HANGED: Ruth Ellis and The Price of Passion - PART 1: Becoming Ruth.
Before she became The Black Dahlia , Elizabeth Short was simply Beth — a young woman with big dreams, an open heart, and a longing for something beyond the ordinary. In Part Two: Becoming Elizabeth , we step back in time to u...
In January 1947, a mother walking through a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood made a horrifying discovery — the bisected body of a young woman posed in a vacant lot. Within hours, newspapers had a headline that would echo for de...
In January 1947, Elizabeth Short’s brutal murder shocked Los Angeles — and turned her into the enduring legend known as The Black Dahlia . In this new six-part Once Upon a Crime series, host Esther Ludlow goes beyond the head...
In this special Aftershow episode, Esther and Lorena answer listener questions and reflect on the powerful story of Ruth Ellis , the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. Together, we unpack the psychology, the hea...
In this special bonus wrap-up episode of Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion, we step beyond the execution chamber and trace the ripple effects of Ruth’s final act—the shockwaves that forever altered the lives of thos...
By now you’ve probably heard that Esther is leading an exclusive group trip to Mexico Cityfrom March 27–30, 2026. If you’ve been thinking about joining us for this unforgettable four-day adventure, the time to act is RIGHT NO...
In this final installment of our seven-part series, we follow Ruth Ellis through her last days and hours at Holloway Prison. Convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely, Ruth became the last woman hanged in Britain. W...
In this episode, Ruth Ellis takes the stand in her own defense during her murder trial at the Old Bailey. What unfolds is one of the most disastrous testimonies in British legal history. Ruth answers questions with little emo...
On Easter weekend 1955, Ruth Ellis reached her breaking point. After years of jealousy, violence, and betrayal, she spent a long, sleepless night replaying the wreckage of her life — and blaming one man: David Blakely. By Eas...
This is Part Four of our 7-part series, Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion . We trace the true story of the last woman hanged in Britain, exploring the tangled mix of love, obsession, and violence that sealed her fat...
In Part Three of “Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion”, we delve into the turbulent 1954 relationship between Ruth Ellis, David Blakely, and Desmond Cussen. Discover how Ruth’s guarded heart, David’s infatuation, and ...
In this gripping second installment of “Hanged,” we delve into Ruth Ellis’s tumultuous journey through London’s shadowy nightlife, her relationship with the infamous Morris “Morrie” Conley, and her turbulent romance with Geor...
Step into the haunting and captivating story of Ruth Neilson Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom. This Once Upon a Crime original series traces Ruth’s tragic life—from her fragile childhood amid the cha...
Discover the haunting story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in the UK. This Once Upon a Crime series follows Ruth’s journey from a troubled wartime childhood to the smoky nightclubs of London’s underworld—and finally, ...
Jonathan Joss (1965–2025) was a Native American actor and musician renowned for his roles as John Redcorn in King of the Hill and Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. His tragic death on June 1, 2025, has brought attenti...
Pack your bags and grab your passport — we’re taking the Once Upon a Crime community on the road! In this special episode, we’re officially announcing our upcoming group trip to Mexico City , and trust us, you’re going to wan...
On this week’s episode we’re going international! You’ll travel to London with Esther for a behind-the-scenes listen to the Once Upon a Crime live show recorded at CrimeCon UK on June 8th. Esther emceed a game show called “Ki...
In the fall of 1984, fear took hold of San Jose, California. In just six weeks, six young women vanished or were found murdered — their lives cut short under brutal and mysterious circumstances. As residents watched the headl...
Dennis Rader, the self-proclaimed "BTK" killer—short for "Bind, Torture, Kill"—terrified Wichita and Park City, Kansas, for nearly two decades. But behind the mask of a monstrous mastermind was a man whose crimes were riddled...
In 1968, the quiet streets of Scotswood, England, were shattered by a chilling discovery: two young boys, just three and four years old, had been murdered—and the killer was an eleven-year-old girl. Mary Flora Bell's name wou...
In the summer of 1976, a small town in California was shaken to its core when 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver were abducted in broad daylight. The hijackers drove them to a remote rock quarry, where they were forced into a buried moving...
At the end of 2024, Once Upon a Crime released a two-part deep dive into The Life and Crimes of Sean Diddy Combs, unraveling the shocking allegations and federal charges facing the music mogul. Since then, the story has only grown more intense. With...
In the gripping conclusion of The True Tale of Lizzie Borden, we turn to the defense’s side of the story. What arguments did Lizzie’s lawyers make to counter the damning evidence? What did the jury ultimately decide—and why? Join me as we...
In Part 2 of The True Tale of Lizzie Borden, we step into the courtroom for one of America’s earliest media frenzies—the infamous trial of Lizzie Borden. After the shocking 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden, suspicion turned toward...