Episodes

A teenager goes missing in Morgan Hill, California never to be seen again. It would take meticulous detective work to prove she'd been the victim of a murder and bring her killer to justice. Resources: "Disappearance tests 'no-body' murder cases" by Jenna Lyons for The San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 16, 2017 Statement of Facts: Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Case #12-076-0868G, May 24, 2012 "Dissecting Torres' Past", Staff Writers, The Gilroy Dispatch, May 25, 2012. "No body, no weapon, n...

This month's series features crimes that were solved...without a body. Tom Capano thought he'd pulled off the perfect murder when his ex-girlfriend disappeared. Meticulous detective work and dogged determination would be needed to solve the crime. Resources: And Never Let Her Go by Ann Rule, 1996, Simon & Schuster. The FBI Files: Deadly Obsession, Jan 18, 2020, retrieved on YouTube.com. Links: www.crimecon.com/housearrest www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime www.truecrimepodcast.com

A story about a teenage stalker who hides in his victim's homes to prey upon them becomes an urban legend. But, the true life and crimes of Daniel J. LaPlante would be a real-life horror story. Resources: "Witness describes abduction by LaPlante", Paul Langner for The Boston Globe, Oct 21, 1988. Commonwealth v. Daniel J. LaPlante, Sept 14 - Nov 16, 1993, Middlesex County Superior Court filing. "A Teen Terrorized a Family by Living in Their Walls", Laura Allan for Ranker.com, June 14, 2019. ...

The mysterious murder of Fred William Oesterreich in Los Angeles in 1922 would be revealed years later as one of the strangest and most bizarre true crime cases in California history Resources: A Crime to Remember: Guess Who?, Season 4, Episode 6, The Investigation Discovery Channel "The Story of Dolly Oesterreich" by Erin Kelly for All That's Interesting, Dec 19, 2017.

News, announcements and upcoming events for OUAC listeners! Links: Nominate Once Upon a Crime for the Discover Pods Awards at www.awards.discoverpods.com. To sign up for a Patreon membership go to www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime To register for Alta Asks Live Digital Event go to https://altaonline.com/true-crime-podcasts-alta-asks-live/. You can read my interview in Alta Magazine here: https://altaonline.com/true-crime-podcast-denise-hamilton/ Register for CrimeCon House Arrest online event h...

In 1998, a 14-year-old disappeared from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It would be feared she had become a victim of serial killer, Leonard Fraser, but this story would end with a shocking revelation. Resources: 60 Minutes Australia - ‘The Girl in the Cupboard’”(2003) - https://youtu.be/os_K-e_qwu8 "She had everyone fooled" in TheAge.com.au, Apr 11, 2003 "The girl who returned from death" by Greg Ansley for NZHerald.co.nz, Apr 18, 2003 "The 'dead' schoolgirl who fooled a nation" by Shan...

A multimillionaire in a feud with his family over money and property perpetrates a bizarre hoax in order to get revenge on his children and hold on to his assets. Resources: "Professor Donovan's Magnificent Entanglements" by John Wolfson for Boston Magazine, July 1, 2006 "Ex-professor found guilty of staging own shooting" by John R. Ellement for The Boston Globe, Aug 18, 2007. "When Hollywood Moved In" by Sara Rimer for The New York Times, July 29, 2009 "John J. Donovan III" by Ray Lamont fo...

A well-respected educator in Bakersfield, California is accused of a brutal crime - the murders of five of his family members. Resources: "The Mystery of the Lost Weekend", by Keith Morrison for Dateline NBC, July 24, 2009. "Vincent Brothers and murdered wife had rocky relationship say witnesses" by Jessica Logan for Bakersfield.com, March 7, 2007. "Vice Principal is still a suspect in fatal shootings of wife, kids, mother-in-law" by Kerri Ginis for The Fresno Bee, July 10, 2003. "Woman Say...

In this month's series "Bad Teacher" I'll share cases of educators who committed newsworthy crimes. First up, a 34-year-old teacher scandalizes the nation when she is convicted of child rape with one of her 6th grade students. Resources: "Strange Love: Mary Kay Letourneau", 7 News Spotlight, July 8, 2020, retrived on YouTube. "Mary Kay Letourneau: 15 Shocking Facts" by John Whitefoot for Crimeola.com, May 29, 2018. "How the Media Turned Child Rape into a 'Tryst' for Mary Kay Letourneau" by ...

We conclude this two-part episode with a young woman who comes forward claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov. The investigation into her claim would take decades to unravel. I welcome back my sister, Yolanda, to help me discuss all the ins and outs of this intriguing mystery! Time Stamps: 05:03 - "Miss Unknown" 22:47 - Investigating the Claim 28:06 - "Fraulein Annie" 30:20 - Anastasia Tchaikovsky - Rescue Story 53:30 - Anna Anderson - United States 57:41 - Anna the Hoarder 01:0...

On this first part of a 2-part episode, I share the fascinating story of the disappearance of the last imperial family of Russia, the Romanovs. After their disappearance, most believed they had been executed by the Bolsheviks, but sightings of one or more of the Romanovs would continue for years. Did some of Tsar Nicholas II's family members escape? Resources: The Resurrection of the Romanovs by Greg King and Penny Wilson, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2011. Romanovs: The Missing Bod...

A few summer news items and announcements for Once Upon a Crime listeners. Podcast Awards: www.podcastawards.com Links: Excuse Me, That's Illegal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excuse-me-thats-illegal/id1526994548 Twitter - @real_leroy_luna Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-taco-bout-true-crime/id1452118167 Twitter - @tacoboutcrime Once Upon a Crime social media links: Twitter - @uponacrime Facebook and Instagram - @onceuponacrimepod Facebook ...

On this second part of a two-part episode we continue the story of 9-year-old Walter Collins who went missing from Los Angeles in 1928. In part two, we discover that a serial killer, Gordon Stewart Northcott, has been preying on boys and young men in the LA area. Was Walter Collins a victim of Northcott's? Resources: The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, retrieved online at crime museum.org. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/wineville-chicken-coop-murders/ The Disappearanc...

In this month's series I'll tell you stories about people who missing and then, months or years later, miraculously reappeared. But, these stories all have a twist - were they who they claimed to be or were they imposters? In this first episode, you'll hear about a young boy who goes missing in 1928. When he returns home, his mother will say he's an imposter, but her claims are dismissed. Who was the boy claiming to be her missing son and what happened to the real Walter Collins? Resources: Th...

The life and tragic death of a young socialite in the 1930s inspires an Academy Award winning movie. But, Starr Faithfull's life was far from the glamorous treatment it would receive on the big screen. Resources: Ripped from the Headlines: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movie's Most Memorable Crimes by Harold Schechter (Little A, 2020) The Passing of Starr Faithfull by Jonathan Goodman (Piatkus, 1990). Open Files: A Narrative Encyclopedia of the World's Greatest Unsolved Crimes by Jay R...

As a bonus for this month's theme "Stranger Than Fiction", I interview author Harold Schechter about his new book, Ripped from the Headlines: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies' Most Memorable Crimes, an anthology of forty true crime cases that inspired films. Links: https://haroldschechter.com Purchase "Ripped from the Headlines" here.

Two women accused of murder in the Roaring 20s would become the inspiration for one of the best known and longest running shows in American musical theater history. This is the story of the real life Roxie and Velma from “Chicago". Resources: "1924 - Beulah Annan & Belva Gaertner", Newspaper articles compiled and posted on Chicagology.com. Ripped from the Headlines by Harold Schechter, Published by Little A, New York, 2020 "Musical Theater and Law: Chicago, The Musical" by Geraldine Davila G...

In 1986, a beautiful young mother discovers her husband is cheating on her and files for divorce. Soon afterward, she goes missing. Discovering what happened to Helle Crafts would take an small army of detectives, forensic scientists, serologists, forensic anthropologists, a police diving team and other investigators to unravel this bizarre crime and would inspire an Academy-Award winning film. Resources: Forensic Files: Season 1, Episode 1 - "The Disappearance of Helle Crafts", FilmRise TV. "...

In the last chapter of "Till Death Do Us Part" a woman meets and quickly marries a man. He promises her a new life, but soon after the wedding she goes missing. It will take years of investigative and legal work to bring her killer to justice. Sources: "Till Death Do Us Part: True Stories of Newlywed Murder Cases" by JJ Slate, RJ Parker Publishing, 2015. "Father's Quest for Justice Ends" by Tom Long for The Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 13, 1989. People v. Crew, Supreme Court of California, Au...

A bride sees many red flags in her relationship before walking down the aisle, but her fear of angering her fiancee would compel her to go through with the ceremony. Within hours, that decision would become fatal. #domestic violence #coercive control Resources: "Murder-Suicide claims Indiana doctor, nurse on wedding night, police say", by Janet DiGiamcomo for CNN, Oct.. 9, 2014. "Indiana Doctor Kills His Wife and Himself on Wedding Night" by Steve Helling for People.com, Oct. 8 2014. Court ...

A new bride decides she's made a mistake in tying the knot. The decision she makes in order to end the marriage will be a shocking act of cruelty. Resources: "A Murder in Glacier Park" by Justin Franz for The Flathead Beacon, Dec 17, 2013 "Newlywed Cliff Death" by Ryan Owens for ABC News, Sept 11, 2013 "Glacier Park Murder: Friends warned Kalispell man not to marry" by Alice Miller for The Missoulian, Sept 11, 2013 "Montana's Jordan Graham Case" by Crime Watch Daily. Uploaded by True Crime D...

In this series, I'll share cases of newlyweds whose lives were cut short by the person who vowed to love them forever. In this first case, a young bride is unaware that her new spouse married her to collect on a $1 million dollar life insurance policy. Resources: 'The Other Woman' Testifies in Newlywed Murder, CBS Miami 4, March 25, 2014. Several articles on Wendy Trapaga murder case from CBS Miami 4 online. Till Death Do Us Part: A Collection of Newlywed Murder Cases by JJ Slate, RJ Parker ...

This is Part 2 of "The Pelley Murders". In this episode I'll tell you about Jeff Pelley's trial, theories of the murders, and give you a strange and compelling story about who else may have been responsible for the murders of Bob Pelley and his family. Resources: The Prom Night Murders: The True Story of a Twenty Year Mystery by Carlton Smith, St. Martin’s Press, 2009 “A trail of broken promises, debt and death” by Peter Franceschina for The News-Press, Oct 6, 1991. “Cold case unsolved: Fort ...

A 17-year-old is suspected in the murder of four of his family members because he was forbidden from attending his prom. Was this a case of a homicidal teen or a rush to judgement? Resources: The Prom Night Murders: The True Story of a Twenty-Year Mystery by Carlton Smith, St. Martin's Press, 2009 "Inconsistent with the Laws of Nature" by Mark Gribben for The Malefactor's Register Links: Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime YouTube: https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG Website: www.truecrimepodcast.co...