Episodes
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In Part 2 covering Jeffrey Dahmer, we go deep into the stories of his family history from immigrant origins to broken families. Not only did we find a history of mental illness in his family, but we also discovered that Jeffrey had some famous cousins.
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**TRIGGER WARNING**
Typically, we do not get too graphic with the crimes of our subjects. However, in this episode, we do.
By the evening of July 23, 1991, the evening news in Milwaukee came out regarding the arrest of a man, the night before, with various body parts found in his apartment. Soon, the world would read in horror of the atrocities committed by Jeffrey Dahmer, soon coined “The Milwaukee Cannibal.” Each day after his arrest more details would emerge of his monstrous crimes.In Part 1, with their guest, Mira Manni, Denise and Zelda discuss all the events that would lead to Dahmer’s arrest and what happened once he went to prison. Then, they discuss what happened next with his mother and father. Over the years, Dahmer’s mother has been demonized, but is it really all that simple?
Come back next week for Part 2 when we go deep into his family tree, a tree filled with secrets and surprises.
All sources and information can be found on our website, murderousroots.com.
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Missing episodes?
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After being gone for several months, Murderous Roots is returning! The lives of Denise and Zelda got hectic. This is particularly true for Denise who not only researches the trees but also produces the podcast. Both Denise and Zelda have missed sharing stories about the lives and family histories of their subjects. They hope you join them as they kick things off again next week!
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Julie Dixon Jaxson, genetic genealogist and host of CutOff Genes, joins us to share a shocking story she discovered while researching her family tree. This story takes place on the gold fields in Victoria, Australia and appeared in The Bendigo Advertiser on 1 April 1861. Listen to learn what happened to her distant aunt and uncle. It’s a shocking tale of murder.
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In Part 2 of Georgia Tann, Julie Dixon Jackson, from CutOff Genes, Zelda, and Denise continue their conversation about the corrupt head of the Tennessee Children’s Home in Memphis, Tennessee. They explore Georgia’s family tree continuing with their conversation about Tann’s mother Beulah Yates, learning about a murder in the family lines and what happened with her partner Ann and their children.
For all information on sources for this episode, go to our website at MurderousRoots.com -
For close to thirty years, Georgia Tann helped families adopt babies. But the truth was much darker. As the person in charge of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis, Tennessee, Georgia used her position to adopt out children to families outside of Tennessee. In doing so, she was able to “sell” the babies and line her pockets. Due to demand, she often stole babies from poor and struggling families.
Adoptee rights advocate, Julie Dixon Jackson, from the podcast Cut Off Genes, joins us as we discuss the horrific deeds of Ms. Tann. Then we begin exploring her family tree starting with her father, a judge in charge of adoptions. We’ll be back in two weeks with Part 2.
All sources and information on this Episode can be found at our website, murderousroots.com -
Happy Thanksgiving all! This week, due to the holiday, we are revisiting an episode from March this year covering the mysterious remains found in a cave in 1979; remains that wouldn’t be identified until 2019. His name was Joseph H. Loveless, and he was no innocent man. Learn more about who he was and his family ties with Joseph Smith and his new religion as they crossed the country to settle in Utah.
All episode notes and sources can be found at our website, murderousroots.com -
We are finally here with Part 2 covering the story of Frazier B. Baker, the postmaster lynched in 1898 for the crime of being Black in South Carolina. In this episode, we explore Baker’s family tree and the shocking revelation Denise found in the census records. Then we discuss the villians; who were they and what happened to them? At the end we finish our discussion exploring the lives and family history of the “heroes”, Ida B. Welles and Lillian Clayton Jewett.
All references and notes regarding this episode and others can be found at murderousroots.com -
All sources and notes are available at our website murderousroots.com
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On July 30, 1897, President William McKinley appointed seven Black men to postmaster positions across the state of South Carolina. One town would not react well to the news. One town would see to it that they would run their new Black postmaster out of town, even if it meant killing him.
In this latest episode, part one of the story, Zelda and Denise explore the history of reconstruction and how it helped lead to the death of Frazier B. Baker. Then we discuss what happened to the Baker family after horrific murders of Frazier and his toddler, Julia. Next week we will return with part two where we discuss Baker’s family tree and then learn more about his killers as well as those who tried to help the Baker family.
Any references or other notes can be found on our website at murderousroots.com -
Last week we discussed all that Marsha accomplished as well as her unsolved death and immediate family. In part 2 covering Marsha P. Johnson, we continue the conversation with her nephew Al Michaels and learn more about her parents and ancestors, including her grandmother, a Voodoo priestess..
To see all our sources and information discussed in the show, you can go to last week’s episode, Queen Marsha.
All notes and sources can be found on our website at https://murderousroots.com/episodes/marshajohnson1 -
After a day of festivities and fun at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, the body of one of its most notable residents who fought for civil rights for all people, was found floating in the Hudson River on July 6, 1992. Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels, Jr, identified herself as a drag queen and was an outspoken activist for gay rights who first gained prominence during the Stonewall Uprising. We may never know the circumstances of her death, but her work lives on today.
In this episode, her nephew Al Michaels joins us as we discuss Martha’s life, activism, and death. We then learn more about her immediate family—including a tie to one of the earlies mass killings in the United States.
All sources and other information can be found on our website at murderousroots.com -
In this Summersode, we continue our conversation on the family history of Dian Fossey which included two more murders, love affairs, World War II, a British naval hero from the 17th Century, and so much more.
All sources can be found at our website, murderousroots.com -
Nynyiramachabelli, the woman that lives alone on the Mountain, is a Rwandan word used to describe gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey on her grave in Rwanda. It was the name given to her by Rwandan’s who lived near her in the Virugan Mountains of Rwanda. In 1963, Fossey first arrived on the continent of Africa. It would soon after become her permanent home until her murdered body was found in the early morning hours of December 27, 1985.
Listen to Part 1 of The Woman That Lives Alone on the Mountain, as we discuss what drew Fossey to Africa and her work with the gorillas she loved, the horrendous way she dealt with some poachers, and her death. Then we explore a fascinating family tree which helps us understand her more, but also delves into the troubled relationship she had with her parents as well as another tragic murder in her family.
All other sources and notes are available at our website at murderousroots.com -
On this Summersode, as part of their Summer of Justice Series, Zelda and Denise discuss the events leading up to the horrific lynching of 14-year-old Chicago-native Emmett Till as well as what happened next. Then they explore is fascinating family tree with a history of struggle, success, and heartbreak.
For further notes and sources, go to murderousroots.com -
On June 12, 1963, a scream permeated the air as Myrlie Evers opened her door to discover her husband, Medgar Evers, a civil rights leader in Jackson, Mississippi, collapsed on the ground. Moments before he had been shot in the back by an assassin’s bullet. Less than an hour later, he would die in an all-white hospital.
Evers’s death would shock a nation! His wife would spend decades to get justice for her husband, a struggle later written about in her book and in the movie Ghosts of Mississippi.
In this episode Denise and Zelda discuss the amazing man Medgar Evers was before his death at age 37 and explore what little is known of his family tree. Then we touch briefly on his killer.
If you want to learn more about Byron de la Beckwith, join our Patreon to gain access to a bonus episode where we discuss the Beckwith family tree. -
We have exciting episodes coming this summer. Listen to the trailer to learn more about who we will be featuring!
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In June 1985, the body of a young woman was found naked, wrapped in a sheet, in the trunk of a car. Upon looking at her body, a police officer told the press that it appeared as if she died of a drug overdose. When the autopsy came back, she had no drugs in her system.
For reasons unknown to her family, the police spent little to no time investigating what happened to 24-year-old Catherine “Catrina” Mowrey. Her family never got answers or any sense that the Dallas Police Department cared about what happened to her.
In this episode, we talk about what led up to Catherine’s death, the murder of her sister Joan, and the tragic death of her youngest sister, Deborah. The victim’s niece and namesake, Catrina Marshall, joined us to share information, what she hopes happens with her petition to the Dallas Police Department, and stayed for a discussion on the Mowrey family tree. -
Betsy Faria thought she made a good friend at work; one who showed support and love during one of the most trying times in her life. She didn’t realize, until it was too late, that her friendship with Pamela Hupp would be more deadly than her terminal cancer diagnosis.
In this episode, Zelda and Denise discuss the murder Pam Hupp was convicted for as well as the other two murders she has been accused of committing. Then we dive into a fascinating family tree that leads to encounters with immigrant ancestors, Joseph Pulitzer, slavery, and even more murder.
For sources and all other information, please go to murderousroots.com -
After creating over 40 episodes, Denise and Zelda decided to share some outtakes, stuff you’ve never heard before! They are also looking for submissions from listeners for a new series of minisodes starting soon, where our listeners share a story from their tree!
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