Bizarre Crimes Episodes

In the final episode of Season Eight of 'Once Upon A Crime,’ I delve into the case of Robert Durst, a wealthy New York real estate heir with a mysterious and criminal past. His involvement in several crimes, including the disappearance of his wife Kathie in 1982, the execution-style murder of his friend Susan Berman in 2000, and the murder and dismemberment of his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas in 2001, was famously told in the HBO documentary series “The Jinx,” in 2015. “The Jinx, Pa...

In history, there have been several monarchs known as “Mad Kings” - monarchs who were plagued by erratic and even violent behavior often attributed to mental illness. King Eric the XIV of Sweden is one such ruler. While intellectually brilliant, King Eric suffered from extreme paranoia, which led to erratic, violent, and even murderous behavior. Sources: Disturbed Facts About Eric XIV Of Sweden, The Butcher King - Factinate Eric XIV, King of Sweden, Britannica.com https://www.britannica.com/bio...

In the summer of 1984, a young woman kidnapped in Northern California finally makes her escape after seven years of violence, torture, imprisonment, and coercive control. While free from the physical restraints of her horrific experience, the emotional battle is just beginning. The investigation and legal battles unfold while the victim, Colleen Stan, attempts to rebuild her life. Resources: True Crime Documentary: The Girl in the Box - YouTube The 'Girl In The Box' Case And The Tragic Story Of...

In 1977, a young woman kidnapped by a married couple while hitchhiking is taken to their home and imprisoned for the next seven years. During this time the woman is subjected to depraved torture, sensory deprivation, and sexual abuse. Deep and pervasive brainwashing and coercive control make it less and less likely she will ever escape, despite one of her captors eventually telling her the terrible truth which could facilitate her breaking free. Resources: True Crime Documentary: The Girl in th...

In this first part of a 3-part episode, I share an infamous kidnapping case that began in 1977 in northern California. The kidnapping of Colleen Stan become famously, and chillingly, known as “The Girl in the Box” case. It’s an incredible story of unprecedented evil but also one of faith, strength, and the courage of a young girl to survive a horrific nightmare at the hands of the worst kind of predator. Sponsors: Lume - LumeDeodorant.com - Use code ONCE for $5 of a Lume Starter Pack and free sh...

Theresa Cross Knor was jealous, controlling, and abusive to her partners and children. After murdering one husband and getting away with it, her children became her next targets. She would make her children complicit in the murders of two of their siblings and would almost get away with murder again. Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Knorr Theresa Knorr: The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive, from The Lineup, May 9, 2019 Theresa Knorr: Murderpedia Mother’s Day, Denis McDoug...

In this episode, two people in committed relationships become infatuated with one another. When one of their spouses is murdered, investigators quickly zero in on the star-crossed lovers. However, investigators will find it challenging to prove who killed Marlene Warren due to the baffling description of the attacker. Sources: A Clown At The Door | A Court TV Special Michael Warren Now: Where is Marlene Warren's Ex-Husband Today? Update (thecinemaholic.com) What happened to Marlene Warren? | Th...

In this second part of a two-part episode, in their quest to be transformed into vampires, Daniel and Manuela Ruda conclude that the only way to prove their loyalty to Satan is by performing a human sacrifice. Their crime would be described as “a picture of cruelty and depravity” such as had never been seen before in the German town of Witten. The subsequent trial would become a media circus with the two perpetrators proudly displaying their bizarre antics in front of the press and the public. ...

Daniel Ruda, a 26-year-old, self-described “black vampire” immersed himself in Germany’s goth and death metal scene as an outlet for his dark proclivities. In the year 2000, he was ready to find his soulmate or, as he put it, his “princess of darkness” and placed a singles ad in a German black-metal magazine. 23-year-old Manuela Bartel answered his ad and the two soon became inseparable. Separately, they participated in strange hobbies like sleeping in graves to “see what it felt like” and fili...

We continue the story of Barbora Skrlova from where we left of last week. In part two, you’ll learn all the details of the bizarre unfolding of events in the Mauerova home. I’ll conclude by telling you the unbelievable tale of how Barbora Skrlova almost escaped all responsibility for her part in this horrendous abuse case. Resources: Book: “The Kurim Case: A Terrifying True Story of Child Abuse, Cults & Cannibalism” by Ryan Green, 2016. The Kurim Case: https://youtu.be/DN3nelsuDx0 https://www....

For our first series of 2023, we’ll do a deep dive into a case that has so many bizarre twists and turns a Hollywood horror movie was later based on it. In this first part of a 2-part series, a child who has been placed in a children’s home after allegations of abuse goes missing. When he’s found over a thousand miles away in the company of a strange man, the police discover a shocking secret. He is not who he said he was - nor is he a young boy - but an adult woman. The story of Barbora Skrlova...

In this special holiday episode Esther and Lorena discuss the Netflix series "The Watcher" with Tim and Lance from Crawlspace Podcast. We compare and contrast this fictionalized version of the true mystery "The Watcher House". In 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased a home in New Jersey. Soon afterward they began receiving letters from an anonymous person who said they were watching the house and young family. When the letters became threatening they questioned whether they should give up th...

In today’s episode, I’ll share three strange and intriguing true crime cases currently in the news - a suspected serial killer hunting for victims in a small California town, a gruesome discovery on a local walking trail, and a bizarre discovery unearthed in a San Francisco Bay Area mansion’s back garden. Resources: “Suspect is Arrested in Series of Killings in Stockton, Calif., Police Say”, Eduardo Medina, The New York Times, Oct 15, 2022 “Stockton serial killings: Everything we know now abou...