Once Upon A Crime
Once Upon A Crime
Join me as I dive into some of the most fascinating and thought provoking true crime stories told one chapter at a time. Kidnappings, murders, mysterious disappearances, serial killers, celebrity crime and more will be covered.
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Episode 196: Hookups from Hell: Wade Ridley - "The Match.com Murderer"
Two women meet a man on Match.com. After they end the relationship, Wade Ridley vows deadly revenge. Resources: 20/20: In an Ins…
Episode 195: Hookups from Hell: Mark Twitchell - "The Dexter Killer"
A Canadian man, inspired by the television show Dexter, lures his murder victims through online dating sites. Resources: Dateli…
Episode 192: Serial Predator: Curtis Dean Anderson - Part 1
A 7-year-old goes missing from Vallejo, California in 1999. It would be some time before Xiana Fairchild would be linked to a se…
Episode 166: StepMonsters - Joshua and Jerome Ellis
An abusive stepfather gets his comeuppance when his stepsons turn on him resulting in a grisly murder. Resources: "Joshua and Je…
Episode 156: Behind the Crime: Aileen Wuornos
In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Time stamps: Early Life: 02:41 T…
Episode 024: Holiday Homicides: The Lawson Family Murders
On Christmas Day, 1929, one of the country's worst mass murders took place in North Carolina. This is Chapter 2 of Holiday Homici…
Episode 003: Lost and Found: The Cleveland Kidnappings
Three girls go missing over as many years in a Cleveland, Ohio neighborhood. Years go by before they are ever seen again. When i…
Recent Episodes
Episode 201: Artful Crimes, Volume 2: The Murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer
April 13, 2021
A contemporary artist is murdered in broad daylight in Washington D.C. Conspiracy theories about w…
Episode 200: Chopped: Anjette Donovan Lyles
March 23, 2021
A young widow opens her own restaurant in Macon, Georgia in the 1950s. Suspicions arise when the pe…
Episode 199: Chopped: Anthony Kelly and Gordon Ramsay's "Bad Boys Bakery"
March 16, 2021
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay enters London's Brixton Prison in 2012 in an attempt to teach a group …
Episode 198: Chopped: David Viens
March 9, 2021
In this series we'll take a look at the restaurant industry to ask "What happens when good cooks go…
Episode 197: Hookups from Hell: Takahiro Shiraishi - "The Twitter Killer"
Feb. 23, 2021
A serial killer preys on vulnerable women in Tokyo, Japan. He will meet his victims on Twitter. (…
Episode 196: Hookups from Hell: Wade Ridley - "The Match.com Murderer"
Feb. 16, 2021
Two women meet a man on Match.com. After they end the relationship, Wade Ridley vows deadly revenge…
About the Host
Esther Ludlow
HOST
Esther Ludlow has been interested in true crime since she was a teen and has been podcasting since 2012. She launched her true crime podcast, Once Upon a Crime in June of 2016. In only 8 months, the podcast had over 1 million listens and the audience continues to grow. Her love for storytelling combined with her interest in true crime and her background in psychology creates a unique and compelling podcast.
Esther writes, produces and edits the podcast as a solo venture. Once Upon a Crime presents true crime stories chapter by chapter. Each episode stands alone and cases are grouped by topic. Esther has covered the kidnapping cases of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, celebrity stalkers Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley, and historical cases including Kitty Genovese, Mary Bell and Charles Starkweather.