In 1986, a beautiful young mother discovers her husband is cheating on her and files for divorce. Soon afterward, she goes missing. Discovering what happened to Helle Crafts would take an small army of detectives, forensic scientists, serologists, forensic anthropologists, a police diving team and other investigators to unravel this bizarre crime and would inspire an Academy-Award winning film.
Resources:
Forensic Files: Season 1, Episode 1 - "The Disappearance of Helle Crafts", FilmRise TV.
"The Wood Chipper Murder Case" by Mark Gado for CrimeLibrary.com.
"Richard Crafts, notorious wood chipper murderer, released from prison" by Christine Dempsey for The Hartford Courant, Jan 31, 2020.
Details about the film "Fargo" were found on IMDB.com.
Sponsors:
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Links:
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
"Fargo" (1996) Trailer: https://youtu.be/h2tY82z3xXU
In the last chapter of "Till Death Do Us Part" a woman meets and quickly marries a man. He promises her a new life, but soon after the wedding she goes missing. It will take years of investigative and legal work to bring her killer to justice.
Sources:
"Till Death Do Us Part: True Stories of Newlywed Murder Cases" by JJ Slate, RJ Parker Publishing, 2015.
"Father's Quest for Justice Ends" by Tom Long for The Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 13, 1989.
People v. Crew, Supreme Court of California, August 25, 2003.
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Links:
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime
The Generation Why Podcast released its first episode in 2012 and pioneered the true crime genre in the podcasting world. Two friends, Justin and Aaron, break down theories and give their opinions on unsolved murders, controversies, mysteries and conspiracies.
Here's a link to listen to The Generation Why: www.wondery.fm/genwhy_onceupon
A bride sees many red flags in her relationship before walking down the aisle, but her fear of angering her fiancee would compel her to go through with the ceremony. Within hours, that decision would become fatal.
#domestic violence #coercive control
Resources:
"Murder-Suicide claims Indiana doctor, nurse on wedding night, police say", by Janet DiGiamcomo for CNN, Oct.. 9, 2014.
"Indiana Doctor Kills His Wife and Himself on Wedding Night" by Steve Helling for People.com, Oct. 8 2014.
Court Records, US District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Trustgard Insurance vs. Old National Wealth Management, Filed 2/24/17.
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Links:
The Council on Domestic Abuse, Terre Haute - www.codaterrehaute.org
To be connected with domestic violence and intimate partner violence organizations and resources in the U.S. you can go to thehotline.org, in the UK at womensAID.org.uk, in Australia 1800respect.org.au, and for an international directory go to hotpeachpages.net.
Relationship Red Flags:
Does your partner:
Yell, belittle or humiliate you?
Constantly criticize you and put you down?
Blame you for his/her own behavior?
Keep you isolated from your family and friends?
Control or limit your access to money, telephone access or a vehicle?
Follow of constantly check up on where you are, who you are with or what you are doing?
Destroy your belongings?
Force you to be intimate?
Threaten to harm you or him/herself if you leave?
Prevent you from working or having a career or your own?
If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship, help is available. Please reach out to organizations like those listed above for help.Together with advocates that are trained to help, abuse victims can get help in putting together a plan for them and their children to leave a dangerous situation as safely as possible.
It's February 2nd 1922, and all of Hollywood is about to wake up and learn that William Desmond Taylor, the most famous film director in town, was murdered in his home last night. The investigation will shine a light on some of Hollywood's most scandalous affairs, backroom deals, and underground drug dens. This real life Murder Mystery is one of the most iconic "whodunnit" cases of the 20th century that will leave you guessing and second guessing who killed William Desmond Taylor for weeks to come.
Listen today at: http://wondery.fm/onceuponacrimeMiH
A new bride decides she's made a mistake in tying the knot. The decision she makes in order to end the marriage will be a shocking act of cruelty.
Resources:
"A Murder in Glacier Park" by Justin Franz for The Flathead Beacon, Dec 17, 2013
"Newlywed Cliff Death" by Ryan Owens for ABC News, Sept 11, 2013
"Glacier Park Murder: Friends warned Kalispell man not to marry" by Alice Miller for The Missoulian, Sept 11, 2013
"Montana's Jordan Graham Case" by Crime Watch Daily. Uploaded by True Crime Daily on YouTube.com, March 16, 2020.
Sponsors:
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Once Upon a Crime Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505/
GoodPods - Get Goodpods here.
Search for Motive for Murder and add a question in the discussion tab. Then join me for an exclusive discussion with the host of Motive for Murder, Josh Mankiewicz on June 10th at noon PT! You can follow me on GoodPods at @estherlu.
Strange and Unexplained Podcast - https://feed.podbean.com/sandupodcast/feed.xml
In this series, I'll share cases of newlyweds whose lives were cut short by the person who vowed to love them forever.
In this first case, a young bride is unaware that her new spouse married her to collect on a $1 million dollar life insurance policy.
Resources:
'The Other Woman' Testifies in Newlywed Murder, CBS Miami 4, March 25, 2014.
Several articles on Wendy Trapaga murder case from CBS Miami 4 online.
Till Death Do Us Part: A Collection of Newlywed Murder Cases by JJ Slate, RJ Parker Publishing, 2015.
Sponsor:
Hask Hair Care - Go to haskbeauty.com/ONCE for your chance to win a $100 prize pack.
Links:
GoodPods - Get Goodpods here.
Search for Motive for Murder and add a question in the discussion tab. Then join me for an exclusive discussion with the host of Motive for Murder, Josh Mankiewicz on June 4th! You can follow me on GoodPods at @estherlu.
This is Part 2 of "The Pelley Murders". In this episode I'll tell you about Jeff Pelley's trial, theories of the murders, and give you a strange and compelling story about who else may have been responsible for the murders of Bob Pelley and his family.
Resources:
“A trail of broken promises, debt and death” by Peter Franceschina for The News-Press, Oct 6, 1991.
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Links:
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Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime: https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
A 17-year-old is suspected in the murder of four of his family members because he was forbidden from attending his prom. Was this a case of a homicidal teen or a rush to judgement?
Resources:
The Prom Night Murders: The True Story of a Twenty-Year Mystery by Carlton Smith, St. Martin's Press, 2009
"Inconsistent with the Laws of Nature" by Mark Gribben for The Malefactor's Register
Sponsors:
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Links:
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YouTube: https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG
Website: www.truecrimepodcast.com
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime: https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
In this series, "Last Dance", I share stories of crimes that happened on prom night. In the first episode, a teenager commits an act of parricide then attends his prom and holds a party at the crime scene.
Resources:
Adam Sapikowski - crime and trial reported by WRAL.com over several articles - https://www.wral.com/news/local/asset_gallery/1066030/
"Adam Sapikowski Sentenced" - ABC 11 News, Feb 8, 2008.
Sponsors:
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The Fall Line Podcast - www.thefalllinepodcast.com
Links:
Facebook Fan Page: https://bit.ly/2VuSgtM
YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG
An abusive stepfather gets his comeuppance when his stepsons turn on him resulting in a grisly murder.
Resources:
"Joshua and Jerome Ellis guilty of stepfather killing", BBC News, Feb 26, 2014.
"Kids Who Kill: Responsible Child inspired by the true story of two young brothers who stabbed their stepfather", Graeme Culliford for The Sun, Dec 17, 2019.
Sponsors:
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Links:
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel! https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG
Once Upon a Crime Facebook Fan Page: https://bit.ly/2VuSgtM
A child, unwanted from birth and neglected by her birth parents, is hopeful that her new stepmother will love her like a daughter. It is not to be and her story will become a cautionary tale in the U.K. of how the child protective system spectacularly failed Lauren Wright.
Resources:
"Tragic tale of a child unwanted from the day of her birth" by Terri Judd for The Independent, Oct 2, 2001.
"A Life of Abuse and Neglect" by Paul Kelso for The Guardian, Oct 1, 2001.
A series of articles in BBC News - "Doctor examine girl before death", Sept 5, 2001; "Stepmother 'loved Lauren'", Sept 20, 'Mum punched Lauren' says son", Sept 25; "Lauren inquiry demanded", "A lifetime of abuse" - all Oct 1, 2001.
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Links:
To listen and subscribe to "Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime" : https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
Once Upon a Crime Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505/
In our new series, “StepMonsters,” I’ll share stories of bad stepparents whose actions became true crime news. In this first episode I'll share the story of a young boy who went missing and was found in a very unlikely place. Was he the victim of abuse as he would claim and, if so, who was the person most responsible - his stepmother, his own father or both?
Resources:
"Charlie Bothuell V, Boy Found in Basement, Says His Home was a 'Terrible Place'", by Tara Fowler for People Magazine, April 29, 2015.
"Dad of Boy Found in Basement Wants Trial" by Holly Fournier for The Detroit News, January 5, 2016.
Audio Clip: "Nancy Grace tells dad missing son found alive", retrieved from HLN on YouTube, https://youtu.be/TAQTR6_FTyI
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Links:
CrimeCon: www.crimecon.com - use discount code ONCEUPON2020 for 10% off your registration
Once Upon a Crime's YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2UDxhEG
Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime: https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/lets-taco-bout-true-crime
A gruesome crime would become a media sensation in Canada in 1946 when a beautiful young woman was accused of the grisly murder. This is the case of the infamous Evelyn Dick and the Torso Murder of 1946.
Link to listen to the song "Evelyn Dick" by The Forgotten Rebels - https://youtu.be/OAkxFSM_rNs
Resources:
The Torso Murder by Brian Vallee published by Key Porter Books, Canada, 2001.
Evelyn Dick on Murderpedia.org - http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/dick-evelyn.htm
Sponsors:
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Links:
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In 1991, Kurt Cobain released a song on the album Nevermind. Titled "Polly" the song was inspired by a kidnapping and rape of a young girl in Tacoma, Washington. This is the story of that crime.
Listen to "Polly" by Nirvana here: https://youtu.be/3H0NHHKBemg
Resources:
"Story Behind the Song - Polly" by Hayley Selfridge on YouTube
"Nirvana's Darkest Song" by The Nerdwriter on YouTube
"Police suspect rapist in serial killings", Tri-City Herald, June 19, 1987.
Links to episodes mentioned:
The Day the Music Died: Kurt Cobain - Episode #10 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-010-the-day-the-music-died-kurt-cobain/id1122650415?i=1000382663745
True Crime Game Changers: Polly Klaas - Episode #21 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-021-true-crime-game-changers-polly-klaas/id1122650415?i=1000382668498
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A young girl is brutally murdered in New York's Central Park in 1986. Her killer, Robert Chambers, would be dubbed "The Preppy Killer" in the press and his victim's name would be dragged through the mud. This is the real story of "The Preppy Murder" you haven't heard before.
Listen to "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers here: https://youtu.be/1Bxx_h4vl8Y
Resources used in the research for this episode:
"East Side Story" by Michael Stone for New York Magazine, June 27, 2008.
"Looking Back at the Preppy Killer Case, More Than 30 Years Later" by Elizabeth Angell for Town and Country Magazine, November 12, 2019.
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The mysterious death of a young girl inspires Jon Bon Jovi to record a song dedicated to her. This is the case of Katherine Korzilius.
Resources used in the research for this episode:
Unsolved Mysteries, Season 10: Episode 7 - https://unsolved.com/gallery/katherine-korzilius/
"Family Searches for Answers, Peace" by Hank Stuever for Austin American-Statesman, Aug 7, 1997.
"Jon Bon Jovi Busy with Singing, Newfound Acting Career" by Winnie Bonelli for The Herald-New, Passaic, New Jersey, June 20, 1997.
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Links:
Song: "August 7th, 4:15" by Jon Bon Jovi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoABwDxs9q8
CrimeCon tickets: www.crimecon.com - Use discount code ONCEUPON2020 for 10% off your registration
Music Credits:
Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com
Other music from Freesound.org - Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.
In Nebraska, in 1958, a high school junior holds animosity towards his mother and takes deadly revenge. He is caught and imprisoned and, years later, disappears for decades. Where is Leslie Arnold today?
Resources used in the research for this episode:
"Whatever Happened to Leslie Arnold, the Boy who Murdered his Parents?" by John William Tuohy, www.mywriterssite.blogspot.com
"The Mystery of Leslie Arnold" by Henry Cordes for The Omaha World-Herald, Sept 13, 2017.
Sponsors:
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Music Credits:
Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com
Other music: Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.
In Kansas in 1958, an 18-year-old kills both of his parents and his only sibling. Was it a case of greed, mental illness, or was Andrews just a "bad seed"?
#parricide #InColdBlood #TheBrothersKaramazov #deathrow #familyannihilators
Resources:
"Lowell Lee Andrews Was 'The Nicest Boy' in Wolcott by Beth Elias for Ranker.com
"Nicest boy in Wolcott" by David J. Krajicek for NYDailyNews.com, Feb. 21, 2010
"State vs. Andrews", Appeal Record, State of Kansas, Dec. 10, 1960. Retrieved on Justia.com.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Modern Library, Reprint Edition, 2013.
Sponsor:
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Music Credits:
Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com
Music from https://filmmusic.io - "March of the Mind" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Other music: https://freesound.org/s/321070/ , https://freesound.org/s/243435/ Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.
In 1975, a rebellious teen enlists her boyfriend to kill her parents in a small, Northern California town. The gruesome crime would be dubbed "The Barbecue Murders" in the press.
Sources:
"Kill My Parents: The story of Marlene Olive" by Denise Noe for Crime Library, June 23, 2014
"A Local Murder: Terra Linda was the setting for a real-life 1975 crime" by Jim Wood for Marin Magazine, October 21, 2008
Sponsor:
Firstleaf: www.Firstleaf.com/ONCE for 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 plus free shipping
Music Credits:
Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com
Other music: https://freesound.org/s/131913/, https://freesound.org/s/403662/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/ - all licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License
Links:
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-taco-bout-true-crime/id1452118167
Affirmative Murder - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/affirmative-murder/id1296864488
www.CrimeCon.com - Use offer code ONCE2020 for 10% off your registration.
In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
Time stamps:
Early Life: 02:41
Teen Years: 13:25
Young Adult Life: 32:17
On the Road: 35:30
Criminal Activity: 36:12
Tyra: 47:30
The Victims: 55:57
Closing In/The Arrest: 1:36:40
The Confession: 1:44:46
Arlene Pralle/Adoption: 1:51:50
The Trial: 1:56:42
Death Sentence: 2:04:26
Execution 2:12:44
Final Thoughts: 2:14:35
Sources:
"Lethal Intent", written by Sue Russell, Published 2002 for Pinnacle Books
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm
"A Mother's Love" by Mike Clary for the LA Times, Dec 17 1991, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-17-vw-496-story.html
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Other links:
Deadly Misadventures Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deadly-misadventures/id1494774552
CrimeCon: www.crimecon.com - Use promo code ONCEUPON2020 for 10% off your standard registration.
Music Credits:
Aaron Michael Goldberg: https://aarongoldberg.bandcamp.com
Music from https://filmmusic.io "March of the Mind" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
On this bonus episode I share the highs and lows for 2019, list the top episodes of last year, talk about upcoming events and share the last word on the 2019 plagiarism scandal.
Links:
Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-episode-lets-taco-bout-crime-junkie-plagiarism/id1452118167?i=1000447888185
Facebook Fan Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505/
CrimeCon 2019 - https://www.crimecon.com/cc20-orlando - Use promo code ONCE2020 for 10% off your registration.
On this special episode my guest is Jack Luna from Crime Machine Podcast. We discuss the evidence and theories behind the JonBenet Ramsey Case.
Sources:
Foreign Faction: Who Really Killed JonBenet? by A. James Kolar, Ventus Publishing, 2012.
JonBenet Ramsey Case Encyclopedia, www.jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com
"The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey". https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6mj3ze
Crime Machine Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-machine/id1209610434
Sponsors:
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On this special episode, I discuss the death of Shawn Stephens Lewis. Shawn was the fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and country music star. When Shawn Lewis was found dead in Lewis's mansion on August 24, 1983, many questions would remain unanswered as to how she died.
My very special guest this week is Erica Kelly from the Southern Fried True Crime podcast!
www.southernfriedtruecrime.com
www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime
www.crimecon.com - use offer code ONCE20 for 10% off your standard badge.
Resources:
"The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis" by Richard Ben Cramer for Rolling Stone, March 1, 1984
"The Sudden Death of Wife No. 5 Confronts Jerry Lee Lewis with Tragedy - and Troubling Questions" by People Staff for People Magazine, Sept 12, 1983.
"Jerry Lee Lewis: 'The Killer' Says the Wild Times are Behind Him" by Jim Sullivan for The Chicago Tribune.
Sponsors:
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Detective Trapp: www.wondery.fm/DTonceupon
On this year-end wrap up episode, I answer listener questions and share updates on cases I've covered in past episodes.
Sponsors:
Detective Trapp: www.wondery.fm/DTonceupon
Native Deodorant: www.nativedeodorant.com - use promo code ONCE for 20% off your first order.
Away Travel: www.awaytravel.com/ONCE20 and use promo code ONCE20 at checkout to get $20 off a suitcase.