Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

In this month’s episodes, I’ll wrap up 2023 by discovering what listeners, podcasters, and other true crime experts list as their “true crime obsessions” this year.  This week, I’m privileged to talk to veteran true crime journalist, correspondent, podcaster, and celebrity Erin Moriarty.  Erin has been a correspondent for 48 Hours on CBS Television for over three decades. Her award-winning true crime podcast My Life of Crime has returned for season four. I’ll talk with Erin about her life as a true crime reporter, the cases she’s covering on the podcast this season, and learn her true crime obsession(s) in 2023! Sponsors: Lume -  www.lumedeodorant.com -New customers can use code ONCE to get $5 off Lume’s Starter Pack.  For a limited time, returning customers can get $5 off their next purchase of $30 or more when you use code ONCE.  BetterHelp - This episode was brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/ONCE to get 10% off your first month of online therapy.  Links:  “My Life of Crime with Eric M

A missing person’s case in Columbus, Ohio, grows cold.  It seemed that what happened to 20-year-old Ashley Howley would remain a mystery until a psychic medium connected with the spirit of the missing girl.  Did Ashley Howley return from beyond to solve her own murder?  Resources: A Vision of Murder: Professional Psychic Medium, Shelly Stewart-Soldan, The Citizen Online, Oct 9, 2023.  Missing woman’s family left to wait, The Columbus Dispatch, April 5, 2008. Metro Detroit psychic says she communicates with the dead, Gus Burns, mLive.com, April 14, 2014. www.Kristyrobinett.com  Restless Souls, Season 1-Ep 1, Investigation Discovery Channel, April 14, 2014.  Ashley Lyn Howley, Porchlight USA, June 11, 2007  Man Pleads Guilty to 3 Slayings, 10TV.com, July 22, 2008.  Tipster in killing portrayed as out to avoid prosecution, The Columbus Dispatch, July 27, 2008.  Triple killer gets life without parole, The Columbus Dispatch, July 22, 2008. Offender Detail: Robert MacMichael II, Ohio Department of Rehabil

The family of a missing man turns to a psychic in a desperate attempt to locate him.  Rosemarie Kerr’s psychic predictions as to the fate of Andre Daigle would prove to be so accurate that she was later called to testify at his murder trial.   Resources:  “A Mysterious Murder and a Psychic Detective,” JournalOnline, March 19, 2022, https://journal.com.ph/a-mysterious-murder-and-a-psychic-detective/ State v. Horne, Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit, Dec. 13, 1989 https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914c06eadd7b049347b3be4 “Cypress Psychic Tells Court of Helping to Solve Murder,” The Los Angeles Times, Feb. 7, 1988.  Rosemarie Kerr: Touching Into the Other Side of Light, Blog by Rosemarie Kerr, November 7, 2006.  Links: Become a Patreon member today - https://www.patreon.com/OnceUponACrime Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC17PL60EqRV7DcDdgLC3YTQ

Two ten-year-old girls went missing in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England in 2002.  After one of the most extensive searches in British criminal history, one of the girls’ parents consults a psychic in a desperate attempt to find them.  When the perpetrator is identified, Dennis McKenzie’s predictions about what happened to the girls will be eerily accurate.  Resources: Soham Murders, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soham_murders “I’m the Soham Psychic” - https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/135069/I-m-the-Soham-psychic Ian Huntley: Faking It: Tears of a Crime, www.YouTube.com  Being the Soham Psychic: The Man Who Talks to the Other Side, Dennis McKenzie, Hachette Books UK, 2009.  Sponsors:  Lume - get $5 off off your Starter Pack with promo code: ONCE at lumedeodorant.com! #lumepod Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Theresa Cross Knor was jealous, controlling, and abusive to her partners and children. After murdering one husband and getting away with it, her children became her next targets.  She would make her children complicit in the murders of two of their siblings and would almost get away with murder again. Resources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Knorr Theresa Knorr: The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive, from The Lineup, May 9, 2019 Theresa Knorr: Murderpedia Mother’s Day, Denis McDougal, Ballentine Books, 1995.  Links: Website: www.truecrimepodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

..1 eerie corn maze... ...9 haunting figures... ...9 spine-tingling tales... ...Will YOU find your way out? This holiday season, step into a labyrinth of shadows and suspense with Shane Waters as your guide. In this chilling collaboration, you'll encounter the hosts of 9 acclaimed true crime podcasts, each offering a dark tale and a life lesson to send shivers down your spine. This is not just a special episode; it's an immersive journey through a maze of twisted paths and unsolved mysteries. So, lift your lantern high and venture into 'Maze of Secrets'... ...but be warned... ...not everyone makes it to the end… Prepare to get lost in the stories, but find yourself in their lessons. It's an odyssey of crime, mystery, and eerie life lessons that you won't soon forget. This is Shane’s 5th holiday collaboration. If you dare to walk this twisted path with us, you're in for a night you'll never forget. Are you ready? Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance: Frightful (https://www.itsfrightful.org/)

This week I’m continuing the series “A Family Affair,” detailing cases of a parent involving their children in murder plots.  This time a mother and daughter team up to murder family members for financial profit and to rid themselves of the “burden” of caring for them.  This is the case of Diane and Rachel Staudte aka “The Antifreeze Murders”.  Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a special bonus! I interviewed Laurah Norton, friend, and fellow podcaster, about her new book “Lay Them to Rest: On the Road with the Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless,” just released by Hachette Publishing. If you purchase “Lay Them to Rest” by October 17th, 2023, at 20% off the publisher’s price, use code LAYTHEMTOREST.  www.hachettebookgroup.com Resources:  “I Forgive Mom For What She Did…” The Springfield New-Leader, Springfield, Missouri, Jan 22, 2016. “20/20 Will Feature Diane Staudte…”, The Springfield New-Leader, Springfield, Missouri, Feb 25, 2022. “How Diane and Rachel Staudte Killed Their Family

In this month’s series “A Family Affair,” I’ll share cases in which children are manipulated into involvement in criminal offenses - even murder - at the direction of a parent. First up, lust and greed spur a man to manipulate his 14-year-old daughter into committing murder.  Later, when facing a lengthy prison sentence, loyalty to her father causes Cinnamon Brown to keep her father’s secret…at first.  Resources: The Real Murders of Orange County: Stolen Youth, Season 3, Episode 9, July 21, 2023, Oxygen Network.  https://www.oxygen.com/the-real-murders-of-orange-county/season-3/episode-9/stolen-youth -  If You Really Loved Me, author Ann Rule, Simon and Schuster Books, 1991.  “An Almost Perfect Murder”, Los Angeles Times, August 19, 1990.  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-19-vw-3027-story.html - lots of details “The Tragic Story of Cinnamon Brown” All That’s Interesting,  May 17, 2023.   https://allthatsinteresting.com/cinnamon-brown “Girl in Brown Family Slaying Case Paroled After 8 Year

A 19-year-old college student dies as a result of a fraternity hazing incident at Pennsylvania State University in 2017. It will result in the largest criminal indictment of a fraternity in American history.  RESOURCE LINKS:  “Penn State is Still Keeping Secrets on Frat Row” - https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/penn-state-drinking/5a74f2a3f1cdb375f62d5ddd “What Happened the Night of Beta Theta Pi’s Bid Acceptance Night” -  https://onwardstate.com/2017/05/05/what-happened-the-night-of-beta-theta-pis-bid-acceptance-night/ “How a Fatal Frat Hazing Became Penn State’s Latest Campus Crisis” - https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/penn-state-fraternity-hazing-death Death of Tim Piazza - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tim_Piazza Pennsylvania State University Grand Jury Report on the Hazing Death of Tim Piazza - Released from the Court of Common Pleas, Centre County, Pennsylvania, December 15, 2017. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4329784-Grandjury-Report.html Links:  Once Upon a Crime’s Faceb

In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In 1996, a 14-year-old walked into his 8th-grade math class and opened fire.  This early school shooting would shock his community and spark a nationwide debate about violence in the media, school bullying, mental health, and gun control.  But what was the real reason Barry Loukaitis brought terror to his classroom?  Sources:  State v. Loukaitis, Appeal from the Superior Court for Grant County, Decided July 2, 1996.  https://casetext.com/case/state-v-loukaitis Teacher Tells Court Of Classroom Horror Witness Describes Negotiating With An Armed Loukaitis, Finally Subduing Him, The Spokesman-Review, Sept. 5, 1997.  https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/sep/05/teacher-tells-court-of-classroom-horror-witness/ A teacher and two students die in shooting rampage at Frontier Junior High School in Moses Lake on February 2, 1996, HistoryLink.org, 2/7/2020 https://www.historylink.org/File/20965 Full letter from Jon Lane, the teacher who tackle

LIVE FROM U.K. Tune in to this special bonus episode. We're pleased to offer you this special episode in collaboration with the amazing and very popular true crime podcast Minds of Madness!  Esther and Tyler co-host this episode to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case from the U.K. Links:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s7-ep287-the-long-con-the-murder-of-mee-kuen-chong/  https://mindsofmadnesspodcast.com/listen/

In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In this episode,  A 14-year-old high school student commits a horrific act of rape and murder in a school bathroom.  Was Philip Chism mentally ill, as his defense would later claim, or was he faking it to get away with murder?  Sources:  https://allthatsinteresting.com/philip-chism https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2015/12/17/12-questions-about-the-philip-chism-trial-answered/ https://www.masslive.com/politics/2013/09/gov_deval_patrick_signs_law_to.html https://casetext.com/case/commonwealth-v-chism-6 https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/philip-chism-colleen-ritzer-murder-sentencing-danvers-high-school-teacher-victim-impact-statements/ Links:  Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, ad-free episodes, and members-only perks! www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

In this week’s episode, a successful, young entrepreneur gains a large following on Instagram by sharing her photos and videos of her life’s milestones over the years. Alexis Sharkey’s followers only saw the best times - fun with friends, professional achievements, and glamorous trips.  But, in 2020, her life quickly took a dark turn hidden behind the idyllic images posted on social media.  Sources:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10066217/Husband-influencer-killed-year-dead-gunshot-wound-head.html  https://www.newsweek.com/alexis-sharkey-husband-thomas-death-suicide-evade-houston-1636540 https://www.thedailybeast.com/instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-found-dead-along-houston-road  https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharkey-update-husband-found-dead-florida/285-2dd1fce8-6d0c-4930-8bee-7ace18141e65  https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-tom-houston-instagram-influencer-death/11100357/ -  Exploring the Truth About Alexis Sharkey's Final Days Before Her Death - E! Online - CA (eonline.com) Wh

This week, I’ll tell you about a rising singing star who began her career on YouTube before making it to Hollywood to compete on a nationally televised talent show.  Christina Grimmie had a bright future ahead of her as an entertainer in 2016 when an obsessed fan cut her career short with an unprovoked act of violence.   Resources:  The cold-blooded murder of Christina Grimmie was Orlando's most tragic and shocking crime ... for about 26 hours (orlandoweekly.com)  Christina Grimmie Murdered At Concert - Selena, Ariana & More React To Orlando Shooting (DHR) - YouTube Kevin Loibl: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Singer Christina Grimmie was shot to death. Now, her family supports others impacted by gun violence | The Independent Links:  The Christina Grimmie Foundation - www.christinagrimmiefoundation.org Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

This month I’ll be detailing true crime cases that involved rising stars who made names for themselves in social media.  In this first episode, a young comedian boasts almost a million followers on TikTok alone.  But Ali Abulaban’s out-of-control jealousy and possessiveness will lead to a double murder charge instead of internet stardom.  Resources:  https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/tiktok-star-accused-of-double-murder-speaks-to-fox-5-from-jail/ https://lionessrue.medium.com/the-tiktok-star-freaked-out-after-finding-his-wife-with-another-man-then-shed-blood-a07408ad3716 https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/double-murder-suspect-killed-his-wife-da/2762676/ https://hollywoodunlocked.com/influencer-murders-wife-friend-after-spying-on-them-with-daughters-ipad/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/11/17/tiktok-stars-ali-ana-abulaban-seemed-perfect-hes-accused-murder/8623432002/ Sponsors:  Hello Fresh - Go to HelloFresh.com/50once and use code 50ONCE for 50% off plus free ship

Sheila Davalloo made it a habit of looking outside her relationships for passion and sex.  But she soon turned cold toward her secret lovers once these relationships became routine.  That is until she met a man who rejected her for a new love interest. That’s when her attraction turned into a deadly obsession.   Sources:  Sheila Davalloo | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Sheila Davalloo:Tangled Web, Love, Lies, Murder (wickedness.net) Murder of Anna Lisa Raymundo by Sheila Davalloo featured on Betrayed (dailycrime.com) Who Is Sheila Davalloo? Facts About The Convicted Female Murderer In Oxygen's Snapped: Behind Bars | YourTango Links:  Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onceuponacrimepod/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ouacpod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@onceuponacrimepod

In this week’s episode, Lorena joins me to discuss another true crime that resulted from a love triangle. Betty Gore was brutally murdered with an axe in the summer of 1980 in her small town of Wylie, Texas.  The community would initially be terrified that a psychotic axe murderer was on the loose.  But the reality would shock them even more when it was discovered a respected and well-liked member of the local church choir had wielded the axe, killing Betty Gore with 41 whacks.  This is the case of “A Deadly Affair: Candy Montgomery.”   Resources Cited:  Candy (2022) - A Hulu Original Show -  https://www.hulu.com/series/candy-2ce80ed9-7ab6-44de-8434-f7dadb6ec11b Love and Death (2023) - Love and Death can be streamed on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.   Movie: A Killing in a Small Town (1990)  People Magazine Investigates: Candy and Betty - https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/video/people-magazine-investigates-investigation-discovery/candy-and-betty Book: Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passi

In this episode, two people in committed relationships become infatuated with one another.  When one of their spouses is murdered, investigators quickly zero in on the star-crossed lovers.  However, investigators will find it challenging to prove who killed Marlene Warren due to the baffling description of the attacker.  Sources:  A Clown At The Door | A Court TV Special Michael Warren Now: Where is Marlene Warren's Ex-Husband Today? Update (thecinemaholic.com) What happened to Marlene Warren? | The US Sun (the-sun.com)  True Crime: Clown killer accused of murdering Marlene Warren (palmbeachpost.com) Killer clown: Key players in the murder trial of Marlene Warren (palmbeachpost.com) Wellington clown murder case: Defense says state hid possible suspect (palmbeachpost.com) Killer Clown suspect Sheila Keen-Warren pleads guilty (WPTV West Palm Beach) https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/wellington/sheila-keen-warren-plea-deal Son of Killer Clown victim ‘relieved’ following Sheila Keen Warre

In this episode we’ll revisit the Michael Peterson case aka “The Staircase Murder”.  My guest, author Tiddy Smith, will discuss an alternate theory to explain the death of Kathleen Peterson detailed in his new book Death by Talons.  Links:   Tiddy Smith’s Author Page: https://wildbluepress.com/death-by-talons-tiddy-smith-true-crime/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithTiddy https://www.patreon.com/OnceUponACrime

On June 10th, 2021, an elderly woman vanished without a trace from her own home in Wembley, London. 16 agonizing days later, and a staggering 200 miles away, visitors exploring the seaside town of Salcombe stumbled across a horrific scene. There amidst the beauty of the coastal landscape, lay a headless body. Join us to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case.  We're pleased to offer you this special episode in collaboration with the amazing and very popular true crime podcast Minds of Madness!  Esther and Tyler co-host this episode to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case from the U.K. Research&Writing: Nicole Colin & Katherine Thomas - Epigram Literary Group Editing: Aiden Wolf Sources: en.wikipedia.org 1 en.wikipedia.org 2 en.wikipedia.org 3 en.wikipedia.org 4 theguardian.com theguardian.com 2 cbsnews.com bbc.com 1 bbc.com 2 abc.net.au dailytelegraph.com.au 1 dailytelegraph.com.au 2 dailytelegraph.com.au 3 lbc.co.uk metro.co.uk devonlive.com vice.co