Episodes

On this bonus episode I discuss the 4-part documentary series "Dead North" that premiered on A&E in late May.  My special co-host is my brother, Tony.   Ways to watch: Today's sponsors:  - Use offer code ONCE to get $75 off...

A young, Canadian college students goes missing from the Cecil while visiting Los Angeles in 2013. The hotel's surveillance camera captures bizarre behavior by the young woman adding to the mystery.#ElisaLam #mysteriousdeaths #elevatorvideoResources:Elevator video - last sighting of Elisa Lam: https://youtu.be/3TjVBpyTeZMTX Files episode where I discuss the connection between the Elisa Lam case and the film Dark Water. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/27-the-sierra-diablo-murders-part...

We continue the series "Infamous Locales" with another true crime story from the infamous Cecil Hotel. This time, I'll tell you about another serial killer who made the Cecil his base of operations - Jack Unterweger, "The Vienna Woods Killer".#serialkillers #Austria #Vienna #ViennaWoodsKillerResources:Books: Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer by John LeakeThe Unknown Darkness: Profiling the Predators Among Us by Gregg O. McCrary

The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles has been home to at least two serial killers, numerous tragic deaths, a sniper shooting and one mysterious death. Join me for this first installment of a 3-part episode covering the Cecil Hotel's history. #serial killers #RichardRamirez #TheNightStalkerResources:Book: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker by Philip Carlo

In this special episode I give a wrap-up of CrimeCon - all the true crime celebrity sightings, the true crime podcast rockstars I got to hang out with, and all the inside gossip and info. I also discuss a couple of cases related to what I learned in CrimeCon sessions this year. I'll talk about the Patsy Ramsey 911 call, Ted Bundy and Jodi Arias.Shout outs to many, many podcasts including Southern Fried True Crime, Trace Evidence, InSight, True Crime Fan Club, The Fall Line, Minds of Madness, M...

The district of Whitechapel in London, England was the location of one of the most infamous, unsolved serial murders in history - the Jack the Ripper Murders. But, there was possibly a second serial murderer operating at the same time. Journey with us to Whitechapel for some historical true crime cases.Warning: This episode details more graphic details than normal. I give you a trigger warning before it begins in the episode if you'd like to skip ahead.#whitechapel #London #JacktheRipper #hi...

One intersection in Beverly Hills has been the site of many events from airplane crashes, car accidents, and murders. Could it be a coincidence or is the area cursed?#beverlyhills #bermudatriangle #howardhughes #hollywood #bugsysiegel #ronnichasenA.J. Benza: Fame is a Bitch - Subscribe on ITunes

A woman takes revenge for hundreds of raped and murdered women in Juarez, Mexico by targeting city bus drivers.Resources:For more information about women's organizations in Juarez:https://hiponline.org/how-casa-amiga-helps-free-the-women-of-juarez/https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/meet-the-mexican-activists-fighting-for-womens-rights/https://web.archive.org/web/20040414134540/http://www.mujeresdejuarez.org/Book: The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of Serial Mur...

On March 20, 1995 a group of men board the Tokyo Metro subway system and release deadly sarin gas. The mass murder was ordered by Aum Supreme Truth cult leader Shoko Asahara.#massmurder #cults #Japan #terrorism #chemicalweaponsResources:Books: The Cult at the End of the World by David Kaplan and Andrew MarshallUnderground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Mrakamiwww.patreon.com/onceuponacrime to become a patron and get bonus content and merchandise.Social Media ...

A hijacking on a bus unfolds live on television in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June of 2000.#hijacking #hostagecrisis #BrazilResources:Documentary: Bus 174 (2002) directed by Jose PadilhaPodcast Recommendations:Trace Evidence https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/trace-evidence/id1239217007?mt=2Not Perfect or Functional https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/not-perfect-or-functional-podcast-true-crime-sports/id1273572626?mt=2

In 1976, in the small farming community of Chowchilla, California, a school bus full of children is kidnapped for ransom.#kidnappings #Chowchilla #ransom #crimehistory #CaliforniaResources:Dan Noyes, ABC7 News, "Parole hearing reveals new details about Chowchilla kidnapping," Nov 29, 2012.Holly Yan, CNN, "California mass kidnapping: After being buried alive, victims relive nightmare," Dec 28, 2015.Robert Lindsey, The New York Times, "26 Children Found Safe After Being Kidnapped from Bu...

A 16-year-old boy from a well-to-do Fort Worth family commits a quadruple vehicular homicide. His attorneys will argue that his overprivileged upbringing resulted in him not knowing how to discern right from wrong. The term "affluenza" was coined to describe defendants like Ethan Couch - wealthy, spoiled and held unaccountable for their bad behavior.I'll also describe how this same defense was used in 1924 to defend the wealthy teenaged murderers Leopold and Loeb.#LeopoldandLoeb #CrimeoftheC...

Supervisor Dan White murders San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. His defense would claim "diminished capacity" to keep him from being sentenced to death. The media dubbed this "The Twinkie Defense". But, what really caused Dan White to become a double murderer?ResourcesJohn Geluardi, SF Weekly, "Dan White's motive more about betrayal than homophobia," Jan 30, 2008.Carol Pogash, SFGate.com, "Myth of the 'Twinkie Defense', Nov 23, 2003.

Three cases are outlined where a person commits murder and then blames the crime on sleepwalking.First up, Albert Tirrell murders his mistress in 1846 claiming he was in a trance-like state at the time. Kenneth Parks travels 23 km to commit a murder - all while asleep, he claimed. Finally, another man tries to use the sleepwalking defense after killing his wife in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997.Resources:Karen Abbott, Smithsonian.com, "The Case of the Sleepwalking Killer," April 30, 2012.Paul ...

The last chapter of this series continues with stories of the darker side of the Academy Awards. You'll hear about missing and stolen Oscars, the tragic story of the Oscar Night Streaker and a murder committed by the son of an Oscar winning songwriter.#Oscars #AcademyAwards #CelebrityCrimes #HollywoodCrimeResources:Documentary - Uncle Bob, written, produced and directed by Robert OppelTelevision Show: Do Not Disturb: Hotel Horrors - Season 1, Episode 1 - Power, Privilege and Passion, (In...

A man escapes the genocide in Cambodia and becomes an Academy Award Winning Actor in the U.S.#genocide #Cambodia #VietnamWar #refugees #HollywoodcrimeResources:Books: A Cambodian Odyssey by Haing. S. Ngor and Roger Warner, Survival in the Killing Fields by Haing S. NgorMovies: The Killing Fields (1984), directed by Roland Joffe, starring Haing S. Ngor, Sam Waterston, John MalkovichDocumentary: The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (2015), Produced, written, directed and edited by Art...

Roman Polanski lives a life of hardship and tragedy before becoming an award winning director - and a fugitive from justice after being charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl.We'll hear from my special guest AJ Benza, the host of the podcast Fame is a Bitch about the inner workings of Hollywood and his first-hand impressions of Roman Polanski.#hollywoodcrimes #charlesmanson #celebritycrimeResources:Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker, "The Celebrity Defense: Sex, fame and the case of Rom...

The Academy Awards is held annually to honor the best of Hollywood. But, there is a darker side of this star-studded ceremony. The first is the true story of the crime portrayed in the Academy Award winning film Dog Day Afternoon.#bankrobberies #johnwojtowicz #chasemanhattanbank #newyorkcrimesResources:Movie: Dog Day Afternoon, Starring Al Pacino, John Cazale & Charles Durning (1975)Documentary: The Dog, Written, produced and directed by Alison Berg & Frank Keraudren (2014)

A teenage hitchhiker is picked up by a violent rapist in Northern California in 1978. The attack upon her would horrify the public and Lawrence Singleton would serve as a terrifying warning about accepting rides from strangers.Music on today's episode is by St. Patrick. You can purchase the music on iTunes at this link or on the website www.captainfathands.com.Several resources were used in the research for this episode including:Paul Dean, The Los Angeles Times, "Mary Vincent Speaks Out: ...

A woman leaves her abusive husband and spends months trying to get law enforcement authorities to help her escape her abuser. In 1983, she survives one of the most brutal and vicious incidents of domestic violence I've ever encountered. She will file a civil lawsuit against the city an the police department for failing to protect her.Patricia Brennan, The Washington Post, "A Cry for Help," Oct 1, 1989.Thurman v. City of Torrington, Ruling on Motion to Dismiss, Retrieved from Harvard.edu, Oct...

A young woman is offered a ride by a nice looking man in Salt Lake City in 1974. By the end of the day she would be attacked and almost killed by the infamous serial killer, Ted Budy.My special guest, Rhonda Stapley, is the author of "I Survived Ted Bundy: The Attack, Escape and PTSD That Changed My Life". You can find it here on Amazon.Rhonda can be found on Facebook here.If you are someone you know would like help and/or information about post-traumatic stress you can go to www.ptsd.va.gov...

A young girl is abducted on her way home from school in Lugoff, South Carolina in 2006.ResourcesSarah Beckett, Investigation Discovery Channel, "Surviving Evil: Underground Terror," 2013.Mike Celizic, Today, "Kidnapped teen describes bunker ordeal," Mar 7, 2008.Follow us on:Twitter: @uponacrimePatreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrimeFacebook and Instagram: @onceuponacrimepod

I continue my discussion of the Laci Peterson case with my co-host, Yolanda of the Not Perfect or Functional Podcast. In this episode we take a deep dive into the background and psychology of Scott Peterson and what we believe contributed to his crime.Holiday Greetings in this episode from:The True Crime GuysThe Fall LineHillbilly Horror StoriesNot Perfect or FunctionalHappy Holidays!

On Christmas Eve day, 2002, an 8-month pregnant woman went missing from her home. A large-scale search was started right away, but suspicion immediately fell upon her husband, Scott Peterson.This episode will be a little different for OUAC. I have a special co-host, Yolanda Norris from the Not Perfect or Functional Podcast who will be discussing the case with me. Yolanda is my sister so this is a real holiday treat for me - and I hope it will be for you too!Also, while you may think you know...