This podcast details true crime cases.

It contains adult themes and may contain descriptions of violence.

It is not intended for children.

Listener discretion is advised. Thank you for joining me for today's episode of Once Upon a Crime. In this month's series I'll discuss cases of

Hollywood actors who ran afoul of the law. Today I'll tell you the story of a

woman who although her life started out rough, began a promising acting career,

landing roles in shows like Dexter and the Sopranos.

But after falling in love with a mentally unstable musician,

her life will fall apart, and she'll become party to a

grisly murder. This is the second chapter in the series Tarnished Hollywood, Grant

and Amanda Hayes and the murder of Laura Ackerson. Amanda Hayes's early years were difficult and tumultuous.

Born Amanda Perry Tucker in Taft, Texas in 1972,

Amanda's mother married twice and had three children before Amanda was born.

After her second marriage ended,

Amanda's mother, Rita Fay, worked in a brothel.

As reported by the family, Amanda never knew her biological father.

She would, however, know several stepfathers.

Rita married a total of eight or nine times.

Not all of her stepfathers were kind. One was particularly mean and abusive. The family moved

around often during the time he was married to Rita. Amanda's older half-sister Karen was already married when Amanda was born.

Karen, whose son Dalton was only two years younger than Amanda, raised her little sister as one of her own children.

They would remain close close and Amanda relied on

...