law’s fundamentalist views, which included polygamy. Following their excommunication, Dan and Ron Lafferty had become more and more fanatical in their beliefs. And they blamed Brenda when Allen refused to join them.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Band of Brothers, American Monster, Investigation Discovery, S3, E5

Exclusive: The Real Brenda Lafferty is lost in ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ series, Deseret News, Katie McKellar, 5/11/2022

Killer Dan Lafferty says his ideas influenced Strack family suicide, Chris Jones, 1/30/2015

Meet The Real Lafferty Family From Under the Banner of Heaven, Bustle, Morgan Leigh Davies, 4/30/2022

State v. Lafferty, Utah Supreme Court, 2/23/2001

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, 2003

Under the Banner of Heaven, Hulu miniseries, 4/28/2022

Why Brenda Lafferty Was Murdered by Her Husband’s Fundamentalist Family, A&E Blog, Jacquelyn Gray. 2/23/2023

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp.
● Visit BetterHelp.com/brewery today to get 10% off your first month.
● That’s betterhelp.com/brewery

A Body in the Closet

Jill — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 01:52:19 +0000

The ostensibly charmed marriage of Kelley and Jim Cannon became something like a bad lifetime movie after years of drug addiction and domestic disturbances. Judging from outward appearances, the two were a successful and happy couple raising a young family. Jim was a law school graduate and a well-liked businessman. Kelley was a housewife and mother of three, remembered by her old classmates as a good student and a popular cheerleader. But then, one night in 2008, Jim’s dead body was found inside of a bedroom closet in their Nashville home.

Join us at the quiet end for A Body in the Closet. When Jim was found dead, his three children were missing. Police found Kelley Cannon in a nearby condo with the children. She explained that Jim had called her, acting crazy, and asked her to take care of the kids. But an injunction had prevented Kelley from entering the family’s home, so was she telling the truth or was Kelley somehow responsible for her estranged husband’s death?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Green Hills Mom Who Strangled Husband in 2008 Asks for New Trial, WKRN.com, Sarah Denson, 3/30/2015

House of Lies by Linda Rosencrance

Kelley Elizabeth Cannon v. State of Tennessee, Criminal Court for Davidson County, 3/21/2017

State of Tennessee v. Kelley Elizabeth Cannon, Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee at Nashville, 10/18/2011

Who Killed Jim Cannon? Nashville Scene, Elizabeth Ulrich, 7/3/2008

The Widow Speaks, Nashville Scene, Elizabeth Ulrich, 7/10/2008

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Find more balance, with BetterHelp.
● Visit BetterHelp.com/brewery today to get 10% off your first month.
● That’s betterhelp.com/brewery

The Rainbow Girls Murders

Jill — Tue, 30 May 2023 01:22:00 +0000

Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero were hitchhiking on their way to the Rainbow Family Gathering in June, 1980, when they disappeared. This was an annual gathering of hippies and free-thinking people where they would celebrate harmony, peace, and freedom at Monongahela National Forest. But after the two young women accepted a ride from a quiet young man driving a Chevy Nova, they were never seen alive again.

Join us at the quiet end for The Rainbow Girls Murders. Someone murdered Nancy and Vicki in cold blood, leaving their bodies to be found on a remote mountainside. But twelve years into the investigation, an innocent man was charged and convicted of their killings. This man would spend years in prison before the real killer could be brought to justice. Today, we’ll talk about this fascinating case and discuss why the wrong man was sent to prison and a cold-blooded killer was left free to kill again.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Man who confessed to ‘Rainbow Murders’ is executed, The Associated Press, 11/19/2013

Life Without Mercy by Ralph Kennedy Echols

The Third Rainbow Girl by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Dissecting Dr. Death: Christopher Duntsch

Jill — Tue, 16 May 2023 02:14:23 +0000

Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch had little in his background to predict the trail of surgical atrocities he would commit in his short-lived career. Before he was finally stopped, Duntsch had caused serious neurological injuries to most of his patients and killed two of them. In fact, of the 38 surgeries he performed, 33 were catastrophic.

Join us at the quiet end for Dissecting Dr. Death. After his residency in Tennessee, Christopher Duntsch moved to Dallas to start his neurosurgery practice. Despite rumors that he had been using cocaine, LSD, and prescription opiates while in training, he had excellent references. Once he began performing surgeries in Dallas, Duntsch was immediately recognized as incompetent by other surgeons and OR staff. And, with no indication that he would stop or seek out additional training, it became obvious that he was intentionally harming his patients. But the big question is why?

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Anatomy of a Tragedy, Texas Observer, Saul Elbein, 8/28/2013

Christopher Daniel Duntsch v. The State of Texas, 12/10/2018

Christopher Duntsch: A Review of Clinicide, Journal of Forensic Psychology, Robert Kaplan, 11/1/2021

Dr. Death, D Magazine, Matt Goodman, 10/24/2016

The State of Texas v. Christopher Duntsch, Indictments, 7/21/2015

Murder Mystery on Swann Street

Jill — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 14:46:52 +0000

After a 911 call came in late at night on August 2, 2006, paramedics were dispatched to a high-end Washington D.C. townhouse. Inside, the home was very neat with expensive electronics and other valuables in plain sight. On the second floor, 32-year-old attorney Robert Wone was found lying flat on his back in a t-shirt and gym shorts. He had three stab wounds to his torso. Mr. Wone was a houseguest that night and the three permanent residents claimed to have no idea who had stabbed him. But the home had absolutely no signs of forced entry or a burglary.

Join us at the quiet end for Murder Mystery on Swann Street. From the time they arrived, police officers and paramedics were struck by the incongruous scene. All three residents of the home were together in the living room, freshly showered and wearing crisp, white robes. The bed where Mr. Wone was found appeared strikingly undisturbed. And, despite having suffered three deep knife wounds, there was very little blood on Mr. Wone or the bedding. The lack of an intruder, the physical evidence, and the bizarre behavior of home’s residents has created an extraordinary mystery surrounding Robert Wone’s death—a mystery that still endures today.

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Cover-Up Alleged in D.C. Killing of Lawyer, The Washington Post, Duggan, P., Williamas, C., 1/11/2008

Police Say Crime Scene was Altered in NW Killing, The Washington Post, Klein, A., Cauvin, H., 8/16/2006

Robert Wone: Life, Death, and Love, Washingtonian, Harry Jaffe, 4/20/2010

United States v. Joseph R. Price, Victor J. Zaborsky, and Dylan M. Ward, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, 6/29/2010

Who Killed Robert Wone?, Peacock Documentary Series, 3/7/2023

Eye to Eye

Jill — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 02:16:56 +0000

As far back as Brian Stidham could remember, he wanted to be a doctor and work with children. As an exceptional student, he graduated from Harvard Medical School. Then he began his residency in pediatric ophthalmology. Eventually, Brian married, had two children, and moved to Tucson, Arizona. As one of very few specialists in the area, he was in high demand. But as Brian’s star was rising, his life would be taken by a man whose own life was crashing and burning.

Join us at the quiet end for Eye to Eye: The Murder of Dr. Brian Stidham. While working at a practice with ophthalmologist Bradley Schwartz, Brian noticed that the doctor was behaving erratically. After Schwartz was indicted on drug charges, Brian made plans to open his own practice. But Schwartz was infuriated when his patients went to Brian. And Brad Schwartz was not the forgiving type.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

An Eye for an Eye, 48 Hours, 7/8/2008

Murder Conspiracy Case Grabs Media Glare, American Medical News, 7/10/2006

Office Visit, Forensic Files, 5/17/2018

Toxic Rage by AJ Flick

Tucson Citizen Archives, 2005-2014

Tucson Weekly Archives, 2005-2006

One Last Family Weekend

Jill — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 02:41:35 +0000

Diane Whitmore grew up in the Midwest. She was a smart girl and, as she matured, she was looking forward to an exciting life as an independent, sophisticated woman. But when it came to men, Diane had a bad picker. Diane married Joe Pikul after meeting him at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He was exciting to her: wealthy and outgoing but emotionally unstable with a terrible temper. By the time the couple had children, they were fighting regularly. Joe’s behavior had progressed from emotionally to physically abusive.

Join us at the quiet end for One Last Family Weekend. Diane’s friends feared for her safety, so they were all relieved when she finally decided to leave Joe. But, at the same time, they worried about Diane taking unnecessary risks. Her brave exterior could no longer cover up how frightened she had become of her husband. Joe asked Diane to meet him at their vacation home in the Hamptons for one last family weekend. She knew this was a bad idea, but she felt obligated to go for the sake of her children. This was a decision she wouldn’t live long enough to regret.

Support the show for ad-free, early, bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

4 Years After His Death, Pikul Poses Problems for Offspring, New York Times, Joan Ullman, 9/19/1993

Marrying the Hangman by Sheila Weller

Matter of Pikul, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 8/5/1993

Mystery in the Hamptons, Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege, & Justice, S1 E6

Wife Killer Dies While He Waits for Prison Term, New York Times, James Feron, 6/23/1989

Joseph Pikul

Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/XXXX.
Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show!

Conspiracy: The Murder-for-Hire of Dan Markel

Jill — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 02:02:00 +0000

On July 18, 2014, 41-year-old law professor Dan Markel dropped off his two young sons at preschool, worked out at the gym, and returned home to his quiet Tallahassee, Florida home. It was a Friday and Dan was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. But as soon as he pulled into his garage, someone shot him at point-blank range.

Join us at the quiet end for Conspiracy: The Murder-for-Hire of Dan Markel. This is a story of a divorce and custody battle spun out of control and a family hell-bent on revenge. The investigation into Dan’s murder went on for two years before two career criminals were arrested for driving 10 hours from Miami to stalk and kill Dan. They had no known connection to Dan, but Dan’s ex-wife had family in the Miami area. The family hated Dan, who was getting in the way of Wendi and her children moving closer to them. It was difficult to believe that the Adelsons were behind a murder-for-hire plot, but no one else had a motive to want Dan dead.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

20/20, Over My Dead Body, S42, E3

Dateline, Cold-Blooded, 2020

Extreme Punishment by Steven B. Epstein

Katherine Magbanua v. State of Florida, Petition for Writ of Certiorari, First District Court of Appeal, 5/31/2019

Magbanua, Garcia, and Charles Adelson Court Appearance Video Footage, Law & Crime Network, 2016-2023

Probable Cause First Degree Murder, Charlie Adelson, 9/9/2016

State of Florida v. Charles “Charlie” Adelson, Written Plea of Not Guilty and Demand for Discovery, 4/26/2022

The Unveiling: A Mother’s Reflection on Murder, Grief, and Trial Life by Ruth Markel

Never Seen Again: Jana Carpenter Koklich

Jill — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 05:09:07 +0000

Jana and Bruce Koklich were the ideal couple in many ways. Jana was a smart and attractive woman whose father had been an influential California state senator. Bruce was her dedicated, hard-working, and charming husband. Together, they ran a successful California real estate business and owned several valuable properties. But after going to an Eric Clapton concert with a friend in August of 2001, Jana disappeared.

Join us at the quiet end for Never Seen Again. Bruce Koklich, as Jana’s concerned husband, appeared on the news and pleaded for her to return home safely. But some friends and family members felt like something was off. Bruce’s business and personal choices were scrutinized, leading some to suspect that he was involved in his wife’s disappearance. But Jana had not been with Bruce on the night she disappeared, so was it possible that she had left her husband to start a new life or had she been a target of foul play?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

The Charley Project, Jana Carpenter Koklich, https://charleyproject.org/case/jana-carpenter-koklich

Los Angeles Times Archives 2002-2008

Monstrous Arrogance, University at Albany Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Cynthia Lewis, 2008

People v. Koklich, California Court of Appeal, 5/1/2006

Vanished by Carlton Smith

Fugitive Father

Jill — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 02:57:54 +0000

Back on July 2, 1970, tourists visiting Loch Ard Gorge, Australia, found a crashed car teetering on the edge of an oceanside cliff. It looked like the car could plunge into the water at any moment. After investigators were called to the scene, the mystery grew deeper. The car’s license plate was traced to a family living over 100 miles away.

Once the car was towed from the cliff’s edge, the inside was inspected. Investigators were horrified to find four dead bodies, including three young children. The back seat of the car had been removed and someone had attached a hose leading from the tailpipe to the front window, suggesting suicide. This find sent waves of grief and confusion throughout Australia. There were so many questions and very few answers.

Join us at the quiet end for Fugitive Father, a dialogue about a terrible crime which has become an enduring mystery. The victims in the car were identified as members of the Crawford family from 136 Cardinal Road, but the father was missing. It seemed possible that Elmer Crawford had been thrown from the vehicle, until witnesses came forward to say that they had seen Elmer after the car was found.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Almost Perfect: The True Story of the Brutal, Unsolved Crawford Family Murders, Greg Fogarty, 2010

Crawford Executed, Bashed Family, Heraldsun.com.au, 2/10/2008

The Crawford Family, Felon S1 E1, 3/10/2020

Killer Crawford Still Haunts Ex-Cop, The Standard (Warrnambool), 7/13/2010

Precise Detailed Detection of Faces and Facial Features, IEEE Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Ding, L., Martinez, A. 2008

The Crawford Children: Katherine, James, & Karen

Who Killed Kaitlyn?

Jill — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 03:49:25 +0000

After 18-year-old Kaitlyn Arquette was murdered in 1989, the Albuquerque police department believed it was a random act of violence. But as details were released, possible motives for her murder came to light.

Join us at the quiet end for Who Killed Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn had argued with her boyfriend on the night she was killed. She also had knowledge of a gang-related insurance scheme. But despite her family’s efforts and an extensive police investigation, Kaitlyn’s case went cold. Until early last year, when a suspect was indicted.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Albuquerque Journal Archives 1988-2022

Kaitlyn Arquette Website https://kaitarquette.arquettes.com/

One to the Wolves by Lois Duncan

Paul Apodaca indicted for high profile murder of Kaitlyn Arquette, KOAT7, Laflin, Nancy, 2/23/2022

Who Killed My Daughter? by Lois Duncan

The Arquette family: Kerry and Brett (back row), Don with Donnie, and Lois with Kaitlyn and Robin (front row).

Sweet Talker

Jill — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 03:59:53 +0000

Registered Nurse Julie Keown had goals for her life: start a family, purchase a home, advance in her career. She just needed to stay the course while her husband completed his MBA at Harvard and they would be all set. But sadly, Julie’s life was cruelly cut short and she didn’t live to see the future which she had worked and planned for all her life.

Join us at the quiet end for Sweet Talker. Julie and her husband James moved from Missouri to Massachusetts after James was accepted into Harvard Business School’s MBA program. Julie was able to work from home setting up hospitals with medical software and she believed that their finances were on the upswing. But James had secrets. He was fired from his job for lying, he had racked up thousands in credit card debt, his car was repossessed, and there were issues with his education. From all angles, James’ life was falling apart. We’ll never know how much Julie knew about James’ lies, but we do know how far he was willing to go to save himself from financial and social ruin.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Commonwealth v. James Keown, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, 10/23/2017

Death by Deception, Dateline, 1/9/2009

Lie After Lie by Lara Bricker, 2010

Man Guilty of Killing Wife with Antifreeze, CBS News, 7/2/2008

Julie & James

A Killer at the Door

Jill — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 01:38:13 +0000

McKay Everett was the adored only child of Paulette and Carl Everett. The tight-knit family of three lived a comfortable life in an upscale subdivision in Conroe, Texas, a town just a few miles north of Houston. Crime was uncommon in the Everett’s neighborhood, but they still took precautions, including the installation of a home security system.

Join us at the quiet end for A Killer at the Door: The Abduction and Murder of McKay Everett. At 12-years-old, McKay knew all about stranger danger. But kidnapping by a complete stranger is rare. And one of the rarest murders of all is a murder committed in the course of a kidnapping. In this case, McKay had been taken from his home by someone he knew, someone who had lured McKay’s parents out of their home to get them out of the way. So, how did McKay know his killer and what was the motive behind this inconceivable betrayal?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Deadly Betrayal: The Kidnapping and Murder of McKay Everett by Paulette Everett-Norman, J.M. Marquart, and J.L. Mullings, Texas Review Press, 2007

Execution Report Hilton Crawford, Texas Execution Information Center

Hilton Crawford Executed for 1995 killing of Montgomery County Boy, The Huntsville Item, B. Lacy, 7/2/2003

Houston Chronicle Archives, 1995-2003

The Samuel McKay Everett Foundation Website, https://www.protectingchildren.com/

‘Uncle Hilty’ Returns to Huntsville, The Huntsville Item, B. Lacy, 6/30/2003

The Body in Belknap Creek

Jill — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 04:48:51 +0000

Heather Rich was only 16-years-old when she was brutally victimized by people she knew and trusted. A petite and pretty girl with translucent gray-blue eyes, Heather liked to laugh and she enjoyed the attention of her peers. But adolescence is not everything that they make it out to be in the movies. As a cheerleader and a nominee for homecoming queen, Heather was also a troubled girl who was testing her own limits.

Join us at the quiet end for The Body in Belknap Creek. It’s true that Heather made a poor decision when she snuck out of her home on October 3, 1996, but the decisions made by her killers were careless, cruel, and just plain evil. When Heather was reported missing, the police dismissed her as a runaway who would return home in a day or two. But her parents knew better. The search for Heather would last one week, but it took much longer for investigators to reveal the shocking truth of what happened to her on the night of October 3^rd.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

A Bend in the River, Texas Monthly, Pamela Colloff, 7/2002

Killer Homecoming King’s Parole, Dallas Morning News, Darrell Franklin, 11/20/2014

Monsters Among Friends, Shadow of Doubt, S1 E1, Discovery +

A Murder Before Homecoming, American Justice, S12 E6, A&E

The Oklahoman Archives, 1996-2002

A Question of Mercy, Texas Monthly, Pamela Colloff, 3/2014

Tangle of Guilt and Repentance Follows Slaying of Cheerleader, Los Angeles Times, Mike Cochran, 5/31/1998

From Missing to Murdered: Arlene Fraser

Jill — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 03:38:56 +0000

The disappearance of Scottish mother-of-two Arlene Fraser in April of 1998 alarmed her loved ones and set off rumors and theories throughout her community. After all, she’d waved goodbye to her children as they went off to school one morning and was never seen again. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. But, of course, she hadn’t.

Join us at the quiet end for From Missing to Murdered: Arlene Fraser. When Arlene didn’t return home, her husband Nat told everyone that she had been drinking to excess, using drugs, and sleeping around. Therefore, she must have run off with one of her lovers. Some believed him, but those familiar with Arlene and her husband’s relationship didn’t. Then things became complicated. It came to light that Arlene had recently visited a solicitor about divorcing her husband. But Nat had an ironclad alibi. Had Arlene been unhappy enough to leave behind her children and start over somewhere else or had Nat hired someone to make her disappear? Let’s discuss!

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

BBC News Archives 1998-2013

Death in a Cold Town by Steve MacGregor

Meet, Marry, Murder, FilmRise Television, S1 E17

Murdered or Missing, The Arlene Fraser Case: Riddle of the Rings, Daily Record, Glasgow, Scotland 4/25/2005

The Murder Trial, Channel 4 UK, Documentary, 7/2013

The Staton Jewelry Store Slayings

Jill — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 03:14:02 +0000

Rick Anderson and his girlfriend Chantina Ginn were carnies, following a travelling carnival from Kansas to Arkansas in September of 1980. At the campground where the two slept, they met another couple. The two men, strung out on uppers and looking for cash, made plans to rob a jewelry store. Of course, their intended victims had no idea of what was coming.

Join us at the quiet end for The Staton Jewelry Store Slayings. Kenneth Staton opened his family store for the last time on September 10. His youngest daughter, Suzanne, was working with him that day. It wasn’t until that evening, when Suzanne and Kenneth didn’t show up for dinner and no one answered the store’s phone, that the rest of the Staton family realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Anderson v. State, Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1/17/1983

Arkansas Democrat Gazette Archives, 1980-1993

Arkansas Execution For 1980 Double Murder, The New York Times, 8/7/1997

Closing Time by Anita Paddock

Perry v. State, Supreme Court of Arkansas, 11/15/1982

The Amish Stud: Eli Weaver

Jill — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 04:43:02 +0000

Barbara Weaver was raised in a strict Amish community where she learned to be caring and obedient. She knew her future husband, Eli Weaver, from childhood. They courted according to their church rules. But after marriage, Eli did not live up to the expectations of a devoted husband. He left the community more than once and was repeatedly unfaithful, making life miserable for Barbara.

Join us at the quiet end for The Amish Stud. In 2009, Barbara Weaver was living in a marriage with her five young children and a callous man. But in the Amish community, divorce is virtually unheard of. As Barbara tried to hold it all together, Eli became abusive. He had several girlfriends and broke the Amish rules by using computers, cell phones, and even online dating apps. But Eli’s behavior was not only hurtful and dismissive, it put a target on Barbara’s back.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Hidden in Plain Sight: Domestic and sexual abuse in Amish, Mennonite communities, Lancaster Online, L. Espenshade and L. Alexander, 7/12/2004

A Killing in Amish Country by Rebecca Morris and Gregg Olsen

Snapped: Killer Couples, S15 Ep3

State of Ohio v. Barbara A, Raber, Appeal from Judgement, Ninth Judicial District, 8/30/2010

Despicable She: The Plot to Kill Bruce Cleland

Jill — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 02:49:10 +0000

Bruce Cleland was a shy, intelligent man who, at age 41, had very little experience with women. Rebecca Salcedo was younger, extremely manipulative, and very experienced with men. When the two came together as a couple, it was a complete disaster. Bruce adored Rebecca and would do anything to please her. Unfortunately, there was no pleasing Rebecca.

Join us at the quiet end for Despicable She: The Plot to Kill Bruce Cleland. After winning Bruce’s love, Rebecca began making demands. An opulent home, no sex before marriage, a Mercedes, a boat, an unlimited line of credit, and the wedding of her dreams. As an engineer who had always been frugal, Bruce was able to provide everything. Sadly, no matter how much he gave to her, Rebecca was unfaithful, dismissive, and cruel. But Bruce never predicted how far Rebecca would go to get rid of him and to keep his all of his money for herself.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Honeymoon with a Killer by Don Lasseter & Ronald E. Bowers

The People v Rebecca Cleland et al., Court of Appeal of the State of California, Division Seven, Filed 5/27/2003

Snapped: She Made Me Do It, Oxygen True Crime, S1 E1

Wife Allegedly Hired Killer, Faked Carjack, Matea Gold, The Los Angeles Times, 2/18/1998

Dateline Rewatch: The Halloween Party

Jill — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 15:25:16 +0000

In a classic Keith episode of Dateline, a rural Michigan community searches for a young woman last seen at a Halloween party. The party took place on acres of farmland with hard rock bands, plenty of alcohol, and no guest list. 22-year-old Chelsea Bruck went to the party with her girlfriends, but they left without her. She had been so excited about having fun in her homemade Poison Ivy costume, but the party did not go as planned. Alone, crying, and without transportation in a crowd of hundreds of partiers, Chelsea was a vulnerable target for a predator. Join Keith as he leads us through the investigation, finding her killer, and reliving the real horrors of Chelsea Bruck’s last party.

Happy Halloween and be careful out there, kids!

One Lived to Tell: The Victims of Richard Marc Evonitz

Jill — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 02:25:58 +0000

Richard Marc Evonitz had already abducted three girls from their front yards in Virginia before he took 15-year-old Kara Robinson from her friend’s house in South Carolina. Evonitz had a troubling history of criminal sexual behavior, but his friends and neighbors knew him as a good-looking, intelligent, and compassionate person living an ordinary middle-class life. Only his victims, teenage girls who were used to fulfil his twisted sexual fantasies, knew the monster inside of him.

Join us at the quiet end for One Lived to Tell: The Victims of Richard Marc Evonitz. On June 24, 2002, Evonitz imprisoned Kara Robinson in his apartment for 18 hours and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. After Kara managed to escape, Evonitz fled to Florida. In the end, it was Evonitz’s sister who tipped off the police, setting off a high-speed chase which would end his life of cruelty and violence.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “Legally Dead” by Flynn & Lavoie

Sources

End Came with Love, Fear, Horror, Fredricksburg.com, Hall & Pugh, 6/16/2002

Escaping Captivity: The Kara Robinson Story, Oxygen True Crime

Into the Water by Diane Fanning

The Making of a Murderer, Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star, , Hall & Pugh 6/14/2004, ret. 10/8/2022

Three Slain Girls’ Case Closed, The Washington Post, Maria Glod, 8/14/2002

Kara & her sons

Gaslighting

Jill — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 03:32:57 +0000

Vicki Bader’s divorce from her attorney husband Seth Bader was beyond contentious. Alimony and child custody issues persisted well after the break up. Vicki, emotionally fragile and at times suicidal, endured months of harassment and gaslighting by Seth and his toxic accomplices. But when Seth decided to involve their oldest son in his campaign to destroy Vicki, things took an ominous turn.

Join us at the quiet end for Gaslighting: The Extermination of Vicki Bader. Seth Bader was a terrible human being who would stop at nothing to destroy his ex-wife. After getting custody of their children, he withheld alimony payments, had her tires slashed, and even cooked her beloved parakeets in her oven.

More than anyone, the Bader’s oldest son Joey was put in the middle of his parents’ conflicts. Turned against his mother and living in fear of his father, Joey’s life would be upended by his own actions, done on behalf of Seth Bader. The plot to kill Vicki Bader included several people who either hated her or expected financial gain after her death. But sadly, Vicki never imagined that people could be so heartless as her killers were.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “Legally Dead” by Flynn & Lavoie

Sources

Legally Dead by Kevin Flynn & Rebecca Lavoie

Seacoast Online Archives, 1996-2011

Seth Bader v. Warden New Hampshire Prison, United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit, 05/25/ 2007

The State of New Hampshire v. Seth Bader, 9/13/2002

Introducing: The Generation Why Podcast

Jill — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 07:20:45 +0000

The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. Two friends, Aaron & Justin, break down theories and give their opinions on unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries and conspiracies. One of the longest running true crime podcasts out there, Generation Why has a little something […]

The post Introducing: The Generation Why Podcast appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Trophy Wife

Jill — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 02:45:59 +0000

Steven Beard grew up poor in Dallas, Texas. He had ambitions to go to medical school, but he joined the Navy during World War II. After the war, Steven took a job at a department store. He met his first wife, Elise, while working at the store. They had three children together. Hard working, smart, and good with people, Steven worked his way up to become an executive and co-found Austin’s first independent TV station. Steven and his wife, Elise, were a rags to riches success story. But then, Elise died of cancer. After 42-years of being happily married, Steven was lost and despondent.

Join us at the quiet end for Trophy Wife. As a wealthy widow, Steven began spending much of his time at the exclusive Austin Country Club. A 31-year-old waitress there, Celeste Martinez, caught Steve’s eye. He hired Celeste to be his housekeeper. But within a year, the two were married. Unfortunately, Steve was not aware of Celeste’s checkered past or that she was only marrying him for his money. Within months, Celeste was cheating on Steve and stealing from him. But nothing was ever enough for Celeste, who wouldn’t be satisfied until Steve was out of the picture.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “She Wanted it All” by Kathryn Casey

Steve & Celeste

Sources

Betrayed by Her Own Children, Rebecca Leung, CBS.com, 5/12/2003

Celeste: The Celeste Beard Johnson Story by Nancy Hall

She Wanted It All by Kathryn Casey

Snapped: Celeste Beard, S1 E1, 2004

The Waitress & The Millionaire, Power Privilege & Justice, 2003

Dead Woman Walking

Jill — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 03:10:35 +0000

The Story of Debra & Christopher Milke:

Debra Milke was a cute 24-year-old single mother in 1989. She and her 4-year-old son, Christopher, were living with a friend while Debra prepared to move into her own apartment and start a new job. She was excited for what she saw as a fresh start, saving up new clothing and household items for her and Christopher’s new life. But, on December 2^nd, Christopher disappeared.

Join us at the quiet end for Dead Woman Walking. When Debra’s son went missing on a trip to see Santa Claus, she was frantic. Trying to do everything possible to find her son and bring him home safely, Debra readily spoke to the police. But when one detective finished interviewing Debra, he claimed to have a confession. Debra, he said, had had her son murdered to collect on a small life insurance policy. Put on trial for murder and abandoned by most of her family and friends, Debra found herself living a 20-year nightmare which was likely to end with her execution by lethal injection.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

A family photo of Debra & Christopher

Sources

Brain-Damaged Roger Scott May Be Only One Executed in Debra Milke Case, Elizabeth Stuart, 9/30/2015, ret. 8/29/2022

Debra Milke: A Mother’s Story, Folks Documentary, YouTube Video, 9/6/2016

Debra Milke, The National Registry of Exonerations, ret. 8/29/2022

Former Death Row Inmate Debra Milke and Her Lawyers Speak to Press, Fox 10 Phoenix, 3/24/2015

Requiring Interrogations to be Taped, OLR Research report, Kevin E. McCarthy, 12/4/2017

A Stolen Life: The Debra Milke Story by Jana Bommersbach

State of Arizona v. Debra Jean Milke, Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, 1989-2015

In the Cold Light of Day

Jill — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 02:31:11 +0000

The Murder of Alan Helmick

On the morning of June 10, 2008, a robbery was staged in the Colorado home of businessman Alan Helmick. His wife, Miriam, came home to find Alan on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Because Alan had been shot in the back of his head, investigators believed that he had been taken by surprise and executed. But who was Alan’s killer and what was the motive?

Join us at the quiet end for In the Cold Light of Day. After two years of marriage, Miriam and Alan were known to be a happy couple. Miriam had financial issues in her past, but she and Alan had worked out an arrangement where his property was kept in his name and Miriam was given spending money as she needed it. It wasn’t until after his death when it came out that Alan had his own financial issues and that there had likely been previous attempts on his life.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Alan Helmick

Sources

And Then She Killed Him by Robert Scott

A Time to Kill, Three Times to Harm, Investigation Discovery, S4 E13, 11/4/2021

Gone Ballistic, Forensic Files, S14 E16, 4/8/2011

The Last Dance, Dateline NBC, Dennis Murphy, 5/14/2010

Wife Suspected in Second Killing, The Denver Post, Kirk Mitchell, 8/15/2009

A Ticking Time Bomb: Laurie Dann

Jill — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 03:48:19 +0000

On May 20, 1988, 30-year-old Laurie Dann left poisoned snacks and juice boxes at several houses, started a fire that nearly killed a mother and her two children, and sprayed bullets inside of an elementary school classroom. After years of living with a serious mental illness, she had made a plan to hurt everyone she believed had slighted her as well as others who were completely innocent. There had been signs that Laurie a danger to herself and society. In fact, in hindsight, her rampage was entirely predictable.

Join us at the quiet end for A Ticking Time Bomb. Laurie grew up as an awkward child whose parents made perfunctory and misguided efforts at helping her. As an adult, her so-called “quirks” progressed into full-blown psychotic episodes. But for a variety of reasons, Laurie never received the intensive psychiatric treatment she needed, leaving the lives of everyone in her path at risk.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Day of Fury: The Story of the Tragic Shootings That Forever Changed the Village of Winnetka by Joyce Egginton, 1991

The Many Faces of Laurie Dann, Chicago Tribune, George Papajohn, 6/5/1988, ret. 7/28/2022

Murder of Innocence: The Tragic Life and Final Rampage of Laurie Dann by Kaplan, Papajohn, & Zorn, 1991

School Killer Left a Trail of Poison, The Chicago Tribune, Ray Gibson and Linnet , 5/22/1988, ret. 7/14/2022

Winnetka Killer Treated with Psychiatric Drug, Chicago Tribune, 2/13/2007, ret. 7/27/2022

House of Leaves

Jill — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 03:03:18 +0000

On November 10, 2010, in broad daylight, a man broke into the home of Tina Herrmann and her two young children. The attacks, murders, and kidnapping that followed were some of the worst crimes in the history of the state of Ohio.

Matthew Hoffman was known by his neighbors as a bit of an oddball, but this didn’t necessarily mean that he was dangerous. He did have a history of breaking and entering that put him in prison once, but he didn’t appear to be a violent person. Then, in 2010, Hoffman’s odd behavior began to escalate.

Join us at the quiet end for House of Leaves. Tina was a working mother, determined to give her son and daughter a stable, safe, and loving home. Despite not having much money, she had been successful. But Tina had no way of knowing that her home had become the target of the increasingly disturbed Hoffman. When Tina didn’t show up for work on November 11, the scene inside her house pointed to unspeakable violence. And, when the police entered Hoffman’s home, what they saw inside was unlike anything they’d seen before.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Father, stepmother charged with assaulting Knox County kidnap victim, The Columbus Dispatch, by Allison Manning, 5/21/2013

The Girl in the Leaves by Robert Scott

Killer Stuffed His House With Leaves, Kept Kidnapped Girl on Bed of Leaves, ABCNews.com by Jessica Hopper, 2/10/2011, ret. 7/5/2022

The Leaf Killer, Twisted Killers, S1 E5, Oxygen

Man Charged in Deaths of Victims Found in Ohio Tree, BBC News 1/4/2011, ret. 7/7/2022

What was in the home (and mind) of Matthew Hoffman? The Columbus Dispatch 2/9/2011, ret. 7/5/2022

Tina, Kody, & Stephanie

The Westside Park Murders: Kimberly Dowell & Ethan Dixon

Jill — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 03:02:55 +0000

In September 1985, two Muncie, Indiana, teenagers were shot and killed in their car while parked in the popular Westside Park. The murders stunned Muncie families because the victims were well-liked students at Muncie Northside High School. Kimberly Dowell and Ethan Dixon were found late at night by the police officer who was clearing out the park at closing time. Their car was still running, with one window down and the other shattered by gunfire.

Join us at the quiet end for The Westside Park Murders. From the very beginning, investigators were inundated with possible suspects, from family members to serial killers. Suggested motives ranged from a random killing, to a family dispute, to a drug deal gone wrong. Although many leads have been investigated over the years, this remains a cold case and an enduring mystery.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “The Westside Park Murders: Muncie’s Most Notorious Cold Case”

Sources

Muncie crime: 150 years of murders, mysteries, Star Press, by Douglas Walker, 3/20/2015

Probe Centers on Two Cars, Muncie Star, by Diana Newlin, 10/03/1985

Sketch of suspect by an uncredited police department sketch artist, Muncie Evening Press, 10/07/1985

Star Press articles, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2010-2015

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie’s Most Notorious Cold Case, by Keith Roysdon & Douglas Walker, 2021

The Westside Park Murders: Muncie’s Most Notorious Cold Case, Virtual Talk with Keith Roysdon, Muncie Public Library, Interview by Sara McKinley, Local History & Genealogy Supervisor, 3/25/2021

The Abduction of Sandra Cantu

Jill — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 23:40:55 +0000

Sandra Renee Cantu vanished from her Tracy, California, mobile home park in March of 2009, just weeks after her 8^th birthday. It was a Friday afternoon. Sandra left home to play at a friend’s house. She was expected home for dinner, but her mother called the police and reported her missing at 7:53 p.m. Police did not find Sandra that day, but they did locate surveillance camera footage showing the little girl skipping happily toward her home before something caught her eye and she walked off screen.

Join us at the quiet end for The Abduction of Sandra Cantu. The FBI became involved in the search for Sandra early on. Their Behavioral Analysis Unit’s profile for Sandra’s abductor pointed to an adult male between 25 and 45 years old, who knew Sandra, lived in the trailer park, and had a history with sexual assault or child pornography. But the profile was based on statistics alone. With no crime scene, investigators had to rely on Sandra’s family and neighbors for clues. And there was one neighbor who caught their attention, a neighbor who did not fit the profile, but who would soon become the primary suspect in Sandra’s disappearance.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sandra’s Missing Poster

Sources

“Inside Story: Clues to Why Melissa Huckaby Murdered an 8-year-old Girl,” People Magazine, by Howard Brewer, 6/27/2010. Ret. 6/12/2022.

KTLA News Archives 2009-2010

Searching for Sandra by Stacy Dittrich

“Sunday School Teacher Charged with Kidnapping, Murder” Los Angeles Times, by Vives, Ruben, & Rong-Gong II. Ret. 6/5/2022

“Woman, 28, Jailed in Sandra Cantu Slaying,” San Francisco Chronicle, by Kevin Fagan. Ret. 6/8/2022.

“Woman Accused of Raping, Killing Sandra Cantu May Have Drugged Other Girl and a Man,” NYDailyNews.com, 5/22/2009. Ret. 6/8/2022.

Widowed by Choice: Lynn Turner

Jill — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 02:42:52 +0000

In the spring of 1995, 27-year-old Lynn Turner came into the hospital emergency room in Marietta, Georgia, to have a bump on her head looked at. When her husband Glenn heard where she was going, he came along. Glenn had been suffering from stomach pains with vomiting, severe headaches, nosebleeds, and dizziness for days. Lynn didn’t seem especially concerned about her husband, who she said had a stomach bug. When Glenn was seen by a doctor, he was diagnosed with dehydration and admitted for IV fluids. He was just 31-years old and was expected to perk up quickly. But, by the next afternoon, Glenn Turner was dead.

The county medical examiner concluded that Glenn had died of a cardiac arrhythmia. Soon after his funeral, his wife Lynn collected about $200,000 in insurance proceeds and death benefits. Then she moved in with her lover, firefighter Randy Thompson. Six years later, Randy died after suffering from a flu-like illness. His death, too, was attributed to cardiac disease.

Join us at the quiet end for Widowed by Choice. After Randy Thompson’s death, family and friends became suspicious and spoke with police investigators. Lynn’s history of deception, infidelity, and greed led to further inquiries into both Glenn and Randy’s deaths, finally exposing Lynn Turner as a seductive and cold-blooded killer.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Randy & Glenn

Sources

Black Widow by Marion Collins

The Black Widow Killer by Alanna Nash, RD.com, 5/23/2016

Forensic Files, Cold-Hearted, 2007

Marietta Daily Journal Archives 2006-2012

Snapped: Lynn Turner S6, E6

Turner v. State, Supreme Court of Georgia, 2/26/2007

Vixen’s Elixir, Final Witness, 7/18/2012

A Very Bad Year in Port Angeles

Jill — Tue, 31 May 2022 02:48:26 +0000

1998 was a shocking and disturbing year for the residents of Port Angeles, Washington. First, a three-day old infant died at the hands of beloved pediatrician Dr. Eugene Turner. Then, the wife of ER physician Bruce Rowen was found hacked to death inside of her car. But were these two deaths connected?

Join us at the quiet end for A Very Bad Year in Port Angeles. Dr. Eugene Turner was considered saint-like by Port Angeles families. He had delivered at least one-third of the babies born at the Olympic Peninsula Hospital over the past 30-years. He donated to Habitat for Humanity, cut wood for disadvantaged families, and could even be seen picking up trash on the side of Highway 101. Dr. Bruce Rowen was a respected emergency medicine physician with a nice home and a young family. So, what happened in 1998 to turn these two formerly irreproachable men into murder suspects?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Dr. Bruce Rowen & Dr. Eugene Turner

Sources

Bitter Medicine by Carlton Smith

Doctor Insane When He Killed His Wife, Jury Rules, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Rebekah Denn, 10/31/1998

Los Angeles Times Archives 1998-2002

Seattle Times Archives 1998-2006

Wife of a Preacherman: Mary Winkler

Jill — Tue, 17 May 2022 03:00:50 +0000

No one really knows what happens between two people in a marriage. But after events in the home of couple Mary and Matthew Winkler led to a deadly shooting, everyone had an opinion. Mary and Matthew had married young. Matthew was a preacher for the Church of Christ in a small town in Tennessee. Depending on who you’re talking to, Matthew was either a devoted family man or an abusive deviant and Mary was either a long-suffering victim or a repressed and vindictive wife.

Join us at the quiet end for Wife of a Preacherman. In 2006, Mary Winkler became involved in a financial scam. She wrote bad checks and opened a separate bank account without Matthew’s knowledge. Then, just days before Matthew would learn about her banking escapades, he was on their bedroom floor, bleeding to death, while Mary and their three children left town in the family van. This should be an interesting discussion today because Dick and I have some different takes on what happened and if the punishment fit the crime.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Did Preacher’s Wife Get Away with Murder? Mike Celizic, 8/16/2007

Feminism and the Disposable Male, Karen Straughan, https://youtu.be/vp8tToFv-bA

Oprah Interview with Mary Winkler, cnn.com. 9/12/2007, retrieved 4/28/2022 on YouTube

Slain Preacher’s Wife Denies Pulling Trigger, CNN.com, 4/19/2007

Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder by Ann Rule

Snapped: Mary Winkler, S6 E1

The Pastor’s Wife by Diane Fanning

The Preacher’s Wife, Dateline NBC, S19 E8

First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder

Jill — Tue, 03 May 2022 03:00:05 +0000

When Jeanne Dominico woke up on the morning of August 6, 2003, she didn’t expect to die that day. She was a hard-working divorced mom of two teenagers, so every day was a busy one. After working one of her three jobs, Jeanne would go home to fix dinner and clean up the house for her son, Charlie, and her daughter, Nicole. Nothing was more important to Jeanne than her children.

For the past three years or so, 43-year-old Jeanne had been in a loving relationship with a co-worker named Chris McGowen. He got along well with Jeanne’s children and they planned a future together as a family. But in the months leading up to August 6, Jeanne had been having trouble with 14-year-old Charlie, who was hanging with a rough crowd, and 16-year-old Nicole, who had become obsessed with a new boyfriend.

Join us at the quiet end for First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder. It was Chris McGowen who called the police after finding Jeanne unresponsive in her home. Interviews with Chris and Jeanne’s ex-husband were done that evening, but Charlie, Nicole, and Nicole’s boyfriend weren’t immediately found. The police had their suspicions about what had happened to Jeanne, but a confession that night would surprise detectives, devastate family members, and leave their New Hampshire community in shock.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Billy and Nicole

Sources

Because You Loved Me by M. William Phelps

Daughter Sentenced To 40 Years For Mother’s Death, WMUR9, 9/8/2005

Hartford Current Archives, retrieved 4/22/2022

Snapped: Killer Couples, S1 E9, 2013

State of New Hampshire v. Nicole Kasinskas, Bernstein & Mello P.L.L.C., The Telegraph (Nashua, NH), 9/9/2005

State of New Hampshire v. William Joseph Sullivan, The Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 4/18/2008

On the Way to the Bus Stop: The Disappearances of Ashley Pond & Miranda Gaddis

Jill — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 03:10:20 +0000

On a chilly January morning in 2002, 12-year-old Ashley Pond disappeared on her way to her school bus stop in Oregon City, Oregon. Two months after Ashley disappeared, Miranda Gaddis, age 13, also vanished while on her way to the same bus stop. Miranda and Ashley were good friends and they lived in the same apartment complex. They were both friends with Mallori Weaver too, the daughter of local man Ward Weaver III.

Join us at the quiet end for On the Way to the Bus Stop. After Miranda’s disappearance, the FBI put together a task force to search for both girls. While some were holding out hope that they had run away, law enforcement and family members alike soon believed that the girls had been abducted. Ashley’s mom believed that Ward Weaver was responsible. And she had good reason to believe that. Just five months before her disappearance, Ashley had accused Weaver of molesting her. While the two girls were missing, he dug a hole in his yard and covered it with cement. And, as public opinion and law enforcement turned toward him as the primary suspect, Weaver made plans to move out of state. But it wouldn’t be as easy as he thought it would be to escape his demons and his crimes.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Estate of Pond v Oregon, United States District Court, D. Oregon, 6/22/2004

Inmate Charged with Ward Weaver Stabbing, Argus Observer, 7/7/2011

KATU News Oregon Archives, 2002-2016

KOIN News Oregon Archives, 2002-2014

The People v. Ward Francis Weaver, Jr., Superior Court of Kern County, 8/20/2001

The Missing Girls by Linda O’Neal, Philip Tennyson & Rick Watson, 2006

Unlucky Thirteen, Unsolved Mysteries, S13 E48, 9/20/2002

Ward Weaver’s Daughter Acquitted in Alleged Security-Guard Attack, Williamette Week, by James Pitkin, 12/22/2010

What the Private Eye Knew, NBC news, by Keith Morrison, 1/27/2006

The Cheshire Murders

Jill — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 03:05:13 +0000

The day of July 22, 2007 had been a typical Sunday for the Petit family of Cheshire, Connecticut. But on that summer day, a convicted felon out on parole noticed mother Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her 11-year-old daughter, Michaela, shopping at a neighborhood grocery store. Michaela had taken an interest in cooking and she was choosing ingredients for the family dinner she would prepare that night.

After following the mother and daughter home, the convict and another career criminal plotted out a ruthless home invasion for the Petit home. They would return that night, terrorizing the family and leaving all but one family member murdered with their house in flames.

Join us at the quiet end for The Cheshire Murders. The murders of Jennifer and her two daughters Michaela and Hayley occurred after hours of torment and sexual assault. By the time husband and father, Bill Petit, was able to escape to get help, it was too late. This crime left the town of Cheshire shocked and disturbed. After the story made the national news, people were unsettled by these seemingly random acts of evil perpetrated on a family in their own home. Today we’re talking about the horrors endured by the Petit family, Bill Petit’s unimaginable loss, the backgrounds of the killers, and the police response which many have criticized.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Cheshire Connecticut Home Invasion Murders 10 Years Later, USA Today, 7/17/20017

The Cheshire Murders, an HBO documentary

The Cheshire Murders and the Illusion of Safety, Newsweek Magazine, by Alexander Nazaryan, 8/30/2015

Chilling Account in Connecticut Triple-Murder Case, The New York Times, William Glaberson, 9/22/2010

In the Middle of the Night by Brian McDonald

Murder in Connecticut by Michael Benson

Timeline: Deadly Cheshire Home Invasion, The Hartford Currant, by Tina Lender, 7/16/2013

In the Arms of Evil: The Story of Serial Killer Nurse Genene Jones

Jill — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 03:00:54 +0000

Whenever we hear of a case of a healthcare professional purposefully hurting a patient, we feel outraged. When the hurt patients are children, it’s ten times worse. The case of Genene Jones, LVN, is one of the most reprehensible instances of child abuse and murder in recent history. During her time working in a pediatric intensive care unit and then in a pediatric office, Genene was responsible for multiple codes and deaths. But Genene didn’t do it all on her own. If not for the willingness of physicians and hospital administrators to look the other way, she could not have gotten away with it and the children she killed would still be alive.

Join us at the quiet end for In the Arms of Evil. Genene Jones is the deeply disturbed serial killer nurse who was the inspiration for the psychotic nurse in Stephen King’s book and movie Misery. And her actions were definitely in line with the horror genre. Genene Jones actually took pleasure from putting the children in her care at risk and she got a sick thrill from killing them. Her connection to disastrous pediatric outcomes was clear, so why did it take so long for anyone to protect children from her?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “The Death Shift” by Peter Elkind

Sources

The Death Shift: Nurse Genene Jones and the Texas Baby Murders, by Peter Elkind

Former Nurse Indicted in Texas Child Injury Case, The New York Times, November 22, 1983, retrieved March 3, 2022

Nurse Genene Faces Trial in Children’s Hospital Deaths, United Press International, by Teresa Anderson, January 14, 1984, retrieved February 22, 2022

Nursery Crimes, Forensic Files, Season 5, Episode 10

Grand Jury of Bexar County, Texas, True Bill of Indictment, Defendant Genene Jones, June 29, 2017

What She Wanted: The Plot to Kill Jay Orbin

Jill — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 03:55:58 +0000

Jay Orbin lived to be exactly forty-five years old. He was murdered on September 8, 2004, which was his forty-fifth birthday. It was just over a month later when his decomposing torso was found in a Rubbermaid container in the Phoenix desert.

Everyone would agree that Jay had been kind and hard-working. He was a self-made man and a loving father. Unfortunately, he was married to a conniving and cold-hearted woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Jay met his future wife, Marjorie, while she was working at a Phoenix strip club. She was just Jay’s type– a beautiful, blonde, big-breasted, exotic dancer. Soon he was calling her “the love of his life.”

Join us at the quiet end for What She Wanted: The Plot to Kill Jay Orbin. Jay and Marjorie married and eventually had a child together. But Marjorie wasn’t cut out for long-term monogamy. She had multiple extramarital affairs while married to Jay and she soon wanted him out of her way. But leaving him was not an acceptable solution for Marjorie, who wanted to keep all of Jay’s money for herself. So, she decided that murder was the only solution.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “Dancing with Death”

Sources

“Dancing with Death” by Shanna Hogan

Diary of a Showgirl, 48 Hours, November 13, 2010

Inmate Profile with Arizona Department of Corrections, Retrieved February 25, 2022

State v. Orbin, Court of Appeals State of Arizona Division One, November 3, 2011

Jay & Noah Orbin

An Interview with Attorney Joel Schwartz

Jill — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 16:50:49 +0000

Russ Faria was a normal, working guy, in love with his wife, Betsy, when he was framed for her murder. He was convicted and spent years in prison before an acquittal was won by his attorney, Joel Schwartz. This story was enough for a true crime book or an episode of Dateline, but it was just the beginning. It turns out that the person responsible for framing Russ and brutally murdering Betsy was her “friend” Pam Hupp, who is now in prison for another murder.

Join us at the quiet end today for this bonus episode, an interview with defense attorney Joel Schwartz. We recommend that you listen to our November 2021 episode on this case titled “Pam’s Path to Prison” before listening to this interview. After listening, we recommend that you read Joel’s book “Bone Deep” about this case and his work in getting Russ Faria out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit. You can find the book on Joel’s website https://joeljschwartz.com/ along with more information on the case!

Read “Bone Deep”

A Murder in the Lowcountry: Solving the Cold Case of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle

Jill — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 04:23:12 +0000

On May 27, 1978, a crime took place in the Lowcountry town of Walterboro, South Carolina, that created a cloud of fear and sadness over everyone who lived there. Hometown girl, twenty-six-year-old Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle, was attacked in her home, sexually assaulted and brutally murdered.

That Saturday evening, Elaine had babysat for friends, arriving at their home at about 6:45 p.m. She was happy and excited over her plans to visit with her mom and dad the next day and celebrate her mom’s birthday. At 11:15 p.m., Elaine headed home from babysitting. Hours later, when her roommate came home, she was met by a shocking and bloody scene.

Join us at the quiet end for A Murder in Lowcountry. For decades, evidence remained in storage at the Walterboro Police Department. Elaine’s murder was a cold case for thirty-seven years. But then, in May 2015, with advancements in DNA and fingerprint technology, investigators were able to solve the case in just four months.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle” by Ret. Special Agent Lt. Rita Shuler

Sources

Interview with Rita Shuler, Author of The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle, https://wordlifeeditorial.com/2021/05/19/interview-with-rita-shuler-author-of-the-lowcountry-murder-of-gwendolyn-elaine-fogle/

The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle: A Cold Case Solved, by Lt. Rita Y. Shuler

Twisted Justice, On the Case with Paula Zahn, Nov. 24, 2019

the fire poker

Blinded: The Plot to Kill John & Susan Sutton

Jill — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 04:01:47 +0000

After sharing a celebratory birthday dinner with her family, 57-year-old Susan Sutton and her husband John were attacked in their home by a masked gunman. Because credit cards, jewelry, and cash were found out in the open and undisturbed, investigators believed early on that this was an inside job.

John Sutton was a successful civil attorney who had made some enemies over the years. Susan was loved by everyone, or at least that what’s most people believed. But when investigators learned that Susan had been involved in an extramarital romance with John’s business partner, they thought they may have found a suspect with a strong motive for the crime. When the business partner failed a polygraph, suspicions against him grew.

Join us at the quiet end for Blinded. The plot to kill John and Susan Sutton seemed to be well-planned and professionally carried out, possibly a case of murder-for hire. But who was behind it? The case seemed like it might never be solved, until the murder weapon turned up on a man with long-standing connections to the Sutton family.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Quality of Life Interview with John Sutton, Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar

Secrets, Lies, & Alibis, 48 Hours Mystery, 11/20/2010

The Unlikliest Suspect, Deadline Crime With Tamron Hall, S1, E5

World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, http://wwaspsurvivors.com/, Paradise Cove, Ret. 01/28/2022

One Day at a Time: The Disappearance of Edith “Pen” Meyer

Jill — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 04:29:44 +0000

Edith Meyer was born on Independence Day and soon went by the nickname “Pen.” It suited her, because Pen was her own person. At age 55, Pen was living her best life in the small town of Goshen, New Hampshire. She was a recovering alcoholic and known for her helpfulness and compassion towards others in the program.

Join us at the quiet end for One Day at a Time. Sadly, it was Pen’s concern for others and her willingness to go out of her way for a friend that led to her untimely death. Over many years of giving council to her friends in Alcoholics Anonymous, she was bound to gain some enemies. But Pen would not let that dissuade her from doing what she saw as the right thing. She had an innate sense of right and wrong and a deeply held respect for life, something her killer lacked.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Lowell Sun Archives 2005-2019

Notes on a Killing by Kevin Flynn & Rebecca Lavoie

The Boston Globe archives 2006-2009

The Incestuous Wife: Candace Mossler

Jill — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 01:27:29 +0000

Candace Mossler was a well-known socialite in Houston, Texas, in the 1960s. She was charming and attractive in a Marilyn Monroe type of way, with a voluptuous figure, an easy smile, and a soft, breathy voice, much like the late actress. She was a woman who could have anything she wanted, until what she wanted threatened to end her lavish lifestyle.

Candice lived in a three-story mansion in one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods, purchased by her much older, wealthy financier husband, Jacques Mossler. While Candace loved parties and hosting charity events with famous performers and the Houston elite, Jacques preferred to work. He spent much of his time in Miami, where much of his business was done.

Join us at the quiet end for The Incestuous Wife. Candace and the Mossler’s six children were visiting Jacques in Miami when she went to the hospital for one of her frequent migraines. She took the children along with her. When they returned to Jacques’ Miami apartment, they found him dead and covered with blood on his living room floor. Candace would tell the police that her husband had enemies and that he was a closeted homosexual, implying that a male lover or scorned business contact was responsible for his death. But as investigators looked into Candace’s behavior in the months leading up to her husband’s death, accusing eyes turned to Candace herself.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “No One is Perfect” by Ron Smith

Sources

A Crime to Remember, Investigation Discovery, “Candyland,” 2014

No One is Perfect by Ron Smith

Power, Privilege, & Justice, 2007, “The Candy Scandal,” 2007

Texasarchive.org, Mossler-Powers Preliminary Hearing (1965)

Texas Monthly, The Notorious Mrs. Mossler, by Skip Hollandsworth, Dec. 2021

Loved to Death: Ryan Poston

Jill — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 04:34:01 +0000

Shayna Hubers called 911 on October 12, 2012 to report that she had killed her boyfriend in self-defense. According to Shayna, Ryan Poston had beaten her and he was reaching for a gun when she grabbed it and shot him. She said that Ryan was throwing her around the room like a ragdoll, into furniture, the walls, and onto the floor. He was evil, she said, and he deserved what he got.

But evidence did not support Shayna’s version of events. Family, friends, and acquaintances would come forward to describe a very different reality from what Shayna had described; a reality where Shayna was obsessed with Ryan and he was a kind man who had been trying to break up with her for months.

Join us at the quiet end for Loved to Death. Ryan Poston was a 29-year-old attorney with a bright future ahead. He even had a date with a beauty queen planned for the night he was killed. But Shayna claimed that he had a dangerous temper and that she was a victim of domestic violence. Was it possible that only Shayna had seen this dark side of Ryan or was Shayna a manipulative, cold-blooded killer who would rather see Ryan dead than see him with another woman?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Breaking Point & Obsessed, 48 Hours, December 29, 2018

Cellmate Secrets, Shayna Hubers, Lifetime Network

Cincinnati Enquirer Archives, retrieved December 11, 2021

Shayna Hubers v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, Supreme Court of Kentucky, September 24, 2020

Shayna Hubers #279419 Pen Pal Profile, Write a Prisoner, April 27, 2020

Shayna Hubers 911 call recording, HLN, posted April 15, 2015

In the House of the Holy

Jill — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 04:41:34 +0000

On the day she died, Patricia Blakely Kimble was both in love with and afraid of her husband Ted. After years of loving him and hoping for his love in return, the two were married in the spring of 1994. Ted’s father, a Baptist pastor, officiated. It was the happiest day of Patricia’s life, but for Ted the marriage was only a necessary step to further his career. His boss had told him that he could take over his business once he found a wife and settled down.

Just over a year into the Kimble marriage, Ted had already checked out. He wasn’t affectionate and he began purchasing life insurance on Patricia without her consent. Deeply religious, Patricia was torn between her devotion to her wedding vows and the concerns she had for her safety.

Join us at the quiet end for In the House of the Holy. Two days after his wife perished in a house fire, Ted tried to collect on her life insurance. When he was turned away because Patricia had never taken the required medical exam, he was enraged. The police took note of this, as they were already looking at him as a suspect in Patricia’s death. But Ted had an ironclad alibi. Was he innocent or could Ted have had a co-conspirator? Investigators believed the latter, leading them to look more closely at Ted’s relationship with his younger brother Ronnie Kimble.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “Unholy Covenant” by Lynn Chandler-Willis

Sources

North Carolina Department of Insurance Investigation

PWC Consulting, August 15, 2006, Ronnie Lee Kimble

Unholy Covenant by Lynn Chandler-Willis

False Witness

Jill — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 04:24:09 +0000

It was a frigid December afternoon in 1986 when Jerry Tobias was found dead in the back of his pickup. The 31-year-old oil field worker was curled up in the fetal position on the truck bed’s bare metal floor, wearing only blue jeans, a flannel shirt, and cowboy boots.

Join us at the quiet end for False Witness. Jerry’s death was a mystery. The first clue was inside the cab of his truck, where police found a fresh package of expensive steaks from a local butcher shop. Not much of a lead. But, from that day forward, the investigation into the death of Jerry Tobias was shady. With multiple conflicts of interest, incompetent forensics experts, and a psychotic star witness, the prosecution’s case was absurd. In fact, it would have been comical, if not for the many lives that were ravaged by it.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Jo in our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Read “Wicked Takes the Witness Stand” by Mardi Link

Become a TCB Patron at Patreon

Sources

The Detroit Free Press Archives

The National Registry of Exonerations

The Tobias Five, https://www.victimsofthestate.org/MI/T5.html

Wicked Takes the Witness Stand by Mardi Link

The Good Daughter: Karrie Neurauter

Jill — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 04:36:10 +0000

In 2017, 45-year-old Lloyd Neurauter told his 19-year-old daughter, Karrie, that he couldn’t afford to pay child support to her mother, Michele, anymore. He shared his plan A and plan B with Karrie: He could either murder Karrie’s mother or he would take his own life. Lloyd was definitely leaning toward murdering Michele. But he couldn’t do it alone. He needed help.

Join us at the quiet end for The Good Daughter. Karrie Neurauter was a successful college student, due to graduate in just one year, when she agreed to help her father get away with the murder of her mother. She assisted in the set-up, an alibi, the cover-up, and getting her 14-year-old sister out of the way. Today we’re talking about the Neurauter family dynamics, Lloyd’s cold-blooded plans, and the reasons why Karrie made the choices she did.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

48 Hours “Karrie’s Choice”

Dateline NBC “The Ultimatum”

Stargazette.com/archives

Betrayal in Blood: The Campbell Murder Case

Jill — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 04:10:14 +0000

In the early morning hours of June 10, 1982, Virginia and James Campbell were sound asleep when intruders entered their home through a window and entered their bedroom. As their grandsons slept nearby, six rounds were fired into the defenseless couple. The two young boys ran to their live-in housekeeper’s room for help and she called 911.

When first responders arrived at the Campbell home in Houston, Texas, the intruders had gone and Virginia and James were dead. Everyone who knew the Campbells’ peculiar daughter, Cindy, suspected that she was somehow involved, but the evidence was scarce. Cindy attended her parents’ funeral, but she was not welcomed with any enthusiasm from the family. She further implicated herself when she did all she could to collect on her inheritance.

Join us at the quiet end for Betrayal in Blood. As Cindy focused on legal maneuvers to get her parents’ possessions and money, other family members hired a private investigator to get to the truth. The PI quickly saw Cindy’s boyfriend, David West, as the weaker of the two suspects, and worked to exploit his vulnerabilities to get a confession.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Cold Kill By Jack Olsen

Cynthia Campbell RAY, Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee, Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (14th Dist.), December 22, 1988.

Daddy’s Girl: The Campbell Murder Case by Clifford Irving

Casualties: The Lost Lives of Hayley & Kirsty

Jill — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 04:19:29 +0000

Kirsty Grabham died in a brutal act of domestic violence perpetrated by her husband, Paul, in 2009. Her death is all the more heartbreaking for her family because Kirsty had fallen into a life of drugs, prostitution, and violence, months earlier. They could see that Kirsty was in danger and they were helpless to save her.

Kirsty’s mother, Cathy, and her sisters, Sonya and Hayley, were devastated when Kirsty went missing. She had last been seen at a nightclub, arguing with her husband. Paul claimed that Kirsty had left him and run off, but her family knew better.

Join us at the quiet end for Casualties: The Lost Lives of Hayley & Kirsty. Losing a child, especially to violence, is one of the worst things a human being can experience. But sometimes, we forget about how the murder of a loved one damages and changes a family forever. In Cathy’s case, the death of Kirsty set off a series of painful experiences and additional loss from which she would never fully recover.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Hayley, Cathy, & Kirsty

Sources

Coventry Telegraph, Coventry family’s heartbreak at losing two daughters after killer threw wife’s mutilated body onto motorway, by Katie Bellis, July 8, 2018

The Sun, https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/7295269/mum-fears-murdered-daughter-still-alive-body-dumped-suitcase/ by Hayley Richardson, September 19, 2018

Through a Mother’s Tears by Cathy Broomfield

Wales on Sunday, https://www.pressreader.com/July 8, 2018

Pam’s Path to Prison

Jill — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 04:25:25 +0000

On December 27, 2011, in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri, Russ Faria called 911. His wife, Betsy, was lying in a pool of blood, dead, with a kitchen knife protruding from her neck. The house was in disarray, with shopping bags and Christmas decorations scattered on the floor.

Russ had been at game night with some friends that evening. When he returned home to the horrific, heartbreaking scene, Russ said, his first thought was that Betsy had taken her own life. Considering Betsy’s history of depression and her prolonged battle with cancer, it was the only thing that made any sense to him. But then, first responders found over 50 stab wounds in Betsy’s body. A search of the house turned up a pair of Russ’s slippers in the bedroom closet, stained with Betsy’s blood. This was a homicide. And Russ Faria was the prime suspect.

Join us at the quiet end for Pam’s Path to Prison. As it turns out, Betsy Faria’s murder was just the beginning in a chain of bizarre events involving Betsy’s friend, Pam Hupp. Pam would tell police all about the troubles in Betsy and Russ’s marriage. In fact, things had gotten so bad between them, Pam said, that Betsy had changed her life insurance policy’s beneficiary from Russ to Pam. But, over time, Pam changed and embellished her story with detectives, raising questions about her credibility and the depths of her conniving and malicious nature. Was Pam really Betsy’s best friend, or was she a stone-cold killer who put her own greed above all else?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Betsy & Russ Faria

Sources

A Case of Instantaneous Rigor?, International Journal of Legal Medicine, 127(5): 971-974

Cadaveric Spasm, Forensic Science, Medicine, & Pathology 9(2): 249-250

Dateline NBC episodes: The House on Sumac Drive (2014), Game Night (2015), Return to Game Night (2016), Stranger Than Fiction (2016), The Thing About Pam (2019)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Archives, 2012-2021

The Thing About Pam Podcast, Dateline

The Unimaginable, Infamous Case of Pam Hupp: A tangle of lies, greed, sex, and death—and a surprise arrest, Jeanette Cooperman, St. Louis Magazine, 1/19/2017

A Malignant Envy: The Clear Lake Murders

Jill — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 04:14:06 +0000

Christine Paolilla was an outsider at Clear Lake High School. Looking different and lacking self-confidence, she was brutally teased and bullied. Christine was awkward, near-sighted, and she had alopecia, requiring her to wear thick glasses and wigs.

But then, Christine was befriended by two pretty, popular girls: Rachael Koloroutis and Tiffany Rowell. They helped Christine improve her appearance and she seemed like a new person with a new lease on life. In 2003, she was voted “Miss Irresistible” by her classmates.

But on July 18, 2003, Christine’s helpful new friends, Rachael and Tiffany, were gunned down, along with two young men, at Tiffany’s house. At first, it appeared to be a drug-related mass murder, but law detectives saw indications of a crime fueled by intense hatred and jealousy.

Join us at the quiet end for A Malignant Envy. These murders went unsolved for years before any arrests were made. By then, Christine was in a dysfunctional relationship with a heroin addict she’d met in rehab. When she learned that the police were closing in on her and her high-school boyfriend as the killers, she went into hiding. An anonymous tip would lead to her apprehension, but was this high school girl really responsible for the massacre of four people, including her two best friends?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Best Friend’s Betrayal, Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery, 2/16/2017

Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (14th Dist.), Christine Marie PAOLILLA v. The State of Texas, May 26,2011

legal-forms.laws.com, Ex Parte Christine Marie Paolilla v.–Appeal from 351st
District Court of Harris County, 11/29/2007

Miss Irresistible Accused of Killing Friends, ABC News.com, 9/24/2009

Never See Them Again by M. William Phelps

No Safe Harbor

Jill — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 03:22:09 +0000

Beth Lochtefeld was smart and hardworking. By the time she reached her 40s, she had good friends, she had travelled the world, and she was professionally successful. All that was missing was a partner with whom to share her life.

Enter Tom Toolan III. At age 37, Manhattanite Tom was well-educated, handsome, and appeared successful in his own right. But he had secrets. His life was spiraling out of control and he would try to pull Beth into that spiral with him.

By the time Beth broke up with Tom Toolan, it was too late for her to escape him unscathed. He went into an alcohol-enhanced rage and held her against her will in his apartment overnight before she was able to escape while he slept.

Join us at the quiet end for No Safe Harbor. Beth fled to Nantucket and stayed at her brother’s house on the island, hiding from Tom Toolan. Once she felt like the coast was clear, she took refuge in her own Nantucket rental. But once she entered, she would never be seen alive again.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Beth Lochtefeld 2003

Sources

boston.cbslocal.com, 2011

Cape Cod Times Archives, 2004-2021

New York Times Archives 2004-2000

Safe Harbor: A Murder on Nantucket by Brian McDonald

Close to Home: The Disappearance of Robert & Benjamin Moore

Jill — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 03:50:57 +0000

Robert and Benjamin Moore were best friends and brothers who spent most of their time together. They were smart and good-looking and both were naturally funny. In fact, it was rare to see either of them without a smile on his face. Like most boys their age, they liked to tease their little sister, play video games, and ride their bikes.

When Robert and Ben disappeared on the morning of August 30, 1993, their mother Roberta had left the house to care for her elderly father who lived nearby. The boys’ father, John Moore, was home with their three children. When John called Roberta to tell her that the two boys were missing, she rushed home. From that day forward, her life was a daily struggle with the deep visceral pain of loss and confusion.

Join us at the quiet end for Close to Home: The Disappearance of Robert and Benjamin Moore. John Moore’s behavior that day and his recollections of what happened should have been a cause for concern and suspicion by investigators, but they somehow accepted implausible conclusions. Today we’ll analyze the religious obsessions and small-town politics that led to a botched investigation. In doing so, we’ll search for reasons why two innocent brothers were taken from their mother and their young, promising lives were ended so close to home.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Brothers Silenced by Kathryn Jewel

Racine County The Journal Times archives

Tylar Witt’s Diary

Jill — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 03:22:29 +0000

When Joanne Witt was brutally murdered in her own home, she had been working as a civil engineer, supporting her daughter on her own. Being a single mother to a rebellious young teen is not easy, but Joanne was devoted, hardworking, and loving. After all, her daughter Tylar was the center of her world.

Join us at the quiet end for Tylar Witt’s Diary. Tylar, at age fourteen, was angry and out of control. When she entered into a sexual relationship with an older man, Joanne tried everything she could think of to stop it and help her daughter make better decisions. But Tylar’s relationship with nineteen-year-old Steven Colver was like a runaway train. No amount of parental love or discipline could derail it. Focused on saving her daughter, it was Joanne who paid the ultimate price for love.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

48 hours, A Fatal Attraction, S25, E13

ABC 20/20 Interview with Tylar Witt, Sept. 16, 2011

Sacramento Bee Archives

Star-Crossed Killers by Robert Scott

Tahoe Daily Tribune Archives

A Concrete Grave: The Murder of Doug Benton

Jill — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 03:20:40 +0000

Doug Benton was a welder living in Colbert, Georgia. Considered a friendly and helpful neighbor, he was known for raising and selling exotic birds from his house, lifting weights, and riding a Harley. When Doug met police deputy Tracy Fortson, the two had an instant attraction. They began to spend most of their time together.

But Doug disappeared on June 4, 2000. Tracy cooperated with the police. She was the last person known to have seen him. She admitted to having an argument with Doug that day and said that they had broken up.

Join us at the quiet end for A Concrete Grave: The Murder of Doug Benton. When Doug’s body was found, his manner of death and the disposal of his body did not appear to be the work of an ex-girlfriend. The relationship between Doug and Tracy was volatile, but Doug also had a bit of a past. When the investigation began, evidence began to pile up, pointing to Tracy as Doug’s killer. But Tracy had information to share about her position at the police force and a possible plot to frame her.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Athensonline.com archives

FORTSON v. The STATE, Supreme Court of Georgia, March 27, 2007

Reasonable Doubt, A Body, a Trough, and 800 Pounds of Concrete, S3, E7, April 2020

Targeted: A Deputy, Her Love Affairs, A brutal Murder by M. William Phelps

Introducing Over My Dead Body: Season 3 – Fox Lake

Jill — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 21:04:34 +0000

A small town cop known as “GI Joe” is gunned down in a swamp in the summer of 2015 and quickly becomes a martyr in the national media. But when a dogged investigator and his team set out to get justice, they uncover unsettling secrets about Joe, the local police department, and the village of Fox Lake. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes the third season of Over My Dead Body: Fox Lake. Hosted by Matt Baglio.

Listen Now!

The Only One Who Deserved to Stay: David Bain

Jill — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 03:30:41 +0000

Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their children were killed on June 20, 1994, in their New Zealand home. This was familicide; a mass murder where one member of the family killed the others. Ever since the oldest son David returned home from his paper delivery route and called the police that morning, there has been debate over who was responsible.

David Bain was 22-years-old, a music student and aspiring opera singer living with his family. When he got home early that morning, he found all five of his family members dead: his father Robin, his mother Margaret, his two sisters Arawa and Laniet, and his brother Stephen. At first glance, it appeared that the father, Robin, was responsible, and that this was a murder-suicide. But that would change.

Join us at the quiet end for The Only One Who Deserved to Stay: David Bain. Familicide is rare. But when it happens, the father is nearly always responsible. Research has shown that these “family annihilators” are either angry or in a state of prolonged despair. Robin Bain, a troubled man with untreated depression, fit the profile. But the lives and relationships of the Bain family were complicated and maladjusted. David Bain had plenty of his own issues; and evidence, including his own behavior, pointed to David as the killer.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Bain Family

Sources

Black Hands by Martin Van Beynen

Black Hands, The Podcast, by Martin Van Beynen, July 2017

The Court of Appeal of New Zealand, David Cullen Bain v. The Queen, May, 2007

The Mask of Sanity by Joseph Karem

Dylan Redwine’s Final Visit

Jill — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 03:23:33 +0000

On November 18, 2012, 13-year-old Dylan Redwine traveled from his mother Elaine’s house in Colorado Springs to visit his father Mark in Vallecito, Colorado for a court-ordered visit. According to Dylan’s big brother, Cory, Dylan was not looking forward to visiting his father. A while back, Dylan had accidentally come across compromising and disturbing photos of his father. The photos disgusted him and he planned to confront Mark.

Mark Redwine picked up Dylan at the airport. On the way to Mark’s house, they stopped at Walmart and picked up fast-food at McDonalds. Throughout his trip, Dylan had been communicating with his Durango friends and making plans to see them. Text messages indicated that Dylan tried to make plans to stay with a friend nearby rather than with his father. When Mark said no to that plan, Dylan made plans to see his friend at six-thirty the next morning.

Join us at the quiet end for Dylan Redwine’s Final Visit. Dylan’s last phone activity was at 9:37 p.m. on November 18. He failed to show up at his friend’s house the next morning. Mark claimed that Dylan was asleep on his couch when he left his home at 7:30 a.m. that morning and that when he returned at 11:30 a.m., Dylan was gone. As the last person to see his son alive, Mark Redwine was immediately a person of interest. Sigmond Freud once said “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” Not only did Mark Redwine fail to protect Dylan, he was the one who Dylan needed protection from.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Elaine Hall, Dylan’s mom

Sources

71% of Children Killed by One Parent are Killed by Their Mothers, breakingthescience.org, by Mark Rosenthal,July 23, 2008

A Parent Killing a Child Happens More Often Than We Think, CNN.com, by Doug Criss, July 27, 2017

Brother Of Murdered Teen Tells Court About Photo Showing Dad Eating Feces, Huffpost.com, June 24, 2021

KKTV.com Archives, 2012-2021

KUSA, 9News, Denver, Allison Sylte, June 21, 2021

Law & Crime Network, YouTube.com, July 2021

Mark Redwine Found Guilty of Murdering 13-Year-Old Son Dylan Redwine, msn.com, by Alberto Luperon 7/16/2021

Gone in the Night: Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible

Jill — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 03:02:08 +0000

The rural Oklahoma mobile home of Kathy and Danny Freeman went up in flames in the frigid early morning hours of December 30, 1999. Kathy and Danny’s bodies were found inside, both killed by gunshots to their heads. Their 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, and her best friend, Lauria Bible, who had been there for a sleepover, had disappeared from their beds.

Years of searching for the two girls came up empty. The search extended into Mexico and Canada, but rumors in the small community pointed to local lowlifes as the killers and kidnappers.

Join us at the quiet end for Gone in the Night: Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible. The Freemans should have felt safe in their humble country home, but the formally beautiful landscape of Welch, Oklahoma, was immersed in drug culture and the local police were appallingly ineffective, demonstrating shocking levels of negligence and potential corruption.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Danny & Kathy Freeman

Sources

The Charlie Project, April 28, 2018

Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller

Hell in the Heartland 4 part series, HBOMax, June 2019

The Joplin Globe, August 31, 2020

Out of the Ashes, Disappeared, Season 6, Episode 9, January 2013

People.com, April 2018

State of Oklahoma Court Archives & exhibits

Unsolved Mysteries, April 2018

Into Gander Lake: Krista & Karen Hart

Jill — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 03:16:00 +0000

Nelson Hart was charged for the murders of his twin 3-year-old daughters, who died of drowning on August 4, 2002. He claimed that he had taken his girls, Karen and Krista, to the wharf at Little Harbour to play on the swing set. When Krista fell off of the wharf, Nelson got scared and ran for help. He didn’t know how to swim.

Nelson drove home for help. His wife Jennifer returned with him to the wharf. By the time they got there, both of their daughters were in the water. Karen was already dead and Krista died hours later in the hospital. This was a tragedy, but the Canadian police believed it was also a crime.

Join us at the quiet end for Into Gander Lake. Months after Krista and Karen’s deaths, a Mr. Big operation began with the goal of getting a confession from Nelson Hart. The first contact with Nelson for the Mr. Big sting was when one of the operatives offered to pay Nelson to help find a missing person. After that, he was asked to make deliveries on a regular basis. Nelson, who had lived his entire life in poverty, was paid very well. He began to feel like the operatives were his friends. Earning money beyond his greatest expectations, Nelson was anxious to become a full-time member of the Mr. Big gang. Eventually, he was talked into giving a confession to prove his loyalty to this fictional criminal organization.

Mr. Big sting operations have been banned in most countries. While these coerced confessions can provide compelling evidence of guilt, they are often unreliable and they have been responsible for wrongful convictions. But there are at least two sides to this story, which we will explore today.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Jennifer Hicks at her daughters’ grave

Sources

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 7

Confessions of Murder Exposing the False Confessions Created From the Mr. Big Stings Alan R. Warren

Mr. Big by Coleen Lewis and Jennifer Hicks

R. v. Hart 2014 SCC 52 Community Legal Education Association

The case of Nelson Hart: 2 girls, 3 years and a mystery ‘Mr. Big, the road to murder charges was in fact an elaborate sting,’ by Nicholas Kohler, October 31, 2013 Macleans.ca

A Good Marriage

Jill — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 03:14:48 +0000

Penny Scaggs had been married for 35 years when she sat down to play her piano on the evening of March 6, 1996. Her husband, Roger, had just left the house after dinner to return to his office. Normally, Penny would have washed the dishes right after dinner, but, with Roger away, she took advantage of the time alone to enjoy her music.

Penny must have been startled when she heard the unexpected sound of footsteps approaching her from behind. A steel pipe crushed the right side of her face, breaking her jaw. When Roger returned home, he called 911, telling the operator that he found his wife on the floor in a puddle of her own blood.

Join us at the quiet end for A Good Marriage: The Murder of Penny Scaggs. Penny devoted her life to her marriage, which she saw as a bringing together of three: Roger, herself, and God. But over the years, Roger appeared less devoted to this sacred union. Stories of infidelity and dishonesty circulated around their neighborhood and church community. He would become a predictable suspect in his wife’s death early on, but would the evidence support his guilt?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Sources

Austin Chronicle Archives

District Court of Travis County, 299the Judicial District, Roger Thomas Scaggs v. The State of Texas, Apellee May 4, 2000

Insideprison.com inmate search 6/22/2021

Statesman.com Archives

The Austin Chronicle “Murder in the Suburbs” Dec. 11, 1998

The Good Wife by Clint Richmond

Memphis Matricide? Who Killed Jennifer Jackson?

Jill — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 03:30:18 +0000

When Noura Jackson was a child, her mother’s life revolved around her. Noura’s parents had divorced when she was just a baby and she rarely saw her father, so the mother-daughter relationship was strong. But then Noura became a teenager.

Most teenage girls argue with their mothers, but Noura and Jennifer’s situation was more extreme than most. Noura was distant and critical with her mother. She was drinking, using drugs, and failing academically. It seemed that the more Jennifer tried to control her daughter, the more she rebelled.

Join us at the quiet end for Memphis Matricide? Early in the morning of June 5, 2005, 18-year-old Noura called 911. Jennifer had been stabbed 50 times. A wicker basket had been placed over Jennifer’s head, leading the police to believe that Jennifer had known her killer. At a time in her life when most people are graduating from high school and enrolling in college, Noura went on trial for the brutal murder of her own mother. But the question remains: did Noura Jackson commit matricide or was someone else responsible for this viscous crime?

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Noura as a baby with her parents

Sources

20/20 The Case of Noura Jackson

ABC news archives

Innocenceproject.org 8/2/2017

State of Tennessee Court of Appeals 8/22/2014

Stranger to the Truth by Lisa C. Hickman

He Used to Love Her… April Barber

Jill — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 03:26:51 +0000

The image of young married couple April and Justin Barber taking a moonlight walk on a warm Florida beach sounds ideal. They were supposed to be celebrating their third wedding anniversary. But within hours, everything changed.

A passing motorist made a call to 911. Justin was found bleeding and slumped behind the wheel of his SUV. He said that he and his wife had been attacked by an unknown gunman. First responders went to the beach to search for April while Justin was airlifted to a trauma center in Jacksonville, Florida.

Although he had been shot four times, Justin recovered quickly. He cooperated with police interviews, claiming to love his wife, despite his multiple infidelities and April’s friends’ claims that April had been planning to leave her husband. This is a chilling and tragic story of love, greed, and loss. Join us at the quiet end for He Used to Love Her, the April Barber story.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

April Barber

Sources

Justin Barber and the Two Million Reasons for Murder by Kenneth Miller, Reader’s Digest, January 8, 2013

Murder in the Moonlight, Dateline NBC, Season 14, Episode 30

Secrets In The Sand, 48 Hours: Season 20, Episode 16

State of Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District, 2009

To Love, Honor, & Kill by Lee Butcher

Bad Romance: Erika & Benjamin Sifrit

Jill — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 03:16:20 +0000

Among the thousands of vacationers who traveled to Ocean City, Maryland, on Memorial Day weekend, 2002, were two couples whose lives intersected, with horrific results. The first couple, Joshua Ward and Geney Crutchley, were good people looking for a relaxing weekend. But the second couple, Erika and Benjamin Sifrit, had much darker plans.

Join us at the quiet end for Bad Romance. At first glance, Erika and Benjamin appeared to be a typical young married couple, but they were a deadly match. They were big partiers, always looking for a bigger thrill. When drinking and drugs were no longer enough to satisfy them, they moved on to burglarizing businesses and carrying loaded guns. Then, one dreadful night, the Sifrits played a twisted game of murder and mayhem, showing their gravitation to violence and their complete lack of human empathy.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Joshua & Geney

Sources

Baltimore Sun Online Archives

Cruel Death by M. William Phelps

Killer Couples: S11 Ep2

Maryland Court of Appeals 2003

True Crime Daily May 2020 “Ben & Erika Sifrit: Thrill-kill couple caught after Hooters break-in”

WBLTtv.com 2003-2004

Daddy’s Little Girl: Erin Caffey

Jill — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 03:42:08 +0000

Early in the morning of March 1, 2008, two men entered the Caffey family home in rural Alba, Texas. Terry Caffey and his wife Penny had been living a quiet, peaceful life in their modest country home with their three children, Erin, Matthew, and Tyler. A violent break in was the last thing the family could have ever expected.

After family members were attacked by armed assailants, their home was set on fire. Terry was shot five times, but he somehow managed to crawl to his only neighbor, about 400 yards away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Join us at the quiet end for Daddy’s Little Girl. A home invasion and mass murder were not something the tiny Texas town of Alba had ever seen before. When 16-year-old Erin Caffey was found alive, she appeared to be in a state of shock. But right away, investigators wanted to know what Erin knew about the attack. Her father Terry rejected that idea that Erin could have any knowledge of the crime against her own family members, but he believed her older boyfriend was likely behind the attack.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Caffey Family

Sources

Dallas Morning New Archives

Flesh and Blood, Texas Monthly, by Pamela Colloff June 2009

Love Hurts by Keith Elliot Greenberg

Terror By Night by Terry Caffey with James H. Pence

Texas Department of Criminal Justice Archives 2009

Inside Job: The Poisoning of Mary Yoder

Jill — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 03:47:39 +0000

Mary Yoder was a beloved wife, mother, and chiropractor, apparently living her best life. In 2015, she and her husband Bill, who ran their own chiropractic practice together, were planning on retiring and finally taking their dream trip to Europe. But on July 20^th, Mary didn’t seem like herself. She left work, complaining of an upset stomach and intractable vomiting. By the following morning, she was intubated in the hospital ICU.

Join us at the quiet end for Inside Job. Doctors caring for Mary in the hospital were puzzled by her sudden, severe illness. Within 36 hours, she had seven episodes of cardiac arrest. Her family came to be by her side, but the outcome was devastating. Mary Yoder was dead. Toxicology studies found a poison in Mary’s blood, solving the medical mystery, but the investigation into how and why she had ingested the poison had just begun.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Adam Yoder & Katie Conley

Sources

Dateline S 26 E 10 Poisoned

Syracuse.com archives

True Crime Daily “A Deadly Dose”

“We Thought We Knew You” by M. William Phelps

The Beneficiary: Virginia McGinnis

Jill — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 03:52:35 +0000

It was a beautiful day on the California coastline when 20-year-old Deana Wild agreed to take a day trip to Big Sur with older couple Virginia and Billy Joe McGinnis. This is a popular tourist spot, but the cliffs are dangerous with unstable earth near the edge and the rocky Pacific coast below.

Deana didn’t feel well that day but Virginia convinced her to walk along the cliff’s edge and pose for photos. As Deana looked out at the beautiful scenery, Virginia began to snap photos. Billy Joe put his arm around the listless young woman with his hand at her back.

Only Deana, Virginia, and Billy Joe knew what happened next. What we do know is that Deana fell to her death from the cliff that day. Her autopsy would show that she had clawed her fingernails into the earth trying to save herself. But the weight of her body or the push of her killer sent her plummeting to the rocks below.

Join us at the quiet end for The Beneficiary. When Deana fell to her death, the idea of it being an accident was feasible. But further investigation, including earlier suspicious deaths in Virginia McGinnis’ past and a life insurance purchase made the day before Deana’s death with Virginia as the beneficiary, led Deana’s mother and investigators to take a closer look into what happened that day.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Deana Wild

Sources

LAtimes.com archives

Death Benefit by David Heilbroner

Forensic Files Season 9 Episode 12 The Financial Downfall

*Thank you to Nate for suggesting this case*

Death of a Sugar Daddy: Bill McLaughlin

Jill — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 03:17:11 +0000

When 50-year-old multi-millionaire Bill McLaughlin answered 25-year-old Nanette Johnston’s classified ad back in 1991, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. The ad was directed at “wealthy men only” and Nanette described herself as a “classy, well-educated woman” who “knows how to take care of her man.” Clearly, Nanette was looking for a sugar daddy. Divorced and lonely, it seemed like a good deal to Bill.

Despite the concerns of Bill’s daughters, Nanette moved into Bill’s Newport Beach home. He took her on expensive trips, bought her a new car, and even gave her a generous allowance. But unknown to Bill, Nanette had secrets, including other boyfriends, during their relationship.

Join us at the quiet end for Death of a Sugar Daddy. After three years together, Nanette was out shopping when someone got into the house with a brand-new key and shot Bill six-times. There was no direct evidence linking Nanette to the crime, but she was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy. In 1995, Nanette was arrested and convicted for forging checks and stealing from Bill, but it would take another seventeen years to find and convict Bill McLaughlin’s killers.

Support the show for ad-free and bonus episodes and more!

Record a voicemail for a future show

Shop TCB Merch

Read “I’ll Take Care of You” by Caitlyn Rother

Read “Wealthy Men Only” by Stella Sands

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Eric, Nanette, & Bill McLaughlin

Sources

48 hours “Murder in the OC” Season 25 Episode 5

“I’ll Take Care of You” by Caitlyn Rother

LA Times Archives 2009

Orange County Register archives 1995-2012

“Wealthy Men Only” by Stella Sands

Lady in the Water: Jan Roseboro

Jill — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 03:08:50 +0000

When Jan Roseboro’s husband Michael found her unconscious and bleeding in their new swimming pool, there was no reason to suspect him of anything nefarious. Even though his 911 call was unusual, it wasn’t proof of a crime. But then a motive for murder was discovered: Michael’s lover, Angela Funk.

When Angela’s computer and phone records were examined, thousands of romantic and lustful messages with Michael Roseboro were discovered. In these messages, he professed his love for her and his desire to marry her. In fact, he was planning to leave Jan and ask for a divorce on July 22, the day Jan died.

Join us at the quiet end for Lady in the Water, the murder of Jan Roseboro. Within days of Jan’s death, investigators decided that Michael Roseboro had beaten and strangled his wife before tossing her into the pool to drown. All of this happened while their three small children slept inside the home. Michael’s family and lover didn’t believe that Michael could do such a thing, but Jan’s family had no doubts that Michael had killed Jan in order to be with his mistress and keep his wealth.

Click here to see your options for accessing ad-free and bonus episodes

Send an email

Record a voicemail

Shop TCB Merch

Read “Love Her to Death” by M. William Phelps

Join our TCB Fan Discussions Group and chat with other TCB listeners!

The Roseboro Family

Sources

48 Hours “Lady in the Pool” March 6, 2010

Lancaster Independent Press July 20, 2009

Lancasteronline.com archives

“Love Her to Death” by M. William Phelps

Unsolved: The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth

Jill — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 02:59:57 +0000

Hi! Since Dick and I are away this week, we decided to put out this ad-free TCB Premium episode from July, 2020, for all of our listeners! This is just one of dozens of ad-free episodes available with a premium subscription!

Here are the original show notes:

Faith Hedgepeth was just 19-years old when she was violently murdered in her off-campus apartment. Faith was popular and outgoing, with plans to become a pediatrician and serve the Haliwa-Saponi Native American tribe. She was studying at the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina and living with her best friend. Then, on September 7, 2012, a 911 call came in from Faith’s roommate. The call would become the subject of much speculation, along with a note left at the scene, DNA evidence, and an unusual murder weapon.

Join us at the quiet end for Unsolved: The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth. It’s been 8-years since Connie Hedgepeth lost her baby girl. It doesn’t seem like too much for her to ask to learn why Faith was killed or to see her killer go to trial. Today we’re going to talk about where the investigation is at, what is needed to make an arrest, and where all of the circumstantial evidence is pointing.

Click here to see your options for subscribing to TCB Premium

Record a voicemail for our feedback segment

Just What the Doctor Ordered: The Murder of Sian Simmonds

Jill — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 03:18:00 +0000

Doctor Josephakis “Joe” Charalambous had a thriving family practice when he became obsessed with 15-year-old Shelley Joel. Shelley, along with other members of her family, was his patient. Shelley’s parents were alarmed when the doctor began buying her gifts and calling her at home. He was obsessed with her. And they soon came to believe that the doctor brainwashed Shelley, luring her into an inappropriate, illegal, and abusive relationship. As soon as Shelley was legally allowed, she married Joe Charalambous. But she didn’t live happily ever after.

After the wedding, Joe continued to engage with prostitutes and his interest in young girls persisted. He soon became infatuated with two pretty young patients, Katie and Sian Simmonds. But Katie and Sian weren’t as easily brainwashed as Shelley had been. They told their father about their doctor’s inappropriate remarks and behavior and he contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons, helping his daughters file a formal complaint for sexual misconduct. After Joe learned that the girls were scheduled to appear before the board, 19-year-old Sian Simmonds was murdered in her own basement apartment.

Join us at the quiet end for Just What the Doctor Ordered, an unbelievable story of a family physician willing to take a life to preserve his career and reputation. Several people were not surprised that he was willing to take advantage of underaged patients to satisfy his own sexual deviancies, but the idea that he would stoop to murder was shocking. And, in a karmic twist, the doctor’s young wife Shelley’s testimony would be what did him in.

Sian Simmonds

Subscribe for ad-free and bonus episodes

Send a message

Shop TCB merch

Join the TCB Fan Discussions Group

Record your voicemail for Feedback!

Read “Fatal Prescription” by John Griffiths

Sources

Fatal Prescription by John Griffiths

Josephakis Charalambous. Unsolved Canada website

R. v. Charalambous, 1997 Globe24h website.

Burning Down the House: Robin Lee Row

Jill — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 03:28:35 +0000

In the early morning of February 10, 1992, Robin Lee Row’s two-story duplex in Boise, Idaho, was engulfed in flames. Robin wasn’t home that morning. She had spent the night at a friend’s house after a fight with her husband, Randy Row. But at 3am, Robin had a premonition of the fire. She woke her friend at 5:30 am and they drove together to the duplex to check on Robin’s children.

Joshua, 10-years-old, Tabitha, 8-years-old, and their step-father Randy all died in the fire. Initially, there was an outpouring of compassion for Robin, a grieving woman who had lost her entire family overnight. But Robin was not who she appeared to be. Her behavior after the tragedy along with fire-investigators’ suspicions about the fire led the police to look into Robin’s past. After a bit of digging, they would discover that Robin had lived a lifetime of deceit, fraud, and, quite possibly, murder.

Join us at the quiet end for Burning Down the House. The deaths of her family members in the 1992 fire were not the only suspicious deaths found in Robin’s past. Information began to trickle in from acquaintances and co-workers about her web of lies and her cold-heartedness. Her closest friend was her most ardent supporter, until she, too, discovered the true Robin.

Subscribe for ad-free and bonus episodes

Send us an email

Record your opinions and/or suggestions in a voicemail for a future show

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Shop new TCB merch

The Row duplex fire

Sources

20 years since Robin Row killed her husband, 2 kids KTVB.com, Jamie Grey, Feb. 10 2012

Deadly Confidante by Nancy Whitmore Poore

Idaho death row inmate Robin Row to have court-appointed mental health exam. KBOI news. Retrieved 5-21-2021

State v. Row, Supreme Court of Idaho, March 18, 1998

For the Love of Money: Barbara Stager

Jill — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 03:00:46 +0000

Police were surprised by Barbara Stager’s lack of emotion when her 40-year-old second husband, Russ Stager, died from an accidental gunshot wound to his head. Within days, Barbara called her insurance company to cash in on Russ’s life insurance policy. She would collect her money and life would go on for her and her children. That’s what she believed.

To the untrained eye, Barbara looked like an ill-fated woman, widowed twice in just 10 years. But she had her critics; people who knew that her first husband had also died from an “accidental” gunshot wound. And, in both shootings, Barbara had been in the bed beside her husband. In fact, she had been the one with the gun in her hand.

Join us at the quiet end for a convoluted story of treachery and deception. Barbara Stager was a spendthrift, a liar, a sex addict, a thief, and a killer. She spent her adult life moving from house to house, job to job, and man to man. It wasn’t until after her second husband’s death that a criminal investigation was initiated, exposing Barbara as a black widow who would do anything For the Love of Money.

Subscribe to TCB Premium for ad-free & bonus shows

Write to us with your opinions, comments, & suggestions

Record a voicemail

Shop TCB merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Russ & Barbara Stager

Sources

Before He Wakes by Jerry Bledsoe

Greensboro News & Record articles by Libby Lewis and Jerry Bledsoe

Broken Promises Forensic Files Episode Season 5, Episode 14

Killer Party: The Murders of Mary Jo & Blake Hadley

Jill — Tue, 25 May 2021 03:33:43 +0000

Tyler Hadley’s parents were trying to get the 17-year-old to make better decisions in his life. Since his early teens, he had been using drugs, stealing, and showing a fascination for violence. His mother Mary Jo loved her son fiercely, never giving up on him and describing him as a sensitive boy. As he sunk into depression and sullenness, she worried that he would hurt himself. But when asked, she would say that she never feared her son would hurt her or her husband.

Join us at the quiet end for Killer Party. Tyler planned a big bash at the family home, telling his friends that his parents were going on a trip. He put out the word on his Facebook page and stocked up on food, booze, and drugs. But as the party went on, Tyler’s friend noticed that Tyler’s parents’ cars were still in the driveway. Knowing that they would never allow a teenage drug party in their home, he wondered where they were. Then a rumor began to circulate among partygoers that Tyler had murdered his parents. This was a party that none of them would ever forget.

Subscribe to TCB Premium for bonus & ad-free shows!

Share your opinions & case suggestions

Record a voicemail for a future show

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Sources

Port St. Lucie Criminal Court Archives

“See How Much You Love Me” by Amber Hunt

ABC News 20/20 April 2014

WPBF News December 20, 2018

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: Kathleen Folbigg

Jill — Tue, 18 May 2021 03:25:32 +0000

Kathleen Folbigg has lived a life filled with tragedy. As a child, her father murdered her mother, leaving her to grow up in foster care. But Kathleen seemed to have overcome her difficult past when she married her husband Craig and they set out to start a family.

In 1989, Kathleen’s infant son Caleb died. This death was followed by the deaths of three more of her children in 1991, 1993, and 1999. It wasn’t until the death of her daughter Laura in 1999 when family, friends, and the authorities became suspicious. Kathleen denied killing her babies, but her behavior and her journals may have told a different story.

Join us at the quiet end for The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: The Kathleen Folbigg Story. When a mother loses a child, sympathy is abundant. But, when each of Kathleen’s children died in her care, one after another, dark questions about Kathleen and the complexities of motherhood came up. The accepted wisdom at the time was that one cot death is a tragedy, two are suspicious, and three is murder until proven otherwise. This left Kathleen and her supporters in the impossible position of proving a negative. Today we’re going to go into the medical and genetic explanations investigated to explain the sudden deaths of the Folbigg babies as well as the psychological and behavioral characteristics pointing to Kathleen as a calculated serial baby killer.

Record a voicemail

Send us an email

Subscribe as a Tiegrabber & get ad-free & bonus content

Shop our merch

Sources

Articles

Circulatory and cardiovascular Genetics, 2014

Colmodulin: An Introduction, The Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 1984

Inquiry Reinforces Guilt by Lucy Cormack, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2019

Kathleen Folbigg: Could Science Free Australian Jailed for Murdering Babies? BBC news, March 2021

Killing Them Softly by Julie Szego, The age.com, 2003

Unexpected Deaths in Infancy, by D.R. Lawrence 2005 New South Wales Child Death Review Team

Books

When the Bough Breaks by Matthew Benns, 2003

Videos

Guilty of Killing Her Children, or has Kathleen Folbigg been Wrongly Convicted? Australian Story, 2019

Mothers Accused of Killing their Four Babies | 60 Minutes Australia, 2019

Overdue Motorists: Alan & Terra Bates

Jill — Tue, 11 May 2021 03:06:13 +0000

Divorce and child custody battles can be brutal, but they rarely end in murder. In February, 2002, Alan Bates and his wife Terra were excited to pick up his two daughters from the home of his ex-wife, Jessica McCord. His relationship with Jessica had been acrimonious since the divorce, but he loved his girls and would not give up on them. The couple was planning to take the girls to his parents’ home for a weekend visit, a rare and happy event.

When Alan and Terra failed to show up at his parents’ house, his family was worried. Alan’s father called the police, who handled the call as a routine case of overdue motorists. It happened all the time. People made plans, and something along the way held them up. But this wasn’t like Alan and Terra. The longer family members waited, the more panic began to set in.

Join us at the quiet end for Overdue Motorists: Alan & Terra Bates. Alan’s ex-wife Jessica and her police officer husband, Jeff McCord, would claim that Alan and Terra never showed up to pick up his children. But investigators were concerned. Their story didn’t add up. Soon, the McCords became prime suspects. They refused to let the police search their home after they had pulled up carpet, re-wallpapered the walls, and hauled away furniture. They were hiding something, and what investigators found would expose an evil plot carried out by cold-hearted morons.

Get bonus and ad-free shows with TCB Premium

Shop TCB Merch

Record a voicemail

Read “Death Trap” by M. William Phelps

Alan & Terra

Jessica & Jeff

The Devil They Knew: Calyx & Beau Schenecker

Jill — Tue, 04 May 2021 04:37:18 +0000

The Schenecker family home was in a nice neighborhood; the kind of place couples choose to raise a family. Julie, her husband Parker, and their two children, Calyx and Beau, seemed to be living the good life in their spacious home located on a cul-de-sac in a gated community. But on January 28, 2011, the city of Tampa and surrounding communities were reminded that appearances can be deceptive and money cannot buy happiness.

Join us at the quiet end for The Devil They Knew, the story of a mother who planned and carried out the murders of her two children because they were “mouthy and disrespectful.” Julie was a carpool mom, her husband was a Colonel in the military, and their two children were good students who played sports and had lots of friends. But behind the family’s facade, Julie was a powder keg with serious mental health and substance abuse issues. At the heart of this case lies the question of whether Julie was capable of understanding the consequences of her violent actions. And how could her children have been protected from her?

Become a Tiegrabber for bonus shows, ad-free shows, and swag!

We always welcome case suggestions and comments. Share what’s on your mind!

Record a voicemail for a future show!

Chat with other listeners in our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Visit Apostrophe.com/TCB

Read “Sleep My Darlings” by Diane Fanning

The Bradford Bishop Murders

Jill — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 03:20:48 +0000

William Bradford Bishop, Jr., was born and raised to succeed. With classic good looks, cultured parents, and a Yale education, he expected a lot out of life. As an adult, he married a beautiful woman who gave him three healthy sons. They travelled the world, eventually settling into a Maryland suburb.

Bishop built a career with the U.S. State Department, working in military intelligence. In his esteemed position, he felt in charge. But in his home, his wife and mother were running things. After 15 years of government service, Bishop was passed over for promotion. His stalled career may have been the final indignity.

Join us at the quiet end for The Bradford Bishop Murders. Forty years have passed since this stunning case of family annihilation and Bishop seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. The suggested motives behind his crimes are as specific as they are unusual. Today we’re taking a deep dive into the psychology and sociology in Bishop’s family life and career as they culminated in the brutal, fatal attack of the people who loved him.

contact Jill & Dick

Shop TCB Merch

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

William Bradford Bishop, Jr.

When Darkness Fell: Jennifer Cave

Jill — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 03:08:01 +0000

Jennifer Cave and Colton Pitonyak had their addiction to drugs in common, but they were otherwise two very different people. Jennifer was known as a caring person who tried to help everyone she met. Pitonyak was a drug dealer with a growing propensity for violence.

In August of 2005, when Jennifer didn’t show up for her new job working for a law firm in Austin, Texas, her employer called Jennifer’s mother Sharon back in Corpus Christi. Concerned, Sharon called several of Jennifer’s friends. She even called Pitonyak, who lied to her and claimed he had not seen Jennifer. The next day, Sharon and her fiancé, Jim, drove to Austin to look for Jennifer. The crime scene they found in Pitonyak’s apartment was shockingly gruesome.

Join us at the quiet end for When Darkness Fell. Colton Pitonyak was a former rich kid who was used to getting everything he wanted. Jennifer considered herself his friend, but he wanted more from her. He took Jennifer out for dinner to celebrate her new job on August 16^th, but something very dark occurred back at his place. There has never been a clear motive for what happened to Jennifer that night, but it soon became clear to investigators that Pitonyak had had a co-conspirator after the fact. Once arrested, Pitonyak and his accomplice turned on each other, further deepening the mystery of motive and blame.

Send us a note

Shop Merch

Subscribe for bonus and ad-free shows!

Record a voicemail for an upcoming show

Become a member of our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

Jennifer Cave, Colton Pitonyak, Laura Hall

Mommy’s Little Moneymakers: The Ellen Boehm Story

Jill — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 03:21:40 +0000

Ellen Boehm’s husband left her for another woman, abandoning his three children without visitation or financial support. With only her secretarial job to support them, Ellen had to move her children out of the family home and into an apartment building. Money was tight, but Ellen had some strange priorities. She was crazy about professional wrestling and she travelled to attend matches whenever she could, leaving her kids with her mother.

In many ways, Ellen lived in her own fantasy world. She wrote love letters to her favorite wrestling personalities and bragged to her friends about her popularity with these men. No one actually believed that Ellen had any romantic involvement with them, but it seemed harmless enough. Until her children began to die.

Join us at the quiet end for Mommy’s Little Moneymakers. There were some crucial emotions missing in Ellen Boehm’s soul, including kindness, honesty, and maternal love. She began to see killing her own children as a means to an end, solving her financial problems. When suspicions turned to certainty, friends and co-workers were appalled, but Ellen showed no sadness or remorse for any of the atrocities she had committed.

Send us a note

Record a Voicemail

Subscribe to hear bonus & ad-free shows

Join the TCB Fan Discussions Group

Ellen Boehm

Shasta’s Story: The Crimes Against the Groene Family

Jill — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:33:15 +0000

In the spring of 2005, brother and sister Shasta and Dylan Groene were just normal kids, out playing in their yard in their bathing suits. Neither they nor their parents had any way of knowing that a violent pedophile was watching them. Joseph Duncan III, recently paroled, had been trolling the area, looking for fresh victims. He likely knew that this would be his last chance to live out his horrific fantasies before he would be returned to prison.

Join us at the quiet end for Shasta’s Story. Shasta was just 8-years-old when the deeply disturbed Duncan invaded her home and proceeded to beat and tie up her family members. For the next several weeks, she experienced more trauma and fear than we can imagine. Today, we’re going over the details of this crime, the criminal history of Duncan, and, most importantly, the strength and determination of Shasta, a child who once showed remarkable courage in the face of terror and a young woman now putting together the best life she can from her own broken and battered psyche.

Join Tiegrabber to get bonus and ad-free shows

Send Jill & Dick a message

Record a Voicemail

Killing Dad: Alex & Derek King

Jill — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 04:07:48 +0000

On November 26, 2001, the fire department of Cantonment, Florida, was called to the burning home of Terry King. Terry was dead in his reclining chair, but he had not been overcome by smoke. He had been bludgeoned to death. Once the fire was extinguished, concerns turned to Terry’s two sons, Derek, 13, and Alex, age 12. Fortunately, they had not been victims of the fire, but where were they?

It took days to locate Derek and Alex, who were brought to the police station by a 40-year-old man named Rick Chavis. Chavis claimed to be a family friend, but a background check showed that he had a criminal history, including convictions for molesting teenage boys.

Join us at the quiet end for Killing Dad. Terry King’s two sons would confess to their father’s murder, claiming self-defense against an abusive parent. But there was no proof that Terry was abusive. Interviews with the boys soon brought into question their relationship with Chavis and his role in the murder of Terry King.

Join Tiegrabber for ad-free and members-only episodes

Write to Jill & Dick

Shop TCB Merch

Read “Angels of Death” by Gary C. King

Join the True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Record a voicemail

The Vanishing Bride-to-Be: Annie Le

Jill — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 04:00:05 +0000

Graduate student Annie Le disappeared from her lab at Yale University just five days before her wedding. When she was first reported missing, investigators theorized that she had cold feet and had likely run off for some time alone. But Annie’s family and friends didn’t believe Annie would do that. She was very much in love with her fiancé and she was excited about the upcoming nuptials.

Join us at the quiet end for The Vanishing Bride-to-Be, the story of Annie Le. As the days passed by and her wedding day neared, Annie’s disappearance seemed more and more likely to be the result of foul play, but a thorough examination of CCTV footage at the laboratory showed that Annie had never left the building.

Record your voice message here

Join Team Tiegrabber for ad-free and members-only shows

The Grindr Killer: Stephen Port

Jill — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 04:52:09 +0000

In September, 2015, 25-year-old Jack Taylor was found dead in the graveyard of St. Margaret’s Church in East London. Jack was not the first young man to be found dead under unexplained circumstances, all within a few hundred yards of each other. It was initially believed that these deaths resulted from drug overdoses, but Jack’s death led the police to find a more sinister cause. A killer had lured these men to their deaths using online dating apps.

Two days before Jack Taylor was found dead, he had arranged to meet with a man he’d been chatting with on the dating app Grindr. When his family and friends didn’t hear from Jack, they reported him missing. Then the police showed up at his parent’s home with the worst news imaginable.

Join us at the quiet end for The Grindr Killer. Four suspicious deaths under very similar circumstances in the same area of London pointed to one killer. Today we’re going back in time to learn about the monster responsible and his methods to lure young, gay men into his deadly web of lies.

Subscribe to get ad-free and bonus episodes while supporting the show!

Submit a comment or suggestion

Record a voicemail for a future feedback segment

Daniel Whitworth, Stephen Port, Jack Taylor, Anthony Walgate, & Gabriel Kovari

Cashing In: Karl Karlsen

Jill — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 05:00:14 +0000

How much are your loved ones worth to you? Priceless, right? You cannot put a dollar amount on a person’s life. Not so for Karl Karlson. There were so many tragedies and coincidences in his life that his second wife suspected him of two murders and several instances of insurance fraud. In fact, she became convinced enough to record her conversations with Karlsen.

Join us at the quiet end for Cashing In. Karl Karlson valued people only for how they could benefit him. Over a span of many years, his family members tried to believe in his innocence. But there were signs that things weren’t right. As the pieces of his life and the facts of his crimes came to light, a puzzle of sorts began to come together. But before looking at the whole picture, let’s look at how the individual pieces add up to two of the most unfathomable crimes imaginable.

Subscribe now to get ad-free and bonus shows

Send Jill & Dick a message

Join our TCB Fan Discussion Group

Shop TCB Merch and be the coolest kid on the block 😉

Christina, Karl, & Levi Karlsen

Gone & Never Forgotten: The Kathy Stobaugh Story

Jill — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 04:59:09 +0000

Kathy Stobaugh married the wrong man. Once she realized her mistake, she did everything right in order to set off on a better course. She worked full-time, went back to college, and accomplished her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher. Saving her money, she rented a new house and moved there with her two children. But her husband, Charles, was not going to let her get away so easily.

On December 29, 2004, Kathy happily hummed a tune as she gathered her divorce settlement papers together and drove off in her car. Charles had finally agreed to talk things over and reach a financial settlement with her. She had newfound hope that their post-divorce lives could be civil. She held no false hopes that they would be friends.

Join us at the quiet end for Gone & Never Forgotten: The Kathy Stobaugh Story. Did Kathy’s soon to be ex-husband kill her and hide her body or are we meant to believe that she just walked off one day before her divorce hearing?

Subscribe for ad-free & bonus shows!

Contact Jill & Dick

Click here to record a voicemail

Shop Merch

Read “The Vanished Wife” by Donna Fielder

Join our True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Charles Kathy

The Disappearance of Janet March

Jill — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 04:48:22 +0000

On the morning of Friday, August 16, 1996, Marissa Moody brought her 6-year-old son to the impressive home of Janet and Perry March to have a play date with 5-year-old Sammy March. The March family seemed like the picture-perfect family, but Marissa never felt comfortable around Perry March. He was intimidating and snubbed her at every opportunity.

Janet March, 33-years-old, was an accomplished artist from a privileged upbringing. It wasn’t terribly unusual that Janet wasn’t there for the play date. The March children had a nanny. The only thing that seemed off that day to Marissa was the presence of a rolled-up rug lying on the floor near the kitchen entryway. She had never seen it before, and when she returned to pick up her son that afternoon, the rug was gone. Perry claimed that Janet had left home for a 12-day vacation. But, after 12 days, there was still no sign of her. Homicide detectives became convinced that Janet’s 100-pound body had been concealed in the rug that day.

Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Janet March. According to homicide detectives, Perry March killed his wife Janet during an argument on the evening of August 15, 1996. His father, Arthur, and brother, Ronald, were seen as possible accomplices in disposing of Janet’s body. But with no body and no murder weapon, the case was nearly impossible to prove. The court of public opinion found Perry March guilty from early on in the investigation, but it would take years for his true character to be exposed.

Subscribe to TCB Premium for ad-free and bonus shows

Record a voicemail for a future TCB episode!

Shop TCB Merch

Join our TCB Fan Discussion Group

Share your comments and/or suggestions

Read “Love, Lies, & Murder” by Gary C. King

The Fisherman & the Flirt: The Death of Kent Leppink

Jill — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 05:00:05 +0000

In 2006, 33-year-old Mechele Linehan was visited by the Alaska police regarding a 1996 murder. Back then, Mechele had been an exotic dancer. The murder victim was a former client named Kent Leppink. But, in 2006, Mechele was a professional woman married to a physician and raising a young daughter in Washington state. Her arrest was shocking to the people in her community.

Join us at the quiet end for The Fisherman & the Flirt. Mechele had been dancing at The Great Alaskan Bush Company for only a few months when she met Kent Leppink. He was infatuated with Mechele and soon told people that she was his fiancée, but Mechele said that they were never engaged and were not in a romantic relationship. There are many sides to this story, so let’s dive in and try to separate fact from fiction.

Support the show and get ad-free and bonus content

Email your comments and suggestions for our feedback segment

Shop TCB Merch

Record a voicemail for a future show!

A Dark Passion: The Columbo Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:00:08 +0000

When 16-year-old Patricia Columbo took a job in a soda shop next door to a pharmacy, no one even imagined that she and the 36-year-old married pharmacist Frank DeLuca would become involved in a sexual relationship. But that’s exactly what happened.

Over the next four years, Patricia’s parents tried to talk some sense into her. First, Deluca moved Patricia into his family home with his wife and five children. When Patricia’s parents gave her money to move out and get her own apartment, they were distressed to learn that she had Frank DeLuca move in with her.

Join us at the quiet end for A Dark Passion. Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca went into her family’s house with the motive to kill them all and receive her family inheritance, but the murders were clearly overkill, revealing a level of hate beyond all reason and leading everyone who knew the family to question why these shocking crimes happened.

Wouldn’t you like to be a Tiegrabber too?

We know you have opinions…share them here

Shop TCB Merch here

Record a voicemail for Jill & Dick… we would love to hear your comments and/or suggestions!

Read “Love’s Blood” by Clark Howard

The Silencing of Sandra Rozzo

Jill — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 05:00:27 +0000

On July 5, 2003, 37-year-old Florida bartender Sandra Rozzo was shot in her own garage before she could even get out of her car. Sandra, known by her friends as Sandee, was a hard worker, a good friend, and a devoted mother to her young daughter. The idea that someone would want her dead was difficult to comprehend.

There was one man with a motive: 36-year-old Tracey Humphrey. Humphrey was an ex-boyfriend charged with felony battery and the sexual assault of Sandee. He was due to go on trial in August of 2003. Sandra planned to testify against him. But Tracey had an ironclad alibi. If he didn’t kill Sandee himself, could he have been the mastermind behind her murder?

Join us at the quiet end for The Silencing of Sandra Rozzo, a murder case with an unlikely pair of co-conspirators. It’s also a case that begs the fascinating question of whether one person can convince an otherwise nonviolent person to kill.

Subscribe for ad-free and bonus episodes

Shop TCB Merch

Record a voicemail–we dare you 🙂

Join the True Crime Brewery Facebook Fan Discussion Group

Read “Kill for Me” by M. William Phelps

Groomed for Murder: Elaine O’Hara

Jill — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:42:38 +0000

Elaine O’Hara of South Dublin, Ireland, spent her life looking for love. Because of her extensive history of mental health issues, Elaine spent many of her years in the St. Edmundsbury Hospital, receiving psychiatric treatment for depressive disorder, self-harming behaviors, and three suicide attempts. As a result, she missed the usual social milestones of dances, dating, and boyfriends. In her thirties, she began to meet men online and became involved in masochistic behavior.

Elaine was exceedingly vulnerable to online predators. One of these predators was Graham Dwyer, a married architect with a secret desire not only to bind and hurt women, but to kill them. In August of 2012, Elaine disappeared. Police assumed she had committed suicide by jumping off nearby cliffs. But disturbing texts found on recovered cell phones later revealed that Elaine had been involved with a dangerous man.

Join us at the quiet end for Groomed for Murder. Elaine O’Hara wanted to find a man to love her and have a family of her own, but instead she was tragically lured to her own murder by a cruel, sick man who was living a secret double life.

Subscribe to TCB Premium

Share comments or suggestions

We want to hear from you—leave a voicemail here!

Shop TCB merch

Read “Almost the Perfect Murder” by Paul Williams

Seized & Scorched: Kim Antonakos

Jill — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 05:00:03 +0000

After a night out clubbing with a friend in New York City, the beautiful and kind 20-year-old Kim Antonakos disappeared. Kim was on her way home in the early morning hours when she was abducted. Her father, wealthy businessman Tommy Antonakos, immediately began a widespread and organized search for his daughter. What he didn’t know was that Kim’s abductors were supposed friends of Kim. Right under Tommy’s nose, these cold-blooded men pretended to care about her and to participate in his search for Kim.

Join us at the quiet end for Seized and Scorched. Everything about Kim’s abduction showed unbridled cruelty and extraordinary incompetence. When plans to hold Kim hostage for money didn’t go according to plan, Kim’s abductors panicked and took Kim’s life. But not only was her young life stolen from her and those who loved her, Kim died an agonizing and slow death, leaving her unrecognizable. Before the investigation was completed, another murder would occur, revealing that the callousness of at least one of her killers ran deeper than even imagined.

Subscribe to True Crime Brewery Premium

Send us your comments & suggestions

Leave a voicemail for an upcoming show

Join the True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Piketon Massacre

Jill — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 02:17:12 +0000

In the early morning of April 22, 2016, relatives of the Rhoden family in Pike County, Ohio, began to discover family members brutally killed in their own homes. In all, eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered, including one minor, 16-year-old Christopher Rhoden, Jr.

The victims had been shot to death. Three young children, including a newborn infant, were left alive. Investigators determined early on that the killings were planned and carried out by at least two perpetrators who knew the family well, but it took over two years to make arrests.

This crime investigation is the most extensive in the history of the state of Ohio. Evidence of cock-fighting and marijuana growth operations were found at some of the crime scenes, but the motive may have been something as simple as a child-custody dispute.

Join us at the quiet end for The Piketon Massacre. Due to the methodical nature of these killings and the lack of forensic evidence at the scenes, these murders have been described as a premeditated and sophisticated operation. Four people have been arrested and the death penalty is on the table.

Watch “The Piketon Family Murders”

Subscribe to True Crime Brewery Premium

Send us your comment or suggestion

Record a voicemail for an upcoming show

Join the True Crime Brewery Fan Discussion Group

The Cards He Was Dealt: The Murder of Barry Crane

Jill — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 05:00:04 +0000

This episode was suggested to us by Jeane, a long-time listener. In fact, Jeane was so enthusiastic about this case that she volunteered to write the script, and we took her up on that. Jeane was a federal prosecutor in the San Francisco Bay area for 27 years, focusing primarily on white-collar crimes, before she retired in 2018. She looks forward to the U.S. Department of Justice becoming a nonpartisan institution once again and cherishes the career attorneys who stuck it out.

So, thank you for all your research and hard work, Jeane. This is a fascinating case you brought to our attention and we’re excited to share it with our listeners at the quiet end.

That said, please join us at the quiet end for The Cards He Was Dealt, the story of the life and death of Barry Crane.

Sources:

Historicdetroit.org

Ancestry.com

The Bulletin January/February 1953

St Louis Post-Dispatch

New York Film Academy

Reno Gazette-Journal

Alberni Valley Times

Fliphtml5.com

Wbchampbulletin.org

NYTimes.com

Akron Beacon Journal

Judy.bridgeblogging.com

Morganton.com

California v. Greenwood

ABCnews.go.com

Fox2detroit.com

Need more podcasts and fewer ads? Click here

Have an opinion or a case to share? Click here!

Diehard: An Untrue Crime Christmas Movie

Jill — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 05:00:25 +0000

Something different today! We’re talking about untrue crimes which occurred in a high rise LA office building in 1988. At the center of these events was a detective from New York named John McClane. He and his wife Holly were separated at the time over issues including her blossoming career with the Nakatomi Corporation in Los Angeles, but John visited her for the holidays and soon found himself at the center of a complex and violent robbery plot. The events that follow are quite shocking and show failures by the LAPD to rescue hostages or arrest the perpetrators. In fact, if not for a beat cop named Al, John McClane would have been completely on his own.

Join us at the quiet end for Diehard, the story of two good cops who prevailed over evil on Christmas Eve 1988.

Happy Holidays to all!

Subscribe for members-only & ad-free shows

Have something to share? Click here!

The Teacup Poisoner: Graham Young

Jill — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:00:06 +0000

Most of us have some compulsions or obsessions. But what if your compulsion was to poison people? Then you would be well on your way to becoming a killer. As a child, Graham Young began experimenting with poisons. By the age of 14, he was using his family as subjects. His father, step-mother, and sister suffered from episodes of excruciating stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Then, while Graham was still a teenager, his stepmother died from one of his poisoning experiments.

Graham would ultimately confess to the murder of his stepmother and the attempted murder of other family members. He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for several years until he was determined to be rehabilitated. What his doctors didn’t know was that Graham had spent much of his time in the hospital reading medical texts to improve his knowledge of various poisons. He had honed his skills to include extracting poisons from plants on the hospital grounds. His step-mother’s murder was just the beginning of his career as a deviant killer.

Join us at the quiet end for The Teacup Poisoner. Graham Young’s crimes were reprehensible, causing prolonged and miserable deaths for his victims. But Graham was nothing if not detail-oriented. A diary would be discovered in his home, noting dosages and the effects of each poison.

Subscribe for ad-free and bonus content!

Share comments or suggestions

Shop TCB Merch

Bedroom Betrayal: The Case of Leann Fletcher

Jill — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 05:00:12 +0000

In 1999, Leann and Michael Fletcher were just beginning to grow their family as Michael was busy building his career as an attorney. That August, the couple left their daughter, Hannah, with Leann’s parents. Michael took Leann to the shooting range to teach her how to shoot a gun. Afterwards, taking advantage of the free baby-sitting, they returned home and had afternoon sex. What happened next would destroy both of their families.

In the aftermath of an unexpected and shocking death, problems in the Fletcher marriage were exposed. Leann had recently learned that she was pregnant, reuniting with Michael after a lengthy separation. She had high hopes for the future. Michael had been a doting husband for the past several months, but his loving gestures raised some eyebrows, especially those of Leann’s mother.

Join us at the quiet end for Bedroom Betrayal. Was Michael Fletcher a loving father looking forward to the birth of a second child, or was he an unfaithful, lying, cold-blooded man with a long-planned scheme to get away with murder?

Contact Jill & Dick

Join Tiegrabber

Read “A Deadly Affair” by Tom Henderson

Shop TCB Merch

The Murder of Angie Dodge

Jill — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:00:48 +0000

18-year old Angie Dodge had just moved into her first apartment in 1996 when her life was suddenly and violently snuffed out. In 1998, a young man named Christopher Tapp was convicted of Angie’s murder. The prosecution’s case relied on Christopher’s confession. The defense argued that the confession was coerced and that the state was ignoring DNA evidence from an unknown suspect. Angie’s heartbroken mother, Carol Dodge, was left to wonder about the suspect still at large.

After years of seeking the truth, Carol Dodge watched Christopher’s confession tapes. Appalled by the interrogations, she reached out to an expert in false confessions, who in turn contacted the Innocence Project. But it would take several more years and the work of experts in DNA genealogy to find Angie’s real killer and exonerate Christopher Tapp.

The use of genealogical familial searching and its success in this and other cases has exciting implications for future criminal investigations. The public has shown approval for the technique overall; however, there are privacy concerns over the use of private genetic data to implicate a person or his/her relatives in a crime.

Join us at the quiet end for The Murder of Angie Dodge. By putting together a DNA profile and identifying relatives in the suspect’s family tree, genealogist CeCe Moore and a DNA consulting firm called Parabon were able to find Angie’s killer. Carol Dodge has been crucial in the exoneration of her daughter’s convicted killer, casting a bright light on the failings of our criminal justice system. If not for her determination, Christopher Tapp would still be an innocent man in prison as Angie’s real killer walked free.

Subscribe for ad-free episodes, members-only episodes, and a free TCB gift! (makes a fun and unusual holiday gift too)

Shop TCB Merch

The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos

Jill — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 05:00:03 +0000

Jennifer Farber Dulos was a woman to be envied. Educated and attractive, she came from a wealthy New York City family, lived in beautiful Connecticut mansions, married a handsome, educated man, and had five healthy children.

After 13 years of marriage to her Greek-American husband, Fotis Dulos, he became aggressive and unfaithful. He told Jennifer that he had fallen out of love with her, but he didn’t want to move out of the family home. Instead, he wanted to move his new lover and her daughter in with them. Not surprisingly, Jennifer was not on board with this plan. She moved out under the cover of the night, taking the children with her.

Join us at the quiet end as we discuss the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. When Jennifer vanished, she and Fotis were still deeply entrenched in a lengthy and intense divorce battle. As Jennifer tried to move forward and focus on her children, Fotis was realizing that he could lose custody of his children and go bankrupt. Although he denied having any involvement in his estranged wife’s disappearance, a trail of evidence revealed dark and sinister secrets.

Join Tiegrabber for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, & your TCB gift!

Send comments & case suggestions

Shop the Brewery!

Mail-Order Murder: The Story of Michelle & Jonathan Nyce

Jill — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:00:02 +0000

New Jersey mom Michelle Nyce spent the last night of her life working the makeup counter at Macy’s, followed by a romantic tryst with her lover. When she finally arrived home, her husband was waiting for her in a jealous rage.

Michelle had come all the way from the Philippines when she was just 20-years old to be the wife of 41-year old Dr. Jonathan Nyce. After 15 years of marriage, they were raising three children together in their luxurious $1.6 million home. But Jonathan, the former chief executive of a pharmaceutical company, was failing in his career and in his marriage. He was about to lose everything, including Michelle.

Join us at the quiet end for Mail-Order Murder: The Story of Michelle & Jonathan Nyce. Michelle and Jonathan were an unlikely couple, but they seemed to make things work for a time. By 2004, their relationship was strained and Michelle had fallen in love with their former gardener. Was Jonathan capable of killing his pretty, young wife, or was her lover responsible for her death?

Join Tiegrabber for bonus and ad-free shows

Read “Never Leave Me” by Jon Glatt

Blood Pact: The Victims of Kelly Cochran

Jill — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 05:01:08 +0000

Sex is a powerful motivator. So, when 53-year old Christopher Regan became involved with younger married woman Kelly Cochran, no one was completely shocked, even though Kelly was not Chris’ type. In fact, she was quite rough around the edges, abrasive, and only minimally attractive. But she was friendly, easy, and, most importantly, willing. She seemed to have no moral concerns about cheating on her husband, but Chris would learn the hard way that she had no morals at all.

When Chris disappeared in October of 2014, his family was concerned. The police decided that he had either taken his own life out in the vast forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or moved away to start a new life. But one investigator, Iron River police chief Laura Frizzo, believed that Chris had been murdered.

Join us at the quiet end for Blood Pact. Chris Regan’s disappearance set off an investigation into the world of Kelly and her husband, Jason. What they found included a wedding night blood pact, a chain of lies, and the horrific likelihood of a cannibalistic barbeque.

Get your TCB ad-free

Leave us a voicemail or an email–your choice!

May December Murder

Jill — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:04:02 +0000

Sometimes a small thing in life can change everything. That’s what happened when high school student Susan Mae Bolling was sent to a psychotherapist for treatment of depression and anxiety. Her therapist, Dr. Felix Polk, was married with two children, but that didn’t stop him from beginning a sexual relationship with Susan.

Susan and Felix Polk married in 1982, shortly after he divorced his wife. Despite the huge 26-year age difference, they seemed very happy. But with several years of marriage and raising three sons together, the couple had a contentious relationship. This resulted in more than one call to the police with allegations of domestic violence.

Join us at the quiet end for May December Murder. When Dr. Felix Polk was found dead at age 70, their youngest son Gabriel blamed Susan. Their oldest son, Adam, called Susan “cuckoo.” And Susan herself seemed unfazed by her husband’s death, leading investigators to contend she had planned his murder for money.

Treat yourself to ad free TCB episodes

Send a voicemail or email to Dick and Jill

Murder on Her Mind: Joy Aylor

Jill — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 04:02:35 +0000

Rozanne Gailiunas was smart, caring, and a devoted parent. In 1983, her marriage to physician Peter Gailiunas was on the rocks. She was in love with contractor Larry Aylor, a man also in the middle of a contentious divorce. In fact, the two were making plans to spend the rest of their lives together.

Then, a little past 6 p.m. on Oct. 4, 1983, police found Rozanne murdered in her suburban home. She was bound, nude and face down on her bed. Her 4-year-old son was in the home, thankfully unharmed.

Rozanne’s husband, Peter, and her lover, Larry, were the first people police wanted to speak with. Rozanne appeared to have been sexually assaulted. There were no signs of a burglary. Peter seemed to have the strongest motive, but he pointed the finger at Larry or his wife, Joy. All three had an alibi.

Join us at the quiet end for Murder on Her Mind. The events leading up to the murder of Rozanne and the events that followed her death make up a complex web of lust, hatred, and greed. It would take years for police to solve the case. When the truth was finally exposed, it shocked an entire community.

Leave a voicemail or email for Jill & Dick–go ahead, make their day!

Tired of ads? Click here!

Read “To Hatred Turned” by Ken Englade

The Doctor’s Wife

Jill — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 03:59:59 +0000

Heart surgeon Dr. Darryl Sutorius thought he had found a second chance at true love when he married attractive divorcee Dante Britteon. But soon after the wedding, Darryl was depressed and disillusioned. Dante wasn’t who she had claimed to be and she worked hard to alienate him from his children.

Much of what Dante had told Darryl about herself were lies. Her real name was Della Hall. She was not a college graduate as she had claimed, but a high school drop-out. She had a secret daughter and grandchildren. And she had been married five times.

Join us at the quiet end for the story of a man who found himself married to a complete fraud. He tried to make the marriage work in spite of it all, but Della had a history of violence. She purchased a gun and Darryl began to fear for his life. When he decided to leave and he began divorce proceedings, Della made her own evil plans to end their marriage and inherit his fortune.

Get rid of the damn ads on my TCB!

Leave a voicemail or an email–your choice!

Read “Della’s Web” by Aphrodite Jones

The “Dungeons & Dragons” Murder

Jill — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 03:52:52 +0000

Family life is not always rooted in love. For the blended family of Lieth and Bonnie Von Stein, life was marked by disappointments, resentment, and deep-seated hate. One summer night in 1988, Bonnie and Lieth were viscously attacked in their own bed. Daughter Angela said that she had slept through the attack. Son Christopher was away, living in student housing at North Carolina University.

The primary investigation led to Christopher and his Dungeons & Dragons playing friends. During this era of satanic panic, there was a public perception that the brutal attacks were a real life manifestation of the role-playing game.

At the quiet end today, we’re looking into the dark heart of family life in a small southern town. It’s a terrifying story of greed and callousness and the story of a mother forced to consider the worst about her own son.

Subscribe for ad-free and bonus content

Send feedback

No Accident: The Death of Kristine Fitzhugh

Jill — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 03:55:56 +0000

When Palo Alto music teacher Kristine Fitzhugh was found in a pool of coagulated blood at the bottom of her basement stairs, her husband Ken blamed her shoes. That’s right, her shoes. He had warned her over and over, he said, that those shoes were dangerous. She must have stumbled and fallen in them.

But it didn’t take long for investigators to question Ken Fitzhugh’s theory. The position of Kristine’s body and her injuries were not consistent with a fall. And the blood evidence made Ken the primary suspect in her suspicious death. Blood found in the Fitzhugh’s kitchen suggested that she had been attacked there. Further inquiries exposed financial problems and an extramarital affair resulting in a pregnancy.

Join us at the quiet end for No Accident: The Death of Kristine Fitzhugh. Ken Fitzhugh denied any involvement in his wife’s death, but inconsistencies in his story and forensic examination results led to his arrest and a dramatic, highly publicized trial.

Send Jill & Dick a case suggestion

Make me a Tiegrabber!

Seaworthy: Murder on Palmyra

Jill — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 03:51:00 +0000

On the remote island of Palmyra, about 970 nautical miles south of Hawaii, a series of crimes occurred against experienced sailing couple Mac and Muff Graham. A handful of other sailors spent time with the Grahams on the island, but the Grahams were eventually left alone with a desperate young couple: Stephanie Stearns and her fugitive boyfriend Lesley “Buck” Walker.

Then the Grahams went missing. Soon afterward, their boat was seen at a busy marina, repainted and in the possession of Stearns and Walker. The logical conclusion was that they had stolen the Graham’s boat and murdered the couple, but finding evidence and bringing Stearns and Walker to trial would take years.

Join us at the quiet end for Seaworthy: Murder on Palmyra. Learning what it takes to sail the ocean on a small sailboat and survive on a deserted island has been fascinating. At the core of the case is the seaworthiness of Stearns’ and Walkers’ boat. The couple sailed to the island on a rickety boat with inadequate food and supplies. This leads to the very valid question of whether their plan from the beginning was to steal a seaworthy, well-stocked boat and murder its crew.

Get ad-free and bonus shows

Journey to Justice: An Interview with Jeffrey Deskovic

Jill — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 04:00:18 +0000

In 2006, Jeffrey Deskovic’s indictment charging him with the rape and murder of a high school classmate was dismissed on the grounds of actual innocence. Post conviction DNA testing proved his innocence. It also identified the real killer.

When a classmate of 16-year old Jeffrey was found raped and murdered in a local park, he was upset. The police said his behavior seemed odd. They were suspicious of him because he was late for school the day after the murder and he seemed “overly distraught” about the death of a girl who was not even a close friend. Jeffrey was questioned at length and eventually manipulated into giving a false confession.

Since his release from prison, Jeffrey has earned his law degree and established the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice, devoting his life to fighting wrongful convictions and helping those exonerated to reclaim their lives.

Join us at the quiet end for the story of Jeffrey Deskovic. Dick was able to be in touch with Mr. Deskovic for an interview recently. We hope you will find what he had to say as fascinating as we did.

Click here for ad-free and bonus episodes

Visit our website & leave a voicemail

Shop TCB Merch

Doomsday Parents Part Two: Chad & Lori Daybell

Jill — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 04:00:05 +0000

For today’s episode, we’re diving back into the murky waters of the Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell case. Last week, we went over the marriages, families, strange religious beliefs, disappearances, and untimely deaths. This week, we’re delving deeper into everything and talking about what has happened since Lori and Chad’s shocking November 2019 wedding.

Join us at the quiet end for Doomsday Parents Part Two. There’s still a lot to learn about this case as we await forensic examination results, but there’s plenty already known for us to discuss, debate, and consider as well.

Subscribe now for new episodes and no more ads!

Shop Brewery Merch

Write to Jill & Dick

Doomsday Parents Part One: Chad & Lori Daybell

Jill — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 03:53:33 +0000

Normally, when we talk about parents who have a missing child, we’re talking about distressed, loving parents who will do anything to find their child. But in the case of missing children Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, we’re delving into new and unimaginable territory.

The lives of J.J. and Tylee’s mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, and their stepfather, Chad Daybell, have been suffused by drama and multiple deaths. As more is discovered about the couple’s deranged religious doctrine and ongoing deceit, they are exposed as more evil than righteous.

Today’s episode is part one in our two-part series Doomsday Parents. As Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell face multiple charges in court, the loved ones of the many lives lost in their wake are left to grieve and try to find a way to move forward. This may very well be the most complicated case we’ve ever researched. Please join us at the quiet end as we delve into this real life horror story.

Subscribe for more episodes & no ads!

The Good Wife: Carol Neulander

Jill — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 04:04:04 +0000

Carol Neulander was a mother, a business owner, and the wife of respected Rabbi Fred Neulander. On most Tuesdays, she drove home with the receipts from her popular bakeries, carrying thousands of dollars in her purse. Then came the Tuesday evening when two men showed up at her front door.

Join us at the quiet end for The Good Wife: Carol Neulander. While Carol devoted herself to her home, her children, her business, and their temple community, Rabbi Fred Neulander was having sex with other women. But did Fred’s infidelity mean that he was capable of making his wife a target for murder? Forensic evidence was scarce but a strong circumstantial case would be put together over time.

Shop TCB merch

Have a comment or suggestion? Contact us!

Read “Broken Vows” by Eric Francis

His Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen

Jill — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 04:01:29 +0000

Sherri Rasmussen had everything going for her. She was smart, athletic, and beautiful. She graduated high school at age 16, breezed through college, and landed a prestigious job as a hospital director of nursing in her late 20s.

In 1985, Sherri married the man of her dreams. Three months later, she was found murdered in her own home. The scene looked like a robbery gone terribly wrong, but after 23 years, DNA evidence pointed to someone who had reason to want Sherri dead, someone who also had the expertise needed to successfully stage the crime scene.

Join us at the quiet end for His Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen. When detectives reexamined Sherri’s cold case file in 2009, DNA testing pointed to a female suspect. Then detectives came across a report of a woman who had harassed Sherri at her job shortly before the murder, a woman currently working for the Los Angeles Police Department. The burglary theory was dropped, and the case was reinvestigated. The identity of Sherri’s killer was shocking, but Sherri’s family questioned whether the police department was either incompetent or corrupt in not pursuing one of their own as Sherri’s killer years earlier.

Get ad-free and bonus episodes!

Visit our website & leave a voicemail

Send us an email

Cyberstalked: Cari Lea Farver

Jill — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 04:41:26 +0000

In November of 2012, Cari Lea Farver just up and left everything behind: her new boyfriend, her job, and even her son. This was not like Cari, who was a responsible worker, a reliable friend, and a devoted mom. Then an alarming string of texts from Cari’s phone set everyone on edge.

Cari’s new boyfriend, Dave Kroupa, was surprised by her abrupt change of heart, but he had only known her for two weeks. After Cari missed her son’s high school graduation and her own father’s funeral, her mother, Nancy, was certain that the person communicating with her by text was not her daughter at all.

Join us at the quiet end for Cyberstalked: Cari Lea Farver. As Cari’s family members worried about her, Dave Kroupa believed she was stalking him and his on-again off-again lover, Liz Golyar. Dave and Liz reported break-ins, arson, and death threats, as obscene messages from Cari’s phone and social media accounts poured in. Over a three-year time period, thousands of these messages were received. Not until the past of a sociopathic killer was exposed and digital forensics were utilized was the truth behind Cari’s disappearance brought into the light.

Join Tiegrabber and get ad-free and bonus TCB episodes

Join the True Crime Brewery Fan Discussions Group

Secrets & Lies: Solving the Murders of Katherine and Sheila Lyon

Jill — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 04:01:58 +0000

Law enforcement interrogation is a real skill, but much of it has been questioned in recent years with instances of botched police investigations and false confessions. When police have little forensic evidence, as is the case with many cold cases, witness interviews and suspect interrogations can be crucial in solving a case. But how far should detectives go for a confession?

The disappearance of Sheila and Katherine Lyon from a Maryland mall in March 1975 went unsolved until detectives in 2013 came across a six-page statement made by 18-year-old Lloyd Welch back in April of 1975.

At the time of the disappearances, Welch had contacted the police to say that he had witnessed the girls’ abduction. Detectives in 1975 dismissed his elaborate story as an attempt to gain attention and play the hero. Thirty-eight years later, new investigators thought that Lloyd could be an actual witness or even the man responsible for abducting the girls.

Join us at the quiet end for Secrets & Lies: Solving the Murders of Katherine and Sheila Lyon. It took detectives multiple interviews to get a confession from Welch, pulling new details from him like teeth and calling him out on his recurring lies. Today, we’ll review interviews to get a closer look into the mind of Lloyd Welch, the horrors of his dysfunctional extended family, and how the Lyon sisters fell victim to this sadistic pedophile.

Support the show and get ad-free and bonus TCB episodes

Read “The Last Stone” by Mark Bowden

Send comments or case suggestions

The Disappearance of Heather Elvis

Jill — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 04:02:52 +0000

Heather Elvis was just 20-years old when she disappeared on a Tuesday night just one week before Christmas. Heather was kind and clever. She knew what it was like to work hard and she liked to have fun. She never would have disappeared from her family without explanation.

When Heather’s father, Terry, was notified that her car had been abandoned at South Carolina’s picturesque Peachtree Landing, he knew that something was terribly wrong. As a policeman opened her car’s trunk, Terry was terrified of what he would find.

Join us at the quiet end for The Disappearance of Heather Elvis. The search for Heather led investigators through trails of phone calls and texts, reels of CCTV footage, and into the lives and motivations of one very strange, sinister couple.

Click here for access to ad-free and bonus episodes of True Crime Brewery

The Delphi Murders: Abby Williams & Libby German

Jill — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 04:26:30 +0000

Good friends 13-year old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German had a day off from school on Monday, February 13, 2017. At around noon, they decided to visit a local hiking trail. But when Libby’s father showed up at 3pm to pick up the girls, they weren’t there. By 5:30pm, the police were called and a search began.

The next day, the girls’ bodies were found less than a mile away. Despite having a video and audio of the suspected killer from Libby’s Snapchat account and two sketches from witnesses in the area, investigators have still not found the man responsible for their murders.

Join us at the quiet end for a discussion on the Delphi murders. Three years have passed since Abby and Libby were killed, but the case remains a mystery in spite of what seems like the best evidence.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the Delphi Homicide Tipline at 844-459-5786. All information will be taken and followed up on by investigators. All callers may remain anonymous. Tips can also be submitted online via abbyandlibbytip@cacoshrf.com.

Get ad-free and bonus episodes of TCB

Check out the “Down the Hill” podcast

Send us your comments & case suggestions

Something Wicked: The Murders of Susan, Karen, & Michael Reinert

Jill — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 04:14:10 +0000

Susan Reinert was an English teacher at Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, when she began dating fellow English teacher William Bradfield. Bradfield was charismatic. In fact, Susan left her husband to carry on a secret relationship with him.

On June 25, 1989, Susan’s naked body was found in her car in a hotel parking lot near Philadelphia’s “Main Line” and her two children, Karen and Michael, were nowhere to be found. An investigation by state police and the FBI centered on William Bradfield and the school principal Dr. John Smith, who would be revealed as a sadist with a passion for pornography, illicit drugs, and violence.

Join us at the quiet end for Something Wicked. It’s been 30 years since William Bradfield and Dr. John Smith were exposed as cruel and deviant men, but this is a case that never fails to fascinate or invite debate.

I want bonus and ad-free episodes!

A Murder in Junior High

Jill — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 04:06:03 +0000

Oxnard, California is a town like many towns across the United States. Oxnard has its share of institutional racism and gender hate, but no one would have expected one junior high student to murder another in cold blood. Growing up transgender, biracial, and in an abusive home, Leticia King had many challenges in life. At age 15, Leticia was struggling to find herself. She was identifying as a female and asking her classmates to stop calling her Larry and begin calling her Leticia.

Leticia was adopted as a toddler boy. As she reached adolescence, child abuse in her adopted home resulted in placement in a shelter for abused and neglected children. In the shelter, she found a supportive and accepting environment. At school, she was teased, ostracized, and bullied. But Leticia was strong and self-empowered. She refused to hide who she was from her classmates. Some of her peers didn’t like that.

One of these peers was 14-year-old Brandon McInerney. Brandon was raised in a home where abuse, illegal drugs, and weapons were commonplace.

Join us at the quiet end for A Murder in Junior High. When interactions between Leticia and Brandon resulted in a shocking murder, parents, teachers, and community leaders all shared in responsibility. Opinions and debates on the crime made one thing clear: gender identification and the behavior of teen-aged males are topics long overdue for society-wide discussions.

Support TCB and get ad-free and bonus episodes!

Read “A Murder Over a Girl”

Just a Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine

Jill — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 04:03:30 +0000

The story of Tina Fontaine’s life belongs to her and her family, but it parallels many others in Indigenous communities. Her struggle for stability, the promises not kept, and the sexual exploitation she endured meant that Tina experienced more trauma and pain than most people could imagine.

Because of situations beyond her control, Tina needed housing, health, and educational services that were not easily accessed. In the last years of her life, poverty, homelessness, and drug use led her into life threatening situations on an almost daily basis. All of this by the time she was 15-years-old.

Today, at the quiet end, we’re telling Tina’s story. After all, Tina was just a girl. She was a girl with hopes and dreams, just like our daughters. But Tina was left vulnerable to dangerous predators. Why was no one able or willing to protect or defend her?

Shop TCB swag

Read “Red River Girl”

The Hart Family Tragedy

Jill — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 04:14:56 +0000

The life portrayed on social media by Jennifer Hart seemed perfect. She and her wife, Sarah, were a progressive and loving couple with six adopted black children. Pictures on Facebook showed two moms giving their disadvantaged children a better life. Never mind that the pictures looked posed and the children were rail thin.

Real life for the Hart children was far from perfect. A trail of abuse followed the family from Minnesota, to Oregon, to Washington, until Jennifer Hart drove the family’s SUV off a California cliff.

Join us at the quiet end for The Hart Family Tragedy. This case is a disturbing example of unchecked child abuse, failures in the foster care and adoption system, and a society that doesn’t always value children enough to intervene on their behalf. In the final analysis, Jen and Sarah Hart were responsible for the children’s deaths, but that doesn’t mean that there was no way the tragedy could have been prevented.

Join Tiegrabber for ad-free and bonus episodes!

Shop TCB merch

Phoebe’s Fall: The Unexplained Death of Phoebe Handsjuk

Jill — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 04:01:58 +0000

On December 2, 2010, 24-year-old Phoebe Handsjuk was found dead on the floor of her apartment building’s garbage compactor room. Her death was slow and painful as she bled to death, alone and in pain, on the dirty floor. Now, nearly 10 years have passed, and her family is still searching for answers.

This was a strange way to die. How and why Phoebe died that day has become a complex narrative of alcohol and drug abuse, domestic discord, police incompetence, and alleged cover-ups.

Join us at the quiet end for Phoebe’s Fall. This is the story of a vibrant but troubled young woman whose violent death has left a veil of sadness, frustration and suspicion over everyone who knew her.

Become a Tiegrabber & get ad free & bonus episodes!

The Case Against Wendi Mae Davidson

Jill — Tue, 26 May 2020 04:02:20 +0000

Wendi Mae Davidson excelled in school and succeeded in her career, but her personal life was always a mess. Wendi had a habit of either choosing the wrong men or sabotaging her relationships. Unfortunately, her parents enabled her unstable and selfish behavior.

After two unplanned pregnancies, Wendi married 24-year old Air Force officer Michael Severance. Mike was a nice guy, less educated than Wendi, but hard-working and responsible. For a while, it seemed like the marriage could work. Then, just one day before they were due to visit Mike’s family on the other side of the country, Mike vanished.

Join us at the quiet end for The Case Against Wendi Mae Davidson. It would take months for investigators to find Mike, but analysis of Wendi’s internet searches and GPS tracking of her vehicle would lead to her arrest.

Be a Tiegrabber & say goodbye to ads!

Indecency: The Murders of Lesley Howell & Trevor Buchanan

Jill — Tue, 19 May 2020 04:02:00 +0000

Be a Tiegrabber

The Pretender: Dean Faiello

Jill — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:12:04 +0000

Maria Cruz was a perfect example of the American dream fulfilled. Growing up in the Philippines, she moved to New York in 1992, received her M.B.A. from Fordham University, and took a job as a senior credit analyst.

On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003, Maria attended mass at St. Malachy’s Church. She stopped by her office that afternoon, excited about an appointment she had later that day for a cosmetic laser procedure.

When Maria didn’t show up for work that Monday or Tuesday, everyone agreed that it was not like her to miss work without calling. On Wednesday, the police were called to her apartment, but there was no sign of Maria. It would take months before detectives searched her emails and ran a check on her laser specialist, Dean Faiello, uncovering his lengthy criminal history.

Join us at the quiet end for The Pretender. Dean Faiello had looks, intelligence, and charm, but Maria’s disappearance would reveal that he lacked a conscience.

Be a Tiegrabber

Read “Under the Knife”

Eight Million Reasons to Kill: The Ewell Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 05 May 2020 04:25:17 +0000

Dale Ewell worked hard to give his children all of the advantages he didn’t have as a child. His wife, Glee, provided a loving home, staying home with their daughter Tiffany and son Dana, showering them with attention as well as possessions.

Growing up with every advantage, Dana Ewell didn’t appreciate what he was given. He always wanted more. He didn’t inherit his parents’ strong work ethic, but wanted everything handed to him, all the while acting like he was a successful businessman in his own right.

On April 19^th, 1992, the Ewell’s home was robbed. Two days later, the housekeeper found the house torn apart, with three dead bodies sprawled across the floors. Join us at the quiet end for Eight Million Reasons to Kill. We all want to give our children the best things in life, but this may have backfired for Glee and Dale Ewell.

Until Death: The Crimes of Raynella Leath

Jill — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:03:54 +0000

When things didn’t go the way Raynella Leath wanted, she could be calculating and vicious. But she could also be quite charming. After attempting to kill a man who considered her a friend, and after two husbands died suspicious deaths, the people where she lived in Solway, Tennessee wondered about Raynella. Many feared her and even warned others not to cross her.

Raynella is a grandmother, formally married to a state prosecutor. She is well-off, well-educated, and a former director of nursing. It took years for her to go to trial for murder but, despite a conviction, she is now a free woman.

Join us at the quiet end for Until Death, a complex story of a justice system influenced by money and privilege and a woman who may had gotten away with murder twice.

Get Members-Only Ad-free episodes

Read Her Deadly Web by Dianne Fanning

Hunger: The Starvation Heights Murders

Jill — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 04:08:40 +0000

With little medical training and no scientific basis for her treatments, Dr. Linda Hazzard was able to attract many wealthy clients to her Institute of Natural Therapeutics in Olalla, Washington. Dorothea and Claire Williamson, wealthy sisters from England, read Dr. Hazzard’s book “Fasting for the Cure of Disease” and believed it was their path to true health.

Two months after starting treatment, Dorothea and Claire each weighed about 70 pounds. By the time family members were summoned to the institute, Claire was dead and Dorothea weighed 50 pounds. She was unable to care for herself as she endured starvation, daily enemas and beatings. In addition, Dr. Hazzard had been appointed the executor of Claire’s estate and the legal guardian of Dorothea. Investigations revealed that Dr. Hazzard was responsible for the deaths of many of her patients.

Join us at the quiet end for a story of greed and sadism in a time when pseudoscience and questionable medical practices thrived. In today’s episode, Hunger, we will try to understand the mentality that led otherwise sensible people to believe in Dr. Hazzard, even as she slowly killed them.

Get Members-Only Ad-free episodes

Read Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen

The Girl Who Loved to Dance

Jill — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 04:01:45 +0000

Kim Barry loved to dance and she had plans to train as a nurse. Living with her parents in a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, she cared for disabled children in preparation for her future career.

On Friday night, February 6, 1981, Kim’s parents left town overnight, leaving her in charge of her little brother. Kim was usually very responsible, but she also wanted to enjoy her freedom that night. After going to a movie with a girlfriend, the two girls headed to the local disco. Her friend left early, but Kim stayed on to dance and drink some wine. She was last seen chatting with a man named Graham Potter.

Join us at the quiet end for The Girl Who Loved to Dance. Kim was a kind girl with simple dreams of a nursing career and a family of her own, until one night of freedom put her into the hands of a killer.

Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Graham Gene Potter is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au

Get ad-free TCB episodes

Leave us a review on iTunes

Finding Amy St. Laurent

Jill — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:03:39 +0000

Amy St. Laurent went out on a Saturday night and seemed to vanish into thin air. As parents, this is our worst nightmare. Amy was a sensible, smart young woman who knew how to take care of herself, but one bad choice put her into the path of a violent predator.

In the search for Amy, detectives had to deal with uncooperative witnesses, inaccurate stories, and a suspect who wove a complex web of lies. As time passed with no sign of Amy, her family had to accept a terrible fact: Amy was never coming home.

Join us at the quiet end for Finding Amy St. Laurent. What happened to Amy is, tragically, something that happens all too often. Sometimes, a monster presents himself as a charming and fun guy while out in the public eye. Then, when he isolates his victim and his violent and murderous true self emerges, it is too late to escape.

Boys Do Cry: The Brandon Teena Story

Jill — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 04:04:44 +0000

Brandon Teena was a female to male transgender person born into a homophobic culture. As we discuss Brandon’s life growing up in rural Nebraska in the 1970s and 80s, it’s difficult to conceive of the difficulties he faced. As we discuss Brandon’s story, we can see how his life spiraled out of control as he attempted to navigate relationships and he endured judgment and disapproval.

Join us at the quiet end today for what we hope will be an insightful look at the struggles of a young transgender person and the hate crime that took his life, in Boys Do Cry: The Brandon Teena Story.

Justice Denied: The Death of Nancy Sonnenfeld

Jill — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 04:03:57 +0000

Kurt Sonnenfeld has been in the news for nearly 18 years, both for the death of his wife Nancy and for being an outspoken 9/11 “truther.” As a videographer for FEMA, Kurt put together footage of the 9/11 disaster for media outlets around the world. On CNN, he spoke of the heroics of the recovery workers at Ground Zero. But, back at home, Kurt was a very troubled man.

Nancy Sonnenfeld died on January 1, 2002 under suspicious circumstances. When it looked like Kurt might be prosecuted for her murder, he fled the country. Since then, he has remarried and developed a new narrative about his work and Nancy’s death.

Join us at the quiet end today for Justice Denied. The death of Nancy Sonnenfeld has been determined, by scientists and investigators, to be a murder. But will her loved ones ever get a chance for justice for Nancy?

A Lovely Drink: The Disappearance of Lynette Dawson

Jill — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 04:32:48 +0000

It’s been nearly 40 years since young wife and mother Lynette Dawson disappeared from her New South Wales home. Lynette’s last known conversation was with her mother. On the morning of January 8, 1982, her mother called to plan an outing to a local beach. Lynette agreed, but she was nowhere to be found when her mother arrived.

Over the years, as Lynette remained missing, suspicions landed on her husband, Chris Dawson. His behavior leading up to and following his wife’s disappearance was improper and offensive. Lynette was not reported missing for six weeks and she was quickly replaced by his teen-aged lover. Still, the investigation did not lead to any arrests.

Finally, the case was reopened in 2015. Investigators gathered evidence for a case against Lynette’s husband and a true crime podcast, “Teacher’s Pet,” put together the case with witness interviews and well-supported theories.

Join us at the quiet end today for A Lovely Drink. This is a cold case, surrounded by years of deception and speculation, that may finally be approaching a conclusion.

Have a case suggestion?

truecrimebrewery@tiegrabber.com

Her Dark Plans: Stacey Castor

Jill — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 05:02:30 +0000

Stacey Castor was a recent widow, suspected of two murders, when her eldest daughter Ashley was hospitalized following an apparent suicide attempt. While some people looked at Stacey with sympathy, others thought she was evil, a woman who was alone responsible for the tragedies in her life.

The story of Stacey Castor’s life, her relationships, and her losses, is a complex and twisted narrative. After it all played out, she would be exposed as a heartless, calculating killer.

Join us at the quiet end today for Her Dark Plans. After getting away with one murder, Stacey Castor became comfortable with eliminating anyone who got in the way of what she wanted. Her murderous plots knew no boundaries, not even the lives of the children she claimed to love.

Searching for Summer Shipp

Jill — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 05:01:48 +0000

Summer Shipp reinvented herself after her divorce, but she always had a big heart and a lively, idealistic personality. When she disappeared in 2004, she was happy with her life. She had a close relationship with her adult daughter, Brandy, and she had a large group of friends. Money was tight, but she was as far from materialistic as one can be.

Summer liked her job doing market research. She had autonomy and she loved to meet new people and learn about them. But her company sent her out on her own, going door to door, sometimes in rough neighborhoods. Her friends and family worried, but she had no concerns.

Join us at the quiet end for Searching for Summer Shipp. This is a case where many of the questions have been answered, but will her loved ones ever have a true resolution?

(more…)

A Killer on the Road: The Abduction of Samantha Koenig

Jill — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 05:05:30 +0000

Most of our TCB episodes deal with the intricacies of family, friend, or co-worker relationships, where different personalities and vulnerabilities come together in one tragic act of murder. But what about the less common but often more perplexing cases of random killings?

American serial killer Israel Keyes was arrested in 2012 in connection with the disappearance of Alaskan woman Samantha Koenig. Samantha was a young woman much like our friends, sisters, and daughters, working as a coffee shop barista and enjoying time with her boyfriend and her friends. Needless to say, her disappearance was alarming and devastating to her community.

But after Keyes arrest down in Texas, the alarm and devastation spread to the lower United States as interviews with Keyes revealed a lengthy history of crime, along with an unknown number of victims.

Join us at the quiet end today for A Killer on the Road: The Abduction of Samantha Koenig. It was Samantha’s kidnapping which finally led to the capture of a dangerous predator, ending over a decade of grisly crimes.

Betrayed & Buried: The McStay Family

Jill — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 06:39:06 +0000

In February, 2010, Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and their young sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., disappeared from their Fallbrook, California home. Days later, their SUV was found abandoned in a parking lot near the Mexican border. A dark and fuzzy surveillance video was released which seemed to show a family matching their descriptions walking across the border into Mexico. The media speculated about reasons why the family would leave everything behind as McStay family and friends swore it was impossible.

Then, in 2013, the disappearance became a homicide investigation. But who would be evil enough to kill an entire family, including a 3 and a 4-year old, and what was the motive?

Join us at the quiet end today for Betrayed & Buried: The McStay Family. We’re taking you back to February 4, 2010, as we follow the McStay family’s story all the way from their mysterious disappearance to the trial of their killer.

In His Own Home: The Ted Ammon Story

Jill — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 05:03:32 +0000

When handsome, wealthy investment banker Ted Ammon missed a Monday morning business meeting and failed to pick up his children from school, friends were concerned. Ted was nothing if not reliable. He had spent the weekend at his East Hampton home, so his business partner took a helicopter ride to his estate to see what Ted was up to.

Ted stood out as an athletic guy who loved his kids and his three dogs. But Ted had been going through a lengthy, nasty divorce and child custody battle. His wife was universally believed to be a difficult woman and she was dating a man with a criminal history.

Join us at the quiet end today for In His Own Home: The Ted Ammon Story. This story shows us how even the most perfect-looking among us has struggles and dangers in their lives that may lead to tragic endings.

A Mother’s Love: The Death of Morgan Reid

Jill — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:05:01 +0000

Brandon Michael Reid was in and out of hospitals from infancy. His mother, Tanya, a devoted mother and part-time nurse, seemed to take her son’s illnesses in stride. But when a pattern emerged suggesting Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, Brandon Michael was put into foster care. Then, an investigation into Tanya’s past revealed a very disturbing […]

The post A Mother’s Love: The Death of Morgan Reid appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Stolen Lives: The Skelton Brothers

Jill — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:03:35 +0000

On the day after Thanksgiving in 2010, Tanya Zuvers reported her three young sons missing from her home in Morenci, Michigan. Her husband was supposed to bring the boys back to her on Friday morning, but he never did.

The couple had been living apart and planned to divorce. Andrew, 9, Alexander, 7, and Tanner, just 5-years old, had spent Thanksgiving Day with their father, John Skelton. When Tanya tried to get them back the next morning, John told her that they were with a friend of his. Then John turned up at a hospital following an apparent suicide attempt.

Today at the quiet end, we’re discussing the details of the Skelton case and the possibilities of what happened to these three young boys. In Stolen Lives: The Skelton Brothers, we will go over the family history and the timeline of events in an effort to better understand what happened and if anything can be done to bring these boys home.

Vanished: Kelsey Berreth

Jill — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 05:12:22 +0000

Mom and skilled pilot Kelsey Berreth was last seen on Thanksgiving Day, 2018. After not hearing from her daughter for over a week, her mother Cheryl Berreth reported Kelsey missing. Authorities contacted Kelsey’s fiancé, Patrick Frazee, but he said he hadn’t seen Kelsey either and that the two had recently broken up.

As the search for Kelsey began, police investigated Frazee and learned about another woman in his life, Krystal Lee Kenney. The story eventually told by Kenney exposed a months-long plot leading up to a horrific crime.

Join us at the quiet end today for a closer look into the disappearance of 29-year old Kelsey Berreth. The details of this crime, along with its planning and cover up, has left her family heartbroken and many people wondering if there is any true justice for Kelsey.

Gone From Home: The Disappearance of Susan McFarland

Jill — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:03:50 +0000

Susan McFarland, a hard-working mother of three, disappeared just before Thanksgiving in 2002. Three days later, her car was found in an abandoned parking lot with the keys still in the ignition.

Her friends and family hoped that Sue had just gone off to have some time alone. But investigators became suspicious of foul play based on her husband’s unusual behavior both before and after Sue’s disappearance.

Join us at the quiet end today for Gone From Home: The Disappearance of Susan McFarland. There is an interesting story here about the lives of a family under emotional and financial distress and three young children who lost the only stable parent they had.

Fatal Attraction: The Murder of Betty Jeanne Solomon

Jill — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 05:07:19 +0000

Today’s crime has been compared to the 1987 film “Fatal Attraction” starring Glenn Close and Michael Douglas. Calling the murder of Betty Jeanne Solomon “The Fatal Attraction Murder” was good for headlines, but if you were to ask Carolyn Warmus, she would probably tell you there were no similarities at all.

Carolyn was a young, attractive elementary school teacher living in New York City when she became involved with the older, married Paul Solomon. Paul would say that Carolyn stalked him and threatened her own life when he tried to break things off. The murder of Paul’s wife in the Solomon home was both brutal and shocking. Paul was the prime suspect, but as the facts came to light, the focus turned to Carolyn.

Join us at the quiet end today for Fatal Attraction, a gripping story of lust, obsession, and murder.

Broken Boy: The Jaidyn Leskie Story

Jill — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 05:16:29 +0000

There is no one more innocent than a 14 month old child, the age Jaidyn Leskie was when he disappeared. Jaidyn was born in and lived his life in poverty and ignorance. Some would say that his mother loved him and tried her best. Others would say she was a careless and neglectful drunk. Either way, the outcome is the same.

Most of us love our kids. We do our best to keep them well cared for and safe, regardless of our socioeconomic status or the stress life sends our way. Maybe this is why we feel justified in judging parents like Jaidyn’s mother, Bilynda. Not because she was young, unmarried, poor, or a heavy drinker, but because she failed to keep Jaidyn safe.

Join us at the quiet end today for Broken Boy: The Jaidyn Leskie Story. It’s a hard story to tell and a hard one to hear, but we’re coming to this story with empathy and an effort to understand a dark side of the human condition.

What Happened on Horton Road? The Kelly Ann Tinyes Story

Jill — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 05:10:06 +0000

Kelly Ann Tinyes was just two days shy of her 14^th birthday when she disappeared in her own neighborhood in 1989. In the days that followed, children stopped playing outside. Terrified neighbors began a harassment campaign of the Golubs, a family whose two sons were suspects.

The Golub home appeared like any other well-maintained suburban home on the outside, but what police found inside was shocking. This story shows us how we don’t know our neighbors as well as we think we do and how the secrets inside of a family can fester and proliferate, infecting others.

Join us at the quiet end today for What Happened on Horton Road, a troubling and morbid case of two families, one suburban neighborhood, and one unforgettable crime.

The Good Son: The Murder of Barbara Daly Baekeland

Jill — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 05:21:35 +0000

Barbara Daly was once one of New York City’s ten most beautiful girls. She was a model who attended high society parties and married a wealthy man, Brooks Baekeland. The couple had a luxury apartment in the Upper East Side of New York, but they traveled extensively, staying in houses and villas in Paris, London, and throughout Italy. But despite, or perhaps because of their wealth, Barbara and Brooks had a troubled marriage.

After their son, Antony, was born, he became the center of Barbara’s life. But as Antony approached adulthood, Brooks was disturbed by his son’s apparent homosexuality. In a household filled with verbal outbursts, physical brawls, and mental health issues, the Baekeland’s lives fell into patterns of substance abuse, depression, and extramarital affairs. Over time, Barbara’s complex and disturbing relationship with Antony became violent, resulting a Shakespeare-like tragedy.

Join us at the quiet end for The Good Son, the story of a wealthy, dysfunctional family torn apart by madness and violence.

The Girl on the Train Tracks

Jill — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 05:26:51 +0000

In a rundown two-story house in Findley, Ohio, 24-year old Vera Jo Reigle was a prisoner and a slave. The story behind how Vera ended up in such a terrible circumstance is complicated and disturbing. At the heart of the story is the Brooks family, a family engaged in generational abuse and criminal activity.

Join us at the quiet end for The Girl on the Train Tracks. The tragedy of this story is how many people turned a blind eye to torture and abuse, allowing unspeakable crimes to occur unchecked.

Unthinkable: The Trials of Alice Crimmons

Jill — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:13:48 +0000

Long before there was a Susan Smith or a Casey Anthony, there was Alice Crimmins. When the New York housewife called the police to report her two young children missing in the summer of 1965, the focus was on her custody battle with her estranged husband and the children’s father, Edmund Crimmins.

When it came out that Alice had been having sex with multiple men and that she was less than ideal as a mother, the case became a media circus. With two trials filled with bombshell testimony and courtroom theatrics, Alice got years of attention and seemed to dodge punishment. In all of the craziness, the lives of little Missy and Eddie Crimmins seemed to take a backseat. But it is the memories of the two children which will stay with us and all of those who followed the case, because what happened to them is, truly, unthinkable.

Fire Starter: John Leonard Orr

Jill — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 05:57:06 +0000

The shocking story of arson investigator John Leonard Orr began in 1984. A fire in a Pasadena, California, hardware store killed four people, including a 2-year-old child. Arson investigators examined the ruins and determined that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. All except John Orr. He was convinced that the cause was arson.

Join us at the quiet end today for the case of fire captain and arson investigator John Orr. As close to 2,000 suspicious fires raged for the next seven years, a task force was formed to find a serial arsonist. The task force called themselves the Pillow Pyro Task Force and their methods of investigation were both fascinating and effective.

Blood Money: The Murder of Taylor Samson

Jill — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 08:57:23 +0000

22-year old Taylor Samson left his fraternity on the night of August 15, 2015. He had only his cell phone and a large black duffel bag as he walked out the door, telling his girlfriend he would be back soon. She knew that he had been dealing drugs, but Taylor tried to keep his life with her separate from his life as a drug dealer. He was in college, studying physics, and selling drugs was supposed to be a temporary way to pay the bills until graduation.

Justin Blades and Pookiel McCabe, two other college students, were hanging out in McCabe’s apartment when they heard a gunshot. 23-year old neighbor William Sandeson came to their door in a panic. Money, drugs, and blood were on his apartment floor.

Taylor Samson has never been found. Join us at the quiet end today for Blood Money. Why were two bright and promising students so deeply involved in the drug trade and what happened to Taylor Samson?

Those They Left Behind: The Victims of Roy Melanson

Jill — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 06:32:09 +0000

Michele Wallace was a freelance photographer who disappeared hiking in Colorado in 1974. She was a free spirit, a pretty and adventurous 25-year old woman with long dark hair she wore in two thick braids.

It was late August when Michele told her parents she was going on a backpacking trip with her dog in the Rocky Mountains. Many parents would have been worried, but Michele was an experienced traveler. Her parents trusted her to be safe.

But smooth-talking deviant Roy Melanson was unlike any predator Michele had ever encountered before. When she found herself alone in her car with him, her fate was sealed. Melanson had a history of abducting and raping women. And Michele would not be the first woman he murdered.

It took nearly 20-years for investigators to get justice for Michele after a new detective and new evidence came into the picture. When Melanson was captured for Michele’s cold case, his DNA was entered into CODIS, helping to solve other murders across the country.

Join us at the quiet end today as we discuss the disappearance and murder of Michele Wallace and how solving her murder led to taking a dangerous man off the streets and solving another 1974 cold case murder, that of 51-year old Anita Andrews.

Bathtub Girls: A Story of Matricide

Jill — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:37:32 +0000

When two teenaged sisters were arrested for murdering their 43-year old mother in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, the community was shocked. Shock was followed by outrage when it came out that many of their friends had been aware of the murder plot. Some had even offered advice on the best way to kill their mother and get away with it.

Canadian law has supported treating minors guilty of serious crimes differently from their adult counterparts. As a result, the young killers served short sentences and their privacy has been protected. The hope with this treatment is that young offenders can be reintegrated into society and contribute in a positive way.

Despite the court’s ruling to keep their real names a secret, their names are searchable online. For this discussion, however, we had decided to use the pseudonyms used by Toronto Star Journalist Bob Mitchell.

Join us at the quiet end today as we talk about the cold-blooded murder of Linda Anderson by her daughters, Sandra and Beth. In addition to the dysfunctional family relationships in the Andersen family, we hope to examine the psychology behind the girls’ friends who chose to keep quiet and, in some cases, help out.

Into Clinton Lake: The Amanda Hamm Story

Jill — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 05:05:25 +0000

When Amanda Hamm’s three young children drowned in Clinton lake in 2003, the incident was compared to the Susan Smith case. Amanda and her live-in boyfriend, Maurice LaGrone Jr., were in the front seat of Amanda’s 1997 Cutlass when it went into the lake from the boat ramp. Amanda and Maurice escaped the shallow water, leaving the children behind.

Parents who heard this tragic story reacted with sadness and anger. They all believed that they would have died before they would have left their child under water. How was is possible for two adults to save themselves and call 911 without saving even one child?

Join us at the quiet end today for Into Clinton Lake, the story of single mother Amanda Hamm and the tragic deaths of her children Christopher Hamm, Austin Brown, and Kayleigh Hamm. People in Amanda’s hometown of Clinton speculated that the drownings were a planned attempt to murder the children, despite Amanda’s claims to the contrary. Both Amanda and Maurice’s histories made them unsympathetic to the public, as did their behavior afterwards, leaving them open to public disdain and prosecution.

https://www.madison-reed.com

Disassociated: Christian Longo

Jill — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 05:30:12 +0000

Christian Michael Longo was married at age nineteen and was a father of three by the time he was twenty-six. Originally from Michigan and raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Longo did not adapt well to his life as a husband and father. His wife, MaryJane, stayed home with their children while Longo was expected to provide for their family. But he quickly turned to a life of crime.

After getting into trouble for check fraud, Longo took his family on the run in a stolen minivan. But after promising to turn over a new leaf, Longo continued to steal and scam for money.

The Longo family moved from Michigan to Ohio to Oregon. Then their four-year old son Zachary and three-year old daughter Sadie were found dead in the waters of Lint Slough. The bodies of MaryJane and their infant daughter Madison were recovered days later.

Join us at the quiet end today for the story of a young family destroyed by the evil acts of compulsive liar and manipulator Christian Longo. The lives of this young family started out with hopes and aspirations but ended in tragedy and despair. The only one left to explain what happened was the one who could never be trusted or believed, but we can debate causations and examine missed opportunities in our efforts to understand the murders of MaryJane, Zachary, Sadie, and Madison Longo.

The Suitcase Murder

Jill — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:32:20 +0000

Bill and Melanie McGuire were an attractive couple in their thirties. They had two young sons, two successful careers, and they had just closed on a $500,000 home when Bill disappeared. Melanie told their friends that they had fought on the night they had closed on their new home. Bill had physically attacked her and walked out, telling her that he was done with her.

Bill didn’t seem like the type of guy who would hit his wife and leave his children behind. But Melanie insisted that he had hit her and walked out on his family. She even went to court and took out a restraining order against him.

As the days passed and no one heard from Bill, Melanie appeared to be moving on with her life without him. But Bill’s family and friends worried. Bill had been a gambler. Maybe he had pissed off the wrong people.

Then a bizarre news story got everyone’s attention. First, a Kenneth Cole suitcase was found in Virginia Beach. It contained a pair of bloodless male human legs which had been severed at the knees.

One week later, Virginia Beach police recovered a second suitcase that was part of the same Kenneth Cole set. It held a five-pound weight, black trash bags, and more human remains. This time, it was a man’s head and torso. But who this man was and when he had been killed were still unknown.

The third and last suitcase was recovered within two weeks. It contained the man’s hips and thighs. Virginia Beach police launched an intensive investigation to identify the victim and identified him as Bill McGuire.

Join us at the quiet end today for a haunting case that became known as The Suitcase Murder. Well-respected fertility nurse Melanie McGuire was accused of her husband’s murder and dismemberment and she faced life in prison. Although her attorney would argue her innocence, a complex unravelling of the facts would reveal a twisted murder plot which grew from infidelity, greed, and hate.

A Serial Killer in Paradise

Jill — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:10:21 +0000

The disappearance of 53-year old Cher Hughes from her paradise-like home set off an investigation that led to the search for a serial killer in Panama in 2010. Cher had moved with her husband Keith to Bocas del Toro, Panama, to live out her dream on their own private island. But, after she and Keith separated, Cher was gone and an eccentric neighbor had taken over her property.

It turned out that Cheryl was not the only missing person in the area. Someone was killing Americans in Panama and taking possession of their property. When all was said and done, six Americans had been killed. When the killer’s home was searched, police found stolen checkbooks, ATM cards, jewelry, purses, gun ammunition, and gold dental fillings and crowns in a glass jar.

William Holbert, a North Carolina native known to his victims as Wild Bill Cortez, had become well known among the Boca ex-patriots. After an American family of three disappeared from the area, Bill and his wife had moved into their home and converted a boathouse into a private bar they called “The Jolly Roger Social Club.” The bar was decorated with a skull and crossbones flag and it was opened for partying every weekend.

But as disappearances piled up, neighbors decided that there was something wrong. The police came in and discovered bodies buried in shallow graves. But Wild Bill and his wife were already on the run. They fled through Costa Rica and were finally captured on the Nicaraguan border.

Join us at the quiet end for this stunning tale of theft, murder and real estate fraud. After being extradited to Panama, Wild Bill confessed to his crimes but showed little remorse for all of the pain he had caused. He would explain what he did and how he did it but the question of why will forever haunt the loved ones of his victims.

Nebraska Joyride: The Murders of Sharmon & Wayne Stock

Jill — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 05:03:32 +0000

After middle-aged couple Wayne and Sharmon Stock were brutally killed in their Nebraska farmhouse, police decided that a family member was behind their murder. A nephew confessed and implicated his cousin as his accomplice. But they still needed some physical evidence.

Enter forensics investigator David Kofoed. Kofoed found a spot of blood underneath the dashboard of a car. DNA testing confirmed that the blood was Wayne Stocks’. But other evidence at the scene was not adding up.

The discovery of an engraved ring in the Stock house turned the investigation in the right direction. The ring was traced to a Wisconsin couple whose truck had been stolen with the ring inside of it. Two teenagers had stolen the truck and took it for a joyride.

Join us at the quiet end today for Nebraska Joyride. This is a fascinating case involving a false confession, two cold-blooded killers, and a forensics investigator charged with planting evidence.

The Search for Gina Renee Hall

Jill — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 01:10:39 +0000

Gina Renee Hall experienced more pain in her 18 years than most of us do in our lifetimes. As a young child, she suffered severe burns. As a result, she went through multiple surgeries and was left with disfiguring scars.

You might think that she would have been bitter and isolated herself from the world. But Gina was a friendly, outgoing, and pretty young woman. She accepted what life had given her—dressing to hide her scars and yet always being fashionable, playing competitive sports, and attending college.

But Gina’s decision to go out dancing, and to dance with 28-year old Stephen Epperly, would lead somewhere that she couldn’t have predicted. Others who had known Stephen Epperly for years were aware of his violent past. He had been accused of rape more than once, but he was never convicted.

Epperly was the last person to see Gina alive. And blood was found in multiple locations where he had taken her. Her car was found abandoned with the trunk open. The trunk was stained with dried blood. But Gina has never been found.

In today’s True Crime Brewery, The Search for Gina Renee Hall, we will go over the details in this nearly 40-year old case. We’ll explore Epperly’s history, his story, and the extensive circumstantial evidence used to convict him in Virginia’s first “No Body” murder conviction.

The Long Island Serial Killer

Jill — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 03:05:23 +0000

Long Island has a dark and terrible secret: the infamous Long Island Serial Killer – also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer. This still unidentified killer is responsible for the murder of over 10 women and one man, all whose remains were dumped along the Ocean Parkway.

In December of 2010, the Suffolk County Police Department was conducting a search for Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker. Shannon lived in Jersey City and she had been missing since running away from the home of a client that May. While conducting that search in the dunes of Ocean Parkway, Police Officer Mallia and his German Shephard Blue found the skeletal remains of a woman stuffed into a burlap sack. But these remains were not Shannon Gilbert’s.

The search expanded and, two days later, they uncovered three more bodies – all female – that had been dumped in the thick vegetation along the road.

The four bodies were identified within weeks. All four women were revealed to have been escorts or sex workers who had advertised their services on Craigslist. Six more sets of remains were found in March and April 2011.

As the police widened the scope of their search, they continued to find more human remains. The FBI eventually became involved and speculated that the alleged killer was someone familiar with law enforcement techniques. But finding the killer has proven been impossible. Psychologists have put together a profile and several suspects have been looked at, but the case remains unsolved.

Join us today at the quiet end for a discussion of these murders, including a heartbreaking look at the victims and what turned their lives in a direction where they became vulnerable to this serial killer.

What Happened to Mitrice Richardson?

Jill — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 04:49:25 +0000

Mitrice Richardson was released from the Lost Hills Sheriff department in Malibu, California, in the middle of the night without her phone, money, or transportation on September 17, 2009. She had been arrested hours earlier after behaving strangely at an upscale restaurant. She was unable to pay her dinner bill and the restaurant staff were concerned that she was mentally unstable or intoxicated.

Once in police custody, Mitrice’s mother was contacted and she was assured that they would be keeping Mitrice overnight. Her mother could pick her up in the morning. But, by morning, Mitrice had been released. Her whereabouts were unknown.

No one knew why Mitrice had driven about 40 miles from her home to the oceanside Malibu neighborhood. She had made some strange Facebook posts and had demonstrated some unusual behavior that day. When she was released after midnight, she was in an area she didn’t know, without any way to contact her family. Her car had been impounded and she was unable to retrieve it.

Mitrice’s family believed that she could have been having a mental health crisis, so her release was both negligent and dangerous. And, as time passed and Mitrice was not found, her family began to feel ignored and deceived by the Sheriff’s office and the LAPD.

Join us at the quiet end today for the story of a disoriented, young African-American woman who was left to fend for herself, in the dead of night, in the rugged terrain of the Santa Monica Mountains, and was never seen or heard from again.

What happened to Mitrice Richardson? The gaps and omissions in the Sheriff’s department’s handling of her case, as well as her family’s discoveries, welcome further investigation into the events of her disappearance.

The Elimination of Heather Strong

Jill — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 13:58:11 +0000

Heather Strong was a 26-year old waitress and mother, trying to make ends meet, when she disappeared in 2009. Heather had lived a difficult life which had only gotten worse when she became involved with Joshua Fulgham and Emilia Carr. Joshua was in on-again off-again relationships with both Heather and Emilia. When Heather went missing, Emilia was 8-months pregnant. She claimed that Joshua was the father.
Emilia was known to be jealous of Josh and Heather’s relationship. Just one month before Heather was vanished, Emilia attacked Heather with a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.
In The Elimination of Heather Strong, we’re talking about a group of young people who lived dysfunctional lives burdened by drug use, sexual and physical abuse, violence, poverty, unplanned pregnancies, and infidelity. Their relationships ended in betrayal and tragedy, leaving one of them dead and two in prison.

Out to Sea: The Life & Death of Anne Marie Fahey

Jill — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Anne Marie Fahey was a secretary to the Governor of Delaware when she disappeared in 1996. Anne Marie had been having an affair with a married man—an affair she had ended. But her ex-lover, Thomas Capano, was not a man who took no for an answer. In fact, he had been stalking Anne Marie for weeks.
Thomas Capano, a powerful attorney and father of four, denied knowing anything about Anne Marie’s disappearance. But when the truth came to the surface, Anne Marie’s loved ones were devastated and Capano’s image was destroyed. He was exposed as a womanizer, a man with a temper, and ultimately, a cold-blooded murderer.
Anne Marie had defied Capano when she broke things off with him to pursue a better life with a new love interest. He wanted to keep her to himself. When Anne Marie had the confidence to leave him, he murdered her, enlisting the help of his brother to dispose of her body.
Join us at the quiet end today for Out to Sea: The Murder of Anne Marie Fahey.

His Alibi: The Murder of Michelle Young

Jill — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Michelle and Jason Young lived in a suburb outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. They had a two-year-old daughter named Cassidy and Michelle was five months pregnant with their second child. By all accounts, theirs was not a happy marriage. Jason had several affairs and spent a lot of time on the road for business.
On the morning of November 3, 2006, Jason was out of town. He had checked into a Hampton Inn in Huntsville, Virginia 170 miles from Raleigh the night before. At nine that morning, he left a voicemail for Michelle’s younger sister, Meredith Fisher, asking her to stop by his house and retrieve some papers for him. When Meredith arrived at the Young’s home, she found Michelle Young brutally murdered in the master bedroom. Little Cassidy was left unharmed.
It didn’t take long for Jason to become the primary suspect in his wife’s murder. Investigators were able to poke holes in his alibi and put together a strong circumstantial case. Join us at the quiet end today for His Alibi: The Murder of Michelle Young. This is a tragic story of a young, pregnant mother who was beaten to death in her own home. Her husband would end up getting two trials, but not everyone would be satisfied with the outcome.

The Disappearance of Jessica O’Grady

Jill — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

When 19-year old Jessica O’Grady stopped answering her phone on May 11, 2006, her friends and family worried. She had left to see her boyfriend late the night before and hadn’t been seen since.
Jessica had recently found out that she was pregnant. Her boyfriend, Chris Edwards, had another girlfriend, Michelle, who was also pregnant. Still, Jessica was optimistic. She loved Chris and wanted to have a family with him. What she didn’t know was that, to Chris, Jessica was just a fling. He planned to marry Michelle. And he didn’t have the resources or the desire to support two children from two different mothers. Besides, if Michelle found out about Jessica, she might leave him.
As we know, the leading cause of death for a pregnant woman is murder by the father of her unborn child. As time passed with no sign of her, it seemed possible that Chris had done something to Jessica. Chris denied seeing Jessica on the night of May 10th, but circumstantial evidence led investigators to Chris’ front door. What they found there was disturbing, but was it enough to prove his guilt?
Join us today at the quiet end for a missing person’s case that turned into what is known as a no-body case: The Disappearance of Jessica O’Grady.

*Jill and Dick will be away on July 15 and TCB will return on July 23rd!*

Heart Stopper: The Death of Greg de Villers

Jill — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Kristin Rossum and Greg de Villers were newlyweds who seemed to have a bright future ahead of them. But sometimes things are not what they seem. Beneath the surface, their relationship was poisoned by lies, addiction and betrayal.
Kristin was a toxicologist at the medical examiner’s office. She may have appeared to be professional and loyal, but she was, in truth, a methamphetamine addict involved in a long-term affair with her boss. She was also in a position with unlimited access to dangerous drugs.
When Greg died of a drug overdose, his family and friends pressured the police to investigate his death as a homicide. Kristin claimed that Greg learned about her affair and killed himself. Investigators believed she killed Greg because she was afraid he was going to expose her affair and her drug use.
Kristin Rossum was an unlikely killer, but her husband’s death was suspicious. Questions about the scene and the events leading up to Greg’s death showed a long history of deceit by Kristin and revealed the possibility that she and her lover had plotted together to kill to him.
Join us at the quiet end today for Heart Stopper: The Death of Greg de Villers, the story of a complex murder plot fueled by drug addiction and a clandestine love affair.

The Lady in the Box: The Story of Wife Killer John David Smith

Jill — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

John David Smith married his second wife, Fran, in 1990. While confined to her home recovering from a broken hip, Fran disappeared from her New Jersey home in 1991. Fran’s daughter DeDe and sister Sherrie called the house, frantically trying to reach Fran, but there was no answer. Then DeDe called John at work. He claimed that Fran had packed her bags and left him, but how could she have done that when she couldn’t even walk?
John had been lying to everyone. Fran’s family members found all of Fran’s belongings still in the house. Then they discovered that John had been married before. Back in 1970, John Smith’s first wife Janice Hartman had disappeared just days after divorcing him. Now Smith had two missing wives.
Join us at the quiet end for the story of two missing wives and a man with some very dark secrets. His secrets would only be revealed after his brother came forward with a secret from 20 years ago.

Catching a Predator: Westley Allan Dodd

Jill — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Child molester and killer Westley Allan Dodd is remembered as one of the most evil men in modern history. What I find interesting about this case is how early in his life Dodd began to have sick urges and how his behavior progressed from exposing himself to murder virtually unchecked.
After his murder convictions, Dodd revealed that he had been molesting young children since the age of 13. In his final interviews, he admitted that there was no treatment for him and, if set free, he would offend again. Then he declined an appeal, becoming the first person to be hanged in the United States since 1965.
At the quiet end today, Doctor Dick and I will go over the childhood and crimes of this predator as we try to make sense of how this kind of human being is constructed. Also, what can we as a society do to protect children?
It has been a long-held belief that pedophiles are untreatable and must be kept away from our children, but is there a way to prevent pedophilia, or at the very least, make early diagnoses before anyone is hurt?

California Parricide: The Murders of Jim & Naomi Olive

Jill — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

When he was 19, Chuck Riley met 15-year-old Marlene Olive while dealing drugs at her high school. He developed a crush on her and they eventually became boyfriend and girlfriend. Marlene controlled their relationship and Chuck did anything to please her.
Marlene had a deeply troubled home life. Her mother, Naomi, suffered from alcoholism and mental illness. Marlene and Naomi fought constantly. Marlene rebelled at an early age with heavy drug use, delinquency, self-harming behaviors, shoplifting, and promiscuity.
As the mother-daughter relationship imploded, Marlene sought out Chuck’s help to kill Naomi. When Marlene’s parents stood together to reign in Marlene’s behavior, her father was added to her hit list.
Join us at the quiet end today for California Parricide, the story of a vicious double murder which many people should have seen coming but no one ever imagined would actually happen.

Rock Bottom: The Death of Rinette Bergna

Jill — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Peter Bergna picked up his wife Rinette from the airport and drove up Slide Mountain near their home to talk about their marital problems. According to Peter, the brakes on his truck malfunctioned, causing the truck to crash through a guardrail and nosedive off of an 800-foot cliff. Peter was lucky. He had somehow been expelled from the driver’s side window and landed without serious injury on the upper slope of the mountain. Rinette was not so lucky. Her broken body was found inside the crushed truck hundreds of feet below.
Peter was the only one left alive who knew what had happened between the airport and the crash. Police attention turned to him first because of his odd behavior at the scene and then after a forensic analysis of the crash was done. Reports of infidelity and verbal abuse strengthened suspicions.
Our quiet end case today is Rock Bottom: The Death of Rinette Bergna. Did Peter plot the murder of his wife, and if he did, would prosecutors be able to convict him of the crime?

A Failure to Protect: The Story of Andrew Bagby & Zachary Turner

Jill — Tue, 28 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The murder of Andrew Bagby was a crime that shocked and brought terrible grief to the loved ones he left behind, especially his mother and father. Andrew was David and Kate Bagby’s only child. He was very well-liked with a promising future as a family physician.
In 1999, Andrew began dating medical intern Shirley Turner. When he tried to end things with Shirley, she responded badly. Andrew believed he had ended the relationship for good in November, 2001. But Shirley phoned him obsessively and drove 16 hours to show up unannounced at his door.
Andrew agreed to meet her after work on November 5, 2001. The following day, his body was found face down in a parking lot. He had been shot five times.
There was strong evidence against Shirley in Andrew’s murder. But David and Kate Bagby’s nightmare, which had begun with the murder of their son, would end with the death of their one-year-old grandson, Zachary. To add to their misery, it was clear to them that Zachary’s death was preventable. Zachary was in his mother’s care when he shouldn’t have been. Why did the Newfoundland Social Service system allow this tragedy to happen?
Join us at the quiet end today for the tragic story of two cold-blooded murders, one entirely preventable, in A Failure to Protect: The Story of Andrew Bagby & Zachary Turner.

The Devil Himself: Jack Unterweger

Jill — Tue, 21 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Jack Unterweger was an evil man whose lust for violence was insatiable. His first known murder victim was Margret Schafer, an 18-year-old German girl. Unterweger would tell a jury that, at the moment of her killing, he had seen his mother reflected in her face and he acted out of a lifetime of rage. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. But in jail, Unterweger read voraciously and he began to write poetry, short stories, plays, and an autobiography.
After over 15 years in prison, Unterweger was released based on the belief that writing his life story, and the self-reflection it required, had reformed him. Not only was he a famous author, he was also Austria’s most high-profile “rehabilitated” offender.
But Unterweger had everyone fooled. As he interviewed police in the role of a journalist, he had already resumed his life as a serial killer. Unterweger sexually assaulted and brutally murdered prostitutes in Vienna, Los Angeles, and Prague as he spoke on talk shows and worked to get his books made into Hollywood movies.
Join us at the quiet end today for The Devil Himself: Jack Unterweger. It’s the shocking story of an international serial killer who was hiding in plain sight.

Murder by Nurse: The Victims of Kristen Gilbert

Jill — Tue, 14 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Apparently hard-working and intelligent mother of two and registered nurse, Kristen Gilbert, was living the life of a middle-class soccer mom. She had a good job, a loving husband, and two children. She seemed a lot like the other Massachusetts suburbanites in her neighborhood, but she held sinister secrets that would eventually bubbled to the surface.
Beneath the façade of an ordinary working mother, Kristen lived a life of duplicity. Before her 30th birthday, she was arrested on suspicion of serial murder: injecting patients at the hospital where she worked with lethal doses of epinephrine.
These were vulnerable victims and Kristen’s motives were a mystery, perhaps even to herself. It may have been as simple as a need for attention and excitement.
When a healthcare professional takes a life, it is a special kind of evil. Trained and relied upon to protect and restore health and virtually holding their patients’ lives in their hands, a nurse who kills betrays the most basic trust while preying on the sick.
Join us at the quiet end today for Murder by Nurse: The Victims of Kristen Gilbert.

The Disappearance of Helle Crafts

Jill — Tue, 07 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

After suffering for years in an abusive marriage, Helle Crafts filed for divorce in the summer of 1986. Soon afterward, she disappeared. Her friends filed a missing person’s report, but her husband, Richard Crafts, gave various stories that Helle was off visiting relatives or that she just needed some time alone.
Police suspected foul play, but with no body, it was impossible to prove that a homicide had even occurred. Police did learn, however, that Richard Crafts had purchased several items, including new carpeting, bedding, and a large freezer, around the time of Helle’s disappearance. He had also rented a woodchipper.
A witness came forward, claiming that he had seen a man using a woodchipper on a bridge over a lake near the Crafts’ home. That is when the search for Helle took a very disturbing turn.
Join us at the quiet end today as we discuss a horrific crime often referred to as the “wood chipper case.” Investigators, along with Dr. Henry Lee, the Director of Connecticut’s Forensic Science Laboratory at the time, worked together to solve what Richard Crafts had considered his perfect crime. I chose this case because it serves to broaden awareness of domestic violence and because it is chock a block full of interesting forensics from a pre-DNA era.

A Secret Life: The Plot to Kill Susan Fassett

Jill — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Middle-aged mother of two Susan Fassett was an unlikely victim in the love triangle that ended in her murder. Married to a policeman and an active member of the church choir, Susan had a reputation as an honest, upstanding person. After her death, the secrets revealed about her life came as a shock.
The biggest shock of all was that Susan was involved with a man commonly referred to as the scum of the earth. Fred Andros, a mean, homely, and amoral man, extorted money, frequented prostitutes, and somehow lured Susan into his web of corruption.
Join us at the quiet end today for a story of corruption, sex, and murder: The Plot to Kill Susan Fassett.

A Darker Shade of Blue: The Murder of Lorraine Hendricks

Jill — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

A Florida woman saw the state patrol car’s lights flashing behind her and wondered why she was being stopped. She didn’t think she was speeding, she later told investigators, but she pulled her car onto the southbound shoulder of Interstate 95 and waited as Trooper Tim Harris approached her car.
Trooper Harris asked her to get out of her car. Then he saw that she was obviously pregnant. He gave her a warning ticket for driving 6 miles over the speed limit and let her go. Police would later speculate that the woman’s pregnancy saved her life.
The next woman pulled over by Trooper Harris would not live to see another day. Lorraine Hendricks’ car was found abandoned on the highway and detectives suspected that someone she trusted was involved in her disappearance.
Trooper Harris was seen as trustworthy. He had been with the Florida Highway Patrol for eight years. Before that, he had worked for local police departments, earning several commendations. He was married with two young children. But a closer look would expose a troubled man.
Join us today for A Darker Shade of Blue, the terrifying story of a man who was called upon to serve and protect but turned into a dangerous predator.

The Seattle Cyanide Murders

Jill — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

To say that Stella Nickell had a rough upbringing would be a huge understatement. She had a childhood of poverty, neglect, and abuse. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter. In the years that followed, she had numerous failed relationships, a failed marriage, and spent time in jail. In early 1974, when she was 32, she met Bruce Nickell and they married.
One summer day in 1986, Bruce came home with a headache and took four Excedrin capsules. Stella said that her husband walked out on the back deck and suddenly collapsed. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital where he died. Doctors said Bruce died from emphysema, but Stella said that never made sense.
Almost two weeks later, Stella heard about the death of 40-year old Sue Snow. News reports said that the woman had died after swallowing cyanide-laced Excedrin. Stella immediately called the police to report that Bruce, too, had taken Excedrin right before he died.
Police initially focused on Sue Snow’s husband Paul Webking for her murder. But the call from Stella Nickell led to the conclusion that Sue Snow was not the only person killed by the poisoned headache medicine. Excedrin capsules were recalled and an investigation for murders by product tampering began.
Join us at the quiet end today for a discussion of the Seattle Cyanide Murders. There is no doubt that it is a heartless act to kill a spouse, but what kind of a person kills at random?

Over the Edge: The Murders of Lynn & Toni Henthorn

Jill — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

In 2012, Harold and Toni Henthorn celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary with a hiking trip in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Toni fell off of a 100-foot cliff and died a horrible death. Harold told police that his wife was busy taking photos and must have slipped. He didn’t see exactly what had happened, he added, because he was using his cell phone at the time.
It could have been a tragic accident. Harold was a respected member of the community, a loving husband, and a devoted father to their daughter. He worked as a fund raiser for churches, charities and non-profit groups. At least, that’s what he told everyone.
But maybe things weren’t what they appeared to be. Friends and family thought they knew him, but facts surfaced that painted a new picture of Harold Henthorn. Harold had no job and no income. He also had a shady history, including a first wife who had also died in a freak accident.
Harold’s history, along with his everchanging narrative of Toni’s death, led to a murder investigation. Life insurance, years of deceit, and inappropriate behavior were gathered to create a strong circumstantial case against him.
In today’s episode, Over the Edge, we look back at the lives of Sandra Lynn Henthorn and Toni Henthorn, two wives whose final moments were likely filled with fear and violence, murdered by the man who claimed to love them.

Taking Lives: Dr. Michael Swango

Jill — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The case of physician Michael Swango not only exposed the dark side of a man who had taken an oath to do no harm, it also opened our eyes to a professional environment where doctors accepted the word of fellow physicians over that of nurses and patients—even as evidence of gross misbehavior piled up.

Michael grew up in Quincy, Illinois and graduated as valedictorian at the Quincy Catholic Boys High School. He served in the Marine Corps, receiving an honorable discharge in 1980. He then attended Quincy College followed by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

His troubles were first noticed in medical school. Although he was a brilliant student, he preferred to work as an ambulance attendant rather than concentrate on studying. Even at that young age, he had an odd fascination with dying patients. Michael Swango’s patients often ended up “coding,” or suffering life-threatening emergencies. Several died unexpectedly.

Join us at the quiet end today for a true story that actually is stranger than fiction: Taking Lives: The Crimes of Dr. Michael Swango.

Ungodly: The Murder of Kari Baker

Jill — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Baptist minister Matt Baker presented himself to the world as a man of God. But when his wife Kari was found dead in their bed of an apparent suicide, questions about who he really was emerged. Kari Baker’s mother and aunts would become the catalysts for the investigation into Matt Baker’s deceptions and lies, working with police to expose him as a narcissistic bully and a lifelong sexual predator.
What they uncovered would open up suspicions of his involvement in not only one, but two family deaths. But it took years to get justice for his wife and safety for his daughters. This story is a striking example of the power of love and determination, a victory of the truth over a carefully constructed life of hypocrisy.
Join us at the quiet end today for Ungodly: The Murder of Kari Baker.

Where is Tegan Lane?

Jill — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Between the ages of 17 and 24, Keli Lane had two abortions and gave birth to three babies, all without the knowledge of her mother Sandra or her police officer father Robert. Not only that, but her five pregnancies occurred while Keli was playing water polo at a national level and spending most of her time in a swim suit.
Keli’s 4th child, Tegan Lane, born in 1996, went home with Keli two days after her birth. Keli was at a friend’s wedding that evening and not a word was spoken about her newborn daughter. Tegan was never seen again.
Investigators believe that Keli killed Tegan, disposing of her body before her family and friends could learn of the infant’s existence. Keli claims that she gave Tegan to her biological father and he disappeared with the baby. Keli’s supporters appear to believe her story, but what is the likelihood that this man and Tegan would not be found? More mysterious, perhaps, are the reasons for Keli’s multiple hidden pregnancies and overall strange behavior.
Today’s story is one of the oddest we have covered. There are gaping holes in Keli Lane’s story, but also, there is no physical evidence that Tegan is dead. Join us today for a true mystery from Australia: Where is Tegan Lane?

A Killer Undercover: The Hidden Life of Charlie Brandt

Jill — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

In 1971, 13-year old Charlie Brandt shot his pregnant mother to death before turning the gun on his father and sister. In the years that followed, he seemed to move forward and live a normal life with college, marriage, and a career.

Charlie and his wife Teri were a close, fun-loving couple–the kind of couple others envy. Then, in 2004, his hidden life was revealed. Charlie was not who he appeared to be. There was a darkness no one had seen. But there had been signs.
Charlie loved to fish and he was known to his fellow fishermen as an expert with a knife. But Charlie’s expertise went beyond the world of filleting fish. After his death, Charlie would be investigated as a prolific serial killer, victimizing women along the Florida coast. He also had a sexual obsession with his niece that would end with her brutal murder.
Join us at the quiet end for a fascinating story of A Killer Undercover: The Hidden Life of Charlie Brandt.

Portrait of a Family Annihilator: The Watts Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The case we’re talking about today, more than any in recent history, illustrates that we don’t always know the people close to us as well as we think we do. We’re talking about the case of a family annihilator: Chris Watts.
In August of 2018, Chris murdered his pregnant wife and his two preschool-aged daughters. Then he loaded their lifeless bodies into his truck and dumped them at a work site. He was seen later that morning by co-workers and all of them would report that Chris acted normal, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Investigators believe that Chris’s motivation for the murders was his desire to start a new life with his mistress. This seems true enough, but it’s difficult to believe that this was the sole motivation for the crimes. As we delve into the lives of Chris and Shanann Watts, deeper issues are exposed that most likely played a role in the murders. There were serious financial problems and there was friction between Shanann and her in-laws. Aspects of the couple’s relationship reveal that Chris may have been full of rage and resentment for Shanann.
Join us at the quiet end today for Portrait of a Family Annihilator: The Watts Family Murders.

Happily Never After: The Murder of Julie Miller Bulloch

Jill — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Julie Miller met Dennis Bulloch through a newspaper ad. He seemed like the answer to all of her problems. As a successful executive approaching her 30th birthday, Julie was ready to get married. Dennis seemed like the all-American guy. She thought he could be the one.
But just four months into their marriage, emergency responders were called out to a fire at the Bulloch’s home. Amid the charred debris, they found a body duct-taped to a rocking chair, the face burned beyond recognition.
This is a case that took place before Match.com or Tinder. Julie was attractive and successful in her career but she was socially immature. And she was lonely. She wanted someone to spend her life with and to perhaps start a family of her own.
Dennis Bulloch seemed to check all the boxes for her, but he had a dark side she didn’t see. If there were signs or clues to a darker side of Dennis, Julie may have overlooked them, because, more than anything, she wanted to be married. We’ll talk about this, as well as the histories of Julie and Dennis, in Happily Never After: The Murder of Julie Miller Bulloch.

Shameless: Mick Philpott

Jill — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Mick Philpott lived off of welfare benefits for most of his adult life. He had been unfaithful and violent towards women but he enjoyed impregnating them. Mick could love them and leave them, but he would never accept it when a woman wanted to leave him. His reckless and selfish plan to frame an ex-girlfriend for leaving him would result in the death of six innocent children.
A father of 17 children, Philpott lived with two women and once appeared on a daytime talk show to demand a bigger government house for his oversized family. But beyond the caricature of a welfare parasite, Philpott exposed a much more dangerous stereotype: a control freak whose violence toward women went on for more than thirty years. For Philpott, women were his domestic, sexual, and childbearing slaves and his children were evidence of his virility. This was a man who knew no shame and used everyone, even his own children, to get what he wanted. Join us today for Shameless: Mick Philpott.

Blood on His Hands: The Murder of Tara Lynn Grant

Jill — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

On February 14, 2007, stay at home dad Stephen Grant called the Macomb County Sheriff’s office in Michigan to report that his wife, Tara Lynn Grant, had been missing for five days. In his story to the police, Stephen claimed that this was not the first time Tara had taken off, which was why he hadn’t reported her missing sooner. Stephen said that on the evening of February 9, he and Tara had argued. He then overheard Tara talking with someone on the phone, telling them, “I’ll meet you at the end of the driveway”. He said he saw her get into a dark-colored car a few minutes later and he had not seen or heard from her since.

Over the next two weeks, Stephen Grant made several TV appearances pleading for Tara to return. According to police, Stephen Grant was not cooperative with them throughout their investigation. And they began to question his relationship with the family’s 19-year old au pair.

Investigators would ultimately discover that Stephen’s story of a missing wife was untrue and was, in fact, an elaborate attempt to sidetrack the police. According to later confessions, Stephen killed his wife during an argument after she had slapped and belittled him. But insights into the couples’ relationship and evidence uncovered by the investigation have made this one of the most shocking and disturbing crimes in Michigan’s recent history. Join us at the quiet end today for our discussion of the life and gruesome murder of Tara Lynn Grant, in Blood on His Hands: The Murder of Tara Lynn Grant.

A Shooting in Alabama: The Crimes of Dr. Amy Bishop

Jill — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

When you think of a mass shooter, you don’t envision someone like Amy Bishop. Forty-five years old, female, Harvard-educated, Biology professor, and mother of four, Amy Bishop would seem an unlikely killer.

It was 3pm on February 12, 2010, and thirteen professors and staff members from the University of Alabama Biology Department met in a third-floor conference room. Plant biologist Gopi Podila passed out the printed agenda and sat beside Amy Bishop. Amy had a handgun in her purse.
Amy was normally quite vocal in these meetings, but that day she was silent and brooding. She shot six of her co-workers, killing three, before she washed up and called her husband for a ride home. The police arrived before he did.
But Amy’s homicidal rampage did not come out of nowhere. Investigations into her background would reveal a troubled person with a history of violence and a probable cover up in her hometown in Massachusetts.

Today, in A Shooting in Alabama, we’ll delve into the life of a killer, atypical but just as devious and dangerous as any other. At how many points in her life could she had been thwarted—and why wasn’t she?

Note: Jill and Dick will be taking next week off. TCB will return on January 29th!

The Eastburn Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Jana Eastburn was the sole survivor, just 22-months old, when her mother, Kathryn Eastburn, and siblings – 5-year-old Kara and 3-year-old Erin – were stabbed to death on May 9, 1985, in their Fayetteville, NC home.
Jana had been left alone in her crib for three days before police finally responded to the concerns of neighbors and entered the home. Jane was dehydrated and crying hysterically with her arms outstretched, alone within the horror of the brutal triple murders of her mother and sisters.
Jana’s father, Air Force Captain Gary Eastburn, was away doing training in Alabama when his wife and daughters were killed. Kathryn had placed an ad to rehome their dog because the family was planning to relocate to England. The man who came to the house and took the dog, Sergeant Tim Hennis, became the primary suspect.
This case, including eyewitness testimony, physical evidence, and three trials, captured the attention of people across the country and continues to garner speculation. Join us at the quiet end today for our discussion of this complicated and fascinating case: The Eastburn Family Murders.

Bridge of Sorrow

Jill — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Just before 9 p.m. on Sept. 24, 1973, 18-year-old Becky Thomson left to buy groceries and asked her 11-year-old half-sister, Amy Burridge, if she wanted to ride along with her. The two girls went in Becky’s station wagon to a Thriftway store in Casper, Wyoming.
But when Becky and Amy came out of the store, one of the car’s tires was flat. The sisters didn’t know it at the time, but they were being set up for an abduction. Two men, Jerry Jenkins and Ronald Kennedy, pulled into the parking spot next to them and parked. The men offered to help the girls, but they were the ones responsible for slashing the tire. That night was the night when Becky’s worst nightmare came true. Her little sister would be murdered and her life would never be the same. The cruelty and brutality of Jenkins and Kennedy would haunt Becky until the day she died, leaving a family and a community in shock.

Join us at the quiet end today Bridge of Sorrow, the heartbreaking story of the abduction and deaths of two sisters. This story confirms that it is not only the victim of a murder who suffers. Murder is a crime with pain that ripples outward, hurting everyone in its path.

The Killing of JonBenet Ramsey

Jill — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

JonBenet Ramsey was only 6-years old when she was found murdered in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado home. It was the day after Christmas. Twenty-two years later, her murder remains unsolved. The reason why there has been no conviction in this case could be attributed to mistakes made by the Boulder Police Department right from the beginning of their investigation and to what many people define as a lack of cooperation by JonBenet’s parents, John and Patsy Ramsey.

There are only two possible answers to what happened that night. One is that an intruder crept into the house, killed JonBenét in a botched kidnapping attempt while the family slept, then took off, leaving behind a three-page ransom note. The other possibility is that she was killed by a family member. In going over the physical and circumstantial evidence in the case, we’ll address the mistakes in the police investigation that have hindered a conviction and allowed a child killer to remain free before we examine the theories of what actually happened in the Ramsey house that night.

Join tiegrabber
Sabre

The Santa Claus Murders

Jill — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The Daniels Family lived on Dasher Street in the town of Santa Claus, Georgia. Their one-story-red-brick house, with a huge chimney protruding from the front, was nestled snuggly at the end of a cul-de-sac. For Kim Daniels, it was her dream home.

Kim was a drug addict, living out of her car, when Danny Daniels helped her fight off her addiction and fell in love with her. Kim regained custody of her three biological children and she and Danny were married. Danny had a teenage daughter too, and the couple had taken in 3 foster children they planned to adopt. Kim wanted to give these children the childhood she never had.

One cool December night in 1997, The Daniels family was destroyed by a mass shooting that is now known as the Dasher Lane Massacre. Four family members were killed, three children were kidnapped, and two children were inexplicably spared.

The village of 300 residents that had been named for Father Christmas and displayed a sign declaring itself “the city that loves children” was rocked by this tragedy. And, when the killer was found, everyone in Santa Claus was forever changed.
Join us at the quiet end on this cool December evening for The Santa Claus Murders.

Where’s Heidi? The Kidnapping of Heidi Allen

Jill — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

18-year old Heidi Allen was employed as a clerk at the D & W Convenience Store in New Haven, New York. She opened the store by herself at 5:45 a.m. on April 3, 1994 and her last transaction was recorded on the cash register at 7:42 a.m.
Several customers came and went after that, leaving cash for their purchases on the counter when they couldn’t find a clerk. Finally, a customer flagged down a sheriff’s patrol car outside the store and reported that the business was open but unattended.
The investigation into Heidi’s disappearance would reveal that Heidi was likely taken against her will from the store. Her jacket, purse and car keys were left behind in the store when she vanished and her maroon station wagon was in the parking lot.
The primary suspect was the last customer known to be in the store before Heidi vanished. He told police that he had purchased two packs of cigarettes at around 7:30 a.m. and left. Detectives didn’t believe him. But there may have been more to Heidi’s story than a random abduction. There was something about Heidi that most people didn’t know. Heidi was working as an informant for the police. Was Heidi the target of drug dealers who wanted to keep her quiet?
Join us at the quiet end today for Where’s Heidi? The Kidnapping of Heidi Allen.

Wrong Way on the Taconic

Jill — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000

On a sunny July day in 2009, Diane Schuler was driving her minivan southbound in the northbound lanes of the Taconic State Parkway in New York. Witnesses watched in horror as a minivan barreled down the parkway in the wrong direction. Blaring horns, flashing lights, and swerving cars made no change in her behavior. She appeared deliberate as she continued to travel at a high speed toward oncoming traffic.
When the minivan collided head on with an oncoming car, it held five children. Diane, four children, and the three passengers in the other car were killed. The investigation that followed revealed that Diane was intoxicated. Toxicology tests revealed that she had recently ingested both alcohol and marijuana. Her husband Daniel defended his wife, denying that she drank heavily or used drugs.
Daniel believes that there must have been a medical reason for Diane’s behavior. Some believe it was an accident caused by alcohol and drug use. Others believe it was a murder/suicide. Today we’re going to take a look at the day of the crash and the events in Diane’s life leading up to that day. Diane’s life as a responsible professional and an attentive mother didn’t seem to mesh with her being an alcoholic with a death wish. So, what happened that day? Join us at the quiet end for an in-depth examination of the facts in this tragedy.

Join Tiegrabber
Sabre

Cruel & Unusual: The Killing of Skylar Neese

Jill — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

On July 5, 2012, 16-year old Skylar Neese returned to her family’s West Virginia apartment after working her shift at a fast-food restaurant. Her apartment’s surveillance video showed that Skylar snuck out of the apartment through her bedroom window at on July 6 and got into an unknown vehicle.
Skylar’s parents were attentive and proud of her, but she had been acted differently for the past several months. In the months leading up to her disappearance, Skylar had been hanging out with some troubled girls. They smoked pot and drank, often to excess. In the investigation that followed, Facebook posts and messages would show that there was a strained relationship between Skylar and two of her best friends. Police believed this social media trail could help them find Skylar, but the truth would break her parents’ hearts. Join us at the quiet end today for Cruel and Unusual, a discussion of a young life callously cut short by those who no one, even Skylar, would have ever suspected.

Join Tiegrabber
Sabre

Cold as Ice: The Murders of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle

Jill — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The bodies of 27-year-old Rachel and 9-month-old Lillian Entwistle were found on January 22, 2006 in the master bedroom of their Hopkinton, Massachusetts home where the Entwistles had been living for only ten days. Autopsy results would show that Rachel died of a gunshot wound to the head and baby Lillian died of a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Just hours after the deaths of his wife and daughter, Neil Entwistle purchased a one-way ticket to London and boarded a British Airways flight. On January 23^rd, Hopkinton Police located Neil at the home of his parents in Nottinghamshire, England. He told a detective that he left his home at around 9:00 AM three days earlier to run an errand, and that his wife and daughter were both alive and well and in the bed in the couple’s bed when he left. When he returned at around 11:00 AM, he claimed to have found both had been shot dead. He then covered the bodies of his wife and infant daughter with a blanket and left. He did not call for help.

Neil Entwistle’s behavior after his family was killed brought suspicion upon him. But what detectives discovered in their subsequent investigation was completely unexpected. For a young professional couple living an apparently charmed life, what went on behind closed doors and on the Entwistle’s computer was very disturbing. If being a shitty husband makes a man a murderer then Neil would be found guilty of these crimes. But was there legitimate evidence proving that Neil was responsible? Join us today for Cold as Ice: The Murders of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle.

Join Tiegrabber
Sabre

The Wineville Farm Murders

Jill — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

It was 1928 and the agriculture and the movie industry were booming in the Los Angeles area. Then a string of child abductions and murders in nearby Wineville changed the lives and views of the locals. Someone had kidnapped, sexually abused, and murdered at least three, and possibly as many as twenty, young boys.
From 1926 to 1928, teenager Sanford Clark was kept prisoner on his uncle Stewart Northcott’s chicken farm in Wineville. He suffered unimaginable abuse and witnessed horrific acts by Northcott.
Sanford’s escape from the clutches of his abuser and his journey to live a life without violence is inspiring. His time on the farm was a living hell and the stories he shared with the police were unlike anything they had heard before.
Today we’re talking about a dark part of history. As brutal and upsetting as the crimes of Stewart Northcott were, it is the resilience and strength of Sanford Clark that makes this story something worth telling and something that can stay with us as proof that good can prevail over evil.

Try Madison Reed

Join Tiegrabber

Bad Medicine: The Downfall of Paolo Macchiarini

Jill — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

For several years, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini was known as a scientific pioneer, a supersurgeon and a miracle worker. He was turning the dream of regenerative medicine into a reality. While much of the scientific community was eager to believe he had made breakthroughs, not everyone was convinced.
Most of Macchiarini’s patients died within a few years of their surgeries and the experimental procedures actually made their conditions much worse. Investigations revealed that he had actually falsified his data as well as his medical credentials.
While at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Macchiarini invented his technique. Instead of stripping the cells from donor windpipes, he had plastic scaffolds made to order. He gave his “regenerating” windpipes to at least 17 patients worldwide. The results have been disastrous.
In 2014, Paolo Macchiarini was hailed as gifted medical pioneer in an NBC special produced by Benita Alexander. Paolo and Benita became romantically involved and planned to marry. But as the wedding day approached, the plans unraveled. Benita realized that Paolo had lied to her about a lot of things. For one thing, he was still married to his wife of 30 years.
Why does an intelligent and skilled surgeon create a house of cards in his personal life and perform surgeries that he knows will result in suffering and death for his patients? As one surgeon put it, he would choose to die by firing squad before experiencing a death caused by one of Macchiarini’s tracheal transplants. His experimental surgeries have been compared to the crimes of Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele. Yet he remains free. Join us at the quiet end today for a fascinating and horrifying discussion: Bad Medicine: The Downfall of Paolo Macchiarini.

The Main Line Murder

Jill — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

When Stefanie Rabinowitz set her mind to something, there was no stopping her. She was an attorney who had married her childhood sweetheart. She was extremely hard working and an attentive mom to her one-year old girl, Haley.
After tragedy struck in the Rabinowitz home, it came to light that Stefanie’s husband Craig had been leading a secret life. Craig Rabinowitz, who had racked up huge debts and whose business apparently existed only on paper, had been spending more money than he had earned in his lifetime on a stripper who danced for him at a downtown Philadelphia club, Delilah’s Den.
This is a story that was locally known as “The Main Line Murder.” A death nearly passed on as natural and unexplained, this murder revealed motivations and deception that nearly went undiscovered and would shock everyone who knew the Rabinowitz family.

Blindsided: The Murder of Jason Corbett

Jill — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Jason Corbett grew up in Ireland. His first wife, Margaret, died from an acute asthma attack at a young age. Her death left Jason alone—- a single dad with two young children.
Jason searched for a nanny online to help with his children after his wife’s death. That’s how he met Molly. 24-year old Molly lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, but she moved to Limerick and became a nanny, caring for the Corbett children. Soon, Jason and Molly were romantically involved. Molly became a wife and a mother of two.
Jason was a robust, stocky Irishman. He was friendly with a great smile. Molly fell in love with him and his children and the couple was married in 2011. If this story sounds like it began as a fairy tale, it certainly didn’t end that way. The family moved to North Carolina when Jason was promoted at work. They lived in a beautiful home with enough room for Molly’s parents to stay overnight. But something went terribly wrong in the early morning hours of August 2, 2015.
Molly and her father would claim that violence erupted when Jason attacked Molly, but Jason’s sister Tracey would knew that Jason was a victim of Molly and Thomas Martens.

Today, in Blindsided, we will attempt to sort out the truth of what really happened to Jason Corbett while we share a beer at the quiet end.

The Bathtub Murder: Sarah Widmer

Jill — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Sarah Steward met Ryan Widmer on a blind date. They were fixed up by Sarah’s friend Dana. They hit it off right away and it wasn’t long before Ryan brought his new girlfriend home to meet his mom.
In early 2008, the couple bought a new house in a nice neighborhood. They were married that April. The newlyweds went to Costa Rica for their honeymoon. When they got back home to Cincinnati, they started to settle into their life as Mr. and Mrs. Widmer.
They had their whole lives ahead of them. And then the unthinkable happened.
Less than four months into the marriage, Sarah drowned in the master bath. Ryan said she’d fallen asleep but he was soon a suspect. But did Ryan have a motive to kill his new wife? Those close to the couple said no, but police and paramedics felt that something wasn’t right at the scene. Soon, Ryan found himself in the middle of a murder investigation.

Join Tiegrabber
Read “Submerged”

Simon Says Murder

Jill — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Isaac Grimes was a freshman at Palmer Springs High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, when he life took a dramatic turn. He was a quiet kid who liked to read. But he met a charismatic high school senior named Simon Sue and his life was never the same. The two teens shared an interest in chess and video games, and Simon took the younger, nerdier Isaac under his wing.
Simon asked Isaac to join his club called the O.A.R.A., the Operations and Reconnaissance Agents. For a young boy desperate to fit in with others, hanging out with Simon and being invited to join his club was irresistible. But the club moved on from harmless activities, like chess, to plotting a triple murder.
Simon took Isaac and classmate Jonathan Matheny to a local range to practice shooting weapons. Then he ordered them to kill Isaac’s former best friend, Tony Dutcher, and his grandparents in cold blood.
Tony, Carl, and Joann Dutcher were murdered on New Year’s Eve 2000. But as details emerged, the truth about the suspects and their motives were unclear. Did Simon Sue brainwash the two teenagers or were all of the boys equally responsible?

Death Before Divorce: The Murder of Robert Limon

Jill — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

From the outside, Rob and Sabrina Limon looked like a happy couple. They had two healthy children. They were affectionate, energetic, and they had a lot of friends. Their lives were filled with parties, barbecues, and boating trips. But the Limon’s had secrets. They had an open marriage, swapping partners with some of their closest friends.
Then, Sabrina began an intense romantic relationship with a 22-year old firefighter. This was the beginning of the end. Two shots one night at a warehouse building where Rob was working ended his life. Investigators didn’t have to look far to find his killer.
Today, in Death Before Divorce, we look into a flawed marriage, one with secrets that allowed something evil to creep in. What started with infidelity and deception led to an obsessive affair and ended with the violent death of a loving husband and father.

Fatal Vision: The Jeffrey MacDonald Case

Jill — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

On February 17, 1970, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, some of the most shocking murders in modern history took place. Colette MacDonald and her two young daughters were brutally murdered in their home on the base. Colette’s husband, Jeffrey MacDonald, was left wounded but he was still very much alive and well. This family massacre has fascinated and outraged people for nearly 50 years.

At the heart of this case is the relationship of a pregnant young mother with her ambitious husband, along with the character and behavior of a man believed to be either a monster or a gentleman, depending on who you’re talking to.

Jeffrey MacDonald has a version of what happened that night. Investigators and prosecutors have another version, backed up by what they see as blatant inconsistencies in his story and in the evidence.

Today’s episode will address the relationship of Jeffrey with his wife Colette, the timeline and the evidence, as well as Jeffrey MacDonald’s behavior both before and after his family was slaughtered. Did Jeffrey MacDonald brutally murder his family or was he a victim of a Manson-like gang? Join us at the quiet end for Fatal Vision: The Jeffrey MacDonald Case.

My Mother, My Killer: Theresa Knorr

Jill — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

For most of us, the relationship between mother and child is a sacred one. We love our children, put their needs above our own, and will do anything to protect them and promote their happiness. But mother of six Theresa Knorr didn’t feel any such love or devotion for her children, least of all her two daughters Sheila and Suesan.

Theresa wounded her daughter Suesan with scissors and a gun. When she wasn’t dead after a few weeks, Theresa tried to remove the bullet herself. The attempted surgery left Suesan near death. As her condition worsened, Theresa bound Suesan’s arms and legs, covered her mouth with duct tape, and ordered her sons to help her take the girl to a deserted road and burn her alive, dousing her with gasoline.
Theresa Knorr forced her other daughter Sheila into prostitution. After a few weeks, she accused Sheila of becoming pregnant and passing on a venereal disease through the family toilet seat. She beat Sheila, hogtied her, and locked her in a hot closet with no ventilation. Once Sheila’s body began to decompose, Theresa ordered her sons to dispose of her.

It took several years for Theresa to be brought to justice. During her trial, the public learned that she had been acquitted in the murder of her husband decades earlier. Her remaining youngest daughter, Terry, was the one to finally get the authorities to investigate her mother and believe what she was telling them: Theresa was a cold-blooded killer who had enlisted the help of sons in the murders of her own daughters.

As we discuss the disturbing crimes of Theresa Knorr, we will dispel the belief that a mother’s love is always selfless, always unconditional. Theresa was a dangerous and cruel mother, but the myth of all mothers putting their children first worked to silence those who had chances to stop her. Where were the good people in this story who could have saved her children? Theresa didn’t strike out of nowhere. She calculated and carried out her abuses over a period of years, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs and clues that were clearly ignored.

Theresa’s abuse could have been stopped but nobody moved to stop her. It was a legal system hesitant to believe her capable of murder, along with a society intent on minding its own business, who let her get away with the murder of two of her children and the nightmarish abuses of the remaining four.

Madison Reed

Disposable Woman: Reyna Angelica Marroquin

Jill — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In 1999, a homeowner in Jericho, New York removed an old 55-gallon barrel from his basement. The trash men would not take it because it was too heavy. So he opened it. The smell was horrific. A woman’s shoe bobbed to the surface.
Locked away in that barrel for over thirty years was the now mummified body of a young woman and her full-term fetus. She was fully clothed with her purse and address book inside. Police would take hours extracting these remains from the barrel. The odor was so offensive that gas masks were worn by every person in the vicinity.
Investigators in this case did incredible work, examining the contents of the barrel, going over the lineage of ownership of the house, and putting together a tragic series of events that led to the violent death and decades long disposal of a young immigrant woman who put her trust in the wrong man.
In today’s discussion, Disposable Woman, we’re talking about one of the most remarkable cold cases ever solved. What may have been a simple story of an extramarital affair and an unwanted pregnancy became an obscene affront to humanity—a case of a person being cast aside and discarded as if she were nothing.

Poisonous: Audrey Marie Hilley

Jill — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Homemaker Audrey Marie Hilley killed her husband, Frank, in 1975, and attempted to kill her daughter three years later. Her choice of victims, which also included her mother and mother-in-law, were the people close to her. Her motive was money.

What makes her case extraordinary is how she managed to elude arrest for three years while on the run, and then, while serving a 20-year-to-life sentence, managed to obtain a prison furlough and disappear into the woods of Alabama.

Her story begins in May 1975 when Frank Hilley visited his doctor complaining of nausea and pain in his abdomen. His doctor diagnosed a viral stomach ache. The condition persisted and Frank was admitted to a hospital for tests that indicated liver malfunction. Physicians then diagnosed infectious hepatitis. Because the symptoms closely resembled those of hepatitis, no tests for poison were conducted. After he died, the cause of death was listed as infectious hepatitis.
Over three years later, Audrey took out a $25,000 life insurance policy on her daughter, Carol. Within a few months, Carol began to experience nausea and was admitted to the emergency room several times. A year after insuring her daughter, Audrey gave Carol an injection that she said would help with her nausea. But her symptoms only worsened.
Audrey Marie Hilley was eventually arrested for the murder of her husband and the attempted murder of her daughter. But what if Carol had died? Would she have continued killing family members? All signs point to yes.
Today’s quiet end discussion, Poisonous, covers the twisted life and outrageous crimes of a woman to appeared to be a normal, 1960s housewife. Audrey Marie Hilley kept a home, raised her children, and just happened to commit murder when she was short on funds.

Get more episodes!
Madison Reed

Fallen: Lisa Cecilia Harnum

Jill — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Early on the morning of July 30, 2011, Lisa Harnum called her mother in Toronto, Canada. Terrified, told her mom that she was preparing to leave her fiancé, Simon Gittany. Simon was an emotionally abusive man. Lisa whispered over the phone that if anything was to happen to her, her mother should contact Michelle Richmond, a life coach in whom Lisa had been confiding for the past three weeks. This was the last time Joan Harnum spoke to her daughter. Just over four hours later, Simon Gittany picked up Lisa and tossed her from the balcony of their 15th floor apartment. Simon Gittany had been monitoring Lisa’s emails and text messages for months before her death. Lisa had recently confided in her personal trainer, Lisa Brown, and Michelle Richmond. She told them that Simon had cut her off from her friends and was trying to control every aspect of her life. Simon’s threats during the couple’s frequent arguments included that he could have her deported, destroying her dream of a life in Australia. With the help of her personal trainer, Lisa had begun removing her possessions from the apartment. And Simon somehow found out.

Simon would claim that his unstable girlfriend had committed suicide. But criminal records revealed that he was a violent cocaine dealer who spent time in prison. It also came to light that he was the target of a police investigation into his business dealings with two convicted meth dealers. Then a witness who came forward to say that he had seen Gittany drop Lisa. Today, in Fallen, we are covering a case of domestic violence which ended in murder. Each time we talk about a case like this, we have to consider how the murder, which might have been predicted, could have been prevented.

Jill Meagher’s Last Day

Jill — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

29-year old Jill Meagher was going about her daily life on September 22, 2012 when a man with a lengthy criminal record took it all away from her. That night, she had gone out with some friends after work for drinks. On the short walk back to her apartment, she encountered serial rapist Adrian Bayley.

CCTV would capture Bayley approaching Jill on the street at 1:40am. She had her mobile phone in her hand. His face was obscured by the blue hoodie he was wearing. When Jill didn’t make it home that night, her husband began to search for her, eventually contacting the police. She was officially a missing person at that point, but soon the awful truth would become clear: Jill had been brutally assaulted and murdered by a repeat offender out on parole.

On top of the horror of Jill Meagher’s rape and murder at the hands of Adrian Bayley, one other disturbing fact was exposed: the state’s parole system was broken. How could a man found guilty of 20 rapes in a 23-year time span be allowed to roam the streets of Melbourne’s suburbs after smashing the jaw of another man while on parole?

At the time of Jill’s murder, Bayley was on parole after serving eight years in jail for 16 counts of rape against five women. He had already served time before for rapes committed from the time he was just 18. It made the tragedy of Jill’s murder even more senseless.

At the quiet end today, we’re talking about a beautiful person whose life was violently taken by an evil, repeat offender. Jill spent her last day doing what many of us do—working in a job she loved, enjoying a few drinks in the company of friends, and making her way home on a well-traveled street just blocks from her home. So, what went wrong?

Madison Reed
Try Sunbasket!

The Murder of Bonny Lee Bakley

Jill — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Bonny Lee Bakley was not an ethical or particularly law-abiding woman. Not someone you would want your daughter to model her life after. She was a con artist and a groupie who used sex and deception to get money from men. When she was shot to death in May 2001, her husband at the time, actor Robert Blake, was charged with the crime, but there was a long list of other people with a motive.
As a young girl, Bonny’s dreams were similar to many other girls. She wanted to be rich and famous one day. Growing up in poverty probably helped to motivate her. Her desire to leave her hometown and begin her quest for stardom began early after she was sexually abused by her father. Fame became an obsession.
After high school, Bonny moved to New York. She started calling herself Lee Bonny. She got some small modeling jobs and worked as an extra in movies. But her goal of becoming a star was not happening. So, her focus switched from becoming a star to marrying one.
Her life was a life of scams: stalking celebrities, stealing credit cards, and eventually becoming pregnant with Robert Blake’s child and marrying him. After only 6 months of marriage, she was murdered. It took a year to bring her husband to trial. He was acquitted of her murder but found responsible for her death in a civil trial.
This murder is officially unsolved and there are many questions remaining. One thing worth considering is whether Blake would have been convicted if Bonny had been a more sympathetic victim. Does our justice system have different standards for so-called good girls than it does for someone like Bonny, a woman with an objectively shady history? And then, of course, there is the celebrity factor. Join us at the quiet end as we discuss the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley, the acquittal of Robert Blake, and the actual evidence in this case.

A Dangerous Woman: The Life and Crimes of Tracey Richter

Jill — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Tracey Richter was an angry narcissist willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. She had no qualms about harming anybody who would dare to come between her and what she wanted. But Tracey was also a good actress. That may explain why she got away with so much for so long.
Tracey cheated on, deceived, and physically abused her first husband. When they divorced, she falsely accused him of child sexual abuse, going as far as to recruit her own son to tell lies about his own father.

Although Tracey would remarry and find a new man to deceive, her grudge against her first husband would stew inside of her. Tracey made cold-blooded, detailed plans and then followed through with them, killing an innocent young neighbor in a set up of her ex to keep full custody of her son.

As we talk about the life and crimes of Tracey Richter, aka Tracey Pitman, aka Tracey Roberts, aka Sophie Edwards, we will examine how she managed to hurt so many people for so long before she was finally brought to justice. Join us at the quiet end today for A Dangerous Woman: The Life and Crimes of Tracey Richter.

Tainted Love: The Murder of Kathy Augustine

Jill — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Does tragedy run in families? In the case of the Augustine family, they seemed to have more than their own fair share of unexpected deaths. In August, 2012, 32-year old Dallas Augustine shot and killed her wife Jessie McCaskill before turning the gun on herself. Six years earlier, Dallas’s step-father Chaz Higgs had been accused of murdering her mother Kathy Augustine with a fatal drug overdose.
Chaz was a hospital nurse involved in the care of Kathy’s sick husband Charles Augustine when Charles died. Just weeks after his death, the marriage of Kathy and Chaz raised a lot of eyebrows. Kathy’s sudden death just three years into her marriage with Chaz had police suspicious not only that Chaz had murdered Kathy but that perhaps he had had something to do with the death of her husband.
This story received a lot of publicity, partially because Kathy had been a prominent politician in Nevada and she had undergone impeachment proceedings for violating state ethics laws. Chaz would claim that her political opponents were responsible for her death. By all accounts, Kathy was not an easy person to get along with. There were plenty of people who disliked her, but did anyone have more of a reason to want her dead than Chaz did?
Join us at the quiet end today for a story of murder too strange and complex to be fiction. In Tainted Love, we’ll learn about Kathy, Chaz, and the events leading up to their love affair and Kathy’s untimely death.

Join tiegrabber
Take Care/Of Yourself!
Madison Reed

The Murder of Allison Baden-Clay

Jill — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In Australia, about one person goes missing every 15 minutes. Most missing persons cases take hours, days, or even weeks before an in-depth investigation is put into action. In the case of 43-year old mother of three Allison Baden-Clay, it took mere minutes.
Constables arrived at the Baden-Clay home at 8am, took one look at Allison’s husband Gerard, and strongly suspected that he had killed Allison. He was dressed for a normal work day when he walked out the front door of his suburban home and greeted the officers. They immediately noticed fresh scratches running down the right side of Gerard’s face. Jagged and raw, they inflamed his cheek and trailed off at the line of his jaw.
Those scratches told a story that didn’t match the story Gerard told them. He said he had cut himself shaving. They looked at this supposed concerned husband and long-standing pillar of the community and saw a killer.
In the days after Allison’s disappearance, investigators learned that her marriage was not what it appeared. Gerard had been unfaithful and his mistress was expecting him to ask Allison for a divorce. It could have been a case of a suburban mom who needed time alone. Maybe she would come walking up the driveway any minute. Or maybe they would find her injured on a walking path waiting for help. But they didn’t think so.
Allison Baden-Clay seemed to be living a charmed life. Her husband was a successful and well-known real estate agent. Their three young daughters were healthy. Their home was in Brookfield, a very desirable suburb.
Like thousands of women who suffer from domestic violence, Allison lived with underlying misery as she worked to present herself and her family in the best light. In our quiet end talk today, we’re looking into the development and destruction of Allison and Gerard’s relationship. What went wrong and did the punishment fit the crime?

Join tiegrabber
The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation

The Trooper’s Target: The Murder of Dr. John Yelenic

Jill — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The life of John Yelenic, a young, friendly, prominent dentist who was murdered in Pennsylvania back in 2006, was intertwined with the lives of his soon to be ex-wife Michele and her live-in boyfriend, Pennsylvania State Trooper Kevin Foley. All three of these people had specific personalities and beliefs which can be traced back to their childhoods and family relationships.
In our discussion of the murder of Dr. John Yelenic we will see how three lives came together through seemingly random circumstances and culminated in a brutal homicide. No one wins in a murder. The violent loss of one life devastates many lives. To completely understand this murder case, we will go back to where the story began. John was brought up by his mother to give generously and to ask for little in return. Even after he became financially successful, he remained a kind and humble man. Some would say that his marriage to Michele was a mistake from the start. At the quiet end today, we will take a look at John’s childhood, Michele’s beginnings, and the background of her boyfriend Kevin Foley. In The Trooper’s Target, join us for the story of a murder with a psychological examination of the victim and his killer or killers.

Missing Amy: The Disappearance of Amy Billig

Jill — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

When 17-year old Amy Billig disappeared in 1974, her absence created a miserable void in her family. Her mother Sue would never be the same. But Amy’s story is about so much more than pain and loss. It’s about the lasting qualities of hope in the shadow of an ongoing nightmare.

Sue Billig was left without her daughter, left to wonder and imagine all of the terrible things that may have happened to her. But even after being lied to, mislead, ignored, and manipulated, her faith in humanity held firm. She never gave up on Amy.

Sue Billig began investigating her daughter’s case immediately after Amy disappeared. She received tips from people who claimed that Amy had been abducted by members of motorcycle gangs that traveled through the Coconut Grove area of Florida in 1974. Some people claimed that Amy was alive and others claimed she had been killed. Sue was led on a chase throughout the U. S. and even into Great Britain over the years.

There were harassing, cruel phone calls. One caller tormented her for 21 years until 1995, when FBI agents were able to identify the man by tracking his cell phone. Before, he had always used a pay phone to harass Sue, making him impossible to find. The caller was identified as Henry Johnson Blair, who worked for the U.S. Customs Department. Blair claimed that he was an alcoholic and that he suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder which caused him to harass Amy’s mother. The addition of Blair into this case brought renewed attention on to a man Amy had described in her journal. Amy wrote that she was considering running away to South America with a man she called “Hank.” A photo developed from a roll of film in Amy’s camera showed a white van which was identical in color and model to a van Blair drove in 1974. Blair’s job with the Customs Department required him to relocate to South America around the time Amy had mentioned in her journal.

At the quiet end today, we are taking a look inside the hell that the families of missing persons endure by examining the case of Amy Billig and the struggles of her mother, Sue Billig.

Murder Actually: The Texas Cadet Murder

Jill — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In the early morning of December 3, 1995, a farmer driving along a quiet country road saw the body of a teenage girl on the ground behind a barbed-wire fence. At first, he thought he was looking at a dead animal. As he moved forward, the girl’s face was unrecognizable. One bullet hole was in her left cheek, another in her forehead. She had been hit so hard on the left side of her head that the part of the skull above her ear was caved in. She was wearing flannel shorts and a gray T-shirt. Within hours, police identified her as Adrianne Jones, a sixteen-year-old high school sophomore from the town of Mansfield, southeast of Fort Worth, Texas.
It was only that autumn that her parents had allowed Adrianne to stay out past nine o’clock on weekends. Her father had nailed her bedroom windows shut so she couldn’t sneak out of the house at night. But aside from sneaking out to have some fun with friends, Adrianne was a good girl. She took advanced honors courses, studied at least two hours a night, and was a talented athlete. She also worked twenty hours a week at a local fast-food restaurant.
Adrianne thrived on attention, especially when it came from the teenage boys around town. One of Adrianne’s closest friends, Tracy Bumpass, called her “a big flirt.” There were plenty of high school guys who wanted to meet her and lots of girls who wanted to be her friend.
It was Adrianne’s popularity that made the investigation into her murder so difficult. And it quickly became clear to the detectives that Adrianne knew her killer, or killers. There was no sign at the crime scene that she had struggled. There were no marks that her hands or legs had been restrained. Nor was there any indication that someone had broken into her house or had gone through her window to abduct her.
When David Graham and Diane Zamora were arrested for her murder in the fall of 1996, it was a shock. The high school sweethearts were high achievers with great ambitions. Graham was a first-year cadet at the Air Force Academy with plans to become a fighter pilot. Diane, who had won an appointment to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, was set on being an astronaut. They had their futures mapped out, including their wedding date for the summer of 2000.
But Diane Zamora bragged to her roommates that she and David had killed a girl back in Texas. She said anyone who got between her and David would have to die. She said the girl deserved it … everyone knew the girl was a tramp and a slut. David had cheated on her and had sex with Adrienne Jones. The only solution was for them to kill Adrienne to preserve their love.
The story of Adrianne Jones’ murder, often called the Texas Cadet Murder, is an incredible story of a senseless killing by two unlikely killers.

The Spreckels Mansion Mystery

Jill — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In 2011, at the Spreckels Mansion on the Southern California Coast, there were two unexpected deaths that have since raised many doubts and endless speculation. On July 11, 32-year old Rebecca Zahau was at the Spreckels Beach House along with her sister when her boyfriend’s 6-year old son fell over a second-floor banister. Sadly, he would die in the hospital days later.
On July 12, understandably distraught, Rebecca picked up her boyfriend’s brother, Adam Shacknai, from the airport and brought him back to the mansion. There were reports of loud music coming from the house that evening. A neighbor claimed to hear a woman screaming.
The next morning, Adam called 911, stating that he found Rebecca nude, hanging from a balcony, a supposed suicide. But the scene was unusual, to say the least. Rebecca’s ankles and wrists were bound with rope, she was gagged with a t-shirt, and she was completely nude.
That fall, Rebecca’s death was ruled a suicide and 6-year old Max’s death was ruled an accident. Police held a press conference to announce that neither death involved foul play. But this year, Adam Shacknai was found responsible for Rebecca’s death in a civil suit filed by Rebecca’s family. Police have not filed any charges.
Our quiet end discussion today is a mystery. What happened at the mansion back in July 2011? Are we talking about an accident and a suicide, an accident and a murder, a murder and a suicide, or two murders? Let’s pour ourselves a brew and mull it over.

Join Tiegrabber
Try Grove

The Surgeon’s Wife: The Disappearance of Gail Katz-Bierenbaum

Jill — Tue, 29 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Gail Katz-Bierenbaum was the attractive wife of a successful young surgeon when she disappeared in 1985. Her husband, Dr. Robert Bierenbaum, had a very promising future. Charming but awkward, Bob Bierenbaum was a surgical resident who spoke several languages and piloted his own plane.
Trouble in the Bierenbaum marriage began even before there was a wedding. Bob was possessive and controlling. Gail was creative and more free in her life. Gail was raised with the goal of marrying a doctor, so she married Bob to please her parents. Her mother believed her financial insecurity and tendency to move from one thing to another would be fixed after she became a doctor’s wife.
Before her disappearance, Gail and Bob were planning a divorce. Bob didn’t want Gail to leave him. Gail had told a friend that she had proof Bob was committing Medicaid fraud and she was going to threaten to turn him in in order to get a divorce.

Then, Bob called Gail’s mother saying he couldn’t find Gail. When her mother arrived at the Bierenbaum apartment, she was disturbed to find Gail’s purse with her keys and cigarettes. Bob said she had left in a huff the day before and he hadn’t seen her since. At the quiet end today, we’re telling the story of a couple who seemed to have life all figured out. But the reality of their lives, and Gail’s death, were far from ideal. Without a body, it would take years to put together what happened to Gail and to bring Bob Bierenbaum to trial. But did they get it right?

All Her Children: The Victims of Marybeth Tinning

Jill — Tue, 22 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

The story of Marybeth Tinning and her nine deceased children is one of the worst cases of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy in the history of the disorder. Between the years of 1967 and 1985, Marybeth gave birth to and buried every one of her babies and young children, often within months of one another.
The eldest, Barbara Ann, was born in 1967. By 1972, both little Barbara and her two siblings had died, starting with eight-day-old Jennifer, who is the only Tinning child believed to have died of natural, medically explained causes. The rest died inexplicably, all dead before they were old enough to attend kindergarten. Most were too young to walk or talk.
Marybeth repeatedly sought the attention of medical professionals, but no one spoke up to say that her actions were suspicious. They examined each child for symptoms, found none, and sent Marybeth home, where her child would die soon after. Marybeth was always the one to find them, blue and unresponsive. By the fifth death, doctors were calling the cause of most of these deaths Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Join us at the quiet end today for an unbelievable and startling story of murder, followed by a discussion of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, Child Protective Agencies, and how the criminal justice system deals with mothers who kill their children.
I’ve asked Dick to bring in a heavy hitting beer today because this case can really be not only upsetting but incredibly frustrating. As a mother—hell, as a human being—I just cannot understand how this woman was able to repeat these horrible acts over and over with no one intervening to protect the most innocent victims.

Trees of Death: The Barron Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 15 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Jack Barron’s wife, Irene, died in her bed in the spring of 1992. She was only 34 and in apparently good health. On the day of her death, Jack told some people at work that she was having headaches and hadn’t felt well for several days.
Eight months later, Jack Barron’s son, Jeremy, 4, stopped breathing in his sleep. Jack began to suggest to his in-laws and neighbors that there was some genetic link. The remaining family members were given medical tests which revealed nothing.
When Jack Barron’s remaining child, his daughter Ashley, died in her sleep, also at the age of 4, family and friends could not believe such tragedy could strike again. Now alone, Jack quickly sold his Sacramento house and moved in with his mother in the Bay Area town of Benicia, California. By this time, his in-laws were suspicious. Maybe his mother became suspicious too.
Within 2 months, Jack’s mother was found dead in her bed. Finally, investigators began to believe that Jack Barron was a serial killer. Further investigations would reveal links between significant dates in Jack Barron’s life and the dates of his family members’ unexplained deaths.
Join us at the quiet end today for a fascinating story of a psychologically disturbed man who killed off his family, one by one, each time planting a tree in their memory. How did police overlook what seems in hindsight to be a well plotted string of murders by a man who clearly enjoyed attention and benefited financially from the deaths of those closest to him?

Unleashed: A Dog Mauling in San Francisco

Jill — Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

With her arms full of grocery bags, 33-year old Diane Whipple had just returned to her upscale apartment in San Francisco on Jan. 26 2001. As she opened the door, a neighbor’s dog—a 112-lb. female Presa Canario named Hera—rushed down the narrow hall and began barking at her, followed by 123-lb. Bane, who was on a leash but pulling his owner, Marjorie Knoller, behind him. Diane was knocked to the floor and Bane attacked her.
The mauling death of Diane Whipple was viscous and brutal. She suffered over 70 dog bites. The final bite tore open her neck, leading to fatal blood loss. A neighbor called 911 when she heard the horrible attack.
Bane and Hera’s owners would later deny any knowledge of their dogs’ propensity for violence. But nearly 30 people would come forward with stories of being lunged at or bitten by one or both of the dogs. And then secrets emerged that painted an unfavorable picture of the owners.
There is so much to talk about with this case. Responsible pet ownership. Dog breeding. Animal abuse. Adoption laws. The definition of second-degree murder. This is just a crock pot full of fascinating topics. In Unleashed: A Dog Mauling in San Francisco, we will definitely ruffle some feathers, but hopefully the discussion will serve as an opportunity to take a closer look at our values and open the door to some fascinating listener feedback.

A Dark Heart: Inside the Twisted Mind of Patricia Taylor Allanson

Jill — Tue, 01 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Patricia Taylor and Tom Allanson came together after each of them left failing marriages behind. At thirty, Tom was younger than Pat by six years. He had been through two short, bad marriages and she had escaped one long one where she said she had felt trapped and smothered by her military husband. Both of them had been looking for the perfect love most of their lives. Despite the odds, they seemed to have found it in each other. From the outside, though, they appeared to have nothing more in common than sex.
Tom was tall and as strong as an ox. Pat was tiny boned and fragile, like a bird. She liked to be seen as a delicate southern lady. Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind was her role model.
Tom wouldn’t be the first to be taken in by Pat, a lifelong manipulator, and he wasn’t the last. Pat had ideas about what she wanted in life and nothing would get in her way. Throughout her life, Pat feigned illness, made false police reports, tore apart families, and planned multiple murders. No one was exempt from her devious schemes, even those she claimed to love.
In A Dark Heart, we examine the relationships and evil acts of Patricia Taylor Allanson. This is a woman who left behind a string of broken families and lost lives in an effort to obtain the unattainable: perfection.

Blind Faith: The Murder of Maria Marshall

Jill — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Maria Marshall seemed to be living an enviable life. She was beautiful and wealthy, with a successful husband and three healthy sons. It wasn’t until Maria was killed that her friends, family, and neighbors saw how hard she had been working to keep up appearances and keep her family together.
On the night of September 7, 1984, Robert and Maria were traveling home from Atlantic City when, according to Robert, he pulled over at a picnic area with a flat tire. He told investigators that he was knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of his head, and about $2,000 of his casino winnings was stolen. He said he awoke to find his wife with two gunshot wounds, lying dead across the front seat of their car. Robert Marshall was arrested on December 19, 1984, three months after Maria’s murder. The prosecution theorized that he had hired two men to kill his wife.
To the affluent residents of Toms River, New Jersey, Maria’s husband had been a devoted family man and a respected member of the community. But soon after Maria’s death, his perfect image unraveled as the police investigation uncovered debt, infidelity and a $1.5 million insurance policy. This is a case which has had a lot of publicity over the years. Today, we hope to tell Maria’s story with depth and compassion, looking at how this infamous case effected Maria’s children, those close to her, and the community of Toms River.

Help Save the Next Girl: The Murders of Morgan Harrington and Hannah Graham

Jill — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

When UVA student Hannah Graham disappeared from a Charlottesville mall in 2014, authorities and volunteers began a massive search to find her. Joining the search were the parents of Morgan Harrington. Morgan had disappeared five years earlier. At the time, the Harringtons didn’t realize that solving Hannah’s case would lead them to the man who had killed Morgan.
Charlottesville is a historic city and home to the prestigious University of Virginia. 18-year-old Hannah Graham was a 2nd year student when she went missing in September of 2014. Her disappearance mobilized the police and the community. She had gone out with friends to dinner and a couple of parties. At 1am, she sent a text to a friend saying she was lost. She was never seen again, except in surveillance footage, some of it with her killer walking beside her.
As the investigation into Hannah’s disappearance unfolded, it became clear that Hannah and Morgan had been killed by the same man. Other missing woman and at least one rape victim are also considered targets of the same predator.
Join us at the quiet end today for a discussion of the missing and murdered young women victimized by convicted murderer Jessie Matthew. This story cover years of searching, the unimaginable pain of the victims’ parents, the manhunt for a killer, and the efforts of Morgan Harrington’s mother, along with thousands of volunteers, to Help Save the Next Girl.

A Crime to Remember S5 E8: Mother’s Little Helper

Jill — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Dan Schindler entered the greasy storefront of Bradshaw Auto Parts just outside of Salt Lake City. He was looking for a replacement part for a friend’s truck – but instead he found something that would haunt him for the rest of his life: the blood-soaked body of the store’s 76-year-old owner, Franklin Bradshaw. The murder […]

The post A Crime to Remember S5 E8: Mother’s Little Helper appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Terror by Sea: The Murders of Joan, Michelle, & Christe Rogers

Jill — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Oba Chandler was executed in 2011 for the killings of a mother and her two daughters off the coast of south Florida. Jo Rogers and her two teenage daughters were enjoying a rare and well-deserved vacation when they were approached by Oba Chandler and invited to take a cruise on his boat. He seemed like a kind, harmless, middle-aged man. There was nothing threatening about him.
But Chandler had an extensive criminal history. He had been lying, stealing, and sexually assaulting women for most of his adult life. When he got his three victims out on the water where no one could hear them scream for help, he killed them all, tossing them into the water to drown.
Hal Rogers waited at home on his Ohio farm for his family to return. The news would be devastating. And it took three years to find their killer.
Investigators learned the hard way how good Chandler was at covering his tracks. In Terror by Sea, we follow the history of a sociopath and the investigation that finally led to justice for his victims and the people they left behind.

Join tiegrabber
Leave us a review

A Crime to Remember S5 E7: A Woman’s Place

Jill — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Ten-year-old Leona O’Loughlin fails to show up at school, while her detective father Leo falls violently ill. Investigators now have to consider the chilling possibility that someone may have been trying to eliminate the entire family.
This week, A Crime to Remember investigates the crimes of Pearl O’Loughlin, who murdered her stepdaughter Leona and tried to poison her police detective husband Leo. Except, she didn’t really poison anyone. Let’s talk about ground glass, shall we?

Preppy Murder: The Killing of Jennifer Levin

Jill — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Labelled as the “rough sex killing” or the “preppy murder,” the 1986 murder of college-bound teenager Jennifer Levin at the hands of so-called preppy Robert Chambers caught the attention of the entire country. Her horrible death opened up discussions about the reckless and promiscuous world of teenagers in her crowd.
In this time of the Me-Too movement, the media’s and the defense attorney’s attempts to blame sexually-active Jennifer for her own murder seem especially relevant. This was a classic case of victim blaming. But once we look into the life of Robert Chambers, we see how he was raised to feel entitled and above the law.
Chambers had been kicked out of several schools; he burglarized apartments, sold drugs and he had once broken the arm of a girlfriend. Although he claimed that Jennifer was accidentally killed during rough sex, her body was brutalized in a way that showed it was not a consenting sex act. The nature of multiple wounds and evidence found for 25 feet around her body proved she had made attempts at escaping a brutal attack. We will talk about all of this in today’s quiet end discussion The Preppy Murder.

Join tiegrabber
Leave us a review
Try Freshly and save $20

A Crime to Remember S5 E6: Black Sheep

Jill — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Four members of the Mark family are found murdered in their Cedar Falls, Iowa, home, prompting police to suspect someone close to the family; the bizarre outcome shakes the townspeople and devastates the surviving members of the Mark family. It’s a modern day Cain and Abel!

The post A Crime to Remember S5 E6: Black Sheep appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Step-Monster: The Murder of Zahra Baker

Jill — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In her 10 years, Zahra Baker had gone through a lot and overcome more than most adults. She was a cancer survivor who had to have an amputation, the removal of part of her lung, and she was left hearing impaired from cancer treatments. But she was still beautiful, inside and out. A resilient spirit with a child’s pure love of the simple things in life, Zahra was a person worthy of much more than she got.
Zahra deserved better from this world. Of all the cases we’ve covered on True Crime Brewery, unfortunately many of them involving the murders of children, this may very well be the most upsetting. Researching this case really brought home to me how much our children depend on us. Children are at the mercy of the adults who are designated as their caretakers. Usually, these are adults who love them and who do everything in their power to keep them safe. But for Zahra, she had no one looking out for her.
Zahra lived with an abusive step-mother, her father either too slow or too distracted to provide the protection she needed. Elisa Baker eventually killed 10-year old Zahra. And for nearly two weeks, no one noticed.
Elisa had a history of being abusive. And there were signs that Zahra was her victim. Zahra’s death at her hands was an atrocity and a tragedy. In today’s show, Step-Monster, we’re telling Zahra’s story.

A Crime to Remember S5 E5: Beast with a Badge

Jill — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This episode is entertaining in a crime solving type of way, plus it gives us a look at racism in the 1950s. A detective works to exonerate his black friend from rape allegations that were pinned on him by the LAPD’s racist members. To do so, he has to navigate his way through deeply entrenched […]

The post A Crime to Remember S5 E5: Beast with a Badge appeared first on Tiegrabber.

A Crime to Remember S5 E4: A Coffin for Christmas

Jill — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Heiress Barbara Mackle is kidnapped and buried alive in a coffin-like capsule; local police and the FBI race to Mackle’s abductor before her time underground runs out. The kidnappers turn out to be an unlikely pair and Jill has some interesting follow-up about what happened to them after the crime was solved.

The post A Crime to Remember S5 E4: A Coffin for Christmas appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Babysitter’s Secrets: The Murder of Cherry Walker

Jill — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Cherry Walker was a trusting, uncommonly innocent young woman with a developmental disability. When her neighbor Kim Cargill brought her son to Cherry to babysit, Cherry didn’t know enough to question her. Mentally still a child herself, Cherry played alongside the child, sharing her food and her small apartment with him. Kim took full advantage of Cherry, leaving her neglected son with Cherry for days without providing for any of his needs while she was away.
But when Cherry was asked to testify in court against his abusive mother, she was taken out of the picture. Kim knew that Cherry couldn’t lie if her life depended on it—and as it turned out, her life did depend on it.
Cherry’s body was found on the side of a Texas road, after being doused with lighter fluid and set aflame. Kim Cargill was soon revealed as the primary suspect in her murder.
Attractive, manipulative, and with a history of violence, mother of four Kim Cargill turned out to have plenty of dirty secrets she’d do anything to keep hidden. In The Babysitter’s Secrets, our quiet end discussion takes us inside Kim Cargill’s trial for the murder of Cherry Walker–and we glimpse into the mind of one of the most conniving female psychopaths in recent history.

Join tiegrabber
Leave us a review

A Beheading on Mount Baldy

Jill — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

High on the mountains of Southern California, an overgrown driveway leads to the burned-out piece of ground that once supported Jack Irwin’s Mt. Baldy cabin. Life has moved on, as it always does, and the forest has grown over much of this site where a horrific murder took place.
Back in 1999, Jack Irwin sold his cabin for $48,000 to two women—Marcia Johnson and Judy Gellert. He gave them very generous terms, holding the mortgage in exchange for monthly payments of $582 for ten years. He also threw in some appliances.
But by summer, Judy and Marcia moved in with Jack in his four-bedroom house down the mountain. They explained to others in town that they decided to move in to help him keep house, cook his meals, and make sure he ate well and took his medicine.
When Marcia Johnson reported Jack Irwin missing a few months later, she said that she had dropped him off at the train station so he could take a trip to Seattle to see the space needle. Marcia had only known Jack for 7 months, but she claimed that she was like a daughter to him.
When Marcia and Judy told neighbors that Jack had taken a trip, many were suspicious. Jack wasn’t a complete recluse, but he was definitely a homebody. He had never mentioned taking a trip to anyone else. Then, suddenly, the women were driving new cars and spending a lot of money. Further investigation would reveal that the women had drained Jack’s bank account.
In the summer of 2000, the cabin was robbed, then burned to the ground. Judy and Marcia collected large sums of money from State Farm Insurance. Then they left town. Jack Irwin’s missing person’s case became a murder investigation.
The murder of Jack Irwin, often referred to as A Beheading at Mt. Baldy, is our quiet end discussion today. Because Jack was a veteran and a kind-hearted man with a disability, this is one of the most heinous cases of elder abuse on record in California. The lack of remorse demonstrated by his admitted killer, along with the fact that her accomplice has gone essentially unpunished adds to the outrageous nature of the case.

The Life and Loss of Sheree Beasley

Jill — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Six-year old Sheree Beasley was a tough little cookie. She had been through a lot in her short life, but she had a love of life and an independent streak. Sheree loved her bicycle and was always happy for any excuse to take it out for a spin.
She had survived her baby brother who died of SIDs, followed by the fatal drug overdose of her step-father. Sheree’s Mom struggled in life and tried to give her the best life she could. Through it all, Sheree wore a wide, beautiful smile. She was a joyful little girl with some street smarts. But her independence and lack of supervision made her a target and she was abducted by a lurking predator.
When Sheree’s bike was found abandoned, her mother knew that Sheree had been taken. She was devastated to think she had lost a second child. It was unbearable and unfair for a mother to suffer this heartbreak twice.
Sheree’s abductor wasn’t known to her family, but he had been seen near the schools and public swimming pool, exposing himself and approaching children. His therapist was aware that he was a threat. How much his wife knew is debatable.
At the quiet end today, we’re talking about the vibrant life of Australian child Sheree Beasley, her joys and her difficulties. Her loss brings us to the topics of child safety, how we deal with child sexual predators, and the dynamics of the patient/therapist privilege. For instance, when is it appropriate for a therapist to alert police of a client who is a danger?
This episode, The Life and Loss of Sheree Beasley, is dedicated to every child who has been lost to a predator. We hope Sheree’s story will help us to share some constructive dialogue.

The Final Act: The Murders of Julie Kibuishi & Samuel Herr

Jill — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Daniel Wozniak believed his acting abilities would help him get away with anything, including the perfect crime. For him, this crime was a cold-blooded double murder with money as the sole motivation. Wozniak was engaged to be married and he killed combat vet Samuel Herr and his college tutor Julie Kibuishi because he needed money to pay for a lavish beach side wedding. These murders were equally callous and brutal. After the murders, Wozniak acted in a play with his fiancée that same night, his victim’s body just yards away. He gave a flawless performance.
The victims of these murders were kindhearted, giving people. Sam Herr lost his life going out of his way to help Daniel Wozniak. In return, he was murdered, robbed, and set up as the killer of Julie Kibuishi, before his body was dismembered and discarded like trash.
We’re discussing what led up to these heinous acts, the young lives of the victims, the level of involvement of Wozniak’s fiancée, and the many twists and turns of these cruel and unforgivable crimes in The Final Act: The Murders of Julie Kibuishi and Samuel Herr.

Risky Business: The Murder of Larry McNabney

Jill — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Larry McNabney lived an exciting and tumultuous life. Haunted by tragedies in his early life, Larry drank to excess and did his fair share of pharmaceuticals. But Larry’s biggest passions were love and money. He loved and lost again and again with 5 marriages and countless relationships. As a talented and hard-working attorney, he earned millions. But Larry could spend money just as quickly as he earned it. He enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle and took pleasure in sharing his fortunes with the ones he loved.
With all the risks Larry took in his life, it was the risk he took in marrying his 5th wife, Elisa McNabney, that did him in. Elisa was an attractive, intelligent young woman with a very checkered past. She was born under a different name; a high school drop out with a lengthy criminal record. She took everything Larry had, including his life.
In Risky Business: The Murder of Larry McNabney, we follow the winding trail of two complicated lives that intersected with catastrophic results, leaving them both dead in the end.

A Husband’s Malice: The Disappearance of Jennifer & Abby Blagg

Jill — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Grand Junction, Colorado, is a picturesque town on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The Blagg Family, Jennifer, Mike, and little Abby, had moved there from South Carolina for Mike’s new job as operations manager at a local manufacturing plant. They set up house on an upper-middle class suburban street. Jennifer stayed home with […]

The post A Husband’s Malice: The Disappearance of Jennifer & Abby Blagg appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Unfortunate Sons: The Convictions of Sebastian Burns & Atif Rafay

Jill — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Tariq Rafay, his wife Sultana and their 20-year old daughter Basma were viciously bludgeoned to death in their Bellevue, Washington home on the evening of July 12, 1994. Atif Rafay, the son of Sultana and Tariq, found them when he returned home around 2am. Atif and his friend Sebastian Burns, both 18-years old, had gone out for dinner, a movie and a late-night snack. They found the horrific scene just after 2am. Sebastian Burns called 911 at 2:01am for help. The two teenagers then ran into the street to wait for the police.
There were reports that the police had a difficult time locating the Rafay house, which was located in an upper middle-class neighborhood. A few minutes after the 911 call, a police cruiser passed the house, unable to find the correct address. The teenagers chased after it, pounding on a window to get it to stop. Upon entering the Rafay’s suburban Seattle home, police were shocked by the horrible, bloody crime scene. Sultana was dead from fatal blows to her head. Basma was critically injured and died later at a hospital, having suffered repeated blows to her head and body. Dr. Rafay’s body was on his bed with his head completely crushed. His bedroom was covered in blood, bone, teeth and tissue from the brutal killing.
Sebastian and Atif had solid alibis which police interpreted as efforts by the teens to avoid detection as the perpetrators of this horrible, violent act. They were cooperative as police put them up in a motel and questioned them over a three-day period, but police found their reactions to the event to be inappropriate and suspicious. In the days, weeks and months following the murders, the Bellevue police tried to put together a case, but discovered that the physical evidence pointed away from supporting that either Sebastian or Atif were involved.
Nine months after the murders, frustrated by the lack of evidence of the guilt of Sebastian or Atif, the Bellevue police enlisted the assistance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in an effort to obtain incriminating evidence against the two teenagers. The RCMP decided to initiate an undercover sting operation known in Canada as “Mr. Big,” in an effort to elicit a confession from one or both of them. Evidence from a Mr. Big operation is not admissible in the United States unless it is obtained outside the country. At this point, the teens were living in Canada.
Today, at the quiet end, we discuss the vicious murders of three innocent people and a possible case of the wrongful convictions of two young men. Their confessions, given under a method that is illegal in the United States and has since been declared illegal in Canada, are what convicted them and what keep them in prison today. In Unfortunate Sons: The Convictions of Sebastian Burns and Atif Rafay, we look at the Mr. Big method of obtaining confessions, the other suspects in these murders, and the trials and appeals in the case.

The Deliberate Widower: Malcolm Webster

Jill — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Malcolm Webster drugged and murdered his first wife and, after getting away with it, he tried to do the same to his second wife. A third fiancé, Simone Banarjee, was saved by detectives when they warned her and showed her evidence of her intended’s lies and crimes. She was stunned to learn that the man she loved was plotting her death as they were planning their honeymoon together.
Webster was an English-born nurse who traveled the world and used drugs to sedate his victims before eliminating evidence with arson and murder. His three best known victims were women who were independently wealthy and fell for his English gentleman persona. Police believe there were many more victims.
He had set ablaze cars, offices, and homes. After gaining access to bank accounts, he embezzled money with forged signatures and fraudulent documents. Even as he spent Simone’s fortune and arranged for her death, he had a string of women he was setting up as future targets. There were many coincidences following Malcolm Webster over the years, too many for police detectives to accept. Though he took everything from the women he victimized, those who survived would say he was gentle. He killed with kindness, putting them into oblivious slumber with drugs before leaving them to fiery deaths.
The Deliberate Widower: Malcolm Webster is our topic at the quiet end today. The outrageous crimes this man inflicted over his lifetime formulate an incredible, intricate story of a con man who would stop at nothing, even murder, to get the things he wanted.

Trigger Happy: The Murder of Jordan Davis

Jill — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

There is no question that Michael Dunn shot and killed 17-year old Jordan Russell Davis. Tommy Stornes, Jordan’s friend who was driving the car Jordan was in, acted quickly, backing his car away as Michael Dunn shot into the vehicle. Jordan’s murder is often referred to as the Loud Music case, because the incident began when Michael Dunn asked the teens to turn down their stereo.
According to Dunn, Jordan threatened to kill him, opening his car door and pointing a shotgun at him. Dunn had a concealed weapon permit. He retrieved his handgun from his glove compartment and fired at Davis. He shot ten times. Then he fled the scene, went to a hotel with his fiancée, and ordered pizza.
Tommy Stornes drove his SUV away to a nearby parking lot. Jordan was gasping for air. He died that night. Dunn was arrested at his home the next day.
The trial of Michael Dunn for murder brought attention to Florida’s Stand Your Ground law as he claimed self-defense. If he could prove that he felt like his life was being threatened, he had no obligation to retreat. Racism was also an issue. Michael Dunn is a white man and Jordan was an African-American teen. Dunn was overheard remarking about “thug music.”
Our discussion today, Trigger Happy: The Murder of Jordan Davis, surrounds the events leading up to and following this shooting and the trial of Michael Dunn, who seemed to know no remorse after he claimed self defense without any evidence of a threat. With the conviction of Michael Dunn, we know that black lives do matter, but are African American teens any safer today because of the court’s decision? Does the Stand Your Ground Law give people a license to kill?

Adopt a Wife: The Crimes of Franklin Delano Floyd

Jill — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

A young woman was found in a ditch and rushed to a hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in April of 1990. She was the apparent victim of a hit and run. She seemed to be getting better and recovering from her head injury when her husband, a much older man named Clarence Hughes, paid one last visit to her. She died soon after.
Clarence and his then wife Tonya Hughes went by a number of aliases over the years. Clarence was actually a fugitive named Franklin Delano Floyd. It would take years to uncover Tonya’s true identity. Floyd would become a suspect in Tonya’s death and in the disappearance of Tonya’s 6-year old child.
The crimes of Franklin Delano Floyd were numerous and obscene. He was a pedophile, a rapist, a kidnapper, and a murderer. His victims were vulnerable and his abuses were brutal and cruel. Tonya, known also as Sharon Marshall, had first lived as this monster’s child, and then as his wife.
What stands out as a light in this dark story is the perseverance and eternal hope of this young woman. She was an honor student, a loving mother, and a loyal friend, despite being beaten and exploited for most of her life.
Today, in Adopt a Wife: The Victims of Franklin Delano Floyd, we are discussing the lives of his victims: their strength and their pain. By looking into Floyd’s past, we will see his path into darkness as he chose not to overcome the abuses he endured as a child but to pass them on to others. This story is as disturbing as it is tragic, but, if you can work your way through it with us, I think you will find yourself impressed with the tenacity of the investigators who finally brought him to justice and the resilience of the human spirit.

Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Murders of Sandy Bird & Marty Anderson

Jill — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Early one Sunday morning, kayakers found the body of a woman floating in the shallow water of a river outside Emporia, Kansas. She was identified as Sandra Bird, the wife of a minister and the mother of three young children. Her station wagon appeared to have run off a gravel country road near a bridge. She had been ejected before it overturned into the river.
Initially, the death of Sandy Bird was ruled an accident. But, over the next two years, residents of the tranquil Midwest town were swept up in a twisted tale of adultery, lust, greed, and murder.
Although they were suspicious, investigators could not prove that First Lutheran Minister Tom Bird and his mistress Lorna Anderson had plotted to kill Tom’s wife.
Four months later, Lorna’s husband Marty would turn up dead. Lorna stood to collect over $200,000 in life insurance. Her attempt to collect the money the day after Marty’s death further raised suspicions. When an ex-boyfriend of Lorna came along and told police Lorna and Tom had tried to hire him to kill Marty, all of the pieces began falling into place. The relationship of Tom Bird with his church secretary would surface as the core motive for these two untimely deaths.
At the quiet end today, we learn about the forbidden romance and cold-blooded motives of two people who chose murder over divorce, death over life, and their own desires over anything that got in the way.

Village of the Damned: Episodes 3, 4 ,& 5

Jill — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In the final 3 episodes of Village of the Damned we learned about more tragedies and violent crimes that plagued to town Of Dryden New York for 10 years. Many of the crimes involved young people and there were unexpected connections between the families and neighbors stricken by the supposed “Dryden Curse.” Was there a darkness hovering over this unassuming community or was it just plain old bad luck?

Death House Landlady: Dorothea Puente

Jill — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

There are vulnerable people in society who the rest of us have a moral obligation to protect and defend from those who would take advantage of them or abuse them. Of course, we often fail. But when someone dedicates their life to helping these people who society has basically cast out, it is an honorable thing. This is a person we can all admire as selfless and kind. We may admire them so much that we overlook some ominous signs of exploitation.
Dorothea Puente ran a boarding home for disabled and elderly people who had nowhere else to go. Many of them were mentally ill and incapable of caring for themselves. She came across as maternal and selfless, cooking and cleaning for her boarders without complaint. But she had a temper. And, she had a criminal history.

The crimes in Dorothea’s boarding house were shocking and heinous, so much so that she would earn the moniker “Death House Landlady.” It would take time for anyone to notice that tenants were missing and to connect the horrible, sickly sweet odor of decomposition to their disappearances.

Today, we’re finding out how Dorothea Puente progressed from being a thief to a serial killer and how she got away with murdering the people who depended on her while cashing their checks and spending their social security benefits on clothing and booze. We’re calling this episode “Death House Landlady,” because we can, and because it neatly sums up this story.

Unleashed Rage: The Killing of Betty Gore

Jill — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Full-time mom Candy Montgomery always did what was expected of her. She married, had two kids, and taught Sunday school at her church. Her husband Pat loved her and she loved him. But something was missing from Candy’s life: excitement. She took creative writing classes in order to express herself. She made close women friends to whom she could confide even her wildest desires. Still, something was lacking. Maybe an extramarital affair was the answer. Just some sexual exploration while Pat was away at work—nothing that would hurt anyone. She wasn’t the type to hurt anyone.
Betty Gore didn’t share Candy’s urges to find pleasure outside of her marriage. She adored her husband Allen, who made a good living and worked hard to keep her happy. Keeping Betty happy wasn’t an easy task. She suffered from depression and hypochondria. She was insecure. She cried when he had to travel for work, even if it was just a day or two. She didn’t do well on her own. Betty invested time and effort into her marriage, signing them up for the church’s Marriage Encounter program. And it was working. They were closer than ever.
How did the lives of these suburban moms intersect with a shocking and brutal ax murder in the middle of an otherwise normal morning? Join us at the quiet end for an extraordinary story of love, lust, and violence in the suburbs: Unleashed Rage: The Killing of Betty Gore.

Village of the Damned: Episodes 1 & 2

Jill — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Village of the Damned is a five-part series on Investigation Discovery this month. It tells the story of small town Dryden, New York, where a series of seemingly unrelated murders occurred between 1989 and 1999. We have really enjoyed the series so far. This podcast covers episodes 1 and 2, where a family is murdered near Christmas, a 2-year old baby goes missing, and a young man is stabbed to death in his home. It’s a disturbingly entertaining show and we hope you will enjoy our recap and opinions of it. We will cover the next 3 episodes by the end of December.

Murder Foretold: The Cheryl Keeton Story

Jill — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

When Cheryl Keeton was found dead in the middle of the highway in 1986, she was a talented, well-respected lawyer and the mother of three young boys. After her death was determined not to be an accident, her husband Bradley Cunningham became the prime suspect. Cheryl was Bradley’s 4th wife. They had been involved in a long and bitter divorce and custody battle. What investigators would learn from Bradley’s first 3 wives would solidify their suspicions. Then, Bradley’s 5th wife would find out what it was like to be on Bradley’s bad side.
Join us at the quiet end today as we examine the twisted mind of Bradley Cunningham and the events that led up to and followed the murder of Cheryl, in Murder Foretold: The Cheryl Keeton Story

The Ultimate Sacrifice: Heaven’s Gate Cult

Jill — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Members of the Heaven’s Gate cult donned black outfits, new Nike sneakers, and purple shrouds on the day of their deaths. They each had a $5 bill and 3 quarters in their pockets. It was March 1997 and 39 cult members ritually ended their lives in waves. Each cleaned up after the last until all 39 were dead inside a San Diego mansion.

To us on the outside, this was a mass suicide. To families of some of the victims, it was 38 murders and 1 suicide. To the 39 people in the Heaven’s Gate cult, this was their destiny. Marshall Applewhite, their leader, had told his followers that there was a UFO in the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet. This comet orbited the earth once every 2,000 years. He told them this was their signal to board the space ship which would take them into eternity. In order to catch this ride, they would have to die.

This tragedy was the culmination of more than two decades of the religious and social development of a religious group that had taken different names over the years. The deaths were the result of years of behavior modification.

At the quiet end today, we’re talking about the origins of the Heaven’s Gate cult, the beliefs of its leaders, and how it appealed to its followers with a religion that fused Christianity, New Age practices, and science fiction. At the time of their deaths, did any of the members have second thoughts or resist in anyway? We’ll talk about the death scene in the Heaven’s Gate mansion and consider the reasons for the dressing and positioning of the bodies.

The Story of Gypsy Rose Blancharde

Jill — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The story of Gypsy Rose Blancharde, a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy and a convicted killer, has gained international attention and invited speculation from lay people and professionals in the medical community. On the night of June 14, 2015, deputy sheriffs in Greene County, Missouri, found the body of Dee Dee Blancharde face down in the bedroom of her house. She was lying on her bed in a pool of blood from stab wounds that had killed her days earlier. There was no sign of her daughter, Gypsy Rose, who was believed to have suffered from leukemia, asthma, muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, and other chronic conditions.
The neighbors, who notified the police after reading alarming Facebook posts earlier that evening, suggested Dee Dee may have fallen victim to foul play. They were also fearful that Gypsy Rose, whose wheelchair and medications were still in the house, may have been abducted.
Police found Gypsy Rose the next day in Wisconsin, where she had traveled with a boyfriend she had met online. There was public outrage that someone had taken advantage of this severely disabled girl and killed her mother, until it was revealed that Gypsy was not sick at all but, in fact, a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Further investigation found that many of the doctors who had examined Gypsy Rose did not find any evidence of illness. Dee Dee had lied about her daughter’s condition and benefited from charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Dee Dee had been making her daughter pass herself off as younger, disabled and chronically ill. Throughout her childhood she had been subjecting Gypsy to unnecessary surgery and medication, controlling her as she aged through physical and psychological abuse.
This case brings up many questions about how this happened. How did Dee Dee manipulate doctors and everyone around her to keep Gypsy as her captive and how much can we blame Gypsy for being willing to kill for her freedom?

Gone in Georgia: The Disappearance of Kelly Nash

Jill — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We’re talking about Gone in Georgia: A Disappeared Special on Investigation Discovery.
This is the story of Kelly Nash who disappeared on January 5th, 2015, at age 25.
Kelly wasn’t feeling well on the night he disappeared. He was last seen by his live-in girlfriend, Jessica, at about 3:30 in the morning. He was playing a video game on the living room sofa.
When Jessica woke up at 7:30, Kelly was gone. His wallet, cell phone, and truck were left behind. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
This Disappeared Special follows the search and the heartbreak of Kelly’s family and friends as they try to figure out what happened to Kelly, an apparently happy young man with a promising future.

Death in a Home Daycare

Jill — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In-home daycare settings allow caretakers to work from home while offering working mothers an alternative to traditional day care settings. Parents weigh the benefits and drawbacks of their daycare options and most are satisfied with the care their children receive. When a tragedy occurs, as it did with the death of one-year old Maria Harris, the situation is reassessed in hindsight and unimaginable grief.
Maria was the adored child of her teenaged mother, Esther, both of them living in the supportive environment of her grandparents. It was Esther’s determination to provide a better life for her daughter that led her to place Maria in Stephanie Spurgeon’s in-home day care.
On August 21st, 2008, Maria’s grandmother Patricia Harris picked up Maria from her first day in Stephanie’s home. She left with Maria in her arms and a foreboding sense that something wasn’t right. Maria was in too deep a sleep, heavy and limp like a sack of sand. She didn’t rouse as she was buckled into her car seat. Her eyes did not open and her head lulled to one side. Maria would never regain consciousness.
One week later, Maria was removed from life support and several of her tiny organs were donated to children who needed them. The Harris family was living a nightmare and Stephanie Spurgeon would face a trial for the murder of Maria Harris.
At the quiet end today, Dick and I are talking about the injuries that caused Maria Harris’ death as well as the law applied to her case. Shaken Baby Syndrome, also known as abusive head trauma, is a topic spurring debate and strong emotion. In “Death in a Home Daycare” we hope to shed some light on recent controversies and provide insight on prevention.
Our intermission song is Make You Feel My Love by Adele

An Inconvenient Woman: The Murder of Carol Kennedy

Jill — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

At 7:36 pm on the first Tuesday in July 2008, Carol Kennedy made her nightly call to her mother. Ruth Kennedy lived across the country in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 83-years old at the time and Carol worried about her living on her own. She had called her mother almost every night since her father died in 2006. Despite her advanced age, Ruth was not immune to worrying about her daughter, who was recently divorced and also on her own. Carol reassured Ruth that she had locked her doors and was in for the night.
It was 7:59pm when Ruth heard her daughter say two last words: “Oh no.” The tone of the words was surprise, not fear, and then there was no sound at all. She didn’t hear the phone drop or any voices. Now the line was dead.
This episode of True Crime Brewery, An Inconvenient Woman, is the story of an apparently loving and long-lasting relationship. When one person ended up brutally beaten to death; the other would be the primary suspect.
We have no way of knowing what happens behind closed doors, in a marriage. When a marriage ends in a violent murder, some of their secrets come to light while others remain in the shadows. When a relationship turns from companionship to malice, from malice to murder, all we can do is find justice for the victim, seek punishment for the killer, and attempt to learn something about human behavior.

Love & Madness: Murder in a Southern Family

Jill — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We all have someone in our family who is a little unstable. An eccentric aunt or a brother preparing for the zombie apocalypse maybe. But what happens when a family member sinks deeply into true madness, becoming a danger to himself and others? This is when interventions are needed or lives fall apart.
Susie Sharp was born to a prominent southern family. She was meant for greatness. Her cousin, Fritz Klenner, was the son of a physician, expected to take over his father’s practice. After a bitter divorce, Susie became volatile and paranoid. She was lonely. Her cousin Fritz was there for her. She became involved with Fritz, a college failure who was practicing medicine illegally. Fritz also had a frightening fascination with guns. He claimed to work for the CIA.
A child custody dispute over Susie’s children became bitter as Susie and Fritz isolated themselves from the outside world and did everything they could to keep the two young boys from their father. Then relatives began turning up dead. Five of them in all. Even as Fritz and Susie were suspected, her children were left in the control of two dangerous people.
Follow us through this tale of family destruction beyond what anyone could have predicted. This episode of True Crime Brewery is a stranger than fiction family tragedy: Love and Madness: Murder in a Southern Family.

A Killer in the Family: The Death of Becky Watts

Jill — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It only took minutes to tear apart the family of Darren Galsworthy, a blended family that had been through hardships and illnesses to finally find some happiness and equanimity. Darren and his wife Anjie had each been through difficult relationships before they fell in love and merged their two families into one cohesive group. Things were not perfect, but they were in love and Darren felt proud that their children had a solid home.
Becky Watts was 16-years old and living with her father Darren and her step-mother Anjie when she was reported missing in 2015. Her phone and laptop were gone from her bedroom but her clothing and make-up were left behind. It was initially believed that Becky left her home on the morning of February 19th, but it was later discovered that her step-brother and his girlfriend had lied to mislead police.
The search for Becky involved family, police, and volunteers as well as a social media campaign using the hashtag #FindBecky. As parents, it’s hard to imagine what Becky’s parents went through as days passed and there was no sign of her. Tragically, finding Becky would not bring relief but would only create deep, long-lasting wounds her family would struggle with forever.
This story of strength and loss, A Killer in the Family, edifies as it devastates, bringing to light a sad truth: even those closest to us can destroy us.

Sympathy for the Devil: The Murder of Belinda Temple

Jill — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Pregnant mother Belinda Temple, 30, was found dead in her bedroom closet on January 11, 1999, shot in the back of the head with a shotgun. Her husband David, a Houston-area high school football coach and former local football star, was the focus of the investigation, but authorities did not have enough evidence to arrest him until several years later.
David Temple was convicted of his wife’s murder in 2007 and sentenced to life in prison. In 2016, he was released on appeal and is likely to face another trial. He still maintains his innocence today–alleging that Belinda was killed by burglars during a botched robbery while he was out shopping with their then-3-year-old son.
This is a complicated case that we have examined from all angles. From David’s entitled childhood, to dating abuse, affairs, life insurance, and questionable forensic evidence, we’re letting you decide whether or not David Temple killed Belinda and their unborn daughter. Did a life of being told how special he was lead David Temple to think he was above the law? If that was the case, his family was probably behind him after Belinda’s murder, reassuring him that he was loved and supported, just as they always had whenever he got in trouble at school or in relationships. But there are other possible suspects. We’ll talk about those as well. Come with us to the quiet end.

Our intermission song is Right Where You Left Me by Perlo

Mean Girls: The Murder of Shanda Sharer

Jill — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve all done stupid things due to peer pressure. It can be harmless, such as influencing the way we dress or the way we wear our hair. Sometimes it involves drinking or other high-risk behavior. It often plays a part in bullying, with a teen or group of teens encouraging abusive behavior against a peer. Today, we are talking about an extreme case of peer pressure which led to the torture and murder of a 12-year old girl by 4 teenage girls.
12-year old Shanda Sharer was a cute and friendly girl, living in Madison, Indiana, in 1992, when her murder attracted international attention. Her killers were unlikely criminals. Shanda had left her house willingly with them.
So, how did a typical teenage adventure lead to such horrific violence and murder? The role of peer pressure or mob mentality was definitely a factor. But there were other factors that influenced what happened that night, including the abusive histories and dysfunctional childhood environments of the perpetrators. We’ll talk about the crime of torture and murder against Shanda and examine the influences, including the home lives of the girls involved in the crime.
In this episode of True Crime Brewery: Mean Girls
Our intermission song is Perfect by Alanis Morissette

And Then There Were None: The Disappearance of the Beaumont Children

Jill — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In 1966, three children, Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont, went to the beach to celebrate Australia Day. Many people there saw the siblings having a great time, but they never returned home. They vanished without a trace. While a widespread investigation was launched, it turned up very little. To this day, we’re still unsure of what happened, but the case is still felt very deeply, effecting the way investigators search for missing children and the amount of freedom parents allow their children. Many see the disappearance as the end of an era when Australians felt that their kids were generally safe and the start of the modern era of “stranger danger,” and the suspicion that anyone could secretly pose a threat.

It was on January 26, 1966, that Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont, aged 9, 7, and 4 respectively, set out from their house, headed for the beach to participate in the Australia Day festivities. Their parents Jim and Nancy trusted 9-year-old Jane to look after her siblings. But something happened that day that prevented Jane from keeping herself and her younger siblings safe. What happened to the Beaumont Children? How do parents cope after losing all of their children in one tragic event?

Join us at the quiet end for And Then There Were None: The Disappearance of the Beaumont Children

Grave Mysteries S1 E5: Killer Chemistry

Jill — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Online dating is murder…at least it is in this episode of Grave Mysteries. Dr. Tiffany Maher is an accomplished woman: a chemistry professor at Northeastern State University. She is intelligent, sociable, and has many friends. Living in a small town in Oklahoma can make it difficult to find romance, so Tiffany decides to give online […]

The post Grave Mysteries S1 E5: Killer Chemistry appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Sugar & Spice: The Murder of Linda Brown

Jill — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

David Brown, a man who masterminded the 1985 murder of his wife, died of natural causes in a prison hospital in 2014. He was 61. Brown was in a protective housing unit because of his notoriety for the killing of his fifth wife, Linda Brown. He was accused of persuading two teenagers —one his daughter, the other his sister-in-law and lover— to kill his wife. He went on to collect $835,000 from the victim’s insurance, including several policies started just months before her death. Brown paid $350,000 in cash for a new house within five months of the killing. Shortly after, he took a sixth wife.
Our story today would be unbelievable if it weren’t true. David Brown was the very incarnate of evil, a sociopath with a sweet tooth and a weak stomach, with an insatiable desire for cash, cigarettes, junk food, and adolescent girls. He spent his life manipulating people and scamming in spite of the fact that he had a great income and he was surrounded by people who adored him. But the only life he valued was his own. Join us at the quiet end for Sugar & Spice: The Murder of Linda Brown.

Intermission song: Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young

Grave Mysteries S1 E4: Hidden Truths

Jill — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Anastasia King was chasing the American dream. She was 21-years old when she married an American man and moved from Kyrgyzstan to the United States. When her husband took Anastasia on a romantic trip to Moscow, she never returned. And her family never saw her again. Finding Anastasia, a mail-order bride,is a challenge. Using a […]

The post Grave Mysteries S1 E4: Hidden Truths appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Dead by Friday: The Plot to Kill Carolyn Matthews

Jill — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Darren Burgess had married the wrong woman. Clinging to a dying relationship for the sake of his children, he turned to alcohol. Through 1998 and 1999, he drank heavily “just to numb the pain.” He started taking risks. In March of 2000, after a work meeting, he was arrested for drunk driving. He feared he would lose his job and his home, so he went to his boss, Kevin Matthews, for help.
Darren kept his job. His license was suspended for 6 months. Darren believes that it was during this time period that his wife Michelle and his boss began communicating via text messages. Flirtations progressed to a full-on love affair.This wasn’t the first time that Michelle had been unfaithful to Darren. She was actually known for her brazen infidelities. And Kevin wasn’t exactly husband of the year to his wife Carolyn. The intensity of their relationship quickly made it public knowledge, but neither Kevin nor Michelle seemed to care. What they did care about was money. When their marriages began to dissolve, their minds turned to murder.
This episode of True Crime Brewery is about lust, betrayal, greed, and a murder for hire scheme that destroyed two families. Come to the quiet end with us for our discussion: Dead by Friday: The Plot to Kill Carolyn Matthews.

Today’s Australian beer is Little Creatures Pale Ale

Grave Mysteries S1 E3: A Secret Life

Jill — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode of Grave Mysteries was an unusual story of an unlikely victim of prostitution and a violent murder. Brittany was a model high school student who worked with younger kids at the local rec center. When she vanished after taking a trip to the store, her family became concerned. Their concern turned to panic when night fell and she still wasn’t home. They called the police. There were concerns about Brittany’s older boyfriend, Derrick. They didn’t approve of him and suspected he had done something to Brittany. The investigation depends upon Facebook and phone record searches to find Brittany’s killer. And, in a terrible twist, she isn’t the only victim.

Unfriended: The Catfish Murders of Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne

Jill — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A young mother is shot to death while she clutches her 7-month old baby. Her husband lies executed in the next room. This isn’t the story of a Hollywood drama, but the tragic end to an average Tennessee working class family. Billie Jean Hayworth and her husband Billy Payne were going about their normal weekday morning routine when they were senselessly and violently murdered. The events that led to that morning are inexplicable, fueled by the petty ignorance of a woman who used social media to manipulate and hurt people.
We’re taking a look at the catfishing murders of East Tennessee in this episode of True Crime Brewery: Unfriended. Settle in for a twisted tale of senseless murder, jealousy, and cruelty beyond what most of us could ever imagine.

The Lost Girl: Haleigh Cummings

Jill — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It has been 8 and a half years since anyone has seen Haleigh Cummings alive. When she was last seen on February 9, 2009, she was 5-years old. She would now be 13.
Haleigh’s 17-year old babysitter, Misty Croslin, the girlfriend of her 25-year old father, Ron Cummings, called police at 3:30am on February 10th. She had waited until Ron came home from work to make the call.
Misty claimed that she was asleep and woke up at 3am to find Haleigh missing. There was an open door, propped with a cinder block. Over the years, Misty’s story has undergone intense scrutiny. The troubled, drug-riddled lives of the adults in Haleigh’s life have led to endless speculation and theories, but the case remains unsolved.
In this episode of True Crime Brewery, The Lost Girl, we are talking about one of the most notorious missing child cases in the United States. No one has been held responsible for the abduction or murder of Haleigh, but she is assumed dead. Who is responsible, and will justice ever be served? What does it say about our society when a 5-year old girl can disappear and the people charged with her care and well-being go unpunished for it?

First, Do No Harm: The Murders of Tim and Kelly Farrar

Jill — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Killers don’t wear name tags telling us who they are. They look like everybody else. They are fathers, brothers, neighbors, carpenters, doctors, men, or women. On an upper class suburban street in Kansas City, at 7517 Canterbury Court, Dr. Debora Green and her husband, Dr. Michael Farrar, lived with their 3 children. It was a beautiful home where the children were provided with every advantage. Michael made a generous salary as a Cardiologist; Debora was a full-time mother. This was the image of the perfect family.
When the family’s home became engulfed in flames on October 23, 1995, Debora was barely able to escape the fire. Tragically, two of her children perished in the fire. When the fire was determined to be caused by arson, police were looking for a murderer. But they were searching for a murderer from a pool of people who seemed very unlikely to be murderers and it seemed unimaginable that anyone would have wanted to kill 2 innocent children. What was uncovered in the investigation that followed would shock the community and invite speculation from all over the world.
Join us at the quiet end today as we relive the lives of an outwardly successful couple, following the twists and turns marked by love, fraud, addiction, infidelity, madness, attempted murder, and, finally, murder. In this episode of True Crime Brewery: First, Do No Harm.

Gone S1 E6: In a Dark Place

Jill — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A missing person? Check. A murder? Check. Stellar police work? Well…
In this, the finale of Gone, we ask ourselves if we are being overly critical or are most of these cases prolonged due to less than stellar investigatory work.
Dena Raley-McCluskey was feeling positive about life when she didn’t show up for her first day back to work after an extended leave.
Did her abusive boyfriend do something to Dena? Her family definitely thinks so.

The Baby Thief: The Crimes of Georgia Tann

Jill — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Alma Sipple, a single mother in Tennessee, could not afford medical care for her ten-month-old daughter Irma when a knock on the door changed her life: there stood a woman with close-cropped grey hair, round wireless glasses and a broad, stern face.The older woman exuded authority as she explained she was the director of a local orphanage. She had come to help. Alma was relieved and excitedly rushed to show the lady her sickly child.
Examining the baby, the woman offered to pass her off as her own at the local hospital in order to obtain free treatment. She warned Alma not to accompany her, explaining: “If the nurses know you’re the mother, they’ll charge you.”
Lifting the child from her bed, the woman turned and disappeared. Two days later, Alma was told her baby had died.
In reality, Irma had been flown to an adoptive home in Ohio. Alma would not see her daughter again for 45 years.
Far from being the kind savior that Alma thought she was, the woman who had taken Irma was a baby thief.
For 30 years, Georgia Tann made millions of dollars selling children. A network of scouts, corrupt judges and politicians helped her steal babies. She targeted youngsters on their way home from school, promising them ice cream and tempting them away from their homes. Legal papers would be signed saying they were abandoned – most would never see their families again.
Come with us to the quiet end as we discuss the cruelty suffered by children and families at the hands a woman considered by many to have been the most prolific child abuser and killer in a century.

Gone S1 E5: Missing Michele aka Call your Mother!

Jill — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This Gone has a great ending. The rest was kind of eh. After researching so many missing persons’ cases, we know that this is an unusual outcome, but there are so many more interesting cases out there! Michele Whitaker, 32, was leading a troubled life when she disappeared without a trace. Her family and local police investigated every possible lead for six years until a phone call brought new found hope to her mother. Where was Michele for six years? More importantly, Dick wants to know why she didn’t call her mother.

An Officer and a Psychopath: The Crimes of Colonel Russell Williams

Jill — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

How well do we really know the people in our daily lives? Our co-workers, our boss, the clerk at the grocery store, our neighbors, our friends, or even our spouse? Many people thought they knew Colonel David Russell Williams. He was a decorated air force pilot and commander at the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) at Trenton, Ontario, and a respected member of his community when he was arrested in 2010, and charged with the murders of two women, and numerous other sexually related crimes. The realization that he was a sexual predator and a murderer shocked the military and the country and quickly became an international story.
What were the signs that this was a truly deviant individual? There had to be some. There had to be moments in his professional or personal life where the cracks showed. Many people, quite reasonably, believe that his wife must have known.
Join us at the quiet end today as we go back to the childhood of Russell Williams, through his college years and the escalation of his abhorrent behavior from stealing panties to sexual assault to murder. Also, his victims shouldn’t be ignored. These crimes left many people traumatized and took two young women from the people who loved them, snuffing out their bright and boundless futures.
We remember the victims and examine the secret life of a predator in this episode of True Crime Brewery:
An Officer and a Psychopath

Our intermission song is (quite appropriately) Creep by Radiohead

Gone S1 E4: Devil Among Us

Jill — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

When Lynda McClelland went missing from her home in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania, she left behind three beloved grandchildren and a heartbroken daughter, Amanda. Amanda’s search leads her through her mother’s complicated life and ends with deeply troubling answers that lie painfully close to home. In the darkest episode since Field of Broken Dreams, Gone Episode 4, Devil Among Us, leaves us to wonder how well we really know the people we let into our lives.

The Beauty School Murder: Who Killed Mackenzie Cowell?

Jill — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Of all the pain and struggles that are left in the aftermath of a murder, it may be the senselessness that haunts us the most. On February 9th, 2010, 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell said she’d only be gone for 15 minutes when she left the Academy of Hair Design in Wenatchee, Washington. Four days later, police discovered Mackenzie dead and mutilated along the banks of the Columbia River. She still wore her beauty school uniform.
Mackenzie was a happy girl with a bright future ahead of her. Losing her was devastating to her family and friends. The viscous nature of her death was almost more than they could bear.
Chris Wilson, a classmate of Mackenzie, is in prison now after taking a plea deal in her murder. Mackenzie’s family feels like he got off easy while supporters of Chris Wilson say he is innocent and should not be in prison at all. Everyone agrees that her death was senseless.
Join us at the quiet end today as we review the last day of Mackenzie’s life and the investigation which led to Chris Wilson’s conviction in this episode of True Crime Brewery: The Beauty Shop Murder.
Dick shares Fremont Brewing’s The Rusty Nail

Gone S1 E3: Paradise Lost

Jill — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Charlotte Moriarty and her infant son disappeared from a Hawaiian bus stop in June 1977, leaving behind only an empty stroller. Mark Barnes, Charlotte’s live-in boyfriend and the father of their baby, Marx, would search for them for over 30 years before being reunited with his son. But what became of Charlotte? This episode of Gone leaves us wondering just that. This is a case where police were either unaware or unconcerned for the first 3 weeks after the disappearance. Do you believe police or Mark Barnes’ story about when the disappearance was reported? Is it safe to assume that Charlotte doesn’t want to be found?

Runaway Devil: The Richardson Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

At what age are we responsible for our actions? Laws and opinions differ, but there are certain acts that seem to transcend age in their brutality and lack of conscience. When 12-year old Jasmine Richardson participated in the murder of her entire family, a community and those of us looking on were shocked. Was she innately vicious or was she influenced and led into these crimes by her emotionally disturbed adult boyfriend?
An interesting offshoot of this is the impossible position Jasmine’s parents found themselves in as their daughter rebelled and moved into a world of drugs, underage sex, and depravity. Their options were somewhat limited. Also, there was no way for them to predict the horror that happened to their family.
Join us at the quiet end of the bar today as we tell the story of Jasmine Richardson’s family and discuss the issues involved in the prosecution of a child for a crime so barbaric that experienced detectives were traumatized by the crime scene, in this episode of True Crime Brewery: Runaway Devil

Intermission music in this episode: I Know It’s Over by The Smiths

Gone S1 E2: Troubled Waters

Jill — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

When teenagers Cheryl Miller and Pam Jackson disappeared on the first night of summer 1971, everyone who knew them was shocked and baffled. These were good girls with no reason to run away from home. They had been paid from their jobs that day and never cashed their paychecks. With repeated searches, false leads, and emotional ups and downs, no one could have predicted that it would take four decades to solve this mystery.

After watching this episode of Gone on Investigation Discovery, Jill and Dick discuss the heartfelt tales of people who knew the girls and the long years spent without answers. This seems like another case of inadequate searches and poor police work. Is this a theme with this show? We will find out next week.

Crazy Love: The Plot to Kill Rusty Sneiderman

Jill — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

People do crazy things for love. Some people kill for love. Sometimes people die for love and their loved ones are left to somehow go on without them. To ponder the whys and what ifs. When Rusty Sneiderman was shot dead after dropping his 3-year-old son at daycare on November 18, 2010, police speculated that it was a professional hit. He had been executed with multiple gunshot wounds by an unknown assailant who fled the scene in a rented minivan.
But this was no professional hit. This was a calculated but passion-fueled act, a strategy to allow Rusty’s wife Andrea the freedom to spend the rest of her life with another man and inherit millions of dollars.
At the quiet end today, we’re telling you about a crime of passion and insanity, a family’s loss, and a woman who may have gotten away with murder. You can be the judge in this episode of True Crime Brewery: Crazy Love.

Gone S1 E1: Field of Broken Dreams

Jill — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In our first episode of Watching ID, we talk about the premiere episode of Gone: Field of Broken Dreams, the story of 17-year old Chris Daigle who disappeared in 2007. Find out what we thought of the show and the way the case was handled (mishandled?) by the police.

Gone Baby: The Disappearance of Lisa Irwin

Jill — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The story of Lisa Irwin, who went missing when she was just 10 months old, has riveted the nation and left behind unanswered questions. How does a 10-month old infant disappear from her crib, never to be seen again? The police have focused on Lisa’s mother Deborah although there was plenty of evidence pointing to an abduction.

Deborah drank heavily the night Lisa disappeared and changed her story with police, increasing suspicions. During the subsequent investigation, two witnesses were discovered who claimed to have seen a man walking down the street with a baby. Police were able to find and question a man matching the description of one witness, but the other witness claimed that his photo does not match the man they saw.

So, what is the current status of the investigation into Lisa’s disappearance? Join us at the quiet end as we review Lisa’s story, the evidence, and the investigation. If you’re thirsty, don’t worry, Dick has brought the beer.

Natural Born Killers: The Lillelid Killings

Jill — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Lillelid family van drove on through the twilight of Greenville, Tennessee, in April of 1997. Gravel crunched beneath its wheels as quiet sobs echoed inside. The sun had set and dusk gave way to nightfall. When the van stopped, the doors opened to an unusual congregation. One by one, the occupants climbed out. A run down car pulled up the road behind them and came to a stop beside the van.
Six young adults from Kentucky know what happened that Sunday evening. The Lillelid family, including two small children, were shot and left for dead.
Join us at the quiet end as we go into the background of the victims and perpetrators of the Lillelid killings, revisit the cold-blooded crime, and learn about the trial and punishments that resulted.

Four Little Witnesses: The Murder of Sheila Bellush

Jill — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Sheila Bellush’s 13-year-old daughter Stevie came home from school on November 7th, 1997, and found her 23-month-old quadruplet siblings crying and spotted with blood. Sheila was on the laundry room floor, dead from a gunshot wound to her face and a large gash to her throat. It was clear that there had been a struggle. Blood covered the floor and smeared the walls. The babies had witnessed the brutal crime and remained alone with their deceased mother for hours.
The family had recently moved to Sarasota, Florida, to escape the harassment and threats of Sheila’s ex-husband. They had begun a new life, revealing their location to only a few close relatives. But now, investigators believed that there was a complicated plot, conceived by Sheila’s wealthy ex, for a brutal murder for hire.
This is a story of two divergent lives coming together and pulling apart, resulting in obsession, rage, and a cruel murder carried out in front of four innocent eyewitnesses: Sheila’s babies.

A Devil Down in Georgia: The Murder of Cooper Harris

Jill — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On the morning of July 18^th, 2014, Ross Harris was expected to bring his 22-month-old son Cooper to daycare on his way to work. Ross and Cooper ate breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant less than one mile from Ross’ office. After breakfast, Ross drove his SUV to the Home Depot office where he worked. Cooper was strapped in a rear-facing car seat in the back. Ross went into his office at 9:25am, leaving Cooper in his car seat.

At about 12:30, Ross got lunch with 2 co-workers at a nearby Publix. Then he purchased light bulbs from a nearby Home Depot store. When Ross returned to his office building, he opened his driver’s side door and put the light bulbs in the front seat. He would claim that he didn’t notice Cooper was still there.

It was past 4pm, after Ross left work, when he said that he discovered Cooper’s lifeless body and he stopped at a nearby shopping center and called for help. Witnesses and first responders found Ross’ behavior to be strange and suspicious.

Ultimately, a secret life and murder plot would be revealed. The cruelty of this crime, by a father against his young son, was unimaginable.

On this episode of True Crime Brewery, A Devil Down in Georgia: The Murder of Cooper Harris, Dick and I are discussing the sad and unthinkable death of Cooper Harris. What we find out about Ross Harris’ secret life and motivations is a lesson in selfishness and callousness. Dick also shares with us his medical expertise on hyperthermia, the suffering endured by Cooper Harris, and the 30 plus accidental hot car deaths occurring each year in the United States.
The beer? Cosmik Debris

Twisted: The IHOP Murders

Jill — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Murder is stupid. If you have any doubt, this case will fully convince you. Buckle up for a twisted tale of murder and deceit that will cause you to shake your head. You may even lose a few hours of sleep, contemplating the unpredictable and cold behavior of some of our fellow human beings.
When waitress Dee Casteel fell in love with the homosexual lover of her boss at the International House of Pancakes, no one could have predicted how far she would go to please him. Not even Dee herself. Join us at the quiet end and hold on tight.
Dick reviews Funky Buddha, an American Porter.

Love’s Labor Lost: The Disappearance of Vicki and Valessa Robinson

Jill — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On a Saturday morning in June 1998, no one could find mother and daughter Vicki and Valessa Robinson. The night before, single mother Vicki had dined with her boyfriend while Valessa hung out with her boyfriend and another friend. Everyone was aware that Vicki had been having difficulty getting Valessa to follow her rules. Her older and criminal boyfriend, Adam Davis, was trouble. Valessa had lost interest in school and church. She was shoplifting, taking drugs, and having unprotected sex. Had Valessa run off with Adam? If so, where was Vicki? Concerns grew and the police were called. What was revealed about the events of that Friday night would shock the community of Tampa and horrify everyone who followed the story.

Fatal Exposure: The Jodi Arias Story

Jill — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Friends and housemates hadn’t heard from Travis Alexander for 5 days when they let themselves into his house to check on him. What they found was shocking. And they knew who was responsible: Travis’s ex-girlfriend Jodi Arias.

Petite and pretty, Jodi had a normal childhood by all accounts. But something went very wrong after she fell in love with Travis Alexander. The relationship became toxic, leaving Travis eager to move on and Jodi enraged. Did hurt feelings and stalking behaviors evolve into inconceivable violence? The evidence was overwhelming.
In this episode of True Crime Brewery, we tackle the sensational and infamous case of Jodi Arias and remember Travis Alexander, a young man whose life was painfully cut short.

Surviving Ted Bundy

Jill — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Life in the Aftermath of Serial Killer Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy moved from Seattle, Washington to the University of Utah in 1974 after committing a series of brutal murders of young women. Police weren’t yet aware that he was a serial killer. To those who knew him, he was a polite, handsome and well-educated young man.

Rhonda Stapley was a student at the University of Utah. At 21-years-old, Rhonda was innocent. She grew up as a good Mormon girl. When Rhonda met Ted Bundy, she believed the image he portrayed: a fellow student, attractive, helpful and safe. When the mask of Ted was lifted, she would experience first hand the terror and agony he unleashed on his victims.

In this episode of True Crime Brewery, we discuss the life and crimes of Theodore Robert Bundy as we learn about his victims and a survivor whose life was forever changed by what he did to her.

Buy Rhonda’s Book

Guilt by Association: Felony Murder Rule Cases

Jill — Tue, 30 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A Discussion of Felony Murder Rule Cases

Blake Layman made a very bad decision when he was 16. That decision set off a series of circumstances that culminated with his arrest and conviction for felony murder. But Blake didn’t kill anyone. He broke into a house unarmed. The homeowner, who was armed, shot him and his friend. His friend was killed. By Indiana’s Felony Murder Rule, Blake was officially a murderer.
The felony murder rule comes from all the way back in old English law. It treats people who are guilty of lesser crimes as murderers if they are with murderers when a murder occurs during the commission of a felony.
Almost every state in the United States has a felony murder rule, even though there are strong legal arguments to be made that it is probably unconstitutional. Critics also believe that the felony murder rule is contrary to the fundamental principle in our legal system that separates the criminals from their culpable mindset. In other words, the rule sets the same amount of blame to someone without the intent to kill as to someone who has a premeditated intent to kill.
Join Dick & Jill at the quiet end as we look at cases where the felony murder rule was applied and discuss the fairness and constitutionality of this law.
Felony IPA is reviewed (of course)

Subscribe and rate us on iTunes: www.tiegrabber.com/itunes

A Taste for Murder: The Deaths of Liana & Erik Duke

Jill — Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On a high, jagged cliff overlooking the Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Green River, Wyoming, a young mother and her 5 year-old son plunged to their deaths, their bodies crashing from rock to rock until they landed splayed and bleeding in the dust.
Bob Duke’s accounting of his family’s death was heartbreaking. He described a sudden scream. He had raced to the edge of the cliff to the sight of the twisted bodies of his wife and child below. Bob spoke of the agony of hearing his son’s last breath as he tried desperately to reach him. The rescuers wept as the 23 year-old husband and father stood in silence.
This had to be a tragic accident. You see, Bob Duke was an upstanding young man. He was well respected and successful. Any secrets in his past were well behind him. He was free to move forward and create a new life. And that would have been the end of it. Except it wasn’t. Bob Duke had acquired a taste, a taste for something evil that would lead to his own downfall.

5 star reviews wanted! www.tiegrabber.com/rateusonitunes
Please show your love for TCB by subscribing on iTunes!
Follow us on Twitter: @tiegrabberpods

The Girl Scout Camp Murders

Jill — Tue, 16 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the middle of the night, as thunderstorms engulfed the remote tents of Camp Scott in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, 3 girl scouts were snatched from their sleeping bags. Their ravaged young bodies wouldn’t be found until morning. The discovery was shocking, but there had been warnings: Warnings that were ignored by camp counselors and not […]

The post The Girl Scout Camp Murders appeared first on Tiegrabber.

No Mercy: The Victims of Killer Nurse Beverly Allitt

Jill — Tue, 09 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Young and eager nurse Beverly Allitt was trusted by the parents of her young patients. But after a series of unexplained deaths on the children’s ward at Grantham Hospital, all eyes turned to her. Investigators wondered why Beverly was always the one at the bedside when a child took seriously ill. Could she be behind the unexplained tragic events on this small pediatric unit in a tiny English village? Come with us to the quiet end. You will be shocked and dismayed by what you hear as Jill & Dick discuss the murders, the possible motives, and the steps we need to take to avoid such tragedies in the future. A bottle of Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo is shared.

Fatal Father: The Murders of Aaron & Jacob Jenkinson

Jill — Tue, 02 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Young couple Frances and Darren Jenkinson of Glasgow, Scotland, were happy and attentive parents of 8 week-week old baby boy Aaron when tragedy struck. After 3 bouts of difficulty breathing, their baby boy had irreversible brain damage and was taken off life support. This loss was especially difficult for Frances who was only 18 years old. After taking time to grieve and heal, the couple had a second child in 1999: Jacob. But at only 3 weeks of age, Jacob met the same fate as Aaron had. His death brought suspicion. Further investigation would reveal the unimaginable.
Join us at the quiet end of the bar for a revealing discussion on the tragic deaths of Aaron and Jacob Jenkinson.
Today’s beer is McEwans Scotch Ale

A Daughter’s Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story

Jill — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Hann and Bich Ha Pan had high expectations for their daughter Jennifer. She lived a sheltered life filled with piano lessons, figure-skating competitions, and several hours of studying each day. This type of parenting is commonly called “tiger parenting.” But as Jennifer approached adulthood, she began a life of deceit. Forging report cards and college acceptance letters, Jennifer went to great lengths to avoid disappointing her parents and maintain a forbidden relationship.
After a home invasion that took the life of Bich Pann and severely injured Hann Pan, Jennifer’s lies and deception would be revealed, shocking the community as well as those who thought they knew her.
In this episode, we speak with Jeremy Grimaldi, author of the new book “A Daughter’s Deadly Deception” and a journalist who sat through Jennifer’s sensational trial. The facts in this case are shocking and Jeremy’s insight was fascinating.

A Monster in the Neighborhood: The Abduction of Jessica Ridgeway

Jill — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On October 5th, 2012, Sarah Ridgeway called 911 to report her 10 year-old daughter, Jessica, missing. Jessica had left her home at 8:25am that morning to walk to school. At 10:11am, the school left a message on Sarah Ridgeway’s cell phone to tell her that Jessica never arrived. But Sarah, who worked the overnight shift, didn’t hear the voicemail until 4pm. The town of Westminster, Colorado, looked for Jessica’s abductor for 18 days until the mother of a local teen called police to turn in her 17 year-old son for the murder of Jessica. What we would find out about the kidnapping and murder of Jessica would shock and disturb everyone who heard about it. Join us at the quiet end as we explore the mind of a monster whose depraved actions could never have been predicted…or could they?

Dead in the Water: The Victims of the Green River Killer

Jill — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the 1980s and 1990s, at least 70 women were killed in the Seattle and Tacoma Washington area by the Green River Killer. The victims were mainly prostitutes and runaways who were picked up along the Pacific Highway South. The women were strangled and most of their bodies dumped into wooded areas around the Green River. The bodies were often in clusters, sometimes posed, and nude. The involvement of the victims in prostitution complicate the case. Runaways and prostitutes were often not in close contact with their families, making it less likely for them to be reported missing. In this episode of True Crime Brewery, we will try to bring to light the victims of the Green River Killer as we learn about the horrible, gruesome crimes of the most prolific serial killer in history.
Join us at the quiet end for Old Woody from Fish Brewing Company in Olympia Washington!

When Evil Came to Town: The Son of Sam Murders

Jill — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This is the first True Crime Brewery commissioned podcast!
Thank you to Todd Feitl—a listener so fascinated by true crime (and beer!) that he paid us to do a TCB episode on the Son of Sam murders. The Son of Sam shootings back in the 1970s terrorized the citizens of New York and its Burroughs. After 8 attacks, a 24-year-old loner named David Berkowitz was arrested. Berkowitz confessed, but were these crimes really solved? Since his incarceration, Berkowitz has changed his story with no interest in being set free. And some very intelligent, knowledgeable people have questioned the story of Berkowitz as a lone gunman. For one thing, eyewitness descriptions from the shootings did not always match Berkowitz. And then there are the conspiracy theories which put a nationwide satanic cult at the core of these and other crimes. Join us at the quiet end as we relive the Son of Sam murders and examine multiple theories. This round is on Todd!

Death by Dentist: The Murders of Dolly Hearn & Jennifer Corbin

Jill — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

To Dr. Bart Corbin, til death do us part meant murder. In 2004, Jenn Corbin’s 7 year-old son found her murdered in her bed. He knew his father was responsible. In fact, he told anyone who would listen that his Daddy killed his Mommy. After hearing of Jenn’s death, the family of Dolly Hearn came forward to say that their daughter had died 14 years earlier under eerily similar circumstances. Dolly’s death had been ruled a suicide, but her family was confident that she had been killed by her ex-boyfriend, Bart Corbin.
Join us at the quiet end for a look at this haunting case of a man who would rather kill than be left by the women in his life.

Shots in the Dark: The Murder of Reeva Steenkamp

Jill — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

29 year old Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day 2013. He would claim that he thought there was an intruder locked in his bathroom and he shot through the door 4 times out of fear. Prosecutors in South Africa didn’t find his story believable. There was evidence that pointed to domestic violence ending in murder. The thing is, Reeva was an activist against domestic violence. Could she have been caught up in an abusive relationship? The fame of Oscar Pistorius “The Blade Runner” made this a highly publicized crime. But, more important than fame is the precious life lost in this senseless, incredibly violent murder. Reeva was a young woman who possessed more than physical beauty and who left behind two devastated parents and a world of possibilities. Join us at the quiet end as we talk about Reeva’s life, the trial of her killer, and the all too common threads of domestic and gun violence.

Postpartum Psychosis: The Andrea Yates Case

Jill — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Andrea Yates confessed to drowning her five children in their bathtub at home on June 20, 2001. She had been suffering for some time with postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. In her 2002 trial, the district attorney in asked for the death penalty. She was ultimately found competent to stand trial and convicted of capital murder. After the guilty verdict, but before sentencing, the state abandoned its request for the death penalty, and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Later, the verdict was overturned on appeal and the Texas jury in her retrial found that Yates was not guilty by reason of insanity.
Join us at the quiet end for a frank and in-depth exploration of Andrea’s case, the controversy surrounding her husband’s supportiveness, and the science of postpartum psychosis. An Austin beer is reviewed and recommended.

Check out True Crime Brewery on Patreon: www.patreon.com/tiegrabber

The Wife Who Knew Too Much: The Sara Tokars Story

Jill — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Mother of two Sara Tokars was just learning about her husband’s shady business dealings when she was killed: executed with a gunshot to the head in front of her young children. When the truth came out, everyone who knew the couple was shocked and devastated. Sara’s life was over and her children were left motherless. This is a tragic, complex tale of love, lies, and murder which took place in the upper class suburbs of Atlanta. Dick has a Georgia beer for us as we explore the criminal world of Fredric Tokars and the long lasting effects of Sara’s tragic murder.

A Bitter End: The Murder of Laura Ackerson

Jill — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

27 year-old Laura Ackerson was last seen on July 13, 2011, after stopping by the home of her ex-partner Grant Hayes and his wife Amanda Hayes. She was reported missing two days later when she failed to show up for work. On July 20, Ackerson’s Ford Focus was found abandoned near the 5400 block of Summer Manor Lane in Raleigh. Her dismembered remains were found in three separate locations near Richmond, Texas, about 30 miles southwest of Houston. The remains were found near Amanda Hayes’ sister’s home.
After a long and bitter custody battle over her two young children, Grant and Amanda Hayes plotted and carried out the cold-blooded murder of Laura. It is believed that the couple wanted Laura out of the way so they could raise the two boys on their own. Perhaps even more shocking than the murder itself was the horrific mutilation and disposal of Laura’s remains. In court, Grant and Amanda would each plead their innocence, placing the blame on one another.
Join us for a discussion of a young woman, Laura Ackerson, who chose the wrong man and paid the ultimate price.
The beer review is The Event Horizon from Old Hickory Brewing Company.

Forsaken: The Murders of Michael & Alex Smith

Jill — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On the evening of October 25th, 1994, a 23 year old woman frantically knocked on the door of the McCloud family in the small town of Union, South Carolina. Hysterically, she told a tale of a lone gunman who stole her car and sped off with her two children in the back seat. The people of Union supported the young mother as the media descended on the town. Police searched the woods and parks for Michael and Alex as helicopters flew over John D. Long Lake looking for the boys. No one suspected that the pretty young mother who tearfully pleaded for their return could have been responsible.
Join us for a discussion of the life of Susan Smith, her hardships, lies, and deceptions, followed by an in depth look at her trial and the tragic murders of her two innocent children.
Dick’s beer review is Key Lime Pie Gose—Yum!

A Husband’s Rage: The Murder of Rachel O’Reilly

Jill — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A young mother who was well liked in her small Irish community, Rachel O’Reilly loved life. She loved her children, her home, her friends, and her husband Joe. As her marriage began to deteriorate, Rachel was determined to make it work. Joe not so much. Joe had fallen in love with another. Would he go so far as to kill Rachel to maintain custody of their children and create a new life with his lover? Where did his rage begin and why was it aimed at Rachel—the one who loved him more than anyone? Join us at the quiet end for a thoughtful discussion of love, lies, rage and murder. Dick’s review is a classic: Guinness!

An Unfit Mother: Where is Baby Gabriel?

Jill — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Baby Gabriel Johnson has not been seen since 2009. And the only person who knows what happened to him isn’t talking: His mother. Elizabeth Johnson took Gabriel out of state and away from his father when he was only 7 months old. She has confessed to killing him but has retracted her confessions and told stories of giving him away to strangers. So why isn’t she behind bars? Join us at the quiet end for this disturbing case of an unfit mother who is incredibly selfish and heartless.
Dick’s beer is Hop Dog from Two Brothers Brewing in Scottsdale, Arizona

Lying in Wait: The Killings of Haile Kifer & Nicholas Brady

Jill — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On Thanksgiving day 2012, two teens were shot to death while in the act of burglarizing a home in Little Falls, Minnesota. Initially believed to be a case of justified homicides, circumstances in this case brought that into question. Was this cold-blooded murder? Was the homeowner lying in wait? Join us at the quiet end with a delicious Minnesota beer: Todd the Axe Man from Surly Brewing Company

Getting Away with Murder: Casey Anthony

Jill — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The story of murdered toddler Caylee Anthony gained an enormous amount of attention in 2008 when her mother Casey didn’t report her missing for 31 days. When questioned about her daughters whereabouts, Casey told police that Caylee had been kidnapped by a babysitter. As the investigation progressed, everything Casey told her family, friends, and authorities was revealed as fiction. To make matters worse, Casey had spent the 31 days without her daughter partying and living the “Bella Vita.” In an effort to honor the memory of little Caylee and gain a greater understanding of how this tragic case occurred, we begin this episode with the Anthony family dynamics and move toward the astonishing trial verdict.
Saison du Swamp is opened and shared at the quiet end of the bar.

Torn from the Womb: A Case of Fetal Abduction

Jill — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In 2015, Dynel Lane lured 34 weeks pregnant Michelle Wilkins to her home with a Craigslist ad for baby clothes. She beat Michelle and stabbed her before cutting Michelle’s fetus from her body. This is the latest in a series of reported cases of fetal abduction which have been increasing in frequency since the 1980s. This episode is a discussion of Michelle’s case followed by a review of previous cases and our efforts to understand the motivations behind this rare, horrific crime. Join us at the quiet end.

Bed of Lies: The Murder of Lori Hacking

Jill — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The lies told by Mark Hacking to make him feel better about himself and appear successful proved lethal to his wife Lori after they were revealed. Lori Hacking was 5 weeks pregnant and planning a move across the country when she learned that she had been deceived by the person she loved the most. Instead of taking responsibility for his failings, Mark Hacking then killed his wife in cold blood and embarked on a faulty plan to cover his tracks. This case is hard to swallow but the pumpkin beer shared by Dick is sublime. Come to the quiet end if you dare.

In Plain Sight: The Ariel Castro Kidnappings

Jill — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This may be the only True Crime Brewery case that has a happy ending…so sit back and enjoy…but not until we delve into the horrors 3 innocent girls endured for a decade. This is a story of unimaginable crimes, but it is also a story of survival. You go girls!

No Girls Allowed: The Daughters of Paula Sims

Jill — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Does lightening strike twice? Paula Sims expected investigators to believe that it did when she reported her 2 newborn daughters kidnapped at gunpoint…3 years apart.
Join us at the quiet end for a discussion of this incredible and disturbing story of a mother who may have killed her babies simply because they were girls.
Dick reviews Navaja, an Imperial IPA from Half Acre Beer Company in Illinois.

The 12 Beers of Christmas Finale: Love Actually

Jill — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Join us for a holiday episode where Jill and Dick recap and discuss the iconic Christmas film Love Actually. The final beer of Christmas is introduced and reviewed!

The 12 Beers of Christmas: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?

Jill — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

JonBenet was born in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, the younger of the two children of Patsy and John Ramsey. At the time of her death, JonBenet was 6 years old and a student in kindergarten at High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder, Colorado.
JonBenet died in her home on December 25 or 26, 1996. A lengthy ransom note was found in the house, and her father, John Ramsey, found the little girl’s body in the basement of their house about eight hours after she was reported missing. She sustained a broken skull from a blow to the head and had been strangled. This case has had a huge amount of attention over the past 20 years, but it is still unsolved. Join us as we discuss the most infamous Christmas murder in history.

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Covina Christmas Massacre

Jill — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Covina Christmas Massacre occurred on December 24, 2008, in Covina, a city in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. Nine people were killed, either by gunshot wounds or in an arson fire inside a house, where a Christmas Eve party was being held. The perpetrator, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, who entered the house wearing a Santa suit, committed suicide, dying from a gunshot wound to the head at his brother’s residence in the early morning hours after the attack. Authorities cited marital problems as a possible motive for the violence; reports indicated that Pardo’s divorce had been finalized on December 18, one week before the massacre. This is perhaps the most gruesome and shocking Christmas Crime ever!

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is the chosen beer for this tragic Christmas crime.

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Carnation Murders

Jill — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

According to testimony, Joseph McEnroe and Michelle Anderson armed themselves and drove their pickup to the home of her parents, Wayne Anderson, 60, and Judy Anderson, 61, on the afternoon of Dec. 24, 2007. Once inside, McEnroe distracted Judy Anderson, who was wrapping Christmas gifts, while Michele shot her father. After Michele’s gun jammed, McEnroe then killed Wayne and Judy Anderson. The two then hid the bodies and carefully cleaned the home and waited for Michele Anderson’s older brother, Scott, his wife, Erica, both 32, and their two young children. Once the family arrived, Michele Anderson shot her brother. McEnroe and Anderson then shot Erica Anderson and McEnroe shot the children at the request of Anderson, 5-year-old Olivia and 3-year-old Nathan, because they didn’t want witnesses and said the children would be scarred for life having seen the parents killed.
Thankfully, the perpetrators of this disgusting crime will never be free to kill innocent people again.

Shiner Holiday Cheer is on tap!

The 12 Beers of Christmas: Mission Valley Christmas Killings

Jill — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Ilona Flint and Salvatore Belvedere were shot while sitting inside a parked car outside the Macy’s in Mission Valley California in the early hours of Dec. 24, 2013. Flint died at the scene while Salvatore sustained critical injuries and died a few days later. On Jan. 17, Gianni Belvedere, Salvatore’s brother, was discovered dead in the trunk of his own car about an hour and a half north of San Diego County. He, too, had been fatally shot, and his decomposing body was found with his pants and underwear around his ankles and his shirt and sweater pulled over his arms. There was speculation that this was a triple homicide related to illegal drug dealings. But sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.
The brew for this episode, number 7 in the 12 Beers of Christmas, is Sweetwater Festive Ale.
Tiegrabber survey: http://survey.libsyn.com/tiegrabber

The 12 Beers of Christmas: Psychotic Dallas Dad in a Santa Suit

Jill — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

7 Family Members found dead on Christmas day 2011 appeared to be celebrating the holiday when they were shot dead. Who committed this horrible crime?
The answer will chill you to the bone.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale is reviewed on this 6th episode in the 12 beers of Christmas.

The 12 Beers of Christmas: Married to an Ax Murderer

Jill — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Dustin Lee Klopp punched his wife Stephanie Kilhefner in the face, causing her to fall to the floor, and then cut her throat with a knife and struck her head with an ax multiple times on Christmas Eve 2014. He put her body in a bag in a shed on their Paradise Township property and tried to clean up the blood.
Authorities said Dustin Lee Klopp called state police on Christmas Day, told them about the body and arrived at the state police barracks in Lancaster about an hour later. Police found the body shortly after the phone call. Klopp had taken the couple’s two children to his parents’ home to celebrate Christmas before turning himself in.
Dick reviews Barrel Aged Frosted Frog!

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Ashland Tragedy

Jill — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Ashland tragedy is the name given to the violent murder of three teenagers, Robert and Fannie Gibbons and Emma Carico in Ashland, Kentucky in 1881. Robert and Fannie Gibbons and Emma Carico, staying together at the Gibbons home in Ashland, were beaten to death with axes on the night of December 23, 1881. The swift justice of this time period is a fascinating topic within this discussion.
St. Arnold’s Christmas Ale is on tap!

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Christmas Day Murder of Aniarael Macias

Jill — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Connie Villa forced her three youngest children to ingest an undisclosed amount of drugs at their apartment before she honed in on her eldest daughter, Aniarael Macias, on Christmas day 2013.
When Macias refused to take the drugs, Villa told police she suffocated her daughter to death with her bare hands in their bathroom.
After Villa lured her ex-husband, Adam Villa, to the apartment, she stabbed him repeatedly in the upper torso, according to Officer Thomas Anderson, a Casa Grande Police Department spokesman. Adam Villa, who is the biological father of her three youngest children, escaped and called 911 while driving to Casa Grande Regional Medical Center.
Responding officers had to force their way into the home, where they found Villa with apparent stab wounds to her upper torso, Anderson said. She was holding a knife to her chest and had the three younger children at her side. This case paints a truly horrible picture of a family Christmas gone terribly wrong.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale is reviewed.

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Italian Hall Massacre

Jill — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Italian Hall Disaster was a tragedy that occurred on December 24, 1913, in Calumet, Michigan. Seventy-three men, women, and children, mostly striking mine workers and their families, were crushed to death in a stampede when someone falsely shouted “fire” at a crowded Christmas party.
Lump of Coal beer is served!

The 12 Beers of Christmas: Domestic Violence During the Holidays

Jill — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

In our first installment in the 12 Beers of Christmas, we discuss trends in domestic violence over the holidays and how to help and support victims of domestic abuse. Dick shares his thoughts on Anchor Christmas Ale!

The post The 12 Beers of Christmas: Domestic Violence During the Holidays appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The 12 Beers of Christmas: The Lawson Family Murders

Jill — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

In 1929, share-cropper Charles Lawson brutally murdered his wife and 6 of his children after buying them Christmas outfits and having a family photo taken.
Rumors of his motive range from financial stress to incest. Join us at the quiet end for a Christmas beer and a Christmas crime.

Lured: The Vanishing of Erin Corwin

Jill — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Erin Corwin thought she was being taken into the desert for a marriage proposal. Excited, she texted a friend in Tennessee, eager to share the big news. And then she vanished without a trace. We would later learn that Erin was lured to a remote location and brutally murdered. What kind of ruthless person would […]

The post Lured: The Vanishing of Erin Corwin appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Shaken Baby: The Murder of Matthew Eappen

Jill — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

When 8 month old Matthew Eappen died of severe head trauma, his 18 year old Au Pair was arrested for murder. What followed was a trial second only to the O.J. Simpson trial in media attention and controversy. In this episode, Jill and Dick discuss the Eappen family, the life of Louise Woodward, and the […]

The post Shaken Baby: The Murder of Matthew Eappen appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Munchausen by Proxy: The Lacey Spears Story

Jill — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Lacey Spears’s struggle seemed to be every mother’s worst nightmare. From the day he was born, her son Garnett was afflicted with multiple illnesses. She shared all of his struggles on social media along with her struggles to be a perfect single mom. Apparently a courageous and selfless mother whose entire life was dedicated to her son, Lacey gained an empathetic and admiring online audience.
But when Garnett died from a sodium overdose at just 5 years old, Lacey was arrested for murder. According to authorities, Lacey had Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy and she was making Garnett sick to gain attention and sympathy.
Join us at the quiet end for a frank discussion of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome and Lacey’s story, which some have called a textbook example of the syndrome, with the worst possible outcome. Dick will lend us his expertise in Pediatrics as well as a fine New York beer.

Buried Secrets: The Victims of Todd Kohlhepp

Jill — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The recent news is shocking and we’re learning more each day. Todd Kohlhepp, successful real estate agent and convicted sex offender, has been arrested in 7 murders after his latest kidnapping victim was saved from her chained and caged torture chamber–a storage container—for 3 months. We will discuss the lives and deaths of his victims, […]

The post Buried Secrets: The Victims of Todd Kohlhepp appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Four Dead Girls: The Austin Yogurt Shop Murders

Jill — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On December 6, 1991, Jennifer Harbison and Eliza Thomas, both 17, were scrubbing down counters and sweeping the floors at a yogurt shop in Austin, Texas, anticipating going home and having a sleepover. Jennifer’s 15-year-old sister , Sarah, and her 13-year-old friend, Amy Ayers, were sitting at one of the tables in the shop, waiting for the girls to finish work. But something happened that night that would end their young lives and change the lives of a community. The mysteries and horrors of this crime still linger today.
This episode’s beer is Bishop’s Barrel 15 from St. Arnold’s Brewery in Houston!
Twitter: @tiegrabberpods
Instagram: tiegrabberpodcasts
Facebook: tiegrabber.com/facebook

Sins of the Father: The Coleman Family Murders

Jill — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Born again Christian Chris Coleman had a great life: an intelligent and loving wife, two healthy and robust young sons, and a six figure income from his job as televangelist Joyce Meyers’ chief of security. Then Chris began getting threats related to his job, putting a target on the backs of his family. The horrible crimes that resulted have left even the most hardened investigators unnerved.
Join us at the quiet end for a talk about love, marriage, religion, lust, and murder.
Dick has picked another delicious Illinois beer: Goose Island Sofie

A Mom on Death Row: The Murders of Damon & Devon Routier

Jill — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On June 6th, 1996, Darlie Routier’s throat and arms were slashed. Her two oldest sons, 6-year-old Devon and 5-year-old Damon, were brutally stabbed to death in their suburban Texas home. By the time the police and paramedics arrived, Devon was already dead. They tried to save Damon, but he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Twelve days after the murders, Darlie was arrested when police noted multiple inconsistencies in her story. In 1997, she was convicted and sent to death row.
Join us as we meet at he quiet end of the bar to discuss how a young mother who seemed to have it all ended up killing her own children and facing death by lethal injection.

Justice Revisited: The Bill Macumber Story

Jill — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

After nearly four decades behind bars, an Arizona man who long maintained that his ex-wife had framed him for a double murder left prison as a free man. With the help of the Arizona Justice Project, Bill Macumber gained national attention as a man wrongly convicted. It was less than one year after his release that he was back behind bars, charged and subsequently convicted of child sexual abuse against his own great-grandchildren.
Join us at the quiet end to discuss the murders, the evidence, and the opinions of Bill’s supporters and detractors in this stunning case of guilt, innocence, and guilt.

Four Peaks Kilt Lifter is the beer of choice.

Follow us on Twitter @tiegrabberpods
Instagram: tiegrabberpodcasts
Facebook: tiegrabber.com/facebook
5 star review? www.tiegrabber.com/rateusonitunes

Cruel Intentions: The Murders at Pinyon Pines

Jill — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Friedli family home in Pinyon Pines, California was burned to the ground in 2006. This was no accident. Inside, investigators found the charred remains of Vicki Friedli and her boyfriend, Jon Hayward. Out front, posed grotesquely in a wheelbarrow, were the remains of 18 year old Becky Friedli. She, too, was burned beyond recognition. This terrible crime went unsolved for years even though family and friends of the victims had no doubt who was responsible. Finally, justice may be in sight. Join us at the quiet end of the bar.
The beer is Phoenix by Coachella Brewing Company!
Follow us on twitter @tiegrabberpods
Instagram: tiegrabberpodcasts
Facebook: tiegrabber.com/facebook
Support us when you shop at Amazon: www.tiegrabber.com/amazon
5 star reviews are encouraged: tiegrabber.com/rateusonitunes

Without Motive: The Dartmouth College Murders

Jill — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On a cold evening in January 2001, the idyllic community of Dartmouth College was shattered by the discovery that two professors had been brutally murdered in their own home. Investigators searched in vain for clues linking the victims, Half and Susanne Zantop, to their murderer or murderers. The residents of Hanover, New Hampshire, speculated about who could have been responsible. The grisly nature of the crimes themselves destroyed the sanctity and invulnerability of the community. This was a crime without reason, apparently without motive.

Join us at the quiet end for a fascinating discussion and a wonderful beer: Henniker Quad

Instagram tiegrabberpodcasts

Like us on Facebook www.tiegrabber.com/facebook

Innocence Lost: The Abduction of Etan Patz

Jill — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Etan Patz was just 6 years old when he disappeared from his Manhattan neighborhood in 1979. His disappearance helped in the establishment of new legislation and new methods for tracking missing children. He was the first child to be pictured on milk cartons. In 2010, Etan’s case was reopened. The case was tried in 2015, ending in a mistrial. Jury selection for a retrial is now under way. In this episode of TCB, we discuss Etan’s disappearance, the loss felt by his family, the suspects and the impending trial.

Domestic Deceit: The Twisted Mind of Michele Williams

Jill — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Greg Williams was a divorced father and wealthy businessman when he met and married Michele. Known to her own family as a promiscuous and dishonest person with a habit of destroying her relationships, she was the primary suspect when Greg was found dead in their bed. But Michele would turn out to be her own […]

The post Domestic Deceit: The Twisted Mind of Michele Williams appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Pretty Poison: The Murder of Eric Miller

Jill — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Eric and Ann Miller were two attractive, intelligent, successful people who met at Purdue University and married in 1993.

In December, 2000, Eric died of arsenic poisoning. Over the next 4 years, investigators would find out that Ann wasn’t who she seemed. To the astonishment of everyone who knew the couple, Eric was murdered through a viscous plot developed by his wife, Ann. The details of this case are fascinating, from the psychosocial aspects of love and infidelity to the forensics of arsenic levels from hair samples.
Join us at the quiet end with a North Carolina beer!

Deadly Lessons: The Murder of Gregg Smart

Jill — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On May 1, 1990, Pamela Smart came home from a work meeting to find her condominium ransacked and her husband, Gregg, dead and bleeding on the floor. Police initially said that the crime scene looked like an interrupted burglary. Later, it was determined that Pamela Smart seduced 15-year-old Billy Flynn and threatened to stop having sex with him unless he killed her husband. Flynn killed Gregg with the help of his friends Pete Randall, J.R. Lattime, and Raymond Fowler. Billy shot Greggory Smart as Randall held him down, while Lattime, the driver, waited in the getaway car outside with Fowler.
During the investigation, J.R. Lattime’s father brought his .38 caliber pistol he had found freshly cleaned in his house to the police, believing it might have been the murder weapon. An anonymous tip also indicated that a teenager named Cecilia Pierce was aware of the murder plot.
That was 26 years ago. Join us as we go over the horrible crime, the sensational trial, and what has happened in the years since Pam’s conviction.

Expectations: What Happened to Kelsie Schelling?

Jill — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On February 4, 2013, when Kelsie Schelling was 21 years old, she went to Pueblo to meet her boyfriend and was never heard from again.
Kelsie had just learned she was pregnant with her boyfriend Donthe Lucus’ child the day before. On February 4th, Donthe lured her to his hometown of Pueblo,
telling her he had a surprise for her which would “put her in a better mood.” When Donthe first heard that Kelsie was pregnant he was angry with her.
When Kelsie disappeared from Pueblo and her car was found abandoned in a hospital parking lot, Donthe was seen on camera using Kelsie’s ATM card to withdraw
$400 from her account. The police did not find his telling of the events to be truthful.
Jill and Dick will discuss the facts in Kelsie’s disappearance along with widespread concerns that Kelsie has not been found and no arrests have been made.
Yeti Imperial Stout is uncorked.

Away from Home: Where Is Timmothy Pitzen?

Jill — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Six-year-old Timmothy lived with his parents, James Pitzen and Amy Fry-Pitzen, in Aurora, Illinois at the time of his disappearance. He is their only child.
Without telling anyone of her plans, Amy removed Timmothy from his kindergarten class at Greenman Elementary School on the morning of May 11, 2011. After checking him out of school, she drove to an auto repair shop and dropped off her blue 2004 Ford Expedition SUV at 10:00 a.m.
One of the repair shop employees drove Amy and Timmothy to the Brookfield Zoo. At 3:00 p.m., Amy came to pick up her repaired vehicle and drove with Timmothy to the KeyLime Cove Resort in Gurnee, Illinois, where they spent the night.
Meanwhile, James had reported Timmothy & Amy missing after he went to pick up Timmothy from kindergarten and found out his mother had taken him. He called her cellular phone numerous times but got no answer. Two days later, Amy was found dead and no one knew where to find Timmothy.

Above the Law: The Wives of Drew Peterson

Jill — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Drew Peterson is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, who has been missing since 2007. Stacy’s disappearance led police to reopen the Kathleen Savio case. On September 6, 2012, Drew Peterson was found guilty of the premeditated murder of Kathleen Savio, his third wife. Jurors admitted that the most compelling evidence was based on the hearsay statements allowed under “Drew’s Law.” On February 21, 2013, Judge Edward Burmila refused to grant Peterson a new trial.On February 9, 2015, the Illinois Attorney General announced that Peterson would be charged with two felonies, solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire, for attempting to have Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow killed. He was convicted on May 31, 2016, and sentenced to an additional 40 years on July 29, 2016. The Beer? Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barley wine Ale!

Deadly Greed: The Murders of Carol and Christopher Stuart

Jill — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

In 1989, Carol and Charles Stuart were expecting their first child. After a childbirth education class at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, the couple was driving home when, according to Charles Stuart, a black gunman with a raspy voice forced his way into their car, robbed them and shot Charles in the stomach and Carol in the head. Carol Stuart died just hours after the shooting and her premature son, delivered by emergency C-section, died 17 days later. The nearby African-American community was targeted by police in an urgent search for the assailant. It wasn’t until Charles Stuart’s brother came forward as an accomplice after the fact that police sought out Charles Stuart as a suspect. After Stuart fled and committed suicide, police released the African-American suspect they had in custody. Evidence led to the conclusion that Charles Stuart had, in fact, plotted and killed Carol Stuart, shooting himself to avoid suspicion. The events surrounding this case left a negative mark on race relations in the city of Boston, a legacy still not wholly forgotten.

A Most Selfish Act: The Murders of Laci and Conner Peterson

Jill — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Laci Peterson was the subject of a highly publicized murder case after she went missing while eight months pregnant with her first child. She was reportedly last seen alive on December 24, 2002. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was later convicted of murder in the first degree for her death, and in the second degree for the death of their prenatal son, Conner. Perhaps the most notorious case of a husband killing his wife, there have been dozens of books and movies based on the Peterson case over the past 14 years. Join us as we discuss the public fascination with this case, the psychological disturbance which allowed a man to kill his wife and unborn child without regret or conscience, and the anguish left behind for those who loved Laci.

Gone Girl: Untrue Crime Movie

Jill — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Gone Girl is a psychological thriller, released in 2014, which invited critical acclaim, feminist disfavor, and widespread public interest. Based on the book of the same name by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is the story of Amy Dunne, a wife who goes missing under suspicious circumstances, her guilty-appearing husband, and the modern media. Twists and turns make this movie great fun to watch and great fun to discuss!

Marked Absent: The Abduction of Kyron Horman

Jill — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

At the age of 7, Kyron Horman went missing from his elementary school. He was reported absent from his first class, but it wasn’t until after school that anyone realized he was gone. This is a strange and complicated case that turned family members against each other and revealed dark secrets. Kyron has not been […]

The post Marked Absent: The Abduction of Kyron Horman appeared first on Tiegrabber.

Unfaithful: Untrue Crime Movie

Jill — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Unfaithful was released in theaters in 2002 with moderate success. But it was on cable TV and in it’s DVD release that this tense, erotic tale of lust, love and murder became a modern classic. Starring Diane Lane, Richard Gere, and Olivier Martinez, there is no shortage of great looking people. More importantly, though, is the story. A couple with a young child who are in love and seem to have it all. The wife strays with a charismatic younger man. The power, intensity, and destructive features of love and passion are explored. Somewhat surprisingly, honesty and commitment emerge as important themes. The conclusion never fails to please as it carefully flirts with just a touch of ambivalence.

Yesterday’s Child: Erica Lynn Parsons

Jill — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Erica Lynn Parsons was reported missing July 30, 2013 by her adoptive brother. She hadn’t been seen since 2011. It would be revealed that Erica was not in the family home for 20 months before police were notified. Her mother told authorities that Erica had been staying with her biological grandmother, a women for whom she had no address and no proof of identity. Yet her mother continued to receive state support checks for Erica.

Erica was born with many disadvantages. The child of an extramarital affair by troubled adults, she was unwanted before she was even born. She was adopted by an aunt and uncle who abused and neglected her. This is a case of such an unfair and sad beginning, can there be any hope for a brighter future? The odds are that Erica is dead. It seems the least she deserves is justice for those who failed to respect her life and did not give her the love and care she needed.

The Devil Inside: The Unraveling of Donnie Rudd

Jill — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Jill and Dick enter the mind of a lifelong sociopath and the lives of the people who shared his life. The things accomplished by Donnie Rudd were remarkable, but his lack of compassion and empathy, even for the woman who gave up everything for his love, was horrific. Finally charged for one of the 4 murders he could well be responsible for, Donnie Rudd may finally be paying a price for his sins.
The beer review is stellar: Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout from Chicago’s own Goose Island Beer Company.
But be forewarned: Don’t drink it alone!

If you’d like to read more about this case, we recommend Living With the Devil by Lori and Cindy Hart

Taken: The Abduction of William Tyrrell

Jill — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

William Tyrrell, 3 years old, disappeared from his grandmother’s house in Kendall, New South Wales, on September 12, 2014. Days were spent meticulously searching for William in the bush, the neighborhood, and the Kendall State Forest. Finally, police determined that if William had wandered away he would have been found. This was a blatant abduction of a child from his Nana’s yard on a peaceful cul-de-sac. As part of Wednesdays for William, a campaign to help find William, True Crime Brewery is covering this case with as much current information as possible, hoping that someone will speak up if they know something about what happened to William. Hop Hog Feral IPA (and Foster’s just for fun) are reviewed.

Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tiegrabberpodcasts/#
Follow us on Twitter @tiegrabberpods

(

The End of the Affair: The Disappearance of Chandra Levy

Jill — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

California native Chandra Levy, an intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, DC, went missing in May 2001 and her remains were found a year later in local Rock Creek Park. Soon after her disappearance, her case gained national attention when Levy’s family claimed she’d had a relationship with married California congressman Gary Condit. He was cleared of involvement in her murder back then, and Guandique, an immigrant who had pleaded guilty to assaulting two other women in the same park where Levy’s remains were found, became the focus of the investigation.

He was charged in 2009, and the case relied heavily on the testimony of a fellow inmate, Armando Morales, who said Guandique had admitted to killing Levy. He was convicted. The public defender’s office said Guandique had always maintained his innocence and passed a lie detector test. Last year his attorneys petitioned for a new trial, claiming that Morales’ testimony was a lie. A new trial was granted, but then the attorney general announced that he will not be retried due to insufficient evidence. This has brought suspicious eyes back to Condit.

Condit’s attorney released a statement on July 28th this year, saying, “The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after 15 years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with Ms. Levy’s death.”

Jill and Dick will go back to the beginning and share the latest news as well. Come on down to the quiet end and listen. The beer is The Corruption by DC Brau Brewing.

Little Boy Lost: The Disappearance of Deorr Kunz

Jill — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Deorr Kunz Jr., 2 years old at the time, was reported missing by his parents on July 10, 2015. The toddler’s parents, Jessica Mitchell and DeOrr Kunz, Sr., told authorities they believed DeOrr’s great-grandfather was watching him at the Timber Creek Campgrounds outside remote Leadore, Idaho, while his great-grandfather believed the boy was down by the creek with his parents and the fourth adult on the trip, a friend of the great-grandfather.

The parents’ separate 911 calls triggered an investigation that’s left more questions than answers. Discrepancies quickly emerged in the accounts of the circumstances under which Deorr vanished. Inconsistencies in statements from the tot’s parents became public; officials say both have failed multiple polygraph tests. Both Mitchell and Deorr Sr. were named suspects in the case in January.
The whereabouts of little DeOrr are a true mystery. Although a team of private investigators has pointed the finger of blame at the parents, an arrest has not been made. Join Dick and Jill at the quiet end of the bar for a thorough look at the events leading up to and following DeOrr’s disappearance.

Thrill Kill: The Senseless Murder of Tim Bosma

Jill — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On May 6, 2013, Tim Bosma left his wife and young child to take two men on a test drive in his truck. He never returned. Days later, his charred remains were found in a livestock incinerator. Who would do this to this friendly, hard-working young father? What was the motive? Was it a car-jacking gone wrong?

The answers are even more shocking than the crime. The two men who answered Tim’s online ad were thrill seekers with a plan to kill. Tim, a mere afterthought.

Join Jill and Dick as we investigate this rare and horrifying phenomenon of thrill killing, reveal the histories of the killers that led to this senseless crime, and honor the life and loss of Tim Bosma, a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For the Love of Crystal: The Search for Crystal Rogers

Jill — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The search has intensified for a missing Kentucky mother of five, who was last seen alive on July 3rd 2015 by her live-in boyfriend.

Crystal Rogers, 35, was last seen playing games on her phone on the night of July 3, claims boyfriend Brooks Houck, who said the mother to his 2-year-old son was not at home when he woke up the next morning. Houck said he wasn’t concerned because the couple has had a ‘stressed relationship’ at times and Crystal would sometimes ‘cope or deal’ by spending the night at her cousin Sabrina’s house.

Crystal’s family immediately knew that something was wrong and blamed Brooks for Crystal’s disappearance.

It’s been a year and a lot has happened, but we still don’t know what happened to Crystal and her children are still without a mother. To her family’s relief, Brooks has finally been named a suspect by the police.

Our Kentucky beer is MacFannybaw from Against the Grain Brewery. The Dick abides! Meet us at the quiet end of the bar!

Justice for Celina: The Short Life and Tragic Death of Celina Cass

Jill — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

11-year old Celina Cass was reported missing from her home in West Stewartstown, New Hampshire on July 26, 2011. Her body was found, wrapped in a blanket, six days later in the river about a half-mile from her home.

Her former stepfather, 52 year old Wendell Noyes, was arrested on June 20th of this year for her murder. Noyes did not enter a plea and there was no bail hearing. His defense attorney said she has concerns about his competency, saying that the same judge presiding over his arraignment found Noyes to be incompetent last fall. The murder case has subsequently been put on hold as an updated competency evaluation is pending.

Police say he killed 11-year-old Celina by submerging her body in the Connecticut River five years ago. His charge carries a possible life sentence. Investigators questioned him after the murder, but he was uncooperative. Days later, he checked himself into a mental hospital. Celina’s mother, Louisa Cass, has said she wants Noyes to “rot in hell,” and that she was upset it took so long for someone to be arrested.

“Finally after five years, we’re going to get justice,” Louisa Cass said. She said that Noyes had seemed like a loving and appropriate stepfather, but his behavior after Celina went missing made her begin to suspect him.

Jill and Dick take some time at the quiet end of the bar to learn more about Celina’s life and why it was tragically cut short. A New Hampshire beer from Deciduous Brewing will be shared.

Looking for Lauren: The Haunting Disappearance of College Student Lauren Spierer

Jill — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The mysterious case of Lauren Spierer has haunted detectives in the charming college town of Bloomington, Indiana, since June 2011, when the Indiana University sophomore disappeared after a night of partying. Despite sustained national media attention and a steady flow of tips, the investigation has yet to result in a single arrest or any evidence of her fate.

From the beginning, the Lauren Spierer story had all the makings of a made-for-TV mystery: her distraught, determined parents making public pleas for information, the group of male friends who were with her the night she disappeared quickly lawyering up when they became persons of interest, and, of course, Lauren herself: a diminutive, blue-eyed blonde from New York’s wealthy Westchester County, practically embodied the “Missing White Woman” stereotype.

Dick and Jill work to move past rumors, innuendo, and judgement as they discuss the case of missing college student Lauren Spierer. Is there something to be learned from this and similar cases that can save other young women from similar fates? Grab a pint (or a snifter) and meet us at the quiet end of the bar.

Hell Hath No Fury… The Betty Broderick Story

Jill — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Dan Broderick was one of California’s most successful attorneys. His wife, Betty, was a beautiful socialite and mother of four. But when Betty discovered Dan’s hidden life, the façade of their marriage was shattered. What followed was a five-year battle that ended in a double-murder. Dan was a Harvard Law School graduate who, according to Betty, manipulated the law to strip her of everything: her home, her friends–even her children. When she tried to fight back, he had her committed to a mental hospital. Consumed by thoughts of revenge, Betty’s rage exploded on the night of November 5, 1989 when she entered Dan’s house carrying a gun. Dan and his new wife’s bullet-riddled bodies would be found wrapped in their blood-soaked sheets.

To some, Betty became the patron saint of marriage, executing her abusive, cheating husband and his “whore.” To others, Dan had suffered Betty’s abuse for fourteen years of marriage, left her well provided for, and then married the love of his life, only to be stalked and killed.

We will look at both sides of this case and discuss how a marriage can go so horrible wrong. If Betty were a man, there would be no question of her guilt. Did Betty use feminism and nationwide concerns of domestic abuse to build a cause for women scorned? Or, was she just a jealous, violent woman?

Death by Familiar Hands

Jill — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

After Susan Powell’s disappearance in 2009, investigators’ scrutiny extended not only to Josh Powell, but also to his father, Steven. Steven Powell was said to have become romantically obsessed with Susan. Computer images seized from his house in 2009 turned up 4,500 images of Susan Powell taken without her knowledge, including close-ups of specific body parts.

Josh Powell claimed that on the night Susan Powell vanished, he took his sons, Charlie and Braden, from their home in West Valley City, Utah, on a late-night camping trip. Authorities eventually searched the central Utah desert but found nothing. Susan Powell’s father said that when police went to the family home after she was reported missing, they found a wet spot in the house being dried by two fans.

As the authorities honed in on Josh Powell as a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, a mentally unhinged man became even more dangerous. At a scheduled visit with his sons, Josh Powell killed them both before taking his own life.

In a case steeped in depravity and deception, a family falls into darkness, leaving only sorrow and regrets for those left behind.

Leave us your thoughts and suggestions on a voicemail at tiegrabber.com or in an email to truecrimebrewery@tiegrabber.com. If you like us, a 5 star review on iTunes would be much appreciated.

Missing Mom: What Happened to Michele Harris?

Jill — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Michele Harris’ empty minivan was found the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, with the keys still in the ignition at the end of her and her husband’s long driveway. Prosecutors say that Calvin Harris killed his 35-year-old wife when she came home the previous night to the secluded estate they still shared with their four young children. He was wealthy from his family’s car dealerships and court papers say he told people she would not get half his business as divorce loomed. Defense lawyers claim authorities overlooked likely murder suspects she met during the freewheeling life she led as her marriage broke up. Prosecutors presented evidence of blood stains in the home but relied on a largely circumstantial case to convince a jury in 2007 that he was guilty of second-degree murder. That conviction was set aside when a new witness potentially helpful to the defense came forward. A second guilty verdict in 2009 was overturned based on trial-court errors. Jurors in the third trial last year failed to reach a verdict after 11 days of deliberations. The fourth time was the charm for Cal Harris when he was recently acquitted in his fourth trial. Join Jill and Dick for a discussion of this case. What happened to Michele? There are four children missing their mom. The beer on tap is Game of Thrones Seven Kingdoms.

Dark Water: Elisa Lam

Jill — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Elisa Lam’s disappearance had been widely reported and interest had increased five days prior to her body’s discovery when the Los Angeles Police Department released a video of the last time she was known to have been seen alive. In the footage, Lam is seen exiting and re-entering the elevator, talking and gesturing in the hallway outside, and sometimes seeming to hide within the elevator. The video went viral on the Internet, with many viewers reporting that they found it unsettling. Explanations ranged from claims of paranormal involvement to effects of the bipolar disorder from which Lam suffered. It has also been argued that tampering had occurred with the video. Her body was found with most of her clothes and personal effects floating in the water near her. It took the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office four months, after repeated delays, to release the autopsy report, which reports no evidence of physical trauma and states that the cause of death was drowning. Jill and Dick discuss this case while sharing a bottle of Bastard’s Midnight Brunch!

What Happened to Ayla Reynolds?

Jill — Sun, 22 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

What happened to 20 month old Ayla Reynolds? This is the most complex criminal investigation in Maine history. Details from her family and the Maine State Police inquest will be addressed in this fascinating and heart-breaking discussion. Of course, one of Maine’s best beers will be sampled and reviewed: Allagash Curieux

The Road Not Travelled: The Tammy Kingery Story

Jill — Wed, 18 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Tammy Kingery, a nurse and doting mother of 3, disappeared from her home on September 20, 2014. She was 37 years old. Her family and the Edgefield County, South Carolina Sheriff’s office are doing all they can to find out what happened to Tammy. In this episode, Jill and Dick discuss all available information on Tammy’s disappearance while enjoying some of RJ Rocker Brewing Company’s Brown Eyed Squirrel. The Dick abides!

The Case of Maura Murray

Jill — Mon, 16 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Jill and Dick talk about the case of Maura Murray, a nursing student who disappeared on a New Hampshire road in 2004. There is much speculation about what happened to Maura but there have been no confirmed sightings since her disappearance. Sam Adams Coffee Nitro Stout is the beer of the day!

The post The Case of Maura Murray appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Madeleine McCann Case

Jill — Thu, 12 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

At the time of this recording, it is Madeleine McCann’s 13th birthday. Since her disappearance in 2007, there have been investigations, searches, allegations, accusations, theories and rumors about what happened to Madeleine. We will examine this case from all angles and available sources to help understand what could have happened in Portugal in 2007 and […]

The post The Madeleine McCann Case appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Death of Michele MacNeill

Jill — Thu, 05 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Michele MacNeill was a beautiful mother of 8 living in Utah with her physician husband, Martin MacNeill. Superficially, she had a life most people would envy. So, when she was found dead in her bathtub 8 days after cosmetic surgery, questions were asked. The secrets that came to the surface astounded even the most jaded […]

The post The Death of Michele MacNeill appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Staircase Part One

Jill — Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Staircase is a 10 part documentary film about the death of Kathleen Peterson and her husband’s trial for first degree murder. Jill and Dick discuss this true crime in three parts, each with a great beer consumed and reviewed.

The post The Staircase Part One appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Staircase Part Two

Jill — Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Michael Peterson trial takes an unexpected turn when his past in Germany comes back to haunt him. A German beer is in order!

The post The Staircase Part Two appeared first on Tiegrabber.

The Staircase Part Three

Jill — Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The conclusion of our three part series on The Staircase. Jill shares The Owl Theory and Dick brings us a North Carolina IPA!

The post The Staircase Part Three appeared first on Tiegrabber.