Episodes
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Berkeley, California, 1933. In a lab filled with curiosities–beakers, microscopes, Bunsen burners, and hundreds upon hundreds of books–sat an investigator who would go on to crack at least two thousand cases in his forty-year career. Known as the “American Sherlock Holmes,” Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America’s greatest–and first–forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing evidence, and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural.
Heinrich was one of the nation’s first expert witnesses, working in a time when the turmoil of Prohibition led to sensationalized crime reporting and only a small, systematic study of evidence. However with his brilliance, and commanding presence in both the courtroom and at crime scenes, Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools that police still use today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests, and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence. His work, though not without its serious–some would say fatal–flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.
Based on years of research and thousands of never-before-published primary source materials, American Sherlock captures the life of the man who pioneered the science our legal system now relies upon–as well as the limits of those techniques and the very human experts who wield them. AMERICAN SHERLOCK: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI-Kate Winkler Dawson.
Third Love.com/TRUEMURDER, www.thirdlove.com -
Sexual predators exist in our society and their evil desire leads them to commit heinous, brutal crimes with little concern for their victims or the toll it takes on the community. Violent sociopaths have no interest in the needs or safety of anyone else and see ordinary people as either targets or competitors. They have no hesitation taking what they want from their victims. Whether they are rapists, pedophiles, or murderers, these monsters will do whatever it takes to get their needs met and their evil desires satisfied. Captain Dean T. Olson (retired) is a veteran sex crimes detective with the Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office, serving the Omaha area. In his 30-year law enforcement career he has seen some of the most horrible crimes committed by one person against another and he has arrested some of the worst sexual predators the nation has ever seen. EVIL DESIRES: The Recollections of a Sex Crime Detective-Dean T. Olson
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Diane Fanning is the author of fourteen true crime books published by St. Martin's Press and Berkley Books including the Edgar Award nominated Written in Blood, about Michael Peterson of Netflix's The Staircase and the best-selling Mommy's Little Girl, about the infamous Casey Anthony case. For the work she began with Through The Window about serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, she received the "Defender of Innocence" award from the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project.
Diane's 14 true crime books are Written in Blood, Baby Be Mine, Under The Knife, Gone Forever, Through The Window, The Pastor's Wife, A Poisoned Passion, Mommy's Little Girl, Her Deadly Web, Sleep My Darlings, Under Cover of the Night, Out There, Bitter Remains and Death on The River.
We will discuss how her incredible true crime writing began; the cases and books that most effected her career, and what's next for the incomparable author. DIANE FANNING TRUE CRIME RETROSPECTIVE-Diane Fanning -
When host Nikki Boyer’s best friend Molly is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she decides to do something bold. She leaves an unhappy marriage and embarks on a series of sexual adventures to feel alive. Over this six-part miniseries, Molly shares the details of her hilarious escapades in a story about friendship, death, and what you do with the time you have left. From Wondery, the creators of Dirty John and The Moment comes Dying For Sex. Listen now at: wondery.fm/truemurderDFS
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A young pregnant mother is killed, and a small town demands justice, a conviction, someone to blame. When an unlikely suspect is convicted, it raises a question: Is this the culprit, a scapegoat, or a martyr? This question prompted a mother and daughter to go beyond the official version to search for the truth. As they delved deeper into the story of this murder and conviction, they found themselves asking, how many victims came out of this tragedy, and how many perpetrators? Why did it feel like everyone involved had blood on their hands but the person convicted of this horrible crime?
So, crack a cold beer, sleuths, and follow along as we search for clues and question everything. The truth could be around any corner. In this devil’s playground, no one is completely innocent.
A great mystery awaits. Join us in our search for the killer. DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND: God's Country Has Blood on it's Hands-Nova West -
The story of a woman whose ambition and accomplishments far exceeded the expectations of her time, 18 Tiny Deaths follows the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite into the mother of modern forensics...
Frances Glessner Lee, born a socialite to a wealthy and influential Chicago family in the 1870s, was never meant to have a career, let alone one steeped in death and depravity.
Yet she developed a fascination with the investigation of violent crimes, and made it her life's work. Best known for creating the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of dollhouses that appear charming―until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then, of course, there are the bodies―splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs―clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins.
18 Tiny Deaths, by official biographer Bruce Goldfarb, delves into Lee's journey from grandmother without a college degree to leading the scientific investigation of unexpected death out of the dark confines of centuries-old techniques and into the light of the modern day.
Lee developed a system that used the Nutshells dioramas to train law enforcement officers to investigate violent crimes, and her methods are still used today.
18 Tiny Deaths transports the reader back in time and tells the story of how one woman, who should never have even been allowed into the classrooms she ended up teaching in, changed the face of science forever. 18 TINY DEATHS: The Untold Story of Francis Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics-Bruce Goldfarb -
In “The Garden State Parkway Murders,” true crime writer and attorney Christian Barth dives into the harrowing story of the unsolved murders of Elizabeth Perry and Susan Davis. College friends, the two women were brutally knifed to death and their bodies left off the parkway in the early hours of May 30, 1969.
Among the numerous suspects Barth identifies are infamous serial killers Ted Bundy and Gerald Eugene Stano, who were living within an hour’s drive from the murder scene at the time they occurred. The killers also resided next to one another on Florida’s Death Row, and indirectly confessed to the double homicide.
A culmination of more than nine years of research, Barth’s book is compiled from multiple sources, including interviews with retired New Jersey State Police detectives, law enforcement officials from other jurisdictions, federal agents, possible witnesses, victim family members, as well as information gathered from FBI case files, letters, journals, libraries, newspaper articles, and university archives.
In scintillating detail, Barth presents the case, including previously undisclosed information surrounding these brutal murders, as well as an examination of recent technological advancements in crime scene analysis and FBI serial killer profiling that could help identify the killer. When all is said and done, the reader is asked to consider: Why hasn’t this cold case been solved? THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY MURDERS: A Cold Case Mystery-Christian Barth -
The Gwinnett County, Georgia, Police Department was formed by tough, honorable men who were brought in to clean up the county after the sheriff made moonshining his personal business. With a low budget—officers had to buy their own uniforms, guns, even bullets—the police had to take anyone with a pulse who could stand upright. Even with the odds against them, the police department grew into a force feared by the criminals and respected by county citizens.Late one night in spring of 1964, the police in Gwinnett County—and everywhere—learned just how far that respect would go in saving their lives in a tight spot. Officers Jesse Gravitt, Ralph Davis, and Jerry Everett responded to a report of suspicious activity on a desolate country road named Arc. What they found was a kind of criminal they were completely unprepared for, a psychopath who would do anything to avoid the consequences of his actions, including the cold-blooded killing of three county police officers.This began one of the most intense murder investigations that Georgia had ever seen. Arc Road is the story of those officers, that investigation, and the fallout from those horrific murders that changed the way law enforcement officers are trained. ARC ROAD: The Horrific Murders of Three Police Officers in Gwinnett County Georgia That Changed Law Enforcement Forever-Tony Tiffin
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When Piper Streyle failed to show up for work, a coworker called her home. Piper’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Shaina, answered and said, “A mean man carried Mommy away.” Then the line went dead. In the tranquil region of southeast South Dakota, word of the young mother who was brazenly abducted from her home in broad daylight shocked residents. Piper was the second woman to vanish, following the startling incident of a young woman who narrowly escaped abduction by fighting for her life on a dark and secluded highway.
An intensive search by an elite team of investigators uncovered a secret crime location, but the discovery of a nightshirt cut in half, a burnt candle, and a homemade bondage board revealed the chilling truth behind the missing women. With the help of a quick-witted and streetwise maximum security prison inmate, prosecutor Larry Long and his team were able to piece together the sinister facts of the diabolical crimes.
Bestselling authors PHIL AND SANDY HAMMAN, along with former Attorney General LARRY LONG, dive into the grim and demented world of Robert Leroy Anderson, a sexual sadist, rapist, and murderer. Duct Tape Killer is also the story of perseverance and proof that love will not be extinguished by the ruinous evil that seeks to take root in our world. DUCT TAPE KILLER: The True Inside Story of Sexual Sadist and Murderer Robert Leroy Anderson-Phil Hamman and Sandy Hamman -
Fred Rosen is a former columnist for the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times. He is also one of the most important and successful figures in true crime writing, and the author of several true crime classics.
He got off to an incredible start with Lobster Boy in 1995, Blood Crimes in 1996, and Gang Mom and The Mad Chopper both published in 1998. Deacon of Death was published in 2000, Needle Work in 2001. Both Body Dump and Flesh Collectors were published in 2002. The Historical Atlas of American Crime in 2005. When Satan Wore A Cross and There But for the Grace of God were both published in 2007. Deadly Angel in 2009 and Trails of Death in 2011. Did They Really Do It? was published in 2015. Born to the Mob and Murdering the President were published in 2016. The Bayou Strangler in 2017 and Bat Masterson in 2019. We will discuss how he got started and what cases and killers in particular most shaped his remarkable true crime body of work. FRED ROSEN TRUE CRIME RETROSPECTIVE-Fred Rosen -
Burl Barer definitely is a legendary figure in true crime writing and broadcasting, co-hosting the very first true crime podcast, True Crime Uncensored. He is an Edgar Award winning author and two-time Anthony Award nominee. Burl Barer is the author of 9 truly important true crime books.
In 2000, Murder in the Family was published, In 2004, Broken Doll, In 2008, Mom Said Kill. In 2011, Fatal Beauty, In 2012, Body Count and also Head Shot were published, Man Overboard in 2014, and with co-author Frank C. Girardot Jr., A Taste For Murder was published in 2016 as was Betrayal in Blue. A short story The Alaska Mail-Bomb Conspiracy was also published in 2016.
In this Burl Barer Retrospective we will discuss how his true crime writing career began; his very first case and book; the murder cases that shaped his career, and his incredible personal experiences with psychopaths and serial killers writing these now 9 true crime classics. BURL BARER RETROSPECTIVE-Burl Barer -
On September 12, 2001, Michele Harris went missing from a small town in upstate New York. She has never been found, and the mystery surrounding her disappearance remains. Four years after she went missing, her wealthy husband, Cal Harris, was arrested and charged with her murder.
With neither a body nor a murder weapon, Cal was shockingly tried and convicted of her murder. Then new evidence surfaced. His conviction was overturned, and a new trial granted. But once again, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. That conviction, too, was overturned on appeal. The saga continued as Cal went on trial for the third time. This one ended in a mistrial.
By the time Cal went on trial the fourth time, Michele had been missing for nearly 15 years.
Defense investigator, David M. Beers, worked on the Cal Harris case from start-to-finish. His account, “Reign of Injustice,” walks you through the details and events of the case never before revealed. It provides a inside view of the scandalous case facts you will not find elsewhere, including why he considers Cal’s story a reign of injustice. REIGN OF INJUSTICE: The Cal Harris Story-David M. Beers -
"Sullivan's A-to-Z coverage of Ted Bundy provides a solid guide to the people and places that define the man and the monster, including some not present in other Bundy narratives. It nicely rounds out his Bundy oeuvre and gives readers an extensive reference tool on one of the world's most infamous serial killers." - Katherine Ramsland, author of Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer.
A writer of history and true crime, Kevin M. Sullivan is the author of 15 books, including what has now become with the publication of this book, a 5-volume set covering the life and murders of Ted Bundy. Indeed, because of his almost 14-year immersion into this many-faceted case, Sullivan has been a guest on documentaries pertaining to the killer on REELZ, HLN (CNN’s Headline News), the Oxygen Network, and ABC’s 20/20 program, as well as many radio shows and podcasts.
The Encyclopedia of the Ted Bundy Murders lists the names of hundreds of people involved in the case as well as dozens of locations where significant events occurred. Being the final installment in a five-volume series, this veritable “Who’s Who” of the Bundy murders, is the kind of book you’ll want to keep handy as you study the case because there is no other book like it.THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE TED BUNDY MURDERS-Kevin Sullivan -
INFOCOMMENTS
True Crime, #1 lunatic 1 ice pick, #anna yourkin, #brian whitney, #gore site, #luka magnotta
BEFORE NETFLIX'S DON'T F**CK WITH CATS: Hunting an Internet Killer-Brian Whitney had an exclusive interview with Luka Magnotta for his book, My Son The Killer.
In 2012, the Canadian Press ignited a firestorm of criticism by naming killer Luka Magnotta as its “Newsmaker Of The Year.” But while the recognition was questionable for its sensitivity, there’s no doubt that few people had captured the public’s attention like the young murderer and internet sensation.
A male escort and sometimes model, Magnotta had earned his notoriety by videotaping himself stabbing Chinese student Lin Jun to death with an ice pick and dismembering the body, before posting the video online. After mailing Jun’s hands and feet to elementary schools, he then led Interpol on a manhunt that ended when he was arrested at an Internet café in Berlin where he was reading news stories about himself.
An international celebrity in a macabre sort of way, with a legion of fans, Magnotta was brought back to Canada, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to prison. During this time, Anna Yourkin, his estranged mother, troubled by Magnotta’s abused childhood and her role in that, reconnected with her killer son.
Despite his internet fame, Magnotta never agreed to any in-depth interviews. Now Magnotta has given award-winning journalist and author, Brian Whitney (RAW DEAL, THE SHAWCROSS LETTERS) an exclusive look inside the mind of this “social media” killer. Joining Whitney to tell this unique true crime story is Anna Yourkin. The book also contains exclusive photos provided by Yourkin. MY SON, THE KILLER: The Untold Story of Luka Magnotta and "1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick"-Brian Whitney. -
Serial killers Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer are often the first names that spring to mind. Many people assume serial killers are primarily an American phenomenon that came about in the latter part of the twentieth century. But such assumptions are far from the truth. Serial killers have been around for a very long time and can be found in every corner of the globe. Some of these predators have been caught and brought to justice whereas others have never been found, let alone identified.
Edited by acclaimed author and anthologist Mitzi Szereto, The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers reveals all-new accounts of true crime serial killers from the contemporary to the historic. The international list of contributors includes award-winning crime writers, true-crime podcasters, journalists, and experts in the dark crimes field such as Martin Edwards, Lee Mellor, Danuta Kot, Craig Pittman, Richard O Jones, Marcie Rendon, Mike Browne, Vicki Hendricks and Mark Fryers. Mitzi Szereto's story included is about Vlado Taneski, a particulalry brutal serial killer from Macedonia, The Kicevo Monster.
The Man in Black and the Silver Screen: The Life and Crimes of Peter Moore by Mark Fryers.
The Man in Black physically and sexually assualted countless men in a reign of terror that lasted over 20 years, his crimes culminating in a killing spree in the winter of 1995, which ended the lives of 4 men. He owned and ran several cinemas in the area and acted like a film star at his trial, dressing all in black and claiming that it wasn't he who committed the murders but a phantom named Jason, after the homicidal killer in the film Friday the 13th. THE BEST NEW TRUE CRIME STORIES: SERIAL KILLERS-Mitzi Szereto and Mark Fryers -
BLOOD TIES: A scripted audio series starring Gillian Jacobs, Josh Gad, and Amy Landecker. When legendary pediatric cardiologist and businessman, Dr. Peter Richland, is killed in a plane crash two days before Christmas, secrets begin to emerge about his dealings with female colleagues throughout his career. These disturbing revelations thrust his children, Eleonore and Michael, into a fight they’re completely unprepared for. Listen now at wondery.fm/BTTrueMurder
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To all appearances, Dennis Rader was a model citizen in the small town of Park City, Kansas. The self-named BTK (for Bind, Torture, Kill) had terrorized Wichita for thirty-one years. In 1974, BTK committed his first murders -- torturing and strangling four members of the Otero family -- and wrote the police an audacious letter declaring his responsibility for the Oteros' deaths and labeling himself BTK. Thus he established a pattern -- stalking and killing a series of ten victims, then bragging and claiming ownership of his crimes -- that ended in 1991. Until, that is, he resurfaced in 2004 with another string of letters that would finally lead to his arrest. Drawing from extensive interviews with Rader's pastor, congregation, detectives, and psychologists who worked the case, and from his unnervingly detailed thirty-two-hour confession, bestselling author Stephen Singular delves into the disturbing life and crimes of BTK to explore fully -- for the first time -- the most dangerous and complex serial killer of our generation and the man who embodied, at once, astonishing extremes of normality and abnormality. In Unholy Messenger, Singular recounts the year prior to Rader's arrest, in which the BTK killer reemerged, and the aftermath. The result is a chilling story of a man considered a "spiritual leader" by his pastor and congregation, who turned out to be the devil next door. UNHOLY MESSENGER: The Life and Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer-Joyce and Stephen Singular
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Robert Maudsley casually walked into the cell of another inmate, who was sleeping on his bunk facedown. A savage rage quickly took over, and Maudsley started stabbing the back of the man’s head. There was blood, pieces of brain, and chunks of hair flying in a fury. After the man went limp, Maudsley grabbed the man’s head and held it in both palms and started to smash it against the walls of the cell, so hard that the plaster began to fall off the ceiling.
Nurses and guards had to watch on, not being able to get into the cell, hearing the victim’s head crack each time it was smashed against the wall. After Maudsley finished with the attack, he sat the limp body up against the bed, got down on his knees, and started to eat chunks of the brain with his home-made knife.
Robert Maudsley was dubbed “Hannibal the Cannibal’ on account of his thirst for eating the brains of his victims. He is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking murderers in prison. He is housed in a bulletproof cage, in the basement of Wakefield Prison, England, where Britain holds it's most savage, high-profile convicts. He is known to be such a danger to others, even inmates, he lives in a specially designed cell that doesn’t allow him any contact with anybody, except for guards that slide his food through a small hole at the bottom of his cell.
Robert Maudsley is deemed to be the ‘Most Dangerous Prisoner in Britain.’ Even though he only killed one person outside of prison, his remaining victims were claimed while incarcerated. This book reviews Maudsley’s life from his tormented childhood, his rage-filled murder outside of prison, and the planned torturous murders of three convicted pedophiles. HANNIBAL THE CANNIBAL: The True Story of Robert Maudsley-Alan R. Warren -
Experience some of the most intense hostage, serial homicide, mass casualty, stalking, and violent “true-believer” cases encountered by an expert during his thirty-year police and forensic psychology career.
Some of the scariest and most interesting criminals are broken down and analyzed by Dr. Kris Mohandie, an expert police and forensic psychologist who has met—and evaluated—some of the most dangerous people who have walked among us. This book has numerous first-hand accounts of his work, and interviews for cases like the Angel of Death serial killer, racist serial assassin Joseph Paul Franklin, and even the O.J. Simpson case.
Detailed case information, including excerpts of interviews he’s conducted with these offenders, provides a platform to learn shocking new information about hostage takers, serial killers, mass murderers, violent “true-believers,” terrorists, and some of the worst predators on the planet. EVIL THOUGHTS: WICKED DEEDS-Dr. Kris Mohandie
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Fifty years ago, a serial killer prowled the quiet city of London, Ontario, marking it as his hunting grounds. As young women and boys were abducted, raped, and murdered, residents of the area held their loved ones closer and closer, terrified of the monster ? or monsters ? stalking the streets. Homicide detective Dennis Alsop began hunting the killer in the 1960s, and he didn’t stop searching until his death 40 years later. For decades, detectives, actual and armchair, and the victims’ families and friends continued to ask questions: Who was the Forest City Killer? Was there more than one person, or did a depraved individual commit all of these crimes on his own?
Combing through the files Detective Alsop left behind, researcher Vanessa Brown reopens the cases, revealing previously unpublished witness statements, details of evidence, and astonishing revelations. And through her investigation, Vanessa posits the unthinkable: is it possible that the Forest City Killer is still alive and, like the notorious Golden State Killer, a simple DNA test could bring him to justice? THE FOREST CITY KILLER: A Serial Murderer, A Cold-Case Sleuth, And A Search for Justice-Vanessa Brown - Show more
