Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

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

We’re celebrating our 7th anniversary of the podcast by bringing you 7 case updates of crimes we’ve covered since 2016. Thank you all so much for making this crazy true crime ride possible! Episodes referenced: Episode 1: Lost and Found: Jaycee Dugard Date released: June 9, 2016 Link to episode:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-072-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/ Episode 71 & 72: The 12 Crimes of Christmas: Laci Peterson Date released: December 18, 2017 Links to episodes:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-071-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-1/ https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-072-the-12-crimes-of-christmas-laci-peterson-part-2/ Episode 83: Unusual Criminal Defenses: The Affluenza Defense Date released: March 26, 2018 Link to episode:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-083-unusual-criminal-defenses-the-affluenza-defense/ Episode 126: Bad Sports: Sally “Killer” McNeil Date released: April 8, 2019 Link to episode:  https://w

In this series, I share true crime cases that resulted in women being sentenced to Death Row.  In 2009, a woman victimized by a childhood of abuse and violence becomes immersed in anti-immigrant vigilante groups.  Her zeal and dedication to this cause result in a home-invasion plot that results in the murders of a Hispanic man and his young daughter.    Resources: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/shwna-forde-kid-killing-minutewoman-sentenced-to-65-years-in-prison-in-addition-to-death-sentence-6637423 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Raul_d_Brisenia_Flores https://murderpedia.org/female.F/f/forde-shawna.htm https://caselaw.findlaw.com/az-supreme-court/1655105.html Links:  CrimeCon UK - www.crimecon.co.uk - The ultimate true crime weekend will take place on June  9th and 10th in London.  Come out and meet me and all your favorite true crime podcasters, documentary filmmakers, authors, investigators, and more.  Use my offer code ONCEUPON to claim your discount at registration. You can meet me o

This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime)  as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.  Part 2: Once Upon A Crime [https://www.truecrimepodcast.com] PNW Haunts & Homicides [https://www.pnwhauntsandhomicides.com] The Trail Went Cold [https://www.trailwentcold.com] Coffee & Cases [https://tinyurl.com/pc25pzzs] Already Gone [https://www.alreadygonepodcast.com] Twisted and Uncorked [https://www.twistedanduncorked.com] Mystery Inc [https://www.itsmysteryinc.com] If you enjoyed this holiday collaboration special, check out the other collaboration specials: Deceptions & Resurrections [https://tinyurl.com/3a9d7yrf], Bloody Valentine [https://tinyurl.com/e6ynmzpr], and A Nightmare before Halloween [https://tinyurl.com/52jeh66d]. Until our next adventure, stay safe and sta

This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime)  as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.  Podcasts are listed here in order of appearance: Part 1: Foul Play: Crime Series [www.itsfoulplay.com] Music City 911[https://musiccity911.com] Crimes from the East [https://tinyurl.com/37sx22bt] Cults, Crimes, Cabernet [https://www.cultscrimescabernet.com] A Nefarious Nightmare [https://tinyurl.com/y5nuezs5] Crimelines [https://linktr.ee/Crimelines] The Asian Madness Podcast [ https://tinyurl.com/5n8nv6ay

Who Killed Robert Wone? Streaming on Peacock: https://pck.tv/3XzPVui On the night of August 2, 2006, a call comes in to 911 to report a man has been stabbed by an intruder at a Washington D.C. home. First responders arrive to find attorney Robert Wone already dead in the guest room. With little blood at the scene and no signs of struggle or robbery, suspicions heighten after police interview the three housemates. Believing the men know more than they are revealing, the investigation soon uncovers more questions than answers. In this episode, Esther gets the inside story on this fascinating and baffling case from producer and documentary filmmaker, Paul Epstein.  Links:  Who Killed Robert Wone? Now streaming on Peacock TV.  Watch a trailer for the show here: https://youtu.be/cR6yXsqBzsM Stream on Peacock TV here: https://pck.tv/3XzPVui Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime CrimeCon UK - CrimeCon in London is back! June 10th and 11th, 2023, Tower Bridge Leonardo Royal Hotel.  Get tickets here: https:

In 1995, a troubled young woman, jealous of one of her peers, enlists the help of two others to eliminate her enemy. But when the full and horrifying details of the plan emerge, the public is aghast at how a young woman could be capable of such depravity. Resources: Christa Pike | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Christa Gail Pike v. State of Tennessee :: 2011 :: Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Decisions :: Tennessee Case Law :: Tennessee Law :: US Law :: Justia STATE v. PIKE (1998) | FindLaw Christa's Story | My Site 1 (mercyforchrista.org) The Sacrifice and Mutilation of Colleen Slemmer | by Rivy Lyon | Medium Motorcyclist dies after hit-and-run on Western Avenue | wbir.com A Case Almost Too Gruesome To Mention: Christa Pike - YouTube A love to die for : Patricia Springer : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Interview with Tennessee murderer Christa Pike Part I - YouTube Interview with Tennessee murderer Christa Pike Part II - YouTube Interview with convicted T

On our final collaborative episode for the series “Fool Me Once,” Leroy and I share true stories about criminals who were very bad at their jobs.  Resources: Taco Shop Turns Burglary Footage Into Awesome Ad (newser.com)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdv4FUHqP8 Suspect Busted by Police Near Liberty, Missouri, After Farting (newser.com) Million Dollar Moron  Walmart clerk rejects $1 million bill - UPI.com Vain Vandalizer Sends Selfie  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35284225 The Terrorist Who Claimed His Own Reward https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17755072 Links:  Listen to Excuse Me, That’s Illegal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excuse-me-thats-illegal/id1526994548 https://open.spotify.com/show/0Wgi2jEXEyE4RWqPCIfe3m?si=e8cf0a479e264609 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excusemethatsillegal.pod CrimeCon UK - CrimeCon, the ultimate true crime event,  is coming to London, June 10 and 11th, 2023!  Get your tickets at www.crimecon.co.uk and use our offer code ON

We continue our “April Fools” series with a fun game for all you Metalheads!  Play along as I try to stump Leroy Luna, host of Excuse Me, That’s Illegal, as he tries to guess I’m quoting serial killers or lyrics from metal songs.  We also discuss how rock and metal bands’ music has been tied to and even blamed for some horrific true crimes.  Resources: Article: “10 Heavy Metal Bands That Were Blamed for Seriously Heinous Crimes” by Michael Berdan for The Pit, Mar 17, 2023. https://www.wearethepit.com/2023/03/10-heavy-metal-bands-that-were-blamed-for-seriously-heinous-crimes/ https://www.inquirer.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080929_Confessed_killer_now_seeks_insanity_trial.html https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/an-ozzy-osbourne-fan-commits-suicide Links: Listen to Excuse Me, That’s Illegal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excuse-me-thats-illegal/id1526994548 https://open.spotify.com/show/0Wgi2jEXEyE4RWqPCIfe3m?si=e8cf0a479e264609 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excusemethatsil

We’re celebrating April, the month of “April Fools” by having a little fun with true crime. The best person I know to help me with this is my friend and fellow podcaster Leroy Luna, host of Excuse Me, That’s Illegal. Leroy will be my co-host on April’s episodes, so come and join us for true crime stories and quizzes. This week, we try to stump each other with a guessing game called “Fake or Felony?”. Resources: https://clickhole.com/ California man who beat wife to death with cement block claims group infected him with mayonnaise, reports say | Fox News Thieves snort cremated human, animal remains believing the ashes were cocaine – New York Daily News (nydailynews.com) https://www.nj.com/bergen/2017/10/the_strange_story_of_2_young_women_who_feds_say_he.html   Links: Listen to Excuse Me, That’s Illegal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excuse-me-thats-illegal/id1526994548   Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@excusemethatsillegal.pod Facebook Group - https://www.tiktok.com/@excusemethatsi

A young couple out for a leisurely day at the lake find themselves faced with one of the most infamous killers of the 20th century.  Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were victims of a brutal attack by a hooded man who called himself “The Zodiac.”  They survived the initial attack after being left for dead but still faced a fierce battle to summon help. Only one would survive.  Resources:  Zodiac, Robert Graysmith, Penguin Random House Publishers, 1986.  Napa Valley Sheriff’s Department Interview with Bryan Hartnell (NSO CASE #105907) at Queen of the Valley Hospital, September 28, 1969.  Zodiac Killer Police Report, Page 1 Zodiac Killer KPIX News report 1969 - YouTube   1969 Zodiac Killer news clip Interview with college student Bryan Hartnell and bus driver - YouTube KGO Story (zodiackiller.com) KCRA Story 1 (zodiackiller.com)  Bryan Hartnell – Shadow of the Zodiac The Zodiac Killer - Crime Museum The Zodiac Killer: A Timeline - HISTORY https://zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=

This month I’m sharing cases of people who, against all odds, survived some of the worst killers in modern history. In this week’s story, a teenage girl is picked up by a seemingly ordinary couple and then spends two days trapped in a nightmare. She is the fifth victim of one of the rarest types of killers on record - a serial killer couple. But Kate Moir would keep her wits about her, and even though she was only seventeen, she outsmarted the evil duo, ending their killing spree. Resources: The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Mitzi Szereto, Editor, Mango Publishing, 2022. Catherine, David Birnie: The macabre, sadistic Moorhouse murders | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site David and Catherine Birnie: Australia’s worst serial killer couple still haunt Kate Moir | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site 'How I escaped the house of horrors': Hostage of Australia’s most evil killers tells how she fled (yahoo.com) Links: Join our Patreon for bonus episodes and ad-free episodes - w

In this month’s episodes I’ll tell you stories of people who were fortunate enough to survive horrifying experiences.  In this episode, a family dream vacation turns into a nightmare on the sea.  All seems lost when the ship sinks with all onboard.  But by some miracle, a sole survivor is found. The story she tells about what happened onboard The Bluebelle will horrify all who hear it.  Resources:   Delivered From Evil: True Stories Of Ordinary People Who Faced Monstrous Mass Killers and Survived, Ron Franscell, Fair Winds Press, 2011.   Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean, Tere Duperrault and Richard D. Logan, Titletown Publishers, 2010.   SURVIVED: 11-Year-Old Found Alone in Middle of Ocean - YouTube Extraordinary Lives | Tere Jo Duperrault - YouTube Book 'Em: Alone, Orphaned on the Ocean - CBS News Terry Jo Duperrault – the girl who survived her entire family being brutally murdered at sea | Mysteriesrunsolved The Sea Waif: A Murder on the Ocean and the Little Girl Who Stayed Alive | Mental Floss Julian A

In this second part of a two-part episode, in their quest to be transformed into vampires, Daniel and Manuela Ruda conclude that the only way to prove their loyalty to Satan is by performing a human sacrifice.  Their crime would be described as “a picture of cruelty and depravity” such as had never been seen before in the German town of Witten. The subsequent trial would become a media circus with the two perpetrators proudly displaying their bizarre antics in front of the press and the public. Resources: The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Edited by Mitzi Szereto, Mango Publishing, 2022. Murder Dictionary Podcast: “Occult Murders: Daniel and Manuela Ruda”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/occult-murders-daniel-manuela-ruda/id1169967004?i=1000389846158 https://serialkillercalendar.com/A-MATCH-MADE-IN-HELL-DANIEL-AND-MANUELA-RUDA.php https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/nov/16/thefarright.uk Satanist couple jailed for killing – The Irish Times https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news

Daniel Ruda, a 26-year-old, self-described “black vampire” immersed himself in Germany’s goth and death metal scene as an outlet for his dark proclivities.  In the year 2000, he was ready to find his soulmate or, as he put it, his “princess of darkness” and placed a singles ad in a German black-metal magazine. 23-year-old Manuela Bartel answered his ad and the two soon became inseparable.  Separately, they participated in strange hobbies like sleeping in graves to “see what it felt like” and filing their teeth into fangs.  But together they were deadly.  In 2001, they jointly committed a gruesome murder.  Was their violent behavior a result of mental illness or were they purely evil? Resources:  The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Edited by Mitzi Szereto, Mango Publishing, 2022.  Murder Dictionary Podcast: “Occult Murders: Daniel and Manuela Ruda”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/occult-murders-daniel-manuela-ruda/id1169967004?i=1000389846158 https://serialkillercalendar.com/A-MATCH

I’m pleased to have Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jake Halpern, back with me again to discuss a new case he investigated for his podcast “Deep Cover”. Deep Cover, a Pushkin podcast, is all about people who lead double lives. In the new season, Jake follows the story of a girl who goes missing without a trace in South Carolina in 1999. Years later, the missing girl is connected to another missing person’s case on the other side of the country. There are twists and turns in this story that you won’t see coming connected to stolen identities, a female fugitive on the run from the law, and even espionage. Join me for this fascinating discussion with Jake where we talk about his latest case, female victims and perpetrators and how they are portrayed by the media, and the ethical dilemma faced by everyone who reports or podcasts about true crime. You can listen to episodes of Deep Cover: Never Seen Again beginning on January 30th. A new episode releases every Monday but you can binge the entire season

We continue the story of Barbora Skrlova from where we left of last week.  In part two, you’ll learn all the details of the bizarre unfolding of events in the Mauerova home.  I’ll conclude by telling you the unbelievable tale of how Barbora Skrlova almost escaped all responsibility for her part in this horrendous abuse case. Resources:   Book: “The Kurim Case: A Terrifying True Story of Child Abuse, Cults & Cannibalism” by Ryan Green, 2016.   The Kurim Case: https://youtu.be/DN3nelsuDx0 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/czechs-appalled-and-enthralled-by-obscure-cult-and-fake-identities-1.931498 https://mindlifetv.com/movies/torture-cannibalism-and-incestuous-sex-the-chilling-story-of-barbora-skrlova/# https://www.okaybliss.com/barbora-skrlova-now/ https://signalhorizon.com/orphan-first-kill-ending-explained-the-real-story-of-barbora-skrlova-and-a-fitting-origin-story-for-esther/ Links:  Opt-in to receive texts from Once Upon Crime - Text OUAC to 408-676-1770.  Text messaging provided by www.tex