On the morning of April 10, 1936, Nancy Evans Titterton, novelist and wife of NBC Radio executive Lewis Titterton, was found sexually assaulted and strangled to death in the bathtub of her apartment in Beekman Place, a prominent New York City apartment building. Upon first inspection, the crime scene yielded few clues?a fingerprint in the bathroom, a length of rope used to bind her hands, and little else. 

Within a week, detectives were no closer to solving the case than they were on day one, until a break finally came when the rope and a single horsehair was traced to a local upholstery shop, and ultimately to an apprentice upholsterer named John Fiorenza, who, along with his boss, Theodore Kruger, discovered Nancy?s body while delivering a piece of furniture. 

Eventually, Fiorenza confessed to assaulting and murdering Nancy Titterton, but claimed temporary insanity. At the trial, the jury rejected Fiorenza?s defense and he was found guilty and he was executed in January 1938. Although the case of Nancy Evans Titterton may seem rather straightforward, it stands as an early example of science and law enforcement coming together to solve a case that had previously seemed destined to remain unsolved. 

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

New York Times. 1937. "Clemency is asked for John Fiorenza." New York Times, January 12: 3.

?. 1936. "Fiorenza counsel accuses a 'fiend'." New York Times, May 21: 7.

?. 1936. "Fiorenza doomed to electric chair." New York Times, June 6: 34.

?. 1936. "Fiorenza insane, alienst swears." New York Times, May 26: 48.

?. 1936. "Fiorenza's mother sets up an alibi." New York Times, May 23: 34.

?. 1936. "Plea of insanity by Fiorenza likely." New York Times, April 23: 5.

?. 1936. "Scientists study clues to slayer of Mrs. Titterton." New York Times, April 12: 1.

?. 1937. "Titterton slayer is put to death." New York Times, January 22: 42.

?. 1936. "Upholdwerter's aide confesses murder of Mrs. Titterton." New York Times, April 22: 1.

?. 1936. "Woman writer, 34, found strangled in bathtub in home." New York Times, April 11: 1.

Schechter, Harold. 2014. The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation. New York, NY: Little A Publishing .

Times Union. 1936. "Countess tells of prowler knocking on door 8 hours before writer was strangled." Brooklyn Times Union, April 11: 1.

?. 1936. "Arraigned and denied bail, he then retraces flght." Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), April 22: 1.

?. 1936. "Fiorenza guilty in first degree." Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), May 28: 1.

?. 1936. "Johnnie was a good boy, sobs mother of slayer." Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), April 21: 1.

?. 1936. "Hunt mysterious prowler." Times Union (Brooklyn, NY), April 12: 1.

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When thirty-four-year-old St. Paul housewife Carol Thompson was murdered in the spring of 1963, her entire neighborhood was shocked by the evil that had invaded their middle-class neighborhood. As far as anyone knew, Carol was a happily married mother of four who appeared to have it all, but the cruel brutality of her murder suggested someone had hated her enough to kill her.

When investigators began to dig deeper into Carol?s life and background, they found the truth was that, far from the happy façade she showed the world, Carol Thompson?s life was anything but happy. In the weeks that followed her death, investigators would uncover an unexpectedly complicated conspiracy involving several well-known criminals, all leading back to the one person no one wanted to suspect.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1963. "Slaying details related in court." New York Times, November 27: 49.

?. 1963. "Woman is linked to 'hire' murder." New York Times, November 5: 17.

2016. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Tony Glazer. Performed by Chloe Boxer and Christine Connor.

Cesnik, Jim. 1963. "'Cotton' Thompson--as father, friend." Minneapolis Star, June 25: 1.

Letofsky, Irv. 1963. "Never an acquittal vote." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), December 7: 1.

Letofsky, Irv, and Jim Cesnik. 1963. "City man held in Phoenix in Thompson slaying case." Star Tribune, April 20: 1.

Minneapolis Star. 1963. "FBI to check policies on Mrs. Thompson's life." Minneapolis Star , April 3: 1.

?. 1963. "St. Paul mother 'critical' after stabbing in home." Minneapolis Star, March 6: 1.

?. 1963. "Thompson arrested in wife's slaying." Minneapolis Star, June 21: 1.

Presbrey, Paul. 1963. "Thompson killing gun identified." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), April 10: 1.

Roberts, Sam. 2015. "T. Eugene Thompson dies at 88; crime stunned St. Paul." New York Times, September 6: 28.

Romer, Sam. 1963. "Interview with captured suspect." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), April 20: 1.

Rudick, Irvin. 1963. "Anderson told Sharp he slew Mrs. Thompson." Minneapolis Star, April 23: 1.

Star Tribune. 1963. "Police seek clues in St. Paul slaying." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), March 7: 1.

?. 1963. "Police want more talk with victim's mate." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), March 23: 1.

?. 1963. "Statement also lists his assets." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), March 27: 1.

Thompson, William. 2007. Dial M: The Murder of Carol Thompson. Nepean, ON: Borealis Books.

United Press International. 1963. "Thompson trial told of insurance." New York Times, November 6: 29.

Young, Douglas. 1963. "Husband of slain St. Paul woman explains $1,061,00 in insurance." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), March 27: 1.

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Weirdos!! It?s our third SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE brought to YOU by our friends at Audible!

Today we?re joined by a member of the PodFam, Spencer Henry from Cult Liter, Obitchuary & Gossip's Bridle! Join us while we chat about Jim Clemente & Peter McDonnell ?Blue Beard?! Join the ?Weirdos? Audiobook Club" AND the conversation as we talk about the Title that dramatizes true events in a radio style drama! Hear about the productions origins, as well as the immense effort put into creating such an immersive experience. Haven?t listened yet? Don?t worry about it, friend! Go to Audible.com/weirdos for YOUR free trial! And don?t forget to click the episode post on Instagram to comment YOUR favorite aspects of the production, and discuss with other Weirdos who enjoyed the title, as well!

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When Kathryn Wombacher suspected her husband, Walter Andrew, of having an affair in the spring of 1920, she hired a private detective to follow him on one of his many ?out-of-town? trips that he?d taken in their short marriage. However, rather than follow Walter out of town, the private detective tracked the man less than a mile from his home in Hollywood, where he discovered that Walter had indeed been carrying on a relationship with another woman?but that was to be the least of Kathryn?s worries.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1920. "Police search for Montana girl is commenced ." Miles City Star, April 1: 1.

?. 1920. "Alleged wife believes Huirt 'woman hater'." San Francisco Chronicle, April 15: 1.

?. 1920. "Nine 'wives' killed by Bluebeard." Saskatoon Daily Star, May 11: 7.

Cameron, Jim. 2014. "The horrifying marriage career of James "Bluebeard" Watson." Cranbrook Daily Townsman, October 31.

Dowd, Katie. 2019. "'Object, matrimony': The forgotten tale of the West Coast's first serial bride killer." SF Gate, October 4.

Hoag, Ernest, and Edward Williams. 1922. "The Case of J.P. Watson, the Modern Bluebeard." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 348-359.

Los Angeles Evening Express. 1920. "Huirt's latest wife here to clear mystery." Los Angeles Evening Express, April 14: 1.

Los Angeles Times. 1920. ""I'm crazy!" Bluebeard cries to the public." Los Angeles Times, May 4: 15.

?. 1920. "Watson confesses four wife-murders; married nearly a score of women." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 1.

?. 1920. "Watson's real name Boyd?" Los Angeles Times, April 27: 17.

?. 1920. "Watson's story of early life." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 1.

?. 1920. "Whoesale bigamy bared." Los Angeles Times, April 11: 1.

Rasmussen, Cecelia. 1997. "Quiet man left trail of dead wives." Los Angeles Times, August 31.

Sacramento Bee. 1920. "Watson given life sentence for murder of Nina Lee Deloney." Sacramento Bee, May 10: 1.

San Francisco Chronicle. 1920. "Burying ground of 'Bluebeard' thought found." San Francisco Chronicle, April 20: 6.

Whitaker, Alma. 1930. "Bluebeard's treasure hunt blows up--bang." Los Angeles Times, November 30: 19.

Zdeb, Chris. 2014. "Serial killer, bigamist had ties to Edmonton." Edmonton Journal, May 10: 2.

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In late 1931, several Native trappers in Aklavik, Northwest Territories, reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that a newly arrived white man, Albert Johnson, had been tampering with their traps. The RCMP dispatched two officers to Johnson?s remote cabin, but he refused to speak with them, so they left to get a warrant to search his home. When the officers returned and tried to gain entry, Johnson fired a shotgun blast through the cabin door, wounding one of the RCMP officers.

The incident quickly escalated when a posse of RCMP officers returned and tossed dynamite into the cabin, initiating a firefight in which one officer was killed, and a manhunt that would last more than month and unfold across more than 150 miles of some of the roughest terrain in the world. 

In the end, Albert Johnson would not be taken alive. And while his death may have ended the wild pursuit across the Yukon territory, it was just the beginning of another mystery that would endure into the twenty-first century.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Canadian Press. 1932. "Long chase of slayer." New York Times, February 18: 3.

Edmonton Journal. 1932. "Cornered by pursuers, wounded and fighting to last, Johnson slain." Edmonton Journal, February 18: 1.

?. 1932. "Think Mad Trapper hiding in Arctic wilderness cabin." Edmonton Journal, January 27: 1.

Journal, Edmonton. 1932. "Eyewittness tells story last desperate stand trapper Albert Johnson." Edmonston Journal, February 19: 1.

New York Times. 1932. "Mad, hunted trapper kills constable." New York Times, February 1: 38.

North, Dick. 2005. Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt. New York, NY: Lyons Press.

Roden, Barbara. 2022. "The Mad Trapper part 3: Shootout on the Eagle River." North Thompson Times, December 8.

?. 2022. "The Mad Trapper part 5: The mystery of Albert Johnson endures to this day." North Thompson Times, December 22.

?. 2022. "The Mad Trapper part II: A tragic manhunt plays out." North Thompson Times, December 1.

?. 2022. "The Mad Trapper, Part I: a man of mystery arrives in the Arctic." North Thompson Times, November 24.

Thompson Reuters. 2021. "Scientists narrow search for mysterious Mad Trapper to Sweden." Comtex News Network, July 30.

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When police were called to the scene of shooting at the Castillion Apartments in Los Angeles on April 20, 1968, they assumed the victim, twenty-two-year-old Cheryl Perveler, had been shot in a robbery gone wrong. However, when they began looking into her personal life, they soon realized Cheryl?s killer could have been much closer to home.

In most cases of individual murders, detectives always look at the spouse first, and in this case, there was a lot to look at. Cheryl had recently married Paul Perveler, a former Los Angeles Police officer with a checkered past and an obvious obsession with wealth and power. Yet the more they investigated Paul Perveler, the more detectives began to suspect they didn?t have just one murder on their hands, and it was starting to look like Cheryl?s death was the culmination of a larger and far more shocking conspiracy than anyone had expected. 

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Braxton, Greg. 1982. "Woman asks public to keep killer ex-husband jailed." Los Angeles Times, September 19: 529.

Bugliosi, Vincent, and Ken Hurwitz. 2004. Till Death Do Us Part: A True Murder Mystery. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.

2017. A Crime to Remember. Performed by Christine Connor and Elise Graves.

Eintoss, Ron. 1969. "Death penalty asked in insurance murders." Los Angeles Times, February 25: 26.

?. 1969. "Jury asks death for Perveler, life in prison for girlfriend." Los Angeles Times, February 26: 29.

El Sereno Star. 1966. "Gun victim found in house fire." El Sereno Star, December 15: 1.

Farr, Bill. 1986. "Ex-officer in prison for killing fails in parole bid." Los Angeles Times, August 30: 2.

Haynes, Roy, and Dial Torgerson. 1968. "Murder charges filed against pair in double indemnity case." Los Angeles Times, May 3: 3.

Los Angeles Times. 1968. "Ex-officer, woman ask seperate trials." Los Angeles Times, November 15: 41.

Newton, Tom, and Dial Torgerson. 1968. "Ex-policeman, woman accused of killing mates for insuarance." Los Angeles Times, May 2: 1.

The Register. 1969. "First degree murder asked in mates case." The Register (Santa Ana, CA), February 5: 15.

United Press International. 1969. "Dual murder case goes to jury soon." Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, February 12: 11.

Valley Times. 1968. "Transcript says alleged killer told of slaying." Valley Times, May 21:

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This episode is a Fan Favorite that was originally published as Episode 401. We hope that you continue to have a happy and safe holiday!

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Happy Thanksgiving! Pull up a chair and get ready for a brand new batch of tales brought TO you, BY you (Salad Fingers & the Sims thief), For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you!

Today we have some wild tales about break ins, child snatching, horrifying close calls, and our GIRL from Brockton! Don't forget to check out the VIDEO from this episode available on YouTube on 11/28/24!

If you?ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with ?Listener Tales? somewhere in the subject line :)

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This episode is a fan favorite that was originally published as Episode 476. We hope that you have a happy and safe holiday!

When musician Bobby Mackey opened Bobby Mackey?s Music World in 1978, he had hoped for nothing more than to open a small nightclub where audiences could enjoy the traditional country music he had devoted his life to for decades. Yet before the club was even opened, it was apparent to Bobby, his wife Janet, and manager Carl that whatever the new night club was going to be, it would be anything but normal.

In the decades since it opened, Bobby Mackey?s Music World has gained a reputation, not just as a one of Kentucky?s enduring country western clubs, but as one of America?s supposedly most haunted locations. Indeed, Bobby Mackey?s is said to be the home of several spirits whose lives revolved around, and in some cases ended on the property, including the ghosts of a lovesick showgirl, a headless pregnant woman, and the two Satan-worshipping men who took her head.

Thank you to the glorious David White for research assistance :)

References

Associated Press. 1978. "State to probe fire at club near Newport." Courier-Journal, July 10: 6.

?. 1993. "Legality of lawsuit blaming bar for ghost antics to be decided." Messenger-Inquirer, October 23: 17.

Caraway, Robin. 2006. "Wilder nightclub site has storied past." Cincinnati Post, July 17: 14.

Chicago Chronicle. 1896. "Pearl Bryan's story." Chicago Chronicle, May 10: 33.

Cincinnati Enquirer. 1979. "Kentucky closes Mackey's club, citing faulty wiriing, sprinkler." Cincinnati Enquirer, December 16: 26.

?. 1978. "Wilder police chief wants state to close Hard Rock Cafe." Cincinnati Enquirer, January 17: 17.

Hensley, Douglas. 2005. Hell's Gate: Terror at Bobby Mackey's Music World. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press.

Moores, Lew. 1993. "Court filing by club's lawyer is poetry in motion." Cincinnati Enquirer, October 22: 26.

2005. A Haunting. Television. Directed by Joe Wiecha. Performed by New Dominion Pictures.

Wecker, David. 1991. "Bobby Mackey demon story: truth or bull." Cincinnati Post, July 9: 11.

Wolfson, Andrew. 2022. "A twisted tale: A failed abortion, a beheading and pennies left heads up at a grave." Courier Journal, May 4.

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On November 2, 2016, thirty-four-year-old so-called ?Supermom? Sherri Papini went out for a run near her home in Redding, California, and disappeared without a trace. Three weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, Sherri was discovered on the side of the road in a nearby county, where she said her captors had released her. 

In the days that followed, Sherri claimed she had been kidnapped by two unknown Latin American women, who physically abused her, including branding her on the shoulder with the word ?Exodus.? The case garnered considerable attention from the local and national media, but when it came to details on her abductors and their motives, Sherri was surprisingly tight-lipped, giving the police and FBI little to work with. 

In March 2022, more than five years after her supposed abduction, the nation was shocked to learn that federal agents had arrested Papini and charged her with faking her own kidnapping. A month later, Sherri pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to more than a year in prison. The news was stunning and left everyone wondering, why would a seemingly ordinary and ostensibly happy mother orchestrate such a bizarre hoax?

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

ABC News. 2016. "Missing California mom found alive after captor abandons her in restraints, sheriff says." ABC News, November 24.

Ayestas, Jonathan. 2024. "Sherri Papini has yet to pay $300,000 fine for faked 2016 California kidnapping." CNN Newswire, March 26.

Bella, Timothy. 2022. "A mother said she was kidnapped. Now she admits it was all a hoax." Washington Post, April 13.

Bever, Lindsey, and Kristine Guerra. 2016. "Missing California mother found alive three weeks after her apparent abduction, police say." Washington Post, November 25.

Bonvillian, Crystal. 2022. "Feds detail how missing mom branded, starved self in 2016 kidnapping hoax." Cox Media Group, March 9.

CBS News, Sacramento. 2016. "Full text of November 30 press conference about Sherri Papini's abduction." CBS News, Sacramento, November 30.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2022. Sherri Papini criminal complaint and affidavit. Criminal complaint, Los Angeles, CA: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Gumbel, Andrew. 2022. "California jogger Sherri Papini staged own violent kidnapping, FBI says." The Guardian, March 4.

?. 2016. "Kidnapping, reverse ransom and a bounty: the strange case of Sherri Papini." The Guardian, December 30.

Hurley, Beven. 2022. "Why did it take five years to charge 'supermom' Sherri Papini with fabricating her own abduction?" The Independent, March 4.

Larimer, Sarah. 2016. "California mother was 'branded' and covered in bruises after apparent abduction, husband says." Washington Post, November 29.

Longoria, Sean. 2016. "Mother of 2 goes missing near Redding." Record Searchlight (Redding, CA), November 4: 1.

?. 2016. "Audio tells of Papini response." Record Searchlight, November 27: 1.

Sabalow, Ryan. 2016. "Familty of 'supermom' holds on to hope." Sacramento Bee, November 12: 1.

?. 2016. "Keep an open mind in unusual kidnap story, experts say." Sacramento Bee, December 3: B1.

?. 2016. "Relative defends husband of missing 'supermom'." Sacramento Bee, November 9: A14.

?. 2017. "Sheriff's office silent on Papini details." Sacramento Bee, January 31.

?. 2016. "'Supermom' hasn't been seen since taking a jog." Sacramento Bee, November 8: A4.

Sandhu, Amber. 2016. "Missing mom sought." Record Searchlight (Redding, CA), November 5: 1.

Serna, Joseph. 2016. "A setback in kidnapping case?" Los Angeles Times, December 1: B3.

Shulman, Alayna. 2016. "Sherriff gets help in search." Record Searchlight, November 8: 1.

?. 2017. "Will 2018 bring more Papini details?" Record Searchlight, December 28: 6.

Solis, Nathan. 2022. "Tale of abduction by Latinas fueled racial unease." Los Angeles Times, March 6: B2.

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On April 25, 2004, Broadmoor Hospital inmate Peter Bryan attacked a killed fellow inmate Richard Loudwell, a man awaiting sentencing for the murder of an eighty-two-year-old woman. The fact that the murder occurred in England?s most famous and supposedly secure psychiatric hospital was shocking, but more shocking was that this was Bryan?s third murder, and the second in as many months. Indeed, just two months earlier, while he was under the care of doctors and social workers in an open in-patient mental health hospital, Bryan left the facility in February and a few hours later he?d killed, dismembered, and partially cannibalized forty-three-year-old Brian Cherry.

Peter Bryan?s murders were highly sensationalized by the press, particularly the tabloids, who fueled the ongoing moral panic over the abysmal state of England?s mental health system. While the reporting did little more than exacerbate the public?s growing anger with the government, they nonetheless highlighted a very important question everyone wanted answered: How was a man with Bryan?s mental health and criminal history able to get released institutional care, and moreover, why was he not under surveillance when he murdered a third time?this time in heavily guarded psychiatric hospital?

References

Bennetto, Jason. 2005. "Care in the community patient sought `buzz' from killing and eating his victims." The Independent, March 16.

Bowcott, Owen. 2009. "Cannibal who killed three had seemed normal, NHS finds." The Guardian, September 3.

Chelsea News. 1994. "Grudge ended in murder." Chelsea News, March 3: 1.

Cheston, Paul. 2005. "Cannibal set free to kill in London." London Evening Standard, March 15.

Feller, Grant. 1993. "Police hunt evil King's Road murderer." Chelsea News, March 24: 3.

Garvey, Geoff, and Peter Dobbie. 1993. "Girl battered to death in King's Road." Evening Standard (London, England), March 19: 73.

Mishcon, Jane, Tim Exworthy, Stuart Wix, and Mike Lindsay. 2009. Independent Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Peter Bryan - Part I. Mental Health Treatment Review, London, England: National Health Service (NHS).

Raif, Shenai, and Andrew Barrow. 2005. "Triple-killer 'cannibal' told: you'll never be freed." The Independent, March 14.

Tendler, Stewart, and Laura Peek. 2004. "Cannibal fears after body found cut apart." The Times (London, England), February 19.

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At first glance, there wasn?t much to the mild and unassuming Jerry Brudos; however, when investigators looked into his background, they discovered several arrests for theft, prowling, and sexual assault. And the more they learned about Brudos? life, the more certain they became that he was the man they were looking for.

Ultimately, Jerry Brudos was convicted of the murders of Jan Whitney, Karen Sprinker, and Linda Salee and given three life sentences. His capture and incarceration were a big relief to the women of Oregon, but his cooperation with law enforcement and the FBI would prove invaluable as the latter established what would eventually become the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

References

Associated Press. 1969. "Fisherman's grim discovery started search for slayer." Albany Democrat-Herald, June 30: 21.

?. 1969. "Coed provided first lead in murder case." Oregonian, June 4: 11.

Capital Journal. 1969. "Salem student, 19, feared kidnaped." Capital Journal, March 29: 1.

Carbonell, Dan De. 2006. "36 years later, killer's death relieves victims' families." Statesman Journal (Salem Oregon), March 29: 2.

Leibman, Faith H. 1989. "Serial Murderers: Four Case Histories." Federal Probation 41-45.

Long, James. 1969. "Photo found in Brudos' home shows girl hanging by rope." Oregon Daily Journal, June 7: 1.

Morrison, Allen. 1969. "Brudos tells of attacks, killings." Oregon Statesman , June 28: 1.

?. 1969. "Indicted in death of Miss Sprinkler." Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 5: 1.

Olmos, Robert. 1969. "Crews widen river search for clues in girls murders." Oregonian , May 15: 19.

Oregon Journal. 1968. "2 teen-age girls missing." Oregon Daily Journal, February 6: J7.

Oregonian. 1968. "Help sought in search." Oregonian, December 23: 24.

?. 1969. "Office aide disappears ." Oregonian, April 26: 14.

Painter, John. 1969. "Sudden shift in plea signals end of trial." Oregonian , June 28: 1.

?. 1969. "Tests stall state trial of Brudos." Oregonian, June 6: 1.

Roby, Larry. 1969. "Parole agency explains eligibilty of Brudos." Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), July 2: 15.

?. 1969. "Judge discloses warrant details on Brudos." Capital Journal, June 6: 1.

Rule, Ann. 1983. Lust Killer. New York, NY: Random House.

Statesman Journal. 1969. "Brudos home alleged site of 2 slayings." Staesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 18: 1.

Wong, James. 1969. "Somebody probably saw Linda Salee's killer--but will the person speak up?" Oregon Daily Journal , May 15: 5.

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Over the course of 1968 and well into 1969, several young women in Salem, Oregon went missing and would later turn up dead?all murdered and showing signs of having been tortured. Many of the cases bore certain similarities, but it wasn?t until investigators questioned the friends of one of the victims, Karen Sprinker, that they came to identify a suspect and eventually arrested thirty-year-old Jerome ?Jerry? Brudos.

At first glance, there wasn?t much to the mild and unassuming Jerry Brudos; however, when investigators looked into his background, they discovered several arrests for theft, prowling, and sexual assault. And the more they learned about Brudos? life, the more certain they became that he was the man they were looking for.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1969. "Fisherman's grim discovery started search for slayer." Albany Democrat-Herald, June 30: 21.

?. 1969. "Coed provided first lead in murder case." Oregonian, June 4: 11.

Capital Journal. 1969. "Salem student, 19, feared kidnaped." Capital Journal, March 29: 1.

Carbonell, Dan De. 2006. "36 years later, killer's death relieves victims' families." Statesman Journal (Salem Oregon), March 29: 2.

Leibman, Faith H. 1989. "Serial Murderers: Four Case Histories." Federal Probation 41-45.

Long, James. 1969. "Photo found in Brudos' home shows girl hanging by rope." Oregon Daily Journal, June 7: 1.

Morrison, Allen. 1969. "Brudos tells of attacks, killings." Oregon Statesman , June 28: 1.

?. 1969. "Indicted in death of Miss Sprinkler." Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 5: 1.

Olmos, Robert. 1969. "Crews widen river search for clues in girls murders." Oregonian , May 15: 19.

Oregon Journal. 1968. "2 teen-age girls missing." Oregon Daily Journal, February 6: J7.

Oregonian. 1968. "Help sought in search." Oregonian, December 23: 24.

?. 1969. "Office aide disappears ." Oregonian, April 26: 14.

Painter, John. 1969. "Sudden shift in plea signals end of trial." Oregonian , June 28: 1.

?. 1969. "Tests stall state trial of Brudos." Oregonian, June 6: 1.

Roby, Larry. 1969. "Parole agency explains eligibilty of Brudos." Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), July 2: 15.

?. 1969. "Judge discloses warrant details on Brudos." Capital Journal, June 6: 1.

Rule, Ann. 1983. Lust Killer. New York, NY: Random House.

Statesman Journal. 1969. "Brudos home alleged site of 2 slayings." Staesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 18: 1.

Wong, James. 1969. "Somebody probably saw Linda Salee's killer--but will the person speak up?" Oregon Daily Journal , May 15: 5.

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Just because October is over doesn't mean that Spooky Season needs to end!! Today, our friend Bridget Marquardt drops by to tell us about her NEW PODCAST-- "Ghost Bunny" available everywhere you find podcasts, NOW!

On today's show Bridget shares spine tingling ghostly encounters she had, and Ash & Alaina talk about ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING games that none of US would want to play... like ever!

For more games, check out 'Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark' by Lucia Peters!

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Weirdos! Are you ready to talk about Vampires? Today we are joined by the ICONIC actor Doug Jones, the nicest monster in Hollywood! He has played everyone from Billy Butcherson in the Hocus Pocus films, the Fawn & the Pale Man in Pan?s Labyrinth, to the Amphibian Man in the Academy Award winning film The Shape of Water, as well as the titular role in David Lee Fisher?s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror available NOW on AppleTV, Amazon Prime, and other purchasing platforms! We ask him about his experience playing the hilarious Baron Afanas on What We Do in the Shadows which entered its final season on October 21st on FX! Ash tops off the episode telling us about a vampire legend from Poland. It has goat throwing! It has pacts with the devil! It has supernatural halitosis! It is the vampire story that keeps giving, hopefully, with the aid of our friend Dougie, will come to a theater near you at some point in the future! 

Looking for the Full story of Cuntius?? Visit https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/An_Antidote_Against_Atheism/Book_III/Chapter_IX

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Weirdos! It's *ACTUALLY* Halloween!!! Join us for a fresh batch of tales brought TO you, BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you!

Today we have shadow men throwing ass, ghostly exes, sinister DIY masks, annoying kids scaring young treat or treaters, and Big Wave bringing it all home for you! AND as a special treat! Check out the VIDEO from this episode available on ALL platforms on 10/31/24!

If you?ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with ?Listener Tales? somewhere in the subject line :)

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In January 2014, a strange article appeared in the Indianapolis Star about Latoya Ammons, an Indiana single mother of three who claimed that for more than a year, she and her children were besieged by demons in their rented home. Ammons claimed, among other things, that the house was constantly infested with black flies, the children were levitated from their beds, and her nine-year-son became possessed and walked up a wall backwards. And that was only the beginning; by the end of just one year in the house, the Ammons family claim they were terrorized by all manner of supernatural assaults, from ghostly apparitions to demonic entities.    

Latoya Ammons? story might well have gone unnoticed, had it not been for the surprising number of witnesses to the paranormal events, from family and friends to police officers and social workers. Still, Latoya was not without her critics or skeptics?some accused her of fabricating the story to get out of her lease, while others assumed she was simply delusional. Regardless of the explanation for the cause of the events, there?s no denying that Latoya Ammons story is one of the most terrifying paranormal experiences heard in decades.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Biddle, Kenny. 2018. Demon House Deconstructed. May 21. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/demon-house-deconstructed/.

Dawn, Randee. 2024. Is 'The Deliverance' based on a true story? August 30. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/the-deliverance-true-story-latoya-ammons-rcna167984.

Kwiatkowski, Marisa. 2014. "The exorcisms of Latoya Ammons." Indianapolis Star, January 26: A1.

Maginot, Mike. 2012. "Report seeking permission of bishop for exorcism." Indianapolis Star. May 21. Accessed September 27, 2024. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1005721-report-to-bishop.html.

Nickell, Joe. 2014. "The '200 demons' house: a skeptical demonologist's report." Skeptical Inquirer 20-24.

Washington, Valerie. 2012. Intake officer's report of preliminary inquiry and investigation. Intake report, Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Department of Children's Services.

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On the afternoon of February 9, 1958, a complaint was called into Long Island?s seventh police precinct regarding a series of ?strange occurrences? taking place in the caller?s home. According to the caller, Lucille Herrmann, for nearly a week the caps and lids of bottles in the basement had been popping off inexplicably, while other bottles and containers were tipping over and spilling their contents for no obvious reason. Elsewhere in the house, items were flying off shelves without the aid of human hands, and toys were breaking without explanation. Not only were the disturbances destructive to the Herrmann?s home and property, but they were also psychologically upsetting, since they seemed to be happening on their own.

Lucille Herrmann?s call to the Seaford Police Department kicked off a two-month-long fascination with what many came to believe was genuine poltergeist activity in the Herrmann?s Long Island, NY home. What began as a simple call to the police for assistance quickly escalated into near daily media coverage and interest from a variety of paranormal investigators and skeptics, all determined to identify and explain the cause of the ostensibly supernatural occurrences in what became known as ?the house of flying objects.?

The Herrmann?s case of poltergeist activity is considered by many to be the first modern investigation into poltergeist disturbances and would serve as the inspiration for Stephen Spielberg?s 1982 horror film, Poltergeist. Despite the considerable attention, however, the case remains unexplained to this day.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Allen, Tom. 1958. "A haunted house is not a home." Daily News (New York, NY), March 9: 30.

Aronson, Harvey. 1958. "Expert sees no hoax in bottle-popping." Newsday, March 7: 3.

Associated Press. 1958. "Bottles--all kind--flip their tops." Democrat and Chronicle , February 11: 1.

?. 1958. "Bottle tops rout pop." Elmira Star-Gazette, February 23: 1.

?. 1958. "Bottles pop, Davy falls for angel." Press and Sun-Bulletin, February 17: 11.

Dorman, Michael. 1987. "Ghost stories." Newsday, October 25: 9.

Elmira Advertiser. 1958. "Herrmanns' house quiet." Elmira Advertiser, March 27: 4.

Kahn, Dave. 1958. "Bottle-popping force shakes our reporter." Newsday, February 24: 3.

?. 1958. "Bottle-popping report points to Jimmy." Newsday, May 15: 5.

?. 1958. "Experts are working, bottle-pop force isn't." Newsday, February 27: 4.

?. 1958. "Flying figurines drive family out of Seaford home." Newsday, February 22: 5.

?. 1958. "Has the LI bottle-popping force popped its last." Newsday, March 17: 7.

?. 1958. "Jimmy a bottle-popper? No, sasy father." Newsday, February 28: 5.

?. 1958. "Our bottle-proper's decision: he's baffled." Newsday, February 25: 5.

?. 1958. "'Spirit' gets rough, starts hurling things." Newsday, February 21: 5.

?. 1958. "Two more bottles blow tops at LI house." Newsday, February 12: 4.

Newsday. 1958. "All's quiet on the bottle front." Newsday, March 3: 5.

?. 1958. "Clues remnmain cold in bottle mystery, but bottles get hot." Newsday, February 17: 5.

?. 1958. "Expert ponders bottle popping." Newsday, February 15: 10.

?. 1958. "Look out! Things are popping again." Newsday, March 4: 5.

Nickell, Joe. 2012. The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.

Roll, William G. 1976. The Poltergeist. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

United Press. 1958. "Boy likely was spook, says expert." Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY), May 15: 25.

Ziaman, Ronald. 1958. "Teen interviews." Brooklyn Daily, June 26: 14.

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In the early hours of June 30, 1987, Boise resident Clinton Sparks was awoken by someone pounding frantically on his storm door. A moment later, Sparks heard a loud scream in the distance, and he went inside to call 911.

Although he didn?t know it at the time, what Clinton Sparks heard was the last desperate cry of twenty-one-year-old Preston Murr, Two of Murr?s associates, Daniel Rodgers and Daron Cox, were arrested and tried and convicted for the murder.

The trial and conviction should have been where the story ended, but for the house on Linden Street where the murder occurred, it was only the beginning. Since Murr?s tragic death more than thirty-five years ago, the house has become a source of local legends, with claims ranging from the appearance of ghostly apparitions to blood inexplicably dripping down the walls. As a result, Boise?s ?Murder Mansion? has become known as one of the most haunted houses in America.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!!

References

Ensunsa, David. 1987. "Boisean held on drug charges has prison record." Idaho Statesman , July 2: 1.

?. 1987. "Murder suspect cared for foster teens." Idaho Statesman, July 8: 1.

?. 1987. "Sister says Rodgers, slaying victim fought over drugs, money." Idaho Statesman, July 8: 1.

Fiorentino, Alyssa. 2022. The True Story of the Boise Murder House Is Straight Out of a Horror Movie.September 7. Accessed September 7, 2024. https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a41059891/boise-murder-house/.

Heart, Michelle. 2021. 7 chillding and real stories from Boise's infamous murder house. September 15. Accessed September 06, 2024. https://liteonline.com/7-chilling-and-real-stories-from-boises-infamous-murder-house/.

?. 2024. Dare to enter? Boise's fascinating Murder House will open for public tours soon. May 23. Accessed September 7, 2024. https://liteonline.com/murder-house-tours/.

?. 2017. Nightmare on my street: Boise's Murder House. October 5. Accessed September 5, 2024. https://liteonline.com/nightmare-on-my-street-boises-murder-house-video-2/.

Idaho Statesman. 1988. "Fingerprints tied to murder victim." Idaho Statesman, March 10: 7.

KBOI News. 2012. The Murder House: Is site of decades-old murder haunted? June 27. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/nation-world/the-murder-house-is-site-of-decades-old-murder-haunted-11-17-2015.

Lamay, Colleen. 1988. "Court told gun bore Rodgers' prints." Idaho Statesman, March 15: 10.

McFarland, Kelsey. 2016. Murder house: Is site of decades old crime scene haunted. October 27. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://idahonews.com/news/local/murder-house-is-site-of-decades-old-crime-scene-haunted.

Peterson, Anne, and Julie Stutts. 1987. "Police discover blood on street in southeast Boise." Idaho Statesman, July 1: 26.

Pewitt, Jana. 1988. "Deal frees Cox of murder charge." Idaho Statesman, March 22: 13.

?. 1988. "Nampa man says he found body parts." Idaho Statesman, March 11: 19.

?. 1987. "Police: disposal of body recounted." Idaho Statesman, September 5: 15.

?. 1988. "Rodgers' lawyer asks for mistrial." Idaho Statesman, March 8: 7.

?. 1988. "Rodgers says blood sickens him." Idaho Statesman, March 18: 21.

?. 1987. "Screams prompted call to police." Idaho Statesman, September 4: 9.

?. 1988. "Crime lab expert testifies bullet in skull belonged to Rodgers' gun." Idahome Statesman, March 17: 19.

Romine, Dannye. 1989. "She led two lives." Parade Magazine, June 25: 4-6.

State of Idaho v. Daniel Rodgers. 1990. 17785 (Court of Appeals of Idaho, November 13).

Stutts, Julie. 1987. "Ada to suspend 2 dispatchers over call." Idaho Statesman, July 16: 1.

Stutts, Julie, and Jana Pewitt. 1988. "Verdict: Rodgers guilty of murder, dismemberment ." Idaho Statesman, March 19: 1.

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On December 18, 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved their family into their new house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, NY, where, just one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo Jr. had murdered all six members of his family. Twenty-eight days later, the Lutz family fled the home, leaving behind all their belongings and vowing never to return again. According to the Lutzes, their time in the house on Ocean Avenue was a nightmare of psychic attacks and demonic activity that put them in fear for their lives.

The supposed experience of the Lutz family served as the basis for the iconic haunted house story, The Amityville Horror, and the countless films adapted from or inspired by the original novel. However, unlike most other stories of paranormal experiences, The Amityville Horror became a phenomenon that influenced everything from Ronald DeFeo?s criminal defense to the American public?s belief in the supernatural. Yet for all their talk of it being a genuine story of demonic activity, in the years since the publication of The Amityville Horror, a large body of evidence from skeptical evaluations to court records and interview transcripts suggest that America?s most notorious haunted house might not have been quite so haunted after all.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!!

References

Ansen, Jay. 1978. The Amityville Horror. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Bartholomew, Robert, and Joe Nickell. 2016. "The Amityville Hoax at 40." Skeptic Magazine 8-12.

Carter, A.J. 1976. "DeFeo house: legal twist." Newsday, February 17: 3.

Drehsler, Alex, and Jim Scovel. 1977. "Fact or fiction." Newsday, November 17: 188.

Gelder, Lawrence Van. 1977. "A real-life horror story." New York Times, October 9: L12.

Lutz v. Hoffman et al. 1979. 77-032D-T (Southern District of California ).

Nickell, Joe. 2003. "Amityville: The Horror of it All." Skeptical Inquirer 13-14.

Nickell, Joe. 2009. "The questionable research of Hans Holzer, dean of ghost hunters (1920-2009)." Skeptical Inquirer 5-6.

Schemo, Diane Jean. 1992. "'Amityville' prisoner says movie money tained defense." New York Times, June 25: B6.

Snider, Jane. 1977. "New owners call house beautiful, not haunted ." Newsday, May 13: 23.

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On the evening of November 13, 1974, twenty-three-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr. burst through the door of Henry?s Bar in Amityville, Long Island, frantically yelling for help and telling the patrons that someone had killed his parents. When a small group returned to the house with DeFeo, they discovered that not only had his parents, Louise and Ronald Sr., been killed, but so had his four brothers and sisters?all shot to death in their beds with a .35 caliber rifle.

During a police interview that night, investigators became suspicious of Ronald DeFeo. Not only was his story of a mob hit difficult to believe, but he seemed incapable of keeping certain aspects of his story straight during the interview. The next day, DeFeo broke down and confessed to the murders, explaining that he had hated his father and telling investigators, ?Once I started [shooting], I just couldn?t stop.?

Ronald DeFeo?s trial was one of New York?s biggest news stories of 1975 and attracted considerable attention due to his attempt to mount an insanity defense and his frequent outbursts in the courtroom. In the end, the defense was unsuccessful and DeFeo was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life in prison. DeFeo?s conviction should have been the end of the story, but it turned out it was only the beginning of what would eventually become one of the most notorious supernatural claims in American history.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!!

References

Carter, A.J., Soper Susan , Dallas Gatewood, and Sam Washington. 1974. "DeFeo son is accused." Newsday, November 15: 3.

Incantalupo, Tom, and Sam Washington. 1974. "A quiet drink turns into an invitation to disaster." Newsday, November 14: 3.

?. 1974. "Six in Amityville family slain, each in bed, 1 bullet in back." Newsday, November 14: 1.

New York Times. 1974. "Six in family found slain in bedrooms in L.I. home." New York Times, November 14: 97.

Smith, Don. 1975. "Attack mounted on DeFeio's insanity plea." Newsday, October 25: 16.

?. 1975. "Cellmate says DeFeo had insanity plan." Newsday, November 11: 6.

?. 1975. "Cop quotes DeFeoL 'I... couldn't stop'." Newsday, September 24: 4.

?. 1975. "Cop: DeFeo altered story." Newsday, October 22: 9.

?. 1975. "DeFeo charges police beat him into confessing." Newsday, September 27: 13.

?. 1975. "DeFeo defended as psychotic killer." Newsday, November 19: 17.

?. 1975. "DeFeo guilty of family murder." Newsday, November 22: 3.

?. 1975. "Doctor: DeFeo knew it was wrong." Newsday, November 13: 19.

?. 1975. "Family clash is cited in DeFeo trial." Newsday, October 15: 22.

?. 1975. "I killed a dozen others, DeFeo says." Newsday, November 7: 21.

?. 1975. "'I left the room in awe of the horror'." Newsday, October 23: 17.

Smith, Don, and Sam Washington. 1975. "DeFeo a heroin user, cop testifies." Newsday, October 18: 16.

Stark, Thomas M. 2021. Horrific Homicides: A Judge Looks Back at the Amityville Horror Murders and Other Infamous Long Island Crimes. New York, NY : Archway Publishing.

Sullivan, Gerard, and Harvey Aronson. 1981. High Hopes: The Amityville Murders. New York, NY: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.

Vecsey, George. 1974. "L.I. slayings suspect had used drugs." New York Times, November 16: 18.

?. 1974. "Neighbors recall DeFeos as 'nice, normal family'." New York Times, November 15: 80.

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When Al and Carmen Snedeker found out that their son Phillip was diagnosed with Hodgkin?s lymphoma, the treatment plan required the family to relocate into a three floor home in Southington, Connecticut. The second floor apartment quickly became a nightmare for the inhabitants, with attacks escalating to demonic assault.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Carpenter, B. (1988, September 15). Exorcism performed in 'spirited' home. Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), p. 37.

Carpenter, B. (1988, August 18). Researcher says home haunted by evil presence. Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), p. 33.

Carpenter, B. (1988, August 13). Southington haunting is daunting . Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), p. 1.

Cohen, J. (1992, October 27). Their Southington haunt was hellish, couple tell Sally Jessy. Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), p. 1.

Garton, R., & Warren, E. (1992). In a Dark Place: The True Story of a Haunting. New York, NY: Villard Books.

I was raped by a ghost (1992). [Motion Picture].

Nickel, J. (2009). Demons in Connecticut. Skeptical Inquirer, 25-27.

Schmidt, K. (1992, October 30). Couple sees ghost; skeptics see through it. Hartford Courant, p. 126.

Smith, G. (1991, May 15). Family still haunted by ghastly experience. Record-Journal (Meriden, CT), p. 1.

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We continue to celebrate Spooky Season by touching on a few cemeteries that will make your spine tingle! Alaina tells us about the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground and its connection to a gothic icon. Ash dives into the stories about the Bachelor's Grove Cemetery and reads a first hand haunting account from a fellow weirdo!

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Weirdos! Rejoice! Spooky Season continues as we check into a few hotels where you will get more than free WiFi and room service! Alaina introduces us to not one, but TWO haunted hotels in Arizona! She delves into the Oliver House where historically verified murders have left terrifying specters as well as its haunted counterpart the Copper Queen! Ash brings us to Georgia, where the Marshall House ghostly residents walk the halls in search of their missing limbs!

If you have any suggestions for future spooky episodes email us at [email protected] with ?spooky? in the title!

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We're getting into Spooky Season proper now, and to celebrate, we hung out with our friend Aliza from the PAVE podcast Horoscope Weekly with Aliza Kelly!

Today we dive into Alaina's 'Roman Empire'- The Salem Witch Trials, and see how the stars over Salem played into the infamous tragedy!

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Weirdos! Today's episode is brought TO you, BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! It's Listener Tales 90!

Today we have a great batch of tales submitted by YOU! We have ghost cats, we have children dropping in to say 'hieeeeeee' BEFORE their birth, we have ghosty grandfathers playing with the grandson they never met, and we have Kitty's tale which will leave you with tears in your eyes!

If you?ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with ?Listener Tales? somewhere in the subject line :)

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When eighteen-year-old recent high school graduate Tiffany Valiante was struck and killed by a train in July 2015, the news came as a shock to friends and family, who couldn?t fathom why the teenager had been out walking the tracks that night. Their shock and confusion quickly turned to outrage and disbelief when, less than twenty-four hours later, Tiffany?s death was ruled a suicide by the New Jersey Transit Police, who were tasked with investigating the incident. As far as everyone knew, Tiffany was a happy, outgoing girl with a bright future and a sports scholarship to Mercy College in the fall?they couldn?t think of a single reason why she would have wanted to end her life. 

Despite the official conclusions about her death, the Valiante family have never believed Tiffany intentionally stepped in front of the train that night, and in the months and years that have passed since her death, many other people have come to a similar conclusion. In fact, they?re confident the evidence and numerous unanswered questions suggest Tiffany had not gone into the woods voluntarily and that her death is at best suspicious, and at worst a murder. 

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Conklin, Eric. 2023. "Family of Tiffany Valiante marks 8 years since teen's death with 2nd docuseries in the works." Press of Atlantic City, July 24.

Daily Beast. 2022. "Was high school grad being chased before grisly train death?" Daily Beast, July 16.

D'Amato Law. 2017. "?It?s just not the Tiffany I knew,? said Allison Walker, head women?s volleyball coach at Stockton University who coached Valiante in the East Coast Crush Volleyball Club, a junior travel volleyball team. ?The time of night really didn?t sit right with me." D'Amato Law. July 17. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://damatolawfirm.com/in-the-news/who-killed-tiffany-valiante-questions-persist-as-family-marks-the-third-anniversary-of-her-mysterious-death/.

?. 2022. Mishandling Key Evidence In 2015 Tiffany Valiante Suspicious Death Case Impeded Independent Forensic DNA Analysis, Reports Renowned Lab. March 29. Accessed August 20, 2024. https://damatolawfirm.com/in-the-news/mishandling-key-evidence-in-2015-tiffany-valiante-suspicious-death-case/.

DeAngelis, Martin. 2016. "Death of teen not suicide, suit says." Press of Atlantic City, July 20: 3.

DiFilippo, Dana, and Joe Hernandez. 2017. Family of N.J. teen killed by train disputes suicide ruling, sues to prove kidnap-murder plot. July 19. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://whyy.org/articles/family-of-nj-teen-killed-by-train-disputes-suicide-ruling-sues-to-prove-kidnap-murder-plot/.

Houseman, H. Louise. 2017. Investigative report submitted by H. Louise Hoiusman, Senior Medical Investigator. Investigative Report, Egg Harbor, NJ: D'Amato Law.

Huba, Nicholas. 2015. "Suicides shock, sadden teens." Press of Atlantic City, July 19: 1.

Jason, Dr. Donald. 2018. Re: Death of Tiffany Valiante. Forensic evaluation, Egg Harbor, NJ: D'Amato Law.

Low, Claire. 2018. "A walk thgrough hell." Press of Atlantic City, December 16: 1.

Morgan, Kate. 2022. Tiffany Valiante's last night. November. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://sjmagazine.net/featured/tiffany-valiantes-last-night.

Stephen F. Valiante and Diane F. Valiante v. Does et al. 2017. ATL-L-1411-17 (Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, July 18).

Sterling, Stephen, and S.P. Sullivan. 2017. Death and dysfunction: HGow N.J. fails the dead, betrays the living and is a national disgrace. December 14. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://death.nj.com/.

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After opening an investigation into Cindy?s death, investigators learned that, for nearly a decade leading up to her death, Cindy James had repeatedly reported to Richmond Police that she was a victim of harassment, stalking, and assault, and had even turned over threatening letters and answering machine messages as evidence of the harassment; yet local police were unable to verify her story or intervene to protect her.

At first, Cindy?s death appeared to be the inevitable and tragic conclusion of a years?-long campaign of harassment and terror by an unknown stalker; however, when investigators began digging into Cindy?s personal history, they discovered evidence that contradicted their initial assumptions and pointed towards a far stranger explanation for her death.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Graham, Patracia. 1989. "We could have done better for Cindy." The Province, June 16: 37.

Hall, Neal. 1989. "Body believed to be missing nurse's." Vancouver Sun, June 9: 1.

?. 1990. "Ex-spouse angrily denied woman's lurid charge." Vancouver Sun, March 7: A12.

?. 1990. "James' ex-husband tells of fear police would frame him." Vancouver Sun, March 8: 19.

?. 1990. "James felt abandoned, ex-husband testifies ." Vancouver Sun, May 8: 16.

?. 1990. "James inquest hears of 1984 kidnap claim." Vancouver Sun, March 2: 15.

?. 1990. "James recalled bloody tale." Vancouver Sun, March 6: 19.

?. 1990. "Under siege." Vancouver Sun, March 24: A9.

Horwood, Holly. 1990. "James inquest a strain for jurors." The Province, May 31: 4.

?. 1990. "Nurse changed her story." The Province, February 28: 6.

?. 1990. "Threats, attacks preceded death." The Province, February 27: 2.

Jiwa, Salim. 1989. "Body is nurse's." The Province , June 9: 5.

?. 1989. "Somebody tailed Cindy." The Province, June 1: 4.

Mulgrew, Ian. 1991. Who Killed Cindy James? Seal Press: New York, NY.

Pemberton, Kim. 1989. "Strange ordeal of Cindy James." Vancouver Sun, July 13: 17.

Vancouver Sun. 1989. "Abduction feared by nurse's dad." Vancouver Sun, June 2: 37.

?. 1990. "Conflicting evidence fabricated tangled puzzle for inquest." Vancouver Sun, May 29: 9.

?. 1990. "Coroner's jury to hear of mysterious incidents." Vancouver Sun, February 26: 21.

?. 1989. "Police ask help in locating missing nurse." Vancouver Sun, May 30: 33.

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On June 8, 1989, a municipal worker discovered the body of forty-four-year-old Cindy James in the backyard of an abandoned home in Richmond, British Columbia, hogtied and with a woman?s stocking wrapped around her neck. Two weeks earlier, friends had reported Cindy missing when she failed to show up for a game of cards and when the authorities searched Cindy?s car, they discovered blood and other signs that indicated she may have met with foul play.

After opening an investigation into Cindy?s death, investigators learned that, for nearly a decade leading up to her death, Cindy James had repeatedly reported to Richmond Police that she was a victim of harassment, stalking, and assault, and had even turned over threatening letters and answering machine messages as evidence of the harassment; yet local police were unable to verify her story or intervene to protect her.

At first, Cindy?s death appeared to be the inevitable and tragic conclusion of a years?-long campaign of harassment and terror by an unknown stalker; however, when investigators began digging into Cindy?s personal history, they discovered evidence that contradicted their initial assumptions and pointed towards a far stranger explanation for her death.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Graham, Patracia. 1989. "We could have done better for Cindy." The Province, June 16: 37.

Hall, Neal. 1989. "Body believed to be missing nurse's." Vancouver Sun, June 9: 1.

?. 1990. "Ex-spouse angrily denied woman's lurid charge." Vancouver Sun, March 7: A12.

?. 1990. "James' ex-husband tells of fear police would frame him." Vancouver Sun, March 8: 19.

?. 1990. "James felt abandoned, ex-husband testifies ." Vancouver Sun, May 8: 16.

?. 1990. "James inquest hears of 1984 kidnap claim." Vancouver Sun, March 2: 15.

?. 1990. "James recalled bloody tale." Vancouver Sun, March 6: 19.

?. 1990. "Under siege." Vancouver Sun, March 24: A9.

Horwood, Holly. 1990. "James inquest a strain for jurors." The Province, May 31: 4.

?. 1990. "Nurse changed her story." The Province, February 28: 6.

?. 1990. "Threats, attacks preceded death." The Province, February 27: 2.

Jiwa, Salim. 1989. "Body is nurse's." The Province , June 9: 5.

?. 1989. "Somebody tailed Cindy." The Province, June 1: 4.

Mulgrew, Ian. 1991. Who Killed Cindy James? Seal Press: New York, NY.

Pemberton, Kim. 1989. "Strange ordeal of Cindy James." Vancouver Sun, July 13: 17.

Vancouver Sun. 1989. "Abduction feared by nurse's dad." Vancouver Sun, June 2: 37.

?. 1990. "Conflicting evidence fabricated tangled puzzle for inquest." Vancouver Sun, May 29: 9.

?. 1990. "Coroner's jury to hear of mysterious incidents." Vancouver Sun, February 26: 21.

?. 1989. "Police ask help in locating missing nurse." Vancouver Sun, May 30: 33.

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On October 20, 1931, baggage agents in Los Angeles received a tip that two trunks on the incoming Southern Pacific Railroad could contain contraband material. When the agents located the suspicious trunks, they opened them and were horrified to find within them the dismembered remains of Anne LeRoi and Hedvig Samuelson, two young women who had gone missing in Arizona days earlier. Both women had been shot to death. 

Railroad agents quickly traced the trunks back to twenty-six-year-old Winnie Ruth Judd, but Judd disappeared into the crowd before authorities could apprehend and question her. Two days later, Judd surrendered to the LAPD, setting off one of the decade?s most sensational murder cases and making Winnie Ruth Judd, the ?Trunk Murderess,? an object of public curiosity for decades to follow. Some called her a butcher and a psychopath, yet many others found it impossible to believe that she?d acted alone or that she was anything more than an unwilling accomplice. 

Winnie Ruth Judd was ultimately found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, but her life was spared, and her sentence was overturned when psychiatrists determined her to be mentally incompetent and she was sent to a psychiatric institution. Judd spent thirty years in an Arizona mental institution, from which she escaped and was recaptured six times, before finally winning parole in 1971.  

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Arizona Daily Star. 1932. "Testimony in Judd trial is before jurors." Arizona Daily Star, February 7: 1.

?. 1932. "Winnie Judd breaks under trial's strain." Arizona Daily Star, January 22: 1.

Associated Press. 1932. "Winnie Judd guilty, must hang for murder." Arizona Daily Star, February 9: 1.

?. 1932. "Mrs. Judd guilty of first degree murder." New York Times, February 9: 1.

?. 1939. "Mrs. Judd, slayer, escapes asylum." New York Times, October 26: 27.

Bommersbach, Jana. 1992. The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Los Angeles Evening Express. 1931. "Youth reveals sister's story." Los Angeles Evening Express, October 20: 1.

Los Angeles Times. 1931. "Doctor wants to hunt wife." Los Angeles Times, October 21: 9.

?. 1931. "Trunk murder suspect dodges great dragnet." Los Angeles Times, October 21: 1.

?. 1931. "Trunk seeker ex-employee." Los Angeles Times, October 20: 2.

New York Times. 1932. "Alienist asserts Mrs. Judd is sane." New York Times, February 4: 9.

?. 1931. "Confession letter laid to Mrs. Judd." New York Times, October 25: 3.

?. 1931. "Mrs. Judd gives up in trunk murders." New York Times, October 24: 3.

?. 1932. "Mrs. Judd to die on scaffold May 11." New York Times, February 25: 44.

?. 1971. "Winnie Ruth Judd free on parole." New York Times, November 30: 53.

Stanley, Thiers. 1931. "Fears grip Mrs. Judd." Los Angeles Times, October 31: 1.

Tucson Citizen. 1931. "Accomplice sought." Tucson Citizen, October 20: 1.

?. 1932. "Eludes guard while mother is on stand." Tucson Citizen, January 26: 1.

?. 1931. "Student tells of trip to claim bodies of victims." Tucson Citizen, October 20: 1.

United Press International. 1982. "Trunk murderer wins big court settlement ." UPI Archive, December 31.

Winnie Ruth Judd v. State of Arizona. 1932. 41 Ariz. 176 (Ariz. 1932) (Supreme Court of Arizona, 12 December 12).

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In the early morning hours of December 17, 1968, two gunmen burst into the Atlanta motel room of Barbara Jane Mackle and her mother, Jane. After tying up and chloroforming Jane Mackle, the two kidnapped Barbara, forcing her into their car at gunpoint. Later that day, a family friend received a call at the Mackle home in Florida, instructing them to look in the northwest corner of the Mackle?s yard, where they would find a ransom note with details about how to ensure their daughter?s safe return.

Once the note was unearthed, the Mackle?s learned their daughter had been placed inside a box and buried in the ground in a remote location. She has enough food, water, and air to survive for a few days, but if the family doesn?t act quickly, there?s a good chance Barbara will die

The kidnapping of Barbara Jane Mackle was an elaborately planned, well-executed crime that quickly dominated local and national headlines, which was no small feat in a year of major social upheaval. By the 1960s, kidnapping for ransom was a familiar concept, but to be kidnapped and buried alive was a terrifying thought that shook Americans to their core and left everyone wondering, what kind of person could do such a thing?

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1968. "Kidnapped college girl found safe in box underground." Los Angeles Times, December 21: 1.

?. 1968. "Mackle kidnapping suspect capturted; $480,000 recovered." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1.

?. 1968. "Kidnapped girl tells of ordeal of 83 hours entombed in box." New York Times, December 29: 44.

?. 1968. "Kidnapped girl, buried alive, is freed." New York Times, December 21: 1.

Atlanta Constitution. 1968. "80-hour burial ends in rescue." Atlanta Constitution, December 21: 1.

?. 1968. "Motel coed kidnapped here spurs nationwide alert for 2." Atlanta Constitution, December 18: 1.

Foreman, Laura. 1968. "Campus silent about the girl." Atlanta Constitution, December 18: 1.

Gary Steven Krist v. State of Georgia. 1970. 227 Ga. 85 (Ga. 1970) (Supreme Court of Georgia, December 3).

Markowitz, Arnold. 1969. "Plea of Innocent entered for Krist." Miami Herald, March 8: 1.

Miami Herald. 1969. "Krist collapses; is being force-fed." Miami Herald, April 25: 4.

?. 1969. "'Superiority' goes to jail." Miami Herald, May 28: 3.

?. 1969. "Who's villain of kidnap case?" Miami Herald, March 9: 19.

Miller, Gene. 1969. "Krist gets life in prison avter jury grants mercy." Miami Herald, May 27: 1.

?. 1969. "'Life imprisonment worse than death'." Miami Herald, May 27: 16.

Miller, Gene, and Barbara Mackle. 1971. Eighty-Three Hours till Dawn. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Murray, Frank. 1968. "Researcher and 2 sought in kidnap." Atlanta Constitution, December 20: 1.

New York Times. 1968. "Ransom pickup inadvertently foiled by Miami police." New York Times, December 20.

Raines, Howell. 1979. "Parole of a kidnapper angers Atlanta." New York Times, May 14: A14.

Sosin, Milt. 1969. "FBI hunts Ruth's 'flight pal'." Miami News, March 6: 1.

?. 1969. "Ruth: Everyone is against me." Miami News, March 7: 1.

United Press International. 1968. "Gunman and 'boy' kidnapp 20-year-old coed, Florida millionaire's daughter." New York Times, December 18: 25.

Vissar, Steve. 2006. "The strange odyssey of Gary Krist; From kidnapper to prisoner to doctor to alleged drug smuggler." Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 19.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the early morning hours of December 17, 1968, two gunmen burst into the Atlanta motel room of Barbara Jane Mackle and her mother, Jane. After tying up and chloroforming Jane Mackle, the two kidnapped Barbara, forcing her into their car at gunpoint. Later that day, a family friend received a call at the Mackle home in Florida, instructing them to look in the northwest corner of the Mackle?s yard, where they would find a ransom note with details about how to ensure their daughter?s safe return.

Once the note was unearthed, the Mackle?s learned their daughter had been placed inside a box and buried in the ground in a remote location. She has enough food, water, and air to survive for a few days, but if the family doesn?t act quickly, there?s a good chance Barbara will die

The kidnapping of Barbara Jane Mackle was an elaborately planned, well-executed crime that quickly dominated local and national headlines, which was no small feat in a year of major social upheaval. By the 1960s, kidnapping for ransom was a familiar concept, but to be kidnapped and buried alive was a terrifying thought that shook Americans to their core and left everyone wondering, what kind of person could do such a thing?

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research and writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1968. "Kidnapped college girl found safe in box underground." Los Angeles Times, December 21: 1.

?. 1968. "Mackle kidnapping suspect capturted; $480,000 recovered." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1.

?. 1968. "Kidnapped girl tells of ordeal of 83 hours entombed in box." New York Times, December 29: 44.

?. 1968. "Kidnapped girl, buried alive, is freed." New York Times, December 21: 1.

Atlanta Constitution. 1968. "80-hour burial ends in rescue." Atlanta Constitution, December 21: 1.

?. 1968. "Motel coed kidnapped here spurs nationwide alert for 2." Atlanta Constitution, December 18: 1.

Foreman, Laura. 1968. "Campus silent about the girl." Atlanta Constitution, December 18: 1.

Gary Steven Krist v. State of Georgia. 1970. 227 Ga. 85 (Ga. 1970) (Supreme Court of Georgia, December 3).

Markowitz, Arnold. 1969. "Plea of Innocent entered for Krist." Miami Herald, March 8: 1.

Miami Herald. 1969. "Krist collapses; is being force-fed." Miami Herald, April 25: 4.

?. 1969. "'Superiority' goes to jail." Miami Herald, May 28: 3.

?. 1969. "Who's villain of kidnap case?" Miami Herald, March 9: 19.

Miller, Gene. 1969. "Krist gets life in prison avter jury grants mercy." Miami Herald, May 27: 1.

?. 1969. "'Life imprisonment worse than death'." Miami Herald, May 27: 16.

Miller, Gene, and Barbara Mackle. 1971. Eighty-Three Hours till Dawn. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Murray, Frank. 1968. "Researcher and 2 sought in kidnap." Atlanta Constitution, December 20: 1.

New York Times. 1968. "Ransom pickup inadvertently foiled by Miami police." New York Times, December 20.

Raines, Howell. 1979. "Parole of a kidnapper angers Atlanta." New York Times, May 14: A14.

Sosin, Milt. 1969. "FBI hunts Ruth's 'flight pal'." Miami News, March 6: 1.

?. 1969. "Ruth: Everyone is against me." Miami News, March 7: 1.

United Press International. 1968. "Gunman and 'boy' kidnapp 20-year-old coed, Florida millionaire's daughter." New York Times, December 18: 25.

Vissar, Steve. 2006. "The strange odyssey of Gary Krist; From kidnapper to prisoner to doctor to alleged drug smuggler." Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 19.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weirdos! Everyone Rejoice!! September is upon us! Let's welcome the 'BER' months with the FOURTH installment of Spooky Lighthouses! Today Alaina & Ash talk about the morbid history of two lighthouses: The Cape Romain Lighthouse in South Carolina & Little Ross Lighthouse in Scotland!

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Weirdos!! It?s our second SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE brought to YOU by our friends at Audible! Today we?re joined by one of our besties, Sabrina from 2 Girls 1 Ghost to chat about Grady Hendrix's, ?My Best Friends Exorcism?! Join the ?Weirdos? Audiobook Club? AND the conversation as we talk about our favorite characters, themes, and scenes! Haven?t listened yet? Don?t worry about it, friend! Go to Audible.com/weirdos for YOUR free trial! And don?t forget to click the episode post on Instagram to comment YOUR favorite part of the book, and discuss with other Weirdos who enjoyed the title, as well!

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Weirdos! The Time has come for Listener Tales! We have a great batch of stories brought TO you, BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! On today's episode, we tell tales of babysitting for a murderer, a story from our best friend (we're so sorry we accidentally speak over you in the car!! a story about being a ghost writer for an abusive ex, and a nephew who had tea parties with deceased relatives!

If you?ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with ?Listener Tales? somewhere in the subject line :)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the early morning hours of June 7, 1992, best friends and recent high school graduates Suzie Streeter and Stacy McCall finished up their graduation festivities and headed back to Suzie?s house that she shared with her mother, Sherill Levitt. When the girls failed to meet their friends for a planned trip the following day, two of those friends went by Levitt?s house to check on them. Despite all three women?s cars being parked in the driveway and the front door being unlocked, no one was home. Perhaps more alarming was the fact that the purses, wallets, and other items of all three women were still at the house, and the television in Streeter?s bedroom had been left on. Hours later, when the three still hadn?t been seen or heard from, Stacy McCall?s mother called the police and reported them missing.

For months the case of the ?Springfield Three? dominated headlines in and around the city of Springfield, Missouri and consumed a massive amount of law enforcement resources; yet leads and evidence were sparse, and it seemed to many that the three missing women had simply vanished into thin air. In the thirty years since they went missing, the investigation has produced a number of compelling leads and potential suspects, but none have produced any answers or arrests and the disappearance of the Springfield Three remains one of the city?s most baffling mysteries. 

Anyone with information about the disappearance is encouraged to contact the Springfield Police at (417) 864-1810 or place an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at (417) 869-8477. Tips and information can also be submitted online at P3tips.com.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Barnes, Deborah, and Traci Bauer. 1992. "Frantic families watchful for trio." Springfield News-Leader, June 9: 3.

Bauer, Traci. 1992. "Three women vanish." Springfield News-Leader, June 9: 1.

Benson, Ana. 2021. The Disappearance of the Springfield Three. Duluth, MN: Trellis Publishing.

Bentley, Chris , and Robert Keyes. 1992. "Police follow transient lead." Springfield News-Leader, June 16: 1.

Bentley, Chris. 1992. "Disappearance leaves woman's son 'frantic'." Springfield News-Leader, June 10: 1.

Clark, Christopher. 1992. "Who could be so cruel? Friends shake their heads." Speingfield News-Leader, June 10: 1.

Clark, Christopher, Traci Bauer, and Chris Bentley. 1992. "Typical teenagers, a loving mother." Springfield News-Ledger, June 10: 14.

Davis, Ron. 1992. "Troubled." Springfield News-Leader, June 26: 1.

Keyes, Robert. 1996. "Inmate to go 'under microscope'." Springfield News-Leader, January 19: 1.

?. 1996. "Missing women case leads police to Texas." Springfield News-Leader, January 2: 1.

?. 1992. "Streeter's brother passes polygraph." Springfield News-Leader, June 12: 6.

?. 1996. "Talk with inmate leads to 'nothing shattering'." Springfield News-Leader, January 20: 1.

?. 2006. "Three Missing women: Ten years later." Springfield News-Leader, June 8.

?. 1992. "Too many felonies." Springfield News-Leader, July 11: 1.

?. 1992. "Waitress gives clue." Springfield News-Leader, June 24: 1.

?. 1992. "'We're doing all we can'." Springfield News-Leader, June 21: 9.

O'Dell, Kathleen. 1992. "A sixth sense about a baffling case." Springfield News-Leader, June 28: 1.

Reid, Kyani. 2022. 30 years later family still seeking answers in the disappearance of three Springfield, Missouri women. June 12. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/30-years-later-family-still-seeking-answers-disappearance-three-springfield-n1296285.

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In the winter of 1968, reporter Bill Gibbons got an anonymous call from a man who wanted to confess to three murders in the small town of Gaffney, South Carolina. Gibbons thought the call was a prank, but he took it to the sheriff and the two men travel out to the first of three locations where the caller claimed to have left the bodies. After searching casually through the underbrush for a short time, the men discover the nude body of twenty-year-old Nancy Carol Paris, who?d been strangled to death. At the second location, they discovered the body of fourteen-year-old Tina Rhinehart, who appeared to have been killed in the same manner as Paris. Investigators soon learned that the third location the caller gave was where police had discovered the body of Annie Dedmond six months earlier.

In the days that followed, the ?Gaffney Strangler,? as the press would come to call him, would contact Gibbons several more times, demanding that he print stories about the murders in the newspaper. He also insisted that Gibbons and the sheriff?s department needed to do something about the fact that Annie Dedmond?s husband, Roger, was sitting in jail for Annie?s murder. Then, a week later, the strangler struck again, this time kidnapping fifteen-year-old Opal Buckson in broad daylight, throwing her in the trunk of his car while her sister watched helplessly. Opal?s body would be discovered a week later, dead like the others.

A few days after the discovery of Opal?s body, police arrested Lee Roy Martin, a local mill worker and father of three who?d been born and raised in Gaffney. The arrest shocked the local residents and left everyone wondering, in a town as small as Gaffney, how could they have lived their entire lives with a violent psychopath and never known it?

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Charlotte Observer. 1972. "About Roger Dedmond, convicted of killing his wife." Charlotte Observer, November 7: 30.

2015. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Christine Connor. Performed by Christine Connor.

Dalton, Robert, and Craig Peters. 2009. Gaffney Strangler terrorized town 40 years ago, murdering 4 women. July 5. Accessed July 29, 2024. https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2009/07/05/gaffney-strangler-terrorized-town-40-years-ago-murdering-4-women/29885910007/.

Fuller, Bill, and Jack Horan. 1968. "Dog only murder witness?" Charlotte Observer, February 10: 1.

Gaffney Ledger. 1968. "Attorneys ask court transcript of trial." Gaffney Ledger, February 21: 1.

?. 1968. "Officers search well; find Opal's clothing." Gaffney Ledger, February 28: 1.

Howe, Claudia. 1968. "Grim mystery, violent deaths engulf Gaffney." Charlotte Observer, February 14: 10.

Jones, Mark R. 2007. Palmetto Predators: Monsters Among Us. Charleston, SC: The History Press.

Martin, Tommy. 1988. "Lives of golf pro, texile worker crossed paths on February 13, 1968." Gaffney Ledger, February 5: 4.

?. 1968. "Martin sentenced to life in prison." Gaffney Ledger, September 19: 1.

McCuen, Sam E. 1968. "Crank telephone calls plague Gaffney police." The State, February 16: 19.

?. 1968. "Gaffney girl is kidnapped." The State, February 14: 1.

?. 1968. "Mother convinced her son innocent." The State, February 9: 1.

Skipp, Catherine. 2009. "Gaffney, S.C. haunted by murderous memories ." Newsweek, July 8.

The Gaffney Ledger. 1968. "Martin is charged in 3 stranglings." Gaffney Ledger, February 19: 1.

The State. 1968. "2 bodies found after phone call." The State, February 9: 1.

?. 1968. "Suspect attempts suicide." The State, February 21: 15.

Truluck, Jack. 1968. "In-laws believe Dedmond is guilty." Gaffney Ledger, February 21: 1.

United Press International. 1968. "Lee Roy Martin indicted in 4 Gaffney stranglings." Greenville News, May 21: 1.

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On the afternoon of March 25, 1934, Belle Bradley found one of her tenants, forty-five-year-old Eric Madison, dead on the floor of the apartment he rented with his wife, Nellie. Madison had been shot in the back four times with a .32 caliber revolver and there was no sign of Nellie Madison, nor was there any evidence of a break-in or a robbery. In the days that followed, investigators quickly determined that Nellie had shot her husband and they tracked her to a remote cabin in northern California, where she was arrested and taken back to Los Angeles and charged with the murder.

To the Los Angeles police and press, Nellie Madison was suspicious from the very start; not for any obvious reason or evidence against her, but because she openly defied the categories and characteristics used to define a wife and woman at the time. Although she was only thirty-three years old, she had been married five times and yet had no children. She also had a strong skillset from having worked many jobs, and having been raised on a farm in Montana, she was a skilled survivalist who had never needed the help of a man. Going into the murder trial, it was these facts, more than any physical evidence or witness testimony, that would count against her.

After a two-week trial, Nellie Madison was found guilty for the murder of her husband and sentenced to death, making her the first woman to ever sit on death row in the state?s history. However, Nellie?s death sentence was hardly the end of her case; in fact, it was the turning point in the story that would finally bring the truth about Eric?s death into the light.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Cairns, Kathleen. 2005. "Saved From the Gallows." California Supreme Court Historical Society 5-14.

?. 2007. The Enigma Woman: The Death Sentence of Nellie May Madison. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

2015. A Crime to Remember. Television. Directed by Christine Connor. Accessed July 23, 2024.

Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. 1934. "Calls woman Lady Macbeth." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, June 20: 1.

?. 1934. "Hint Madison is still alive." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, June 13: 1.

?. 1934. "Mrs. Madison facinc noose; plans appeal." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, June 23: 1.

?. 1934. "Self defense may be argued." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, June 6: 1.

?. 1934. "Widow unmoved by death story." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, April 12: 7.

Los Angeles Times. 1934. "Auditor found slain; wife hunted in inquiry." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 15.

?. 1934. "Death clew hunt pushed." Los Angeles Times, April 1: 17.

?. 1934. "Death plea hits widow." Los Angeles Times, June 20: 17.

?. 1934. "Deatn case widow mum." Los Angeles Times, Marchh 27: 19.

?. 1934. "Doubt cast on identity." Los Angeles Times, June 14: 17.

?. 1934. "Madison may be exhumed." Los Angeles Times, June 16: 13.

?. 1934. "Second pistol bought by Mrs. Madison hunted in mysrtery murder case." Los Angeles Times, March 28: 5.

?. 1934. "Slaying of mate denied." Los Angeles Times, June 15: 36.

?. 1934. "Widow veils death tale." Los Angeles Times, March 28: 17.

Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2007. "Unwitting pioneer of the battered-woman defense." Los Angeles Times, February 4.

The People of California v. Nellie May Madison. 1935. 3826 (Supreme Court of the State of California, May 27).

Underwood, Agness. 1934. "Widow weeps when held in murder quiz." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, March 29: 1.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium in 1898, the chemical element was quickly adopted by manufacturers for its luminescent properties that would go on to be used in, among other things, the painting of clock faces, watches, and instrument panels, allowing them to be seen in the dark. At the time, the introduction of radioluminescent materials into manufacturing was hailed as a scientific solution to an age-old frustration, but it didn?t take long before that solution was shown to have terrible consequences.    

As a radioactive element, radium is highly toxic to humans, particularly when ingested or inhaled. While it seemed unlikely that anyone would ingest or inhale the radium used to paint a clockface, this fact posed a serious problem for the largely female factory workers whose job it was to paint the dials. These ?Radium Girls,? as they would come to be known, not only spent most of their day in close proximity to the paint, but also employed a technique in which they frequently wet their paintbrushes with their mouths, consuming small amounts of radium in the process. 

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, hundreds of young women working in at least three radium dial factories in the United States suffered deadly radiation poisoning as a result of working so closely with radium, all without any safety protocols and completely unaware of the dangers. After dozens of deaths, a group of factory workers successfully sued their employers for damages, exposing the widespread disregard for worker safety. While the suits were generally a major victory for the American labor movement, it was ultimately hard-won and little comfort to those who would die within a few years.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Camden Courier-Post. 1928. "Woman radium victim offers living body to aid in search for cure." Courier-Post, May 29: 1.

eGov Newswire. 2021. "Menedez leads colleagues in introducing senate resolution to honor the lives and legacy of the 'Radium Girls'." eGov Newswire, June 26.

Evening Courier. 1927. "Radium poison victims want damage suit limits raised." Evening Courier, July 19: 2.

Galant, Debbie. 1996. "Living with a radium nightmare." New York Times, September 29: NJ1.

Lang, Daniel. 1959. "A most valuable accident." New Yorker, April 24: 49.

McAndrew, Tara McClellan. 2018. The Radium Girls: An Illinois Tragedy. January 25. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2018-01-25/the-radium-girls-an-illinois-tragedy.

Moore, Kate. 2017. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women. New York, NY: Sourcebooks.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. n.d. Radium Girls: The Story of US Radium?s Superfund Site. Environmental Preservation Snapshot, Orange, NJ: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

New York Times. 1928. "Finds no bar to suit by radium victims." New York Times, May 23: 11.

Prisco, Jacopo. 2017. "Radium Girls: The dark times of luminous watches." CNN, December 19.

United Press. 1928. "Woman, dying by degrees, tells of symptoms of radium posioning." Courier-News, May 16: 6.

?. 1928. "3 more are victims of radiun poisoning." Evening Courier, May 22: 1.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the morning of March 20, 1927, nine-year-old Lorraine Snyder was awakened by the sound of gentle knocking at her bedroom door and when she opened it, she found her mother bound and gagged on the floor. According to the girl?s mother, Ruth Snyder, someone had broken into the house in the middle of the night, knocked her unconscious and tied her up, then murdered her husband, Albert. Ruth claimed the motive was robbery, but investigators were immediately suspicious of her. Not only was there no sign of forced entry, but Albert?s murder had been particularly brutal and appeared personal. A day later, when police found Ruth?s supposedly stolen items hidden in the house, her story started to fall apart.

The murder of Albert Snyder had everything depression-era Americans were looking for in a media distraction?sex, extramarital affairs, fraud, and murder. From the moment Ruth and her boyfriend, Judd Gray, were arrested for the murder of her husband, they were thrust into the spotlight and would remain fixtures on the front pages of the papers across New York up to and including the final moments of their lives.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Beckley, Zoe. 1927. "Ruth Snyder to escape chair, is Zoe Beckley's forecast." Times Union, April 19: 1.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1927. "Suspect is held after cops grill dead man's wife." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 21: 1.

Brooklyn Times Union. 1927. "Hid lover in her home, then went to party." Brooklyn Times Union, March 21: 25.

?. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die, she first, in sobs; each is forgiving." Brooklyn Times Union, Janaury 13: 1.

MacKellar, Landis. 2006. The Double Indemnity Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and New York's Crime of the Century. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

New York Times. 1927. "Cross-examination of Mrs. Ruth Snyder on her last day on the stand." New York Times, May 4: 16.

?. 1927. "Girl finds mother bound." New York Times, March 21: 1.

?. 1927. "Gray's first story was full of denial." New York Times, March 22: 3.

?. 1927. "Judge warned jury to avoid sympathy." New York Times, May 10: 1.

?. 1927. "Mrs. Snyder and Gray found guilty in the first degree in swift verdict; both to get death sentence Monday." New York Times, May 10: 1.

?. 1927. "Not a cruel killer, Gray writes in cell." New York Times, April 8: 25.

?. 1927. "Says Gray was hypnotized." New York Times, March 26: 9.

?. 1927. "Slayers indicted; Snyder case trial sought for April 4." New York Times, March 24: 1.

?. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder face speedy trial; racant confession." New York Times, March 23: 1.

?. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder hear doom unmoved; put hope in appeals." New York Times, May 14: 1.

?. 1927. "Snyder jury hears Gray's confession accusing woman." New York Times, April 28: 1.

?. 1927. "Snydwer was tricked into big insurance, state witness says." New York Times, April 26: 1.

?. 1927. "Widow on stand swears Gray alone killed Snyder as she tried to save him." New York Times, April 30: 1.

?. 1927. "Wife betrays paramour as murderer of Snyder, and he then confesses." New York Times, March 22: 1.

Sutherland, Sidney. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die in chair, asking for forgiveness for sin." Daily News, January 13: 1.

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Weirdos! Spencer and Madison drop by to give us a SNEAK PEAK at their new show, Gossip's Bridle! Get ready to gossip about the gossips! So, pull up a chair, sit crooked, and talk straight with us!

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On February 20, 1949, police in London arrested thirty-nine-year-old John George Haigh on suspicion of his connection to Olive Durand-Deacon, a wealthy widow who?d gone missing a few days earlier. Haigh had a long criminal history of fraud and theft, so when police discovered that Haigh had recently pawned several items belonging to the missing woman, they naturally believed he had robbed and possibly killed Duran-Deacon. The truth, they soon learned, was far worse.

After days of interrogation, Haigh eventually confessed to the murder of Olive Durand-Deacon, telling detectives he had drained her of her blood, which he intended to drink, then disposed of her body in a forty-five gallon barrel of acid?but she was far from the first of his victims. By the time his case went to trial, investigators had connected Haigh to six victims, all dissolved in acid, and he?d confessed to three additional murders that were unconfirmed. 

In his confession, Haigh claimed he?d murdered his victims in order to drink their blood; though, it?s far more likely his motive was primarily greed. Nevertheless, Haigh?s claim was immediately seized upon by the British tabloids, who labeled him a ?vampire killer? and provided endless sensational coverage of the arrest, trial, and his eventual execution.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Daily Record. 1949. "Haigh was a model boy." Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland), July 20: 1.

Evening Dispatch. 1949. "Haigh: Defence will plead insanity." Evening Dispatch (Birmingham, England), July 18: 1.

?. 1949. "Silence in court." Evening Dispatch (Birmingham, England), July 1: 1.

Evening Express. 1949. "Haigh for trial at Old Bailey." Evening Express (Liverpool, England), April 2: 1.

Evening Sentinel. 1949. "Dramatic developments in mystery of missing widow." Evening Sentinel (Staffordshire, England), March 1: 1.

Herald Express. 1949. "'Haigh put the body in a drum' - prosectiuon." Herald Today (Devon, England), April 1: 1.

Lincolnshire Echo. 1949. "Haigh lived to lives, says mind doctor." Lincolnshire Echo, July 19: 1.

Lowe, Gordon. 2015. The Acid Bath Murders: The Trials and Liquidations of John George Haigh. Cheltenham, UK: History Press.

Ramsland, Katherine. 2006. "John George Haigh: A Malingerer's Legacy." The Forensic Examiner 59-62.

Root, Neil. 2012. Frenzy: The First Great Tabloid Murders. New York, NY: Preface Publishing.

Sunday Dispatch. 1949. "Wide search for missing rich widow." Sunday Dispatch (London, England), February 27: 1.

The Times. 1949. "Hiagh sentenced to death." The Times (London, England), July 20: 2.

Western Daily Press. 1949. "Haigh smiles at sentence." Western Daily Press, July 20: 1.

Western Morning News. 1949. "Yard fears for fate of five people." Western Morning News, March 3: 1.

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On December 15, 1997, ten-day-old Delimar Vera died in a tragic housefire when the Philadelphia home of Luz Cuevas and Pedro Vera caught fire unexpectedly. After a brief investigation, the fire department identified a faulty heater as the cause of the fire and deemed the baby?s death an accident and claimed that the girl?s remains had been completely destroyed in the blaze. Luz Cuevas was skeptical of their explanation and struggled to accept her daughter?s death.

Six years after the fire, Luz was at a party where she ran into Pedro?s cousin, whom she hadn?t seen in several years. The woman, Carolyn Correa, had with her a little girl named Aaliyah, whom she claimed was her daughter, though Luz didn?t remember her having children or being pregnant six years earlier. Even more suspicious was that six-year-old Aaliyah bore a striking resemblance to Luz herself and she couldn?t shake the feeling that Aaliyah was in fact her own supposedly dead daughter, Delimar. 

Had Luz Cuevas been right all along? Had Delimar somehow managed to survive the fire? And if so, why was she now in the custody of a strange woman she hadn?t seen in six years?

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Benson, Clea, and Rusty Pray. 1997. "10-day-old baby dies in N. Phila. fire." Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16: 38.

CBS News. 2004. New twist in baby ID case. March 9. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-twist-in-baby-id-case/.

CNN. 2004. Mom finds kidnapped daughter six years later. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/03/01/girl.found.alive/.

Cuevas v. City of Philadelphia. 2006. 05-3749 (United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, August 11).

Egan, Nicole Weisensee. 2005. "Her side of the story." Philadelphia Daily News, October 13: 3.

Frisby, Mann. 1997. "Heater blamed in fire that clais infant." Philadelphia Daily News, December 16: 10.

George, Jason. 2004. "Girl found and woman held after a ruse lasting years." New York Times, March 3: A13.

Gregory, Sean. 2004. Back from the blaze. March 15. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://time.com/archive/6737931/back-from-the-blaze/.

Pompilio, Natalie. 2004. "Kidnapped girl returned to birth mother." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 8.

Pompilio, Natalie, and Joel Bewley. 2004. "Case of child once believed dead is far from over." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 6.

Pompilio, Natalie, and Thomas Gibbons. 2004. "Woman suspected of kidnapping girl 6 years ago turns." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2.

Soteropoulos, Jacqueline. 2005. "Abductor of infant gets 9 to 30 years." Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24: 1.

Tampa Bay Times. 2004. Daughter lost in fire returns, but questions swirl in family. March 7. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/03/07/daughter-lost-in-fire-returns-but-questions-swirl-in-family/.

The Record. 2004. DNA testing helps mom find only daughter. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2004/03/03/dna-testing-helps-mom-find/50702564007/.

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On July 6, 1944, an estimated 7,000 people, mostly women and children, gathered at the Barbour Street fairgrounds in Hartford, Connecticut to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus. Inside the big top tent, the lion show had just ended, and the Flying Wallendas were getting ready to begin their performance when the tent caught fire, sending the large audience into a panic as the spectators and performers rushed to get to safety. The tent, which had been coated in paraffin wax, was quickly engulfed in flames and by the time the fire was put out, 139 people were dead and hundreds were badly injured. In the weeks that followed, another twenty-eight would die from their injuries. At the time, the Hartford circus fire was one of the worst fires in American history, and it remains one of the biggest tragedies in the state?s history.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Cavanaugh, Jack. 1994. "The Hartford fire, 50 years later." New York Times, July 3: CN1.

Daily Boston Globe. 1945. "7 Ringling officials held responsible by coroner for Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, January 12: 12.

?. 1950. "Circus holocaust, 4 N.E. murders laid to N.H. man." Daily Boston Globe, Juky 1: 1.

?. 1950. "Psychiatrist to examine youth who thinks he set Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, May 21: C29.

Davis, John. 1944. "Circus Fire is described by witness." Hartford Courant, July 7: 3.

Ensworth, Bob. 1944. "Quick-witted show folks saved many, soldier declares." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.

Glaberson, William. 1991. "Our towns." New York Times, August 2: B2.

Hartford Courant. 1944. "113 children, mothers not yet located." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.

?. 1944. "'Flying Wallendas' on high wire when flames swept through tent." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.

?. 1944. "Negligence facts found says Alcorn." Hartford Courant, July 8: 1.

?. 1944. "Panic and blaze trap hundreds." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.

?. 1944. "Thousands attracted by circus here." Hartford Courant, July 6: 1.

?. 1944. "Tossed cigarette blamed for fire by ushers, police." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.

Kelley, Robert. 1945. "The strange case of Little Miss No. 1565 still baffles police." Daily Boston Globe, July 16: 1.

Linscott, Seymour. 1944. "136 die in circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.

Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1950. "Quiz firebug suspect in '44 circus tragedy." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 19: 1.

Morning Edition. 2007. Remembering the Horror and Heroes of a Circus Fire. July 6. Accessed July 2, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2007/07/06/11768511/remembering-the-horror-and-heroes-of-a-circus-fire.

New York Times. 1950. "Arson killer sane, psychiatrists find." New York Times, November 2: 47.

?. 1950. "Arsonist imprisoned; admitted 172 deaths." New York Times, November 4: 34.

?. 1944. "Children caught in frenzied mass." New York Times, July 7: 11.

?. 1950. "Some doubts raised in arson confession." New York Times, July 2: 27.

Ross, Leonora. 1944. "Hartford tragedy leaves cricus artisits staggered." Daily Boston Globe, July 8: 2.

Skidgell, Michael. 2019. The Hartford Circus Fire. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing.

Smith, John Henry. 2024. 80 years ago, a gas-soaked roof and WWII created a perfect storm for the Hartford circus tragedy . July 1. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2024-07-01/80-years-ago-a-gas-soaked-roof-and-wwii-created-a-perfect-storm-for-the-hartford-circus-tragedy.

Tuohy, Lynne. 2004. "Back to the circus." Hartford Courant, May 16: 69.

United Press. 1942. "Scores of animals killed in $125,000 circus fire." Brooklyn Citizen, August 4: 1.

Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 2024. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. May 31. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-and-Bailey-Combined-Shows/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-Bailey-Combined-Shows.

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On the morning of October 31, 1933, a gunman burst through the door of Bessie Darling?s home in Foxville, Maryland and shot the woman to death. Police quickly arrested George Schultz, Darling?s boyfriend and business partner, who?d unsuccessfully attempted suicide after shooting Bessie. George confessed to the murder, claiming his actions were motivated by jealousy and a fear that Bessie was seeing other men, and he was sentenced to eighteen years in prison.

In many ways, the story of Bessie Darling?s murder is a straightforward and unfortunately common story of domestic violence. Yet beneath the basic facts of the case is another story of rural development and economic inequality at a time when many in the nation were facing serious economic struggles. These aspects of the story, mostly ignored by the press, shaped how Bessie was portrayed by the media and how people have told and retold her story since her death.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Associated Press. 1933. "Autopsy is held in Darling case." Baltimore Sun, November 1: 5.

?. 1934. "Mrs. Darling's slayer guilty; given 18 years." Baltimore Sun, March 13: 20.

?. 1940. "Gov. O'Conor invokes new parole plan." Cumberland Evening Times, May 29: 2.

Baltimore Evening Sun. 1934. "2 say Schultz was drinking on day of murder." Baltimore Evening Sun, March 12: 30.

?. 1916. "Ax for Kelly man." Baltimore Evening Sun, August 9: 12.

?. 1933. "Maid says man shot woman and himself." Baltimore Evening Sun, October 31: 1.

Baltimore Sun. 1933. "Alleged slayer admits jealousy." Baltimore Sun, November 2: 5.

Bedell, John, Gregory Katz, Jason Shellenhamer, Lisa Kraus, and Sarah Groesbeck. 2011. The People of the Mountain: Archeological Overview, Assessment, Identification, and Evaluation Study of Catoctin Mountain Park Maryland. Historical survey, Washington, DC: National Park Service.

Clay, K.C. 2018. Bessie Darling: A Brief Report on the Life of a Catoctin Mountain Proprietress. Historiography , Catoctin Mountain Park, MD: National Park Service.

Hagerstown Daily Mail. 1933. "Schultz has good chance of recovery." Hagerstown Daily Mail, November 2: 3.

?. 1933. "Schultz says shooting was self-defense." Hagerstown Daily Mail, December 4: 1.

National Park History. 2003. A New Deal for the Mountain. November 21. Accessed June 6, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap5.htm.

?. 2003. Chapter Four: The Eve of Acquisition . November 21. Accessed June 5, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap4.htm.

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Weirdos! It's Listener Tales, and you know what THAT means! it's brought to you BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today, it's Ash's pick and we've got a batch of tales about signs! We have deceased matchmakers, a traumatic birthday, a story about gut feelings, Ghosts that use MORBID to haunt their loved ones, and a grandmother who sends signs for her granddaughter to stop smoking the devils lettuce.

If you?ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with ?Listener Tales? somewhere in the subject line :)

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When Peter Smart failed to show up for work on the morning of January 6, 1958, officers in Lanarkshire, Scotland were dispatched to Smart?s home to conduct a well-being check. When no one came to the door, the officers forced their way inside, where they found Smart, his wife, and their eleven-year-old son all dead from gunshot wounds to the head.  A week later, Peter Manuel was arrested and charged with the murders of the Smart family, but in time the police in Lanarkshire would learn that was only one of Manuel?s horrific crimes.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Birmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.

Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.

Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.

?. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.

?. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.

?. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.

Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.

Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.

?. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.

Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.

Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.

MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.

Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.

Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.

The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.

Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.

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With a violent criminal history going back to his early teen years, Peter Manuel turned out to be one of Scotland?s worst serial killers. His tumultuous early teenage years were peppered with break-ins and destruction of property, but quickly escalated to horrific acts of brutality.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Birmingham Post and Gazette. 1958. "3 shot dead: no gun found." Birmingham Post and Gazette, January 7: 1.

Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." Coventry Evening Telegraph, September 17: 1.

Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." Daily Record, January 5: 1.

?. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." Daily Record, January 6: 1.

?. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." Daily Record, December 30: 1.

?. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." Daily Record, May 13: 7.

Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." Daily Telegraph, May 15: 15.

Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." Evening Sentinel, September 17: 1.

?. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." Evening Sentinel, December 11: 1.

Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." Hull Daily Mail, December 10: 5.

Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." Evening Times, December 27.

MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Peter Manuel, Serial Killer. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books.

Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." Nottingham Evening News, September 17: 4.

Silvester, Norman. 2022. The story of Scotland's first known serial killer Peter Manuel. October 10. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/23034356.story-scotlands-first-known-serial-killer-peter-manuel/.

The Times. 1958. "Statement on 8 murders." The Times, May 22: 5.

Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." Western Mail, May 16: 5.

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In early March 1879, fifty-five-year-old widow Julia Martha Thomas disappeared from her home in southwest London. Julia often travelled by herself on moment?s notice, so neighbors thought nothing of her absence; however, when several female body parts were discovered in the Thames, police uncovered a gruesome crime that not only involved theft and impersonation, but also the ghastly murder of Julia Martha Thomas.

Thomas?s maid, Kate Webster, was quickly arrested and charged with Julia?s murder. Through their investigation, detectives discovered that Thomas had recently given Webster notice of termination after only one month. Days before she was to leave Thomas? home, Webster murdered her employer, then dismembered her body and posed as Julia in order to sell off the murdered woman?s belongings for a quick profit. Although she maintained her innocence, Kate Webster was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime, finally confessing her guilt just hours before she went to the gallows.

The ?Richmond Murder,? as it was dubbed by the press, captivated Londoners for months and Webster?s trial and execution became something of a public spectacle. In Victorian-era England, few people believed a woman capable of committing murder, much less dismemberment and rendering of a human body. Given that, and the shocking viciousness of the crime itself, the Richmond Murder remains one of London?s most notorious murders of the late nineteenth century.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!

References

Birmingham Evening Mail. 1879. "Solution of the Barnes mystery." Birmingham Evenign Mail, March 26: 3.

Blake, Matt. 2011. Attenborough skull mystery finally solved. July 6. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/attenborough-skull-mystery-finally-solved-2307530.html.

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, March 16: 5.

O'Donnell, Elliot. 2010. The Trial of Kate Webster. New York, NY: Gale, Making of Modern Law.

Portsmouth Evening News. 1879. "The Richmond murder." Portsmouth Evening News, July 9: 3.

Shaver Hughes, Sarah, and Brady Hughes. 1997. Women in World History: Readings fom 1500 to the Present. London, UK: Routledge.

The Citizen. 1879. "The Barnes Mystery." The Citizen, March 13: 3.

The Journal. 1879. "The Barnes mystery." The Journal, March 14: 3.

The Times. 1879. "TRhe murder and mutilation at Richmond." Reynold's Newspaper, April 6: 6.

?. 1879. "The murder at Richmond." The Times, April 1: 5.

?. 1879. "The supposed tragedy at Richmond." The Times, April 3: 2.

Wood, Walter. 1916. Survivors' Tales of Famous Crimes. London, UK: Cassell.

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On the morning of October 25, 1943, the body of twenty-two-year-old Lion Brewery heiress, Patricia Lonergan, was discovered in a locked room in the New York apartment she shared with her infant son. Patrica was nude and had been bludgeoned with a candelabra. Suspicion quickly fell on her estranged husband, Wayne Lonergan, who had fled the country to Canada, where he was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Wayne Lonergan was apprehended a few days later and returned to New York, where he was charged with the murder and two days later confessed to killing Patricia in a jealous rage. Despite his confession, Lonergan?s case went to trial and quickly became one of the most sensational trials of the decade. While the murder itself was a terrible tragedy, the extensive press coverage and intense public interest was on Wayne?s sexual identity and the supposedly scandalous lives of the two high society figures at the center of the case.

Wayne was ultimately found guilty of the murder and served more than two decades in prison, after which he was deported back to Canada, where he resided until his death. Few people ever doubted that Wayne had indeed killed his wife; however, to this day many have questioned whether his sexuality and the couple?s nontraditional marriage biased the jury against him and led to an unfair trial.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White (of Bring Me the Axe and 99 Cent Rental Podcasts) for research!

References

Anderson-Minshall, Diane. 2021. Did this queer man kill his wife? March 24. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/3/24/did-queer-man-kill-his-wife#rebelltitem1.

Buffalo News. 1943. "Boats grapple for vanished RCAF uniform." Buffalo News, October 28: 1.

Dunne, Dominick. 2001. "The Talented Mr. Lonergan." Vanity Fair, July 01.

Levine, Allan. 2020. Details Are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Cafe Society Murder. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press.

New York Times. 1944. "35 years to life given to Lonergan." New York Times, April 18: 1.

?. 1942. "Husband is held for questioning in heiress' murder." New York Times, October 26: 1.

?. 1944. "Lawyers rebuked in Lonergan case." New York Times, February 17: 20.

?. 1944. "Lonergan choked wife, Grumet says." New York Times, March 23: 21.

?. 1944. "Lonergan confession read; tells of bluedgeoning wife." New York Times, March 28: 1.

?. 1944. "Lonergan defense is ended abruptly." New York Times, March 30: 1.

?. 1944. "Lonergan guilty in second degree of slaying wife." New York Times, April 1: 1.

?. 1943. "RCAF cadet's wife slain in home here." New York Times, October 25: 1.

?. 1944. "State asks death in Lonergan case." New York Times, March 31: 1.

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