Once Upon a Crime is a weekly true crime podcast that tells “the story behind the story” of real life crime. Told in a storytelling style, host Esther Ludlow digs into the details of each case to bring listeners the facts and information they won’t hear anywhere else.
Recommended
Here are a few episodes you might want to start with!
Episode 244: Picture Perfect Murder: The Beauty Queen Killer
Christopher Wilder posed as a photographer to lure beautiful young women with the promise of modeling work. Those who take him up…
Episode 222: Listener Suggestions: Jamison Bachman
Jamison Bachman spent his adult years being “the roommate from hell”. He destroyed property, bullied his housemates, filed lawsu…
Episode 181: Bad Teacher: Mary Kay Letourneau
In this month's series "Bad Teacher" I'll share cases of educators who committed newsworthy crimes. First up, a 34-year-old teac…
Episode 146: Rocktober: Altamont, The Rolling Stone and The Hells Ang…
A free concert took place in northern California in December of 1969 featuring The Rolling Stones. It would descend into chaos d…
Episode 128: Bad Sports: Ten Cent Beer Night
A summer ball game descends into chaos when a promotional event goes seriously awry. This is the last chapter in the series "Bad…
Episode 106: Haunted Homicide: The Amityville Horror House and Ron De…
A house with a dark history is purchased by a young couple in 1975. They soon begin experiencing unexplained and terrifying even…
Episode 075: Survivor Stories: Tracey Thurman
A woman leaves her abusive husband and spends months trying to get law enforcement authorities to help her escape her abuser. In…
Episode 042: A Woman Scorned: Betty Broderick
In 1989, Betty Broderick guns down her ex-husband and his new wife. Did her cheating husband cause her to snap or did she commit …
Episode 039: Monstrous Moms and Dastardly Dads: John List
An entire family is found murdered in their home in 1971. The patriarch, John List, murdered his wife, mother and children and th…
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 251: Wild Women: Sally Six-Shooter
Aug. 1, 2022
In this series we’ll step back in history to learn about some of the history’s first female outlaws. In this episode I’ll tell you about Sally Skull, ranch owner, horse trader, fandango dancer, and gunslinger. Some say Sally…
Episode 250: Final Curtain Call: Fatal Obsession - The Murder of Catherine Woods
July 26, 2022
A young girl leaves her hometown of Ohio for the Big Apple with her heart set on a career as a Broadway dancer. Instead, she meets a young man who becomes obsessed with controlling her life. Unable to let her go, Paul Cortez…
Episode 249: Final Curtain Call: Theatre of Pain - The Murders of Daniel Wozniak
July 19, 2022
This week’s episode details a murder that, at first glance, appears to be a cut-and-dried case of a lover’s quarrel turned deadly. Upon investigation, it is discovered to be a much more thought-out and sinister plan. When a…
Episode 248: Final Curtain Call: Paul Bateson and The Exorcist
July 12, 2022
In this month’s series “Final Curtain Call” a film or theater actor is connected to a sensational crime. In 1973, The Exorcist was released in theaters. Moviegoers were shocked by the film’s graphic depiction of a little gir…
Episode 247: Picture Perfect Murder: Harry Uzoka
June 28, 2022
Harry Uzoka was a rising star who’d broken into the world of high-end modeling against all odds. But another model envious of his success began a rivalry which lead to a violent showdown that no one saw coming. SOURCES Adey,…
Episode 246: Real Life Heroes: The Foiled DeAnza College Shooting
June 21, 2022
In light of the ongoing tragedies of frequent mass shootings in America, I’ve decided to make this week’s episode one of hope and heroism. In this story, a young girl becomes an unlikely hero when she acts upon a hunch dera…
About the Hosts
Esther Ludlow
Producer and 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.
Lorena Garcia
Administrative, Research and Production Assistant
Once Upon A Crime's right hand, Lorena Garcia can be found behind the scenes. From a young age, Lorena found interest in films and literature based on true crime events. As she matured so did her passion for true crime. Aside from assisting with OUAC, Lorena is a skincare enthusiast, world traveler, and cat mom.
She says being a part of the Once Upon A Crime team is the ultimate dream job.
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