Episodes
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This week Ana and Jonatan pretend covid isn't a thing (because it wasn't when this was recorded).
Ana's takes us to 1992 Croatia where Srđan Mlađan raises suspicions by obsessively renting Natural Born Killers... a crime that would never have been solved now that we all have Netflix.
Jonatan's crime is in Belgium in 2012 where something sketchy is going on with Stijn Saelen but does his family know more than they're letting on?
Our cocktail is a gin spiked 'Bitter Love' (with Parfait Amour, Gin, lemon juice and sugar). We drink it while discussing the mysterious murder of Dragica Gvero. Enjoy and stay safe!
Reach us on twitter: https://twitter.com/crimebythebar
Support us by sharing with other podcast listeners or by making a contribution to our running costs - http://patreon.com/crimebythebar or https://ko-fi.com/crimebythebar
TW: murder, hitman, brief reference to suspected paedophilia (non-specific)
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This week Jonatan and Ana discuss yoga, Norwegian crime and insurance claims.
We begin with the tale of Bella Gunness, aka Hell's Belle: where she went, fire and death often followed. Was she unlucky or responsible for the terrible things that happened to those around her?
Later we discuss Ingeborg Koeber from Bergen Norway; a woman who was once described by Arthur Conan Doyle as 'the most remarkable medium' he'd ever met. Was she genuinely talented or did she go to extreme lengths to ensure her prophecies came to fruition?
No cocktail this week. I'm sure we'll make up for it next time though.
Support us by sharing with other podcast listeners or by making a contribution to our running costs - http://patreon.com/crimebythebar or https://ko-fi.com/crimebythebar
CN: Murder mystery, arson, buried bodies, drowning
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Missing episodes?
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We're back! This week Ana shares a Christmas Eve murder from her hometown and Jonatan tells the tale a Christmas Day heist. We round off with a gingerbread cocktail.
Ana's story is about a Fanny Barber, a woman who found her husband William dead in their home and was soon accused of his murder. What does the evidence say and was Fanny capable of pulling off the murder with such limited time?
Jonatan covers the theft of 125 Mayan, Aztec, Miztec and Zapotec artefacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Was it an inside job, did the security guards have two much to drink or was it the faulty alarm that facilitated the crime?
Enjoy! Merry Christmas.
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This week we’re looking at suspiciously timed insurance claims. Jonatan starts with Michael 'Mullet Mick' Martin, an Australian man who was brutally stabbed in his home one night while his son was visiting. Fortunately (or strangely) his 28-year-old son escapes with only superficial injuries. You can see where this is going…
Then Ana talks about Derek Nicholson who goes missing during a beach outing with his pregnant partner Nikole Nagle. A week later, the insurance company won’t pay out and Derek shows up with amnesia. When police start investigating it looks like a clear setup.
Finally we round off with an ‘Anti-Freeze Slushie’ cocktail (with blueberry and marshino liqueur) and discuss some of our favourite insurance related crimes including Michael ‘Iron Mike’ Malloy and a teacher who has her students help her to commit insurance fraud in exchange for higher grades.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Reach out on Twitter, https://twitter.com/crimebythebar or by email, [email protected]. You can get extras from the show at www.crimebythebar.com or support us at https://www.patreon.com/crimebythebar.
CN: stabbing, murder, poisoning, beating, alcohol
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This Friday we have stories that leave us with many questions including: could we have seen this coming?
First, Ana tells the tale of Dublin teenager, Raonaid Murray, who was stabbed to death on her walk home. She was found by her sister not far from her front door. What happened? We put together the pieces but almost 20 years later, there are still no clear answers.
Then, Jonatan shares the bizarre end to Günther Stoll. The unemployed food technician had become increasingly paranoid over the preceding years, convinced ‘they’ were out to get him. One night he made a mysterious breakthrough but then claims something terrible will happen… only to befall a very strange fate hours later. Was this coincidence? Or were ‘they’ watching all along?
Tell us your theories! Reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email [email protected].
CN: stabbing, car crash, murder, botched investigations, paranoia
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It's a travel edition! This time we talk about people who just can't let go.
Ana talks about married couple Xiaoye “Alex” Wang and Tianle "Heidi" Li. With divorce looming, the situation takes a strange turn and it seems like it may be 'until death do us part' after all. Jonatan shares the story of an art heist in Rotterdam involving Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, Monet, Meijer de Haan and Freud. It may not be murder, but the tale ends in tragedy.
Our drink of the week is a simple classic: tequila, lime and salt. It turns out to have been a bad choice for a Tuesday.
Don't forget to reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or share you suggestions and stories by email, [email protected].
CN: poisoning, murder, destruction of art
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To round off the working week we're looking at unsolved cases relating to mysterious office encounters.
First Jonatan has a brief but brutal mystery from England: when Ruth Penelope "Penny" Bell rushes off to a meeting there's no reason to think anything is amiss but when she's found brutally killed her activities in the lead up seem a little more suspicious. Did she know her killer?
Ana shares the strange fate of Susan “Su” Taraskiewicz , a Northwest Airlines employee, who experienced years of abuse at the hands of her colleagues. One September night she disappears in the middle of her shift and no one reports it. 30 hours later her body is found in her car. With many of her co-workers involved in fraud, was she killed to keep her quiet?
As always you can reach us by email, [email protected] or on Twitter, @crimebythebar.
CN: stabbing, sexual harassment, bullying, murder
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This week we talk about awful incidents in the workplace.
Jonatan covers the infamous Xerox killer in Honolulu, Hawaii who, after years of odd behaviour, goes on an office rampage killing with a 'to-do' list of co-workers.
Ana shares a case from London: Cathy Marlow heads to the office on a Saturday to catch up on work after returning from vacation. Just before leaving the office she runs into an ex-colleague who shouldn't be there. Things do not end well.
Later, we have English Mojitos (with elderflower, mint and lime) and talk about some stressful jobs.
As usual you can reach us on Twitter @crimebythebar or by email [email protected].
CN: murder, rampage killers, graphic descriptions, alcohol
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We continue movie week with more crimes that inspired films. First Jonatan, our native Nordic, takes us to Finland to tell us about the Lake Bodom murders in Espoo. This one has all the making of a horror story but is very real. Four teenagers go camping together and are attacked by a mystery man. Was it an angry local, a suspicious foreigner or the sole survivor who killed the others?
Ana then tells the story of the Frog Boys, one of the most terrifying true crime tales to ever come out of South Korea. On a Tuesday in early Spring, a group of five boys decide to go into the mountains in search of frogs and never return. After 10 years, many false accusations and the suggestion that they probably just ran away their bodies are found in an area searched many times before. Police still say there was no crime but gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma tell a different story.
As usual you can send us your thoughts and requests by email, [email protected] or on Twitter, @crimebythebar. You can find us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/crimebythebar
CN: descriptions of gore, blood spatter, bludgeoning, shooting, child murder, murder generally, death by suicide
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This week we're talking about crime movies: those that were inspired by crimes or inspired their own crimes.
Ana tells the real life tale of Frank Abagnale Jr, a con artist and forger whose criminal career started at 15. Frank passed himself off as a teacher, pilot, doctor and lawyer all before he was 21. He later had his story retold in the 2002 Spielberg film 'Catch Me If You Can'.
Jonatan is talking about Anthony Curcio who was inspired by 'The Thomas Crown Affair' to commit a robbery with a slew of decoys. With pepper spray, a tear-off costume and getaway by water Anthony almost pulled off the perfect crime... but it wasn't meant to be.
We round off with a Banana Split cocktail. Stay to the end to hear what's involved in this one. You can always reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email, [email protected]. As always, you can get bonus details on our website, www.crimebythebar.com or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/crimebythebar
CN: mention of drug addiction, alcohol
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We're back! Today we're looking at cases of familicide.
First, Ana tells the story of the Setagaya family murder. When a skate park expansion near the Miyazawa's home causes neighbours to move out, they decide it's time to follow suit. But just a few months before they're due to move an intruder kills this family of four. But with evidence everywhere, why hasn't the culprit been found?
Later Jonatan tells the tale of Marie-Josée Benitez and her daughter. When they go missing the police are wondering if her husband Francisco is responsible but before they can find anything connecting him, another tragedy strikes.
CN: blood, familicide, home invasion, stabbing, missing persons, suicide
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This week we have a catchup on Henri Vanbreda from '2: New Tales & Foreign Spirits' (go back and listen) then we're discussing women who sweet talked others into committing crimes for them.
Jonatan takes us to Australia and tells us about Robyn Lindholm, an ex-national ice skating champion who falls in with some unsavoury characters while trying to maintain her extravagant lifestyle. Ana shares the tale of Diana Lovejoy whose divorce led her down a strange path. A dose of bad luck, a towel set and a burner phone ruined what may have otherwise been a perfect crime.
Later, we have a Bols Toblerone cocktail- with chocolate, hazelnut and honey.
Find the cocktail recipe and more information on the crimes at www.crimebythebar.com. You can also send us your suggestions (and descriptions of shrimp) on Twitter @crimebythebar or by email [email protected]
CN: murder, faecal evidence, abuse allegations
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This Friday we're talking about the cyclists who died under strange circumstances.
Ana begins with a brief explanation of road cycling to add context to the strange demise of Ottavio Bottecchia, a double Tour de France winner. The Italian cyclist was found dead at the roadside after heading out for a morning ride. Was it a competitor, the government or a farmer upset about his grapes?
Jonatan then shares the infamous Green Bicycle case involving 21-year-old Bella Wright who meets an unfortunate end during her cycle home. Witnesses report seeing a stranger on a green bicycle who's thought to be the last person to have seen her alive. Things get even stranger when the bike shows up dismantled and dumped in a canal 6 months later. Is the owner of the bicycle guilty or just worried of being falsely accused?
Send us your theories for this week's mysteries to [email protected] or on Twitter, @crimebythebar.
CN: murder, speculation, conspiracies
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We begin the week with crimes close to home- someone has been walking around on Ana's roof and Jonatan's bike has been stolen. After a quick catchup we share stories of writers who've committed terrible crimes.
Ana has a story from Macedonia: when women begin going missing in the small town of Kičevo it's not long before career journalist Vlado Taneski makes a connection and starts reporting very graphic details of what became of them. Like an evil Clark Kent, Vlado is leading a secret double life.
Jonatan shares a tale of Krystian Bala, a Polish author whose debut novel isn't selling as well as he'd hoped. Maybe that's for the best because when police start comparing the details in the book with a cold case in nearby Wrocław, they find the lead they've been looking for.
Our 'Drink of the Week' is 'The Late Hemingway' a spiked version of the classic. Listen to the end for details or check out the recipe at www.crimebythebar.com. You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email, [email protected].
(FYI- the Dutch writer we refer to is Richard Klinkhamer.)
CN: murder, missing persons, dismemberment, sexual assault, battery, starvation, drowning, alcohol
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Happy Friday! We're here with creepy stories to round off your week.
Jonatan has a tale from China and talks about the estimated 65% of organ transplants that use nonconsensual harvesting from prisoners. Yes, this is a conspiracy theory, but there are a lot of connections that make it difficult to doubt this is happening at least to some extent.
Ana talks about Karl Koch, a German hacker who went missing during his lunch break and was later found in very mysterious circumstances: burned to death beside a dust covered car in what was recorded as a death by suicide. The facts don't add up so we break it down and briefly address the similarly strange demise of another German hacker who was known as Tron.
We love your messages! Reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email [email protected] and you can get all the extras from the show at www.crimebythebar.com.
CN: capital punishment, lethal injection, organ harvesting, hackers, KGB, mild references to drug use (cannabis and cocaine), addiction, death by suicide
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This week we're talking cryptocurrency and cyber crime.
Jonatan shares a story from Taiwan: when Tai (戴) brings his friend Hu (胡) along to sell some Bitcoin he expects to make a healthy profit. Instead he finds himself in a situation involving forced alcohol consumption, assault and theft.
Ana discusses a virus writer called 'Gigabyte' (aka Kimberley Vanvaeck) who was on a mission in the early 00s to bring down security expert Graham Cluley. Creating the first ever C# virus, Gigabyte decides to share her code on her website but finds herself in legal trouble.
This week we have a cocktail with byte that we've called Vodka.exe- vodka, apple, butterscotch... yes, it's delicious.
We love when you reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar and by email, [email protected]. And keep your ratings and reviews coming in, we really appreciate them.
CN: assault, theft, hacking, alcohol
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This week we're sharing seaside stories.
Jonatan shares the tale of 22-year-old Jessie Earl who disappeared from her flat with no signs of a struggle or planning. Her remains were found almost nine years later by the nearby cliffs. Was a Scottish serial killer responsible or is her killer still on the loose?
Ana talks about the Peter Bergmann case involving an unknown man found on a beach in Ireland in mysterious circumstances. For obvious reasons it's often compared to the Tamam Shud case (aka the Somerton Man) but is the answer right in front of us?
We'd love to know your theories on our latest mysteries. Reach out on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email, [email protected]. We'll read our favorite ones on during the next mystery episode.
CN: murder, disappearances, unknown persons
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This week Ana is sharing the story Birna Brjánsdóttir of Iceland. Birna was at a bar with friends on a typical Friday night. After she left her journey can be tracked on CCTV for half an hour before she disappears. Four days later one of her shoes is found at a nearby harbor and it's not long before we find out what became of her.
Jonatan takes us back to 1980's Canada with tales of Gilbert Paul Jordan aka the 'Boozing Barber' who had a long list of convictions. When the body of Vanessa Lee Buckner was found, he came under further scrutiny and the more the police look into him, the more crimes he seems to be involved with.
We round off the episode with a tequila, pamplemousse (aka pink grapefruit) liqueur, lime and mint cocktail. Get the recipe at www.crimebythebar.com . You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar or by email, [email protected] .
CN: murder, sexual assault, alcoholism, substance abuse, manslaughter, crimes against First Nations
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Happy King’s Day! We tell you all about the Dutch national holiday and the tragic recent history surrounding the event.
Jonatan’s mystery is the Nepalese royal massacre. At first glance this seems like a pretty clear cut tale but the more the incident is looked at, the more the details don’t add up.
Ana discusses the tragic end of the Duchess de Choiseul-Praslin who was brutally murdered in her home in the early hours of the morning. Things become suspicious when the prime suspect dies just a week later.
Did you enjoy this episode? Tell a friend! You can reach out to us on Twitter, @crimebythebar, or by email [email protected].
CN: mass murder, unsolved crime, violent ends, alcohol
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It's a royal edition of Crime by the Bar. In the lead up to King's Day (a Dutch national holiday) we look back at some historical crimes involving royalty.
Jonatan shares the violent end for Alexander I of Yugoslavia who warned "if you want a regime change, you need to kill me". You can guess how this ends but it makes for a very interesting tale.
Ana retells the Mayerling Incident which involves the Crown Prince of Austria and his mistress the many questions surrounding their deaths. What do you think happened?
Our drink this week is a 'Royal Tea' cocktail with whiskey, the Queen of Spices and rose syrup.
As usual reach out to us on Twitter (@crimebythebar) or by email ([email protected]). You can also visit our website (www.crimebythebar.com) for all of our latest information and extras.
CN: murder, assassination, European history, disapproving mother-in-laws, alcohol
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