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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." , December 21: 1. —. 1968. "Mackle kidnapping suspect capturted; $480,000 recovered." , December 22: 1. —. 1968. "Kidnapped girl tells of ordeal of 83 hours entombed in box." , December 29: 44. —. 1968. "Kidnapped girl, buried alive, is freed." , December 21: 1. Atlanta Constitution. 1968. "80-hour burial ends in rescue." , December 21: 1. —. 1968. "Motel coed kidnapped here spurs nationwide alert for 2." , December 18: 1. Foreman, Laura. 1968. "Campus silent about the girl." , December 18: 1. 1970. 227 Ga. 85 (Ga. 1970) (Supreme Court of Georgia, December 3). Markowitz, Arnold. 1969. "Plea of Innocent entered for Krist." , March 8: 1. Miami Herald. 1969. "Krist collapses; is being force-fed." , April 25: 4. —. 1969. "'Superiority' goes to jail." , May 28: 3. —. 1969. "Who's villain of kidnap case?" , March 9: 19. Miller, Gene. 1969. "Krist gets life in prison avter jury grants mercy." , May 27: 1. —. 1969. "'Life imprisonment worse than death'." , May 27: 16. Miller, Gene, and Barbara Mackle. 1971. New York, NY: Doubleday. Murray, Frank. 1968. "Researcher and 2 sought in kidnap." , December 20: 1. New York Times. 1968. "Ransom pickup inadvertently foiled by Miami police." , December 20. Raines, Howell. 1979. "Parole of a kidnapper angers Atlanta." , May 14: A14. Sosin, Milt. 1969. "FBI hunts Ruth's 'flight pal'." , March 6: 1. —. 1969. "Ruth: Everyone is against me." , March 7: 1. United Press International. 1968. "Gunman and 'boy' kidnapp 20-year-old coed, Florida millionaire's daughter." , December 18: 25. Vissar, Steve. 2006. "The strange odyssey of Gary Krist; From kidnapper to prisoner to doctor to alleged drug smuggler." , 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! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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 Morbidpodcast@gmail.com 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." , June 9: 3. Bauer, Traci. 1992. "Three women vanish." , June 9: 1. Benson, Ana. 2021. Duluth, MN: Trellis Publishing. Bentley, Chris , and Robert Keyes. 1992. "Police follow transient lead." , June 16: 1. Bentley, Chris. 1992. "Disappearance leaves woman's son 'frantic'." , June 10: 1. Clark, Christopher. 1992. "Who could be so cruel? Friends shake their heads." , June 10: 1. Clark, Christopher, Traci Bauer, and Chris Bentley. 1992. "Typical teenagers, a loving mother." , June 10: 14. Davis, Ron. 1992. "Troubled." , June 26: 1. Keyes, Robert. 1996. "Inmate to go 'under microscope'." , January 19: 1. —. 1996. "Missing women case leads police to Texas." , January 2: 1. —. 1992. "Streeter's brother passes polygraph." , June 12: 6. —. 1996. "Talk with inmate leads to 'nothing shattering'." , January 20: 1. —. 2006. "Three Missing women: Ten years later." , June 8. —. 1992. "Too many felonies." , July 11: 1. —. 1992. "Waitress gives clue." , June 24: 1. —. 1992. "'We're doing all we can'." , June 21: 9. O'Dell, Kathleen. 1992. "A sixth sense about a baffling case." , June 28: 1. Reid, Kyani. 2022. June 12. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/30-years-later-family-still-seeking-answers-disappearance-three-springfield-n1296285. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , November 7: 30. 2015. Directed by Christine Connor. Performed by Christine Connor. Dalton, Robert, and Craig Peters. 2009. 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?" , February 10: 1. Gaffney Ledger. 1968. "Attorneys ask court transcript of trial." , February 21: 1. —. 1968. "Officers search well; find Opal's clothing." , February 28: 1. Howe, Claudia. 1968. "Grim mystery, violent deaths engulf Gaffney." , February 14: 10. Jones, Mark R. 2007. Charleston, SC: The History Press. Martin, Tommy. 1988. "Lives of golf pro, texile worker crossed paths on February 13, 1968." , February 5: 4. —. 1968. "Martin sentenced to life in prison." , September 19: 1. McCuen, Sam E. 1968. "Crank telephone calls plague Gaffney police." , February 16: 19. —. 1968. "Gaffney girl is kidnapped." , February 14: 1. —. 1968. "Mother convinced her son innocent." , February 9: 1. Skipp, Catherine. 2009. "Gaffney, S.C. haunted by murderous memories ." , July 8. The Gaffney Ledger. 1968. "Martin is charged in 3 stranglings." , February 19: 1. The State. 1968. "2 bodies found after phone call." , February 9: 1. —. 1968. "Suspect attempts suicide." , February 21: 15. Truluck, Jack. 1968. "In-laws believe Dedmond is guilty." , February 21: 1. United Press International. 1968. "Lee Roy Martin indicted in 4 Gaffney stranglings." , May 21: 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 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." 5-14. —. 2007. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. 2015. Television. Directed by Christine Connor. Accessed July 23, 2024. Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. 1934. "Calls woman Lady Macbeth." , June 20: 1. —. 1934. "Hint Madison is still alive." , June 13: 1. —. 1934. "Mrs. Madison facinc noose; plans appeal." , June 23: 1. —. 1934. "Self defense may be argued." , June 6: 1. —. 1934. "Widow unmoved by death story." , April 12: 7. Los Angeles Times. 1934. "Auditor found slain; wife hunted in inquiry." , March 26: 15. —. 1934. "Death clew hunt pushed." , April 1: 17. —. 1934. "Death plea hits widow." , June 20: 17. —. 1934. "Deatn case widow mum." , Marchh 27: 19. —. 1934. "Doubt cast on identity." , June 14: 17. —. 1934. "Madison may be exhumed." , June 16: 13. —. 1934. "Second pistol bought by Mrs. Madison hunted in mysrtery murder case." , March 28: 5. —. 1934. "Slaying of mate denied." , June 15: 36. —. 1934. "Widow veils death tale." , March 28: 17. Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2007. "Unwitting pioneer of the battered-woman defense." , February 4. 1935. 3826 (Supreme Court of the State of California, May 27). Underwood, Agness. 1934. "Widow weeps when held in murder quiz." , 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." , May 29: 1. eGov Newswire. 2021. "Menedez leads colleagues in introducing senate resolution to honor the lives and legacy of the 'Radium Girls'." , June 26. Evening Courier. 1927. "Radium poison victims want damage suit limits raised." , July 19: 2. Galant, Debbie. 1996. "Living with a radium nightmare." , September 29: NJ1. Lang, Daniel. 1959. "A most valuable accident." , April 24: 49. McAndrew, Tara McClellan. 2018. January 25. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2018-01-25/the-radium-girls-an-illinois-tragedy. Moore, Kate. 2017. New York, NY: Sourcebooks. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. n.d. Environmental Preservation Snapshot, Orange, NJ: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. New York Times. 1928. "Finds no bar to suit by radium victims." , May 23: 11. Prisco, Jacopo. 2017. "Radium Girls: The dark times of luminous watches." , December 19. United Press. 1928. "Woman, dying by degrees, tells of symptoms of radium posioning." , May 16: 6. —. 1928. "3 more are victims of radiun poisoning." , 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." , April 19: 1. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1927. "Suspect is held after cops grill dead man's wife." , March 21: 1. Brooklyn Times Union. 1927. "Hid lover in her home, then went to party." , March 21: 25. —. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die, she first, in sobs; each is forgiving." , Janaury 13: 1. MacKellar, Landis. 2006. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. New York Times. 1927. "Cross-examination of Mrs. Ruth Snyder on her last day on the stand." , May 4: 16. —. 1927. "Girl finds mother bound." , March 21: 1. —. 1927. "Gray's first story was full of denial." , March 22: 3. —. 1927. "Judge warned jury to avoid sympathy." , May 10: 1. —. 1927. "Mrs. Snyder and Gray found guilty in the first degree in swift verdict; both to get death sentence Monday." , May 10: 1. —. 1927. "Not a cruel killer, Gray writes in cell." , April 8: 25. —. 1927. "Says Gray was hypnotized." , March 26: 9. —. 1927. "Slayers indicted; Snyder case trial sought for April 4." , March 24: 1. —. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder face speedy trial; racant confession." , March 23: 1. —. 1927. "Slayers of Snyder hear doom unmoved; put hope in appeals." , May 14: 1. —. 1927. "Snyder jury hears Gray's confession accusing woman." , April 28: 1. —. 1927. "Snydwer was tricked into big insurance, state witness says." , April 26: 1. —. 1927. "Widow on stand swears Gray alone killed Snyder as she tried to save him." , April 30: 1. —. 1927. "Wife betrays paramour as murderer of Snyder, and he then confesses." , March 22: 1. Sutherland, Sidney. 1928. "Ruth and Judd die in chair, asking for forgiveness for sin." , January 13: 1. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , July 20: 1. Evening Dispatch. 1949. "Haigh: Defence will plead insanity." , July 18: 1. —. 1949. "Silence in court." , July 1: 1. Evening Express. 1949. "Haigh for trial at Old Bailey." , April 2: 1. Evening Sentinel. 1949. "Dramatic developments in mystery of missing widow." , March 1: 1. Herald Express. 1949. "'Haigh put the body in a drum' - prosectiuon." , April 1: 1. Lincolnshire Echo. 1949. "Haigh lived to lives, says mind doctor." , July 19: 1. Lowe, Gordon. 2015. Cheltenham, UK: History Press. Ramsland, Katherine. 2006. "John George Haigh: A Malingerer's Legacy." 59-62. Root, Neil. 2012. New York, NY: Preface Publishing. Sunday Dispatch. 1949. "Wide search for missing rich widow." , February 27: 1. The Times. 1949. "Hiagh sentenced to death." , July 20: 2. Western Daily Press. 1949. "Haigh smiles at sentence." , July 20: 1. Western Morning News. 1949. "Yard fears for fate of five people." , March 3: 1. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , December 16: 38. CBS News. 2004. March 9. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-twist-in-baby-id-case/. CNN. 2004. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Northeast/03/01/girl.found.alive/. 2006. 05-3749 (United States District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, August 11). Egan, Nicole Weisensee. 2005. "Her side of the story." , October 13: 3. Frisby, Mann. 1997. "Heater blamed in fire that clais infant." , December 16: 10. George, Jason. 2004. "Girl found and woman held after a ruse lasting years." , March 3: A13. Gregory, Sean. 2004. March 15. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://time.com/archive/6737931/back-from-the-blaze/. Pompilio, Natalie. 2004. "Kidnapped girl returned to birth mother." , March 8. Pompilio, Natalie, and Joel Bewley. 2004. "Case of child once believed dead is far from over." , March 6. Pompilio, Natalie, and Thomas Gibbons. 2004. "Woman suspected of kidnapping girl 6 years ago turns." , March 2. Soteropoulos, Jacqueline. 2005. "Abductor of infant gets 9 to 30 years." , September 24: 1. Tampa Bay Times. 2004. 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. March 2. Accessed June 28, 2024. https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2004/03/03/dna-testing-helps-mom-find/50702564007/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , July 3: CN1. Daily Boston Globe. 1945. "7 Ringling officials held responsible by coroner for Hartford circus fire." , January 12: 12. —. 1950. "Circus holocaust, 4 N.E. murders laid to N.H. man." , Juky 1: 1. —. 1950. "Psychiatrist to examine youth who thinks he set Hartford circus fire." , May 21: C29. Davis, John. 1944. "Circus Fire is described by witness." , July 7: 3. Ensworth, Bob. 1944. "Quick-witted show folks saved many, soldier declares." , July 7: 1. Glaberson, William. 1991. "Our towns." , August 2: B2. Hartford Courant. 1944. "113 children, mothers not yet located." , July 7: 1. —. 1944. "'Flying Wallendas' on high wire when flames swept through tent." , July 7: 1. —. 1944. "Negligence facts found says Alcorn." , July 8: 1. —. 1944. "Panic and blaze trap hundreds." , July 7: 1. —. 1944. "Thousands attracted by circus here." , July 6: 1. —. 1944. "Tossed cigarette blamed for fire by ushers, police." , July 7: 1. Kelley, Robert. 1945. "The strange case of Little Miss No. 1565 still baffles police." , July 16: 1. Linscott, Seymour. 1944. "136 die in circus fire." , July 7: 1. Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1950. "Quiz firebug suspect in '44 circus tragedy." , May 19: 1. Morning Edition. 2007. 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." , November 2: 47. —. 1950. "Arsonist imprisoned; admitted 172 deaths." , November 4: 34. —. 1944. "Children caught in frenzied mass." , July 7: 11. —. 1950. "Some doubts raised in arson confession." , July 2: 27. Ross, Leonora. 1944. "Hartford tragedy leaves cricus artisits staggered." , July 8: 2. Skidgell, Michael. 2019. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing. Smith, John Henry. 2024. 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." , May 16: 69. United Press. 1942. "Scores of animals killed in $125,000 circus fire." , August 4: 1. Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 2024. 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. 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 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." , November 1: 5. —. 1934. "Mrs. Darling's slayer guilty; given 18 years." , March 13: 20. —. 1940. "Gov. O'Conor invokes new parole plan." , May 29: 2. Baltimore Evening Sun. 1934. "2 say Schultz was drinking on day of murder." , March 12: 30. —. 1916. "Ax for Kelly man." , August 9: 12. —. 1933. "Maid says man shot woman and himself." , October 31: 1. Baltimore Sun. 1933. "Alleged slayer admits jealousy." , November 2: 5. Bedell, John, Gregory Katz, Jason Shellenhamer, Lisa Kraus, and Sarah Groesbeck. 2011. Historical survey, Washington, DC: National Park Service. Clay, K.C. 2018. Historiography , Catoctin Mountain Park, MD: National Park Service. Hagerstown Daily Mail. 1933. "Schultz has good chance of recovery." , November 2: 3. —. 1933. "Schultz says shooting was self-defense." , December 4: 1. National Park History. 2003. November 21. Accessed June 6, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap5.htm. —. 2003. November 21. Accessed June 5, 2024. http://npshistory.com/publications/cato/hrs/chap4.htm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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 Morbidpodcast@gmail.com 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.
Hysterical investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York. What is causing their sudden, often violent symptoms? Is there something in the water or inside the school? Or is it “all in their head?” The series examines the outbreak in LeRoy, NY, believed by some to be the most severe case of mass hysteria since the Salem Witch Trials. In his search for answers, Dan Taberski (9/12, Missing Richard Simmons, Running from Cops) explores other seemingly inexplicable events of the last few years – CIA officers being crippled with nausea and vertigo; cops OD'ing from exposure to fentanyl – and discovers they’re far more connected than we realize. From Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, this 7-part series forces us to grapple with the mysteries of our own minds, and reckon with a contagion that we thought was long dead, but may be the defining disorder of our time. Follow Hysterical on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Hysterical early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+ at Wondery.fm/Hysterical_Morbid http://Wondery.fm/Hysterical_Morbid. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , January 7: 1. Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." , September 17: 1. Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." , January 5: 1. —. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." , January 6: 1. —. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." , December 30: 1. —. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." , May 13: 7. Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." , May 15: 15. Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." , September 17: 1. —. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." , December 11: 1. Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." , December 10: 5. Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." , December 27. MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books. Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." , September 17: 4. Silvester, Norman. 2022. 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." , May 22: 5. Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." , May 16: 5. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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." , January 7: 1. Coventry Evening Telegraph. 1956. "Three dead in bungalow beds." , September 17: 1. Daily Record. 1956. "Fifth tee murder." , January 5: 1. —. 1956. "Fifth tee murder: dramatic appeal." , January 6: 1. —. 1957. "Teenager vanishes." , December 30: 1. —. 1958. "Two sensations as trial opens." , May 13: 7. Daily Telegraph. 1958. "1958." , May 15: 15. Evening Sentinel. 1956. "Bloodstains found on bed sheets." , September 17: 1. —. 1957. "Tjhick snow hampers moors hunt." , December 11: 1. Hull Daily Mail. 1957. "Police seek fresh clues in murder mystery." , December 10: 5. Lundy, Iain. 2007. "Psychopath who brought terror to the west." , December 27. MacLeod, Hector. 2009. Edinburgh, Scotland: Mainstream Books. Nottingham Evening News. 1956. "Bungalow riddle: two women and girl dead in bed." , September 17: 4. Silvester, Norman. 2022. 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." , May 22: 5. Western Mail. 1958. "Watt denies shooting his wife." , May 16: 5. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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. 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 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. 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 August 1, 1966, twenty-five-year-old Charles Whitman arrived at the University of Texas Austin campus a little before noon, carrying with him several rifles, pistols, and a shotgun contained within a military footlocker. After talking his way past a guard, Whitman climbed to the twenty eighth floor of the campus clocktower and walked out onto the observation deck, then began firing at the people on the ground below. In the span of a just over an hour and half, Charles Whitman killed fifteen people and wounded thirty-one others before finally being shot and killed by a police officer who’d managed to make his way to the top of the tower. Investigators later learned that, prior to arriving on the UT campus, Whitman had also murdered his mother and his wife. In 1966, mass shootings were virtually unheard of in the United States and Whitman’s spree killing shocked the nation. By most accounts, Charles Whitman was the picture of an all-American man, which made his actions all the more confusing. He was well-liked, had a successful military career, a beautiful wife, and once out of the military, he began pursuing a college degree in preparation for the next phase of his life. But behind the façade of American middle-class success lurked a deeply troubled man whose personal history and acute medical problems would eventually go a long way to explaining his actions on the morning of August 1. Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research! REFERENCES Austin American-Statesman. 1966. "U.T. sniper shoots 33." , August 1: 1. Colloff, Pamela. 2006. "96 minutes." , August 1: 104. —. 2016. "Memorial day." , August 1: 22. Flemmons, Jerry. 1966. "UT tower sniper kills 14, dies in hail of police gunfire." , August 2: 1. Governor's Committee. 1966. Fact-finding report, Houston, TX: Texas Department of Public Safety. Krebs, Albin. 1966. "The Texas killer: Former Florida neighbors recall a nice boy who liked toy guns." , August 2: 15. Lavergne, Gary. 1997. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press. New York Times. 1967. "U. of Texas to reopen ." , June 18: 25. Stuever, Hank. 1996. "96 minutes, 30 years later." , July 29: 1. Texas Department of Public Safety. 1966. Intelligence Report, Houston, TX: State of Texas Department of Public Safety. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On Thanksgiving Day 1934, police in Tulsa, Oklahoma found the dead body of John Gorrell Jr., a Kansas City dental student, slumped behind the wheel of his car, which had come to a stop at a downtown intersection. Gorrell had been shot in the head twice with his own gun and his wallet and other valuables were missing, leading police to conclude he had been killed in a botched robbery. Just one day later, the residents of Tulsa were shocked to learn that Gorrell hadn’t been killed by a robbery, but by his friend Phil Kennamer, and his motive wasn’t robbery. At the peak of the Great Depression, newspaper reports of violent crime were nothing new. In this case, however, the victim was the son of a prominent local physician and his killer the son of a well-known US District Court judge. The privileged backgrounds of the victim and killer were enough to captivate the residents of Tulsa, but as the strange details of the story slowly emerged in the days that followed, the case quickly grew from local sensation to national fascination. In the weeks and months that followed, countless front pages (and then some) were dedicated to the lurid details of what the press soon dubbed the “Society Gang Killing;” a story of disaffected youth who, bored with their wealth and privilege, turned to crime and violence for the sake of entertainment and excitement. Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for Research! REFERENCES Biscup, Walter. 1935. "Verdict of jury leaves punishment of Gorrell's slayer to Judge Hurst." , February 22: 1. Frates, Kent. 2014. "The Society Gang Killingg." , July 15. Freese, Jim. 2016. Tulsa, OK: Freese Publishing . Miami Daily News-Record. 1934. "Sheriff refuses to act on Phil Kennamer's version of case, involving associates." , December 13: 1. —. 1934. "Doubt cast on gang theory in Tulsa slaying." , December 3: 1. Morrow, Jason. 2015. Tulsa, OK: Independent. Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat. 1935. "Counsel declares he could not tell right from wrong." , February 15: 1. New York Times. 1934. "Death car driver a suicide in Tulsa." , December 10: 38. —. 1935. "Girl takes stand to Aid Kennamer." , February 16: 30. —. 1935. "Kennamer reveals 'extortion letter'." , January 27: 15. —. 1935. "Kennamer tells of fatal shooting." , February 19: 10. Phillips, Harmon. 1935. "Kennamer Case goes on aftwer threat of mistrial." , February 13: 1. —. 1935. "Phil Kennamer back to jail with 25 years in prison as penalty for Gorrell killing." , February 24: 1. —. 1935. "State blocks quick opinion by doctor that Kennamer shot youth while insane." , February 16: 1. Tulsa Tribune. 1934. "Anderson tells plan of Kennamer Trial." , December 15: 1. —. 1935. "New clues seen in notes from Phil Kennamer." , January 3: 3. —. 1934. "Phil Kennamer inisists slaying his own actions." , December 2: 5. —. 1934. "Police call Born suicide." , December 10: 1. —. 1935. "Opposing Kennamer case legal batteries promise fiery clash of courtroom tactics." , January 23: 7. Tulsa World. 1935. "Judge Kennamer weeps as he describes Phil's abnormalities." , February 16: 1. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
From about 1910 to 1912, an alarming number of axe murders were occurring across the American South and Southwest. Though many would speculate as to the identity of perpetrator, including the theory that a single individual was responsible, many of these murders would remain unsolved and contribute to macabre urban legends that endure to this day. In New Orleans, however, the brutal axe murders of at least five Black families in 1911 and 1912 are attributed to Clementine Barnabet, an African American teenager who confessed to the crimes. Despite having confessed to as many as thirty-five murders, and having been convicted and incarcerated for one, the veracity of Barnabet’s claim has long been in doubt. Tried and convicted on very little evidence, Barnabet’s story changed many times following her arrest and eventually came to include sensational and highly questionable claims of her belonging to a Voodoo religious sect that engaged in human sacrifice. Not only were these claims unsupported by any real evidence, but they also suggested the girl may have been suffering from profound mental illness and had nothing whatsoever to do with the murders in and around New Orleans. But if Clementine Barnabet wasn’t the killer, why did she confess to such brutal, wicked crimes? Thank you to the incredible Dave White or Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research! References Crowley Daily Signal. 1911. "Brutal murder of negro family is discovered in West Crowley." Crowley Daily Signal, Janaury 26: 1. —. 1909. "Rayne scene of brutal murder." Crowley Daily Signal, November 13: 1. —. 1911. "Six murdered in Lafayette." Crowley Daily Signal, November 27: 1. Crowley Signal. 1911. "Negro murderer was convicted." Crowley Signal, October 28: 5. Fort Wayne News. 1912. "Seventeen murders were confessed to." Fort Wayne News, October 25: 17. Lafayette Advertiser. 1912. "Clementine Barnabet sane." Lafayette Advertiser, October 22: 4. —. 1911. "Horrible crime." Lafayette Advertiser, February 28: 1. Monroe News-Star. 1911. "Butchery of human beings." Monroe News-Star, November 28: 1. —. 1912. "Sacrifice sext slaughter 26." Monroe News-Star, January 23: 1. New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer. 1913. "Blood lust cut out of Clementine Barnabet." New Iberia Enterprise and Independent Observer, August 9: 1. Osborne, Jeffery. 2012. Preventing Lethal Violence Neighborhood by Neighborhood; Proceedings of the 2012 Homicide Research Working Group Annual Symposium. Conference Proceedings, New York, NY: Homicide Research Working Group. The Times. 1912. "Five negroes are murdered in a Lake Charles cottage." The Times, January 22: 1. —. 1912. "Gives names of 3 of "ax gang"." The Times, April 3: 1. —. 1912. "Negro woman confessed to slaying 20." The Times, April 2: 1. The Times-Democrat. 1912. "Amplifies confession." The Times-Democrat, April 4: 6. Times-Democrat. 1912. "Blood and brain from living person spattered girl's clothes." Times-Democrat, January 18: 2. Unknown. 1912. "Voodoo's horrors break out again." Atalanta Journal, March 11: 50. Weekly Iberian. 1912. "Hoodoo doctor arrested and identified by Clementine Burke." Weekly Iberian, April 13: 2. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Well- DAMN SAM! It’s Listener Tales 87! This week’s episode is brought to you by WORST ROOMMATES EVER! Inspired by the show coming back to Netflix on 6/26 for SEASON TWO-We pull stories about creepy cohabitators that are brought to you, BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! This week we hear about ex-roommate parting curses, previous spectral owners who HATE the updated decor tastes, a roomie who whispers sinister things in the wee hours, a horrifying close call, and the ghost story of two ghouls in love! If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :) Sifting through the show notes for "Worst Roommate Ever" information? Check it out on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/title/81031682?source=35 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On the afternoon of March 28, 1937, Easter Sunday, Joseph Gedeon and his daughter, Ethel, arrived at the home of Gedeon’s wife, Mary, for a planned Easter dinner. The Gedeon’s had been separated for some time but had agreed to have dinner together as a family, which included their other daughter, Veronica, a moderately successful pulp magazine model. When they entered the apartment, it appeared as though no one was home; however, upon checking the bedroom where his daughter slept, Joseph Gedeon found the nude body of his daughter lying lifeless on the bed and immediately called the police. During an initial search of the apartment, investigators found the body of Mary Gedeon stuffed under her bed; like her daughter, she had been strangled to death. In a third bedroom, police also found the body of Mary’s boarder, Frank Byrnes, who’d been stabbed several times in the head and neck with a long, thin implement. There was no sign of a forced entry, no sign of a struggle, and nothing appeared to be missing from the apartment. Given that Veronica had been found nude, and Mary was clothed but her underwear had been torn away, investigators assumed the murders were a sex crime. Still caught in the grip of the Great Depression, New Yorkers welcomed anything that could distract from the unpleasant realities of daily life and the salacious murder of a pulp magazine model—a sex crime, no less—was exactly what they were looking for. The story dominated the press, as reporters and tabloid journalists dug into Veronica’s personal life and dating history and published lurid photos from her past. But when the killer was finally caught and the motive revealed, the story was far stranger and tragic than anyone had imagined. Thank you to the wonderful David White of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research! References Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1937. "Cops question ex-lodger in triple murder." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 29: 1. —. 1937. "Doubts student is killer." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6: 1. —. 1938. "Irwin's guilty plea." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 15: 10. Buffalo Evening News. 1938. "Irwin, ruled insane, sent to Dannemora." Buffalo Evening News, December 10: 1. 2015. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Jeremiah Crowell. Performed by Jeremiah Crowell. New York Daily News. 1937. "3 murdered in model's flat." New York Daily News, March 29: 1. —. 1937. "Gray hair in model's hand chief clue in triple murder." New York Daily News, March 30: 1. —. 1937. "Willful Ronnie 'made fools of men,' dad says." New York Daily News, March 30: 3. New York Times. 1938. "139-year sentence imposed on Irwin." New York Times, November 29: 48. —. 1937. "Fingerprint clues found at scene of triple murder." New York Times, March 31: 1. —. 1937. "Gedeon gets bail." New York Times, April 3: 1. —. 1937. "Gedeon questioned again in murders; solution held near." New York Times, April 1: 1. —. 1937. "Irwin flown here; boasts of killings." New York Times, June 28: 1. —. 1937. "Irwin, wild-eyed, meets reporters." New York Times, September 1: 20. —. 1937. "Women jam court to glimpse Irwin." New York Times, Jukly 1: 56. People v. Robert Irwin. 1938. 166 Misc. 751 (Court of General Sessions of the County of New York, March 24). Schechter, Harold. 2014. The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder That Shook the Nation. Boston, MA: New Harvest. United Press. 1937. "Sculptor hunted as triple killer in Gedeon cases." Buffalo Evening News, April 5: 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 afternoon of March 28, 1937, Easter Sunday, Joseph Gedeon and his daughter, Ethel, arrived at the home of Gedeon’s wife, Mary, for a planned Easter dinner. The Gedeon’s had been separated for some time but had agreed to have dinner together as a family, which included their other daughter, Veronica, a moderately successful pulp magazine model. When they entered the apartment, it appeared as though no one was home; however, upon checking the bedroom where his daughter slept, Joseph Gedeon found the nude body of his daughter lying lifeless on the bed and immediately called the police. During an initial search of the apartment, investigators found the body of Mary Gedeon stuffed under her bed; like her daughter, she had been strangled to death. In a third bedroom, police also found the body of Mary’s boarder, Frank Byrnes, who’d been stabbed several times in the head and neck with a long, thin implement. There was no sign of a forced entry, no sign of a struggle, and nothing appeared to be missing from the apartment. Given that Veronica had been found nude, and Mary was clothed but her underwear had been torn away, investigators assumed the murders were a sex crime. Still caught in the grip of the Great Depression, New Yorkers welcomed anything that could distract from the unpleasant realities of daily life and the salacious murder of a pulp magazine model—a sex crime, no less—was exactly what they were looking for. The story dominated the press, as reporters and tabloid journalists dug into Veronica’s personal life and dating history and published lurid photos from her past. But when the killer was finally caught and the motive revealed, the story was far stranger and tragic than anyone had imagined. Thank you to the wonderful David White of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research! References Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1937. "Cops question ex-lodger in triple murder." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 29: 1. —. 1937. "Doubts student is killer." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6: 1. —. 1938. "Irwin's guilty plea." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 15: 10. Buffalo Evening News. 1938. "Irwin, ruled insane, sent to Dannemora." Buffalo Evening News, December 10: 1. 2015. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Jeremiah Crowell. Performed by Jeremiah Crowell. New York Daily News. 1937. "3 murdered in model's flat." New York Daily News, March 29: 1. —. 1937. "Gray hair in model's hand chief clue in triple murder." New York Daily News, March 30: 1. —. 1937. "Willful Ronnie 'made fools of men,' dad says." New York Daily News, March 30: 3. New York Times. 1938. "139-year sentence imposed on Irwin." New York Times, November 29: 48. —. 1937. "Fingerprint clues found at scene of triple murder." New York Times, March 31: 1. —. 1937. "Gedeon gets bail." New York Times, April 3: 1. —. 1937. "Gedeon questioned again in murders; solution held near." New York Times, April 1: 1. —. 1937. "Irwin flown here; boasts of killings." New York Times, June 28: 1. —. 1937. "Irwin, wild-eyed, meets reporters." New York Times, September 1: 20. —. 1937. "Women jam court to glimpse Irwin." New York Times, Jukly 1: 56. People v. Robert Irwin. 1938. 166 Misc. 751 (Court of General Sessions of the County of New York, March 24). Schechter, Harold. 2014. The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder That Shook the Nation. Boston, MA: New Harvest. United Press. 1937. "Sculptor hunted as triple killer in Gedeon cases." Buffalo Evening News, April 5: 1. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A massive interstate search was launched to find Marion’s killer and within a few days, police arrested nineteen-year-old William Edward Hickman, a former co-worker of Perry Parker. During his interrogation, Hickman confessed to kidnapping and murdering Marion, claiming that a god he referred to as “Providence” had instructed him to do it. That confession prompted Hickman’s attorneys to take advantage of the state’s new law accepting a legal defense of not guilty by reason of insanity; however, a jury disagreed, and Hickman was found guilty and executed at San Quentin Prison the following year. Because of the shocking cruelty and brutality of the murder, the well documented and exciting search for the killer, and the sensational nature of the defense, the story of Marion Parker’s murder and the trial that followed dominated the media and occupied several pages of all the major papers across the state for months. For these reasons and more, it remains one of the most notorious murders in California history. REFERENCES Associated Press. 1928. "Hickman to have new judge." , January 25: 1. —. 1927. "Confession stuns mother." , December 23: 4. Berger, Jackson. 1927. "Kidnapper tries to dash out brains in frenzy." , December 25: 1. Los Angeles Record. 1927. "Hunt kidnappers of girl." , December 16: 1. Los Angeles Times. 1927. "'Fox' ponders 'crazy' plea." , December 24: 1. —. 1927. "Fugitive caught in breakneck race with Oregon officers." , December 23: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman believed in Seattle." , December 22: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman pronounced sane." , December 24: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman's finger-prints found in apartment." , December 21: 1. —. 1927. "'I liked her' declares youth while he sobs." , December 23: 1. —. 1927. "Kidnapper grows sullen when 'pal' proves alibi." , December 24: 1. —. 1928. "New crimes confessed by Hickman." , October 14: 3. —. 1928. "New horror in Hickman case." , February 2: 1. —. 1928. "Slayer makes self-analysis." , February 2: 2. Neibaur, James. 2016. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. New York Times. 1928. "Hickman sentenced to hang April 27." , February 15: 25. —. 1928. "Hickman's father goes to his aid." , February 1: 13. —. 1927. "Youth arrested in child slaying at Los Angeles." , December 19: 1. Overton, Gerald. 1928. "Hickman goes to death on gibbet." , October 19: 1. Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2001. "Girl's grisly killing had city residents up in arms." , February 4. San Francisco Examiner. 1927. "Kidnapped girl's body tossed omn lawn." , December 18: 1. 1928. 204 Cal. 470 (Supreme Court of California, July 5). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On the afternoon of December 15, 1927, twelve-year-old Marion Parker was checked out of her Los Angeles junior high school by a man claiming to be an employee of her father, Perry Parker, an employee at a bank in the city. The man claimed Parker had been in an accident and he was to bring the girl to see her father, but this was just a ruse to abduct the girl. The following day, Marion’s parents received several cryptic ransom letters demanding $1,500 in gold in exchange for the safe return of their daughter. On December 17, Perry Parker delivered the money to the kidnapper, who took the money, then dumped Marion’s dead, mutilated body out of the car before speeding away. REFERENCES Associated Press. 1928. "Hickman to have new judge." , January 25: 1. —. 1927. "Confession stuns mother." , December 23: 4. Berger, Jackson. 1927. "Kidnapper tries to dash out brains in frenzy." , December 25: 1. Los Angeles Record. 1927. "Hunt kidnappers of girl." , December 16: 1. Los Angeles Times. 1927. "'Fox' ponders 'crazy' plea." , December 24: 1. —. 1927. "Fugitive caught in breakneck race with Oregon officers." , December 23: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman believed in Seattle." , December 22: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman pronounced sane." , December 24: 1. —. 1927. "Hickman's finger-prints found in apartment." , December 21: 1. —. 1927. "'I liked her' declares youth while he sobs." , December 23: 1. —. 1927. "Kidnapper grows sullen when 'pal' proves alibi." , December 24: 1. —. 1928. "New crimes confessed by Hickman." , October 14: 3. —. 1928. "New horror in Hickman case." , February 2: 1. —. 1928. "Slayer makes self-analysis." , February 2: 2. Neibaur, James. 2016. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. New York Times. 1928. "Hickman sentenced to hang April 27." , February 15: 25. —. 1928. "Hickman's father goes to his aid." , February 1: 13. —. 1927. "Youth arrested in child slaying at Los Angeles." , December 19: 1. Overton, Gerald. 1928. "Hickman goes to death on gibbet." , October 19: 1. Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2001. "Girl's grisly killing had city residents up in arms." , February 4. San Francisco Examiner. 1927. "Kidnapped girl's body tossed omn lawn." , December 18: 1. 1928. 204 Cal. 470 (Supreme Court of California, July 5). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On the afternoon of June 22, 1954, Agnes Ritchie was preparing ice cream for two customers in her shop when two teenage girls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, burst through the front door, screaming for help and saying one of their mothers had been killed. Agnes and her husband followed the girls into the nearby wooded area, where they found the badly beaten and obviously dead body of Honorah Parker. The couple wasn’t able to get much out of either girl, only that the woman had slipped and hit her head, but their behavior was strange and something about the whole scene didn’t feel right. Just two days later, Parker and Hulme were charged with the murder of Pauline’s mother, Honorah Parker. According to the prosecution, the girls had developed an intense bond and had created romantic fantasy in the months leading up to the murder that bordered on obsessiveness. In 1954, the girls’ relationship became threatened when Hulme’s parents divorced and began talking of relocating. Fearing they would be separated and never see one another again, Parker and Hulme killed Honorah, believing that her death would put an end to any plans to relocate. The story of Honorah’s murder and the trial that followed quickly spread across New Zealand and Australia and eventually made its way around the globe. Among other things, the case challenged existing beliefs about young women and their capacity for violence, but just as important were the sensational and salacious mentions of insanity and homosexuality that were often more implied than explicitly stated. Thank you to David White, of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast, for research :) REFERENCES Brisbane Telegraph. 1954. "Conspired to Kill." Brisbane Telegraph, August 23: 1. —. 1954. "Teenagers remanded, police blame girl's passion for horses." Brisbane Telegraph, June 24: 1. Chun, Louise. 1995. "Slaughter by the innocents: The case of the schoolgirl killers shocked New Zealand." The Guardian, January 30. Graham, Peter. 2011. So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme and the Murder that Shocked the World. Wellington, NZ: Awa Press. Neustatter, Angela. 2003. "‘I was guilty. I did my time’: Anne Perry, the novelist whose past caught up with her." The Guardian, November 20. Newcastle Sun. 1954. "Girls shrugged at charge of murder." Newcastle Sun, July 16: 1. The Age. 1954. "Girls smile at N.Z. sentence." The Age , August 30: 1. —. 1954. "Defence says N.Z. girls insane as mother killed." The Age, August 25: 9. —. 1954. "Description of quarrel." The Age, July 17: 3. —. 1954. "Doctor says both girls certifiable." The Age, August 27: 5. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A community frantically searches for two missing boys who disappeared in a dense forest. Days pass with no leads, but a man's prophetic dream leads to their discovery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
