Episodes

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 RegisterLinks:Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime YouTube: https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG Website: www.truecrimepodcast.co...

In this series, "Last Dance", I share stories of crimes that happened on prom night. In the first episode, a teenager commits an act of parricide then attends his prom and holds a party at the crime scene.Resources:Adam Sapikowski - crime and trial reported by WRAL.com over several articles - https://www.wral.com/news/local/asset_gallery/1066030/"Adam Sapikowski Sentenced" - ABC 11 News, Feb 8, 2008.Links:Facebook Fan Page: https://bit.ly/2VuSgtMYouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2UDxhE...

An abusive stepfather gets his comeuppance when his stepsons turn on him resulting in a grisly murder.Resources:"Joshua and Jerome Ellis guilty of stepfather killing", BBC News, Feb 26, 2014."Kids Who Kill: Responsible Child inspired by the true story of two young brothers who stabbed their stepfather", Graeme Culliford for The Sun, Dec 17, 2019.Links:Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - Listen here: https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel!...

A child, unwanted from birth and neglected by her birth parents, is hopeful that her new stepmother will love her like a daughter. It is not to be and her story will become a cautionary tale in the U.K. of how the child protective system spectacularly failed Lauren Wright.Resources:"Tragic tale of a child unwanted from the day of her birth" by Terri Judd for The Independent, Oct 2, 2001."A Life of Abuse and Neglect" by Paul Kelso for The Guardian, Oct 1, 2001.A series of articles in BBC ...

In our new series, “StepMonsters,” I’ll share stories of bad stepparents whose actions became true crime news. In this first episode I'll share the story of a young boy who went missing and was found in a very unlikely place. Was he the victim of abuse as he would claim and, if so, who was the person most responsible - his stepmother, his own father or both?Resources:"Charlie Bothuell V, Boy Found in Basement, Says His Home was a 'Terrible Place'", by Tara Fowler for People Magazine, April 2...

A gruesome crime would become a media sensation in Canada in 1946 when a beautiful young woman was accused of the grisly murder. This is the case of the infamous Evelyn Dick and the Torso Murder of 1946.Link to listen to the song "Evelyn Dick" by The Forgotten Rebels - https://youtu.be/OAkxFSM_rNsResources:The Torso Murder by Brian Vallee published by Key Porter Books, Canada, 2001.Evelyn Dick on Murderpedia.org - http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/dick-evelyn.htmLinks:To become a Patre...

In 1991, Kurt Cobain released a song on the album Nevermind. Titled "Polly" the song was inspired by a kidnapping and rape of a young girl in Tacoma, Washington. This is the story of that crime.Listen to "Polly" by Nirvana here: https://youtu.be/3H0NHHKBemgResources:"Story Behind the Song - Polly" by Hayley Selfridge on YouTube"Nirvana's Darkest Song" by The Nerdwriter on YouTube"Police suspect rapist in serial killings", Tri-City Herald, June 19, 1987.Links to episodes mentioned:Th...

A young girl is brutally murdered in New York's Central Park in 1986. Her killer, Robert Chambers, would be dubbed "The Preppy Killer" in the press and his victim's name would be dragged through the mud. This is the real story of "The Preppy Murder" you haven't heard before.Listen to "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers here: https://youtu.be/1Bxx_h4vl8YResources:"East Side Story" by Michael Stone for New York Magazine, June 27, 2008."Looking Back at the Preppy Killer Case, More T...

The mysterious death of a young girl inspires Jon Bon Jovi to record a song dedicated to her. This is the case of Katherine Korzilius.Resources:Unsolved Mysteries, Season 10: Episode 7 - https://unsolved.com/gallery/katherine-korzilius/"Family Searches for Answers, Peace" by Hank Stuever for Austin American-Statesman, Aug 7, 1997."Jon Bon Jovi Busy with Singing, Newfound Acting Career" by Winnie Bonelli for The Herald-New, Passaic, New Jersey, June 20, 1997.Links:Song: "August 7th, 4:...

In Nebraska, in 1958, a high school junior holds animosity towards his mother and takes deadly revenge. He is caught and imprisoned and, years later, disappears for decades. Where is Leslie Arnold today?Resources"Whatever Happened to Leslie Arnold, the Boy who Murdered his Parents?" by John William Tuohy, www.mywriterssite.blogspot.com"The Mystery of Leslie Arnold" by Henry Cordes for The Omaha World-Herald, Sept 13, 2017.Music Credits:Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandc...

In Kansas in 1958, an 18-year-old kills both of his parents and his only sibling. Was it a case of greed, mental illness, or was Andrews just a "bad seed"?#parricide #InColdBlood #TheBrothersKaramazov #deathrow #familyannihilatorsResources:"Lowell Lee Andrews Was 'The Nicest Boy' in Wolcott by Beth Elias for Ranker.com"Nicest boy in Wolcott" by David J. Krajicek for NYDailyNews.com, Feb. 21, 2010"State vs. Andrews", Appeal Record, State of Kansas, Dec. 10, 1960. Retrieved on Justia.com....

In 1975, a rebellious teen enlists her boyfriend to kill her parents in a small, Northern California town. The gruesome crime would be dubbed "The Barbecue Murders" in the press.Sources:"Kill My Parents: The story of Marlene Olive" by Denise Noe for Crime Library, June 23, 2014"A Local Murder: Terra Linda was the setting for a real-life 1975 crime" by Jim Wood for Marin Magazine, October 21, 2008Music Credits:Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.comOther music: https...

In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos.Time stamps:Early Life: 02:41Teen Years: 13:25Young Adult Life: 32:17On the Road: 35:30Criminal Activity: 36:12Tyra: 47:30The Victims: 55:57Closing In/The Arrest: 1:36:40The Confession: 1:44:46Arlene Pralle/Adoption: 1:51:50The Trial: 1:56:42Death Sentence: 2:04:26Execution 2:12:44Final Thoughts: 2:14:35Sources:"Lethal Intent", written by Sue Russell, Published 2002 for...

On this special episode my guest is Jack Luna from Crime Machine Podcast. We discuss the evidence and theories behind the JonBenet Ramsey Case.Sources:Foreign Faction: Who Really Killed JonBenet? by A. James Kolar, Ventus Publishing, 2012.JonBenet Ramsey Case Encyclopedia, www.jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com"The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey". https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6mj3zeCrime Machine Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-machine/id1209610434

On this special episode, I discuss the death of Shawn Stephens Lewis. Shawn was the fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and country music star. When Shawn Lewis was found dead in Lewis's mansion on August 24, 1983, many questions would remain unanswered as to how she died.My very special guest this week is Erica Kelly from the Southern Fried True Crime podcast!www.southernfriedtruecrime.comwww.patreon.com/onceuponacrimewww.crimecon.com - use offer code ONCE20 for 10% off your standar...

On this year-end wrap up episode, I answer listener questions and share updates on cases I've covered in past episodes.

In this last episode about fugitives on the run from the law I tell you the story of the very first woman ever to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, along with her boyfriend, Gary Krist, carried out a bizarre kidnapping plot in 1968.Resources:"Femmes Fatals: The Ten Women on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List" by Anna Hopkins for DailyMail.com, Sep 11, 2017."A kidnapping with Deltona ties gripped the nation 50 years ago" by Tony Holt for The Daytona Beach News Journal, ...

A young man from a wealthy family is accused of committing two rapes while still in high school. Before he could be tried on these charges he'd flee the jurisdiction and disappear for eight years before finally being brought to justice.Resources:"Accused Rapist and His Flight Trouble Darien" by Elizabeth Neuffer for The New York Times, Aug 27, 1987"From Ski Slopes of Europe to a Rape Trial" by George Judson for The New York Times, Jan 31, 1995."Judgment Days" by Bill Hewitt for People.co...

In this episode I’ll share two separate cases of women who became part of a very small and exclusive club - women who made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List.Nazira Ugalde killed for financial gain and flees to South America. A young woman in Texas, Brenda Delgado, plans the murder of her romantic rival and disappears soon after being questioned by police.Resources:"New details emerge about Reno 'Black Widow', Behind the Crime Tape Blog, Nov. 27, 2012"Fugitive Black Widow wanted in ex-husban...

A small time drug dealer kidnaps a rival's younger brother in order to settle a debt. The unfolding series of events would become one of California's most bizarre and tragic kidnapping cases on record and would even inspire an award-winning Hollywood movie.Resources:Jesse Katz for Los Angeles Magazine, "The Last Ride of Jesse James Hollywood", February 2002.Colby Frazier for Daily Sound, "Hollywood tells his story", June 24, 2009.Henry Chu and Solomon Moore for The Los Angeles Times, "Fu...

In this episode I dig into my file of spooky stories to share some haunted happenings in the world of rock and roll.#themansionatlaurelcanyon #redhotchilipeppers #slipknot #hauntedhouses #bonscott #joshuatreeinn #halloween #ghoststoriesResources:Corey Taylor, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven (Or How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process), (Da Capo Press, 2013).Inside the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate, www.wildabouthoudini.com, March ...

Bob Marley went from singing R&B harmonies in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica to becoming a pioneer of reggae music, bringing his own blend of reggae, rock and ska music to a global audience. But as a popular figure in Jamaica, he was unwillingly thrust into the country’s political strife. The situation became so dangerous for Marley that on December 3, 1976, he became a target of assassins.Resources:Chris Salewicz, Bob Marley: The Untold Story, (New York: Faber and Faber), 2010.Biolgraphy.c...

A free concert took place in northern California in December of 1969 featuring The Rolling Stones. It would descend into chaos due to poor planning, rampant drug use and the ill-advised use of the Hells Angels as concert security.Resources:Joel Selvin, Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day, (New York: Harper Collins), 2016.Lester Bangs, Reny Brown, John Burks, Sammy Egan, Michael Goodwin, Geoffrey Link, Greil Marcus, John Morthland, Eugen...