Hey guys, welcome to episode 193 of the true crime couple. I'm Kay. And I'm John.

We want to welcome you to the month of December. And for you and John, I've selected cases that surround the holidays this month to get us in the festive mood.

The holiday spirit? Yes. And we hope that all is well, and we want to thank you.

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I think so. Okay. So that was short and sweet, as always. So, John, are you ready to hear something crazy? Of course I am. When our case began in December of 1968, the country was in a strange place. A sense of tension and sorrow could be felt through every aspect of the holiday

season. At this point in history, America was fighting a war on two fronts, a social one at home

through the civil rights movement, and one abroad against communism in Vietnam. In both wars, we suffered great losses that year.

Just eight months before, in April, Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent and influential leader

and activist for the civil rights movement, had been assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

During the same year, America suffered through the

deadliest year of the Vietnam War. 1968 alone accounted for 30% of total American deaths during

the 20-year conflict. Although the late 1960s was a time that Americans were divided on many issues,

experiencing those deep senses of national traumas seemed to,

even if just temporarily, stitched the country together.

King had been a symbol of optimism and progress.

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