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True Crime Campfire

True Crime Campfire

True Crime Campfire

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.81.5K Ratings

Overview

Join hosts Katie and Whitney for a different kind of true crime podcast. You can start with season 1, The Puppet Master and the Prince of Darkness, a deep dive into the most bizarre murder case you've never heard of. Or start with season 2, which covers a different stranger-than-fiction story each week. This bingeworthy show combines meticulous research with a refreshing mix of comic relief and seamless storytelling. There's plenty of room around the campfire--come help us roast murderers and marshmallows!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

341 Episodes

A Voice in the Dark: The Ohta Family Murders

You’re supposed to be safe at home. Why wouldn’t you be? And that sense of comfort must be even greater if “home” is a beautiful house you built yourself, where you live happily with your family in a town where you’re successful and respected. You’d have no reason at all to think that someone was watching you with binoculars through the trees, their heart burning ever hotter with rage, ever closer to exploding with murderous fury. Join us for a story of madness and grandiose delusion, a case that rocked 1970s California almost as much as the Manson Family murders did.  Sources: Court records: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/5/287.html New York Times archives: https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/16/archives/killer-of-eye-doctor-and-four-on-coast-is-sentenced-to-die.html https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/30/archives/mechanic-on-coast-guilty-of-killing-5-in-oneman-war.html https://www.nytimes.com/1970/10/21/archives/5-slain-on-coast-and-left-in-pool-surgeon-wife-2-children-and.html New York Daily News: https://www.nydailynews.com/2009/03/22/crazed-hippy-killer-caused-horror-with-1970-murder-of-california-doctor/ SFGate: https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Santa-Cruz-mass-murderer-kills-self-in-prison-3221281.php Crime Library: https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/mass/john_frazier/index.html Investigation Discovery's "A Crime To Remember," episode "Killer Prophet" Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, tons of extra content, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 9 May 2025

You Have One (1) New Message: The Murders of Lynn Stellers and Ronnie King

Obsession is one of humanity’s greatest boons… and curses. Obsession can fuel a scientist’s entire career in trying to solve a singular problem. An athlete’s obsession can pull them to physics bending heights, a politician’s obsession with a cause can push a world changing bill forward. People can be obsessed over all sorts of great and mundane things: books, trading cards, cars, art without any kind of harm… But when that obsession is about controlling or possessing another person? Things can take a sinister turn. In today’s story, 7 people’s lives are ruined by a single woman’s obsession. Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Court papers: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ct-supreme-court/1131876.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ct-court-of-appeals/1456321.html Courant.com: https://www.courant.com/1997/07/16/vermont-man-receives-30-year-sentence-for-manslaughter/   https://patch.com/connecticut/middletown-ct/middletown-double-murder-case-be-featured-crime-documentary Investigation Discovery's "Diabolical," episode "Recording Evil" Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2025

Deconstruction: The Murder of Shanti Cooper Tronnes

There are some people who, if they find themselves stuck in a hole, will just keep digging deeper. Maybe they think they’ll find some highly improbable way out of their troubles, more likely it’s all they know to do. This week’s story is about a man who kept doubling down on his lies and bad decisions until the lives of those closest to him were torn to pieces. Join us for a twisty tale of deception and betrayal. Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: ABC's 20/20, S46 E18, “A Killer Renovation”  JCS (Jim Can't Swim): "Husband Tries to Look Sad" https://youtu.be/6d-kCW46kqs?si=c5Q5WTBM45H7-OL- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dave-tronnes-shanti-cooper-murder-case-florida-48-hours/ Orlando Sentinel: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2019/05/17/twist-in-strangulation-case-against-delaney-park-man-detectives-explore-poison-theory-while-interviewing-his-ex/ Fox 35 Orlando: https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/medical-examiner-called-as-witness-in-david-tronnes-murder-trial The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/20/david-tronnes-guilty-murdering-wife-zombie-house-florida Orlando Sentinel: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/10/18/orlando-man-found-guilty-for-2018-delaney-park-zombie-house-renovation-homicide/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Killer Cadets: The Murder of Adrianne Jones

The U.S. military teaches recruits to function together as a well-oiled machine—and for young people who dream of joining the most elite forces, it requires discipline, commitment, and loyalty, not to mention the courage to put yourself in harm’s way for the greater good. For the ones with the deepest commitment, there has to be a fire in the belly that drives them to keep their eye on the prize, no matter what the risks. Most of the time this sets the stage for great achievements. But sometimes, the personality type that lends itself to flawless dedication can teeter over the line into feverish obsession. Where’s the line? When you’ve cultivated a “failure is not an option” attitude your entire life, how do you put the brakes on when that determination starts to bleed into your personal relationships? Join us for the story of one of the most infamous killer couples of the 1990s: Diane Zamora and David Graham.  Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Blind Love by Peter Meyer Texas Monthly, Skip Hollandsworth: https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/the-killer-cadets/ A&E's "American Justice," 2000: "Duty, Honor, Murder" Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Introducing: Suave

The Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast returns for its second season! Seven years after his release from prison, former juvenile lifer Luis "Suave" Gonzalez seems to be thriving. His career has taken off, he’s in a committed relationship and he’s received public recognition after telling his story on the podcast. Suave always thought once he was out of prison and found stability in his new life, he would finally feel truly free. But freedom, it turns out, is more complicated than it seems. "Suave" is a deeply intimate portrait of a man battling the lingering trauma of incarceration and his search for happiness in the outside world after a near- lifetime in prison. In this season we explore the long shadow of prison. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

Bad Shepherd: The Murder of Carol Neulander

How far would you go to get what you want? For most of us, there’s a hard limit on the answer to that question, and that limit is hurting someone. Especially someone close to you. But in this week’s story, we meet a man who didn’t believe in limits like that, who would let nothing and no one stand in the way of his ambition and desires. It’s a mindset you might expect from a Wall Street bigshot, but our guy wasn’t that—he was a suburban rabbi, who kept all his demons hidden under a cloak of godliness. Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets on sale now: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/hit-man-in-slaying-of-new-jersey-rabbis-wife-to-be-freed/ https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/neulander-conspirator-paul-daniels-released-from-prison-after-14-years/ https://www.inquirer.com/news/rabbi-fred-neulander-convicted-murderer-dead-nj-prison-20240419.html https://www.inquirer.com/crime/tale-murder-took-years-unfold-20000507.html https://www.nydailynews.com/2002/11/22/killer-rabbis-flame-miss-vicky-falls-for-wife-slayer/ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/fiveminute-memoir-author-pam-jenoff-recalls-her-uncle-s-murder-confession-8533234.html https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-unpublished/2006/a3616-02-opn.html Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Tulip 22: A Story of Betrayal and Murder

Vengeance is such a core human urge that there are hundreds and thousands of parables and plays and stories warning us about what a dangerous path it is. In the classic Shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet destroyed himself and the entire Danish royal family in the name of revenge. Francis Bacon wrote “A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.” Today’s story is a good reminder that if you seek revenge, you should dig two graves.  Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets are on sale now: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Crime Traveler, Fiona Guy: https://www.crimetraveller.org/2024/12/fiona-beal-murder-case/ The Independent, Amy Clare Martin: https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/fiona-beal-murder-trial-sentence-teacher-b2553200.html BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-68846713 NN Journal, Sarah Ward: https://www.nnjournal.co.uk/p/im-not-a-total-monster-i-know-what Emma Kenny, YouTube channel: Respected Teacher Conned Boyfriend Into Deadly Sex Game Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Poisonous: A Grab Bag of Vintage Bad Bitches

For at least the past 200 years or so, there’s been a lot of debate about women and the role we’re supposed to play in society. Historically, we’ve been expected to be the nurturers, the caregivers—the gentler sex, as we used to be called. We cook the food, we nurse the sick, we mind the children. Some of us are perfectly content in that role. But all throughout history, there have also been women who’ve chafed against these expectations. Some of them rebelled in a healthy, heroic way—fighting for women’s right to vote, to manage our own money, to pursue careers. And some have rebelled in a darker, more toxic way, using the very tools of stereotypical womanhood—food and drink—to commit the deadliest crimes. Today we’ll tell you about two of those women. Case 1: Tillie Klimek. Case 2: The Marquise de Brinvilliers. Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets are on sale now: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Lady Killers by Tori Telfer Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite-dAubray-marquise-de-Brinvilliers Bounjour Paris: https://bonjourparis.com/history/mystery-and-murder-in-paris-the-infamous-madame-de-brinvilliers/ PBS: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/unforgivable-blackness/mann-act-full-text Medium, Heather Monroe: https://heathermonroe.medium.com/the-strange-murders-of-tillie-klimek-effa70912b5b Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

'Til Death Do Us Part: The Crimes of A.B. Schirmer

For people of faith, a minister is supposed to be a figure of trust, a rock to support you in times of trouble. Not everyone who holds that position meets those ideals, though. This week’s story is about a man whose minister’s robes and carefully practiced smiles hid a heart burning with violence and dark desires, someone who would betray every trust given to him and leave pain—not salvation—in his wake. Join us for our latest "Sinister Minister" episode.  Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets are on sale now: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Investigation Discovery's True Crime with Aphrodite Jones, S4E1, “Sins of the Father"  CBS's 48 Hours, S26E17, “Death at the Parsonage”  NBC's Dateline, S21E21, “Fallen”  Pocono Record: https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/crime/2013/01/12/suicide-dominates-schirmer-trial-testimony/49162405007/ https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/crime/2013/01/16/two-wives-one-cause-death/49158909007/ ID News: https://www.ldnews.com/story/archives/2015/12/16/schirmer-gets-20-40-years-murder-bethany/77424050/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

Hit Me With Ya Best Shot: The Wacky World of Martial Arts Frauds

In this week’s episode, we are going to be looking at “Bullshido,” a catch-all term for martial arts practices that are either fake, delusional, or just plain useless. This is the land of no-touch knockouts, touches of death, and mystical masters who can’t manage their own lives. We’ll be asking the question—should you learn self-defense from summon who struggles with basic reality? Spoiler, the answer is no, no you shouldn’t.  This is a fun one, y'all. Nobody dies, and everybody is an absolute goober.  Sources: Interesting Stuff From Around the World YouTube channel (videos on Ashida Kim, George Dillman and Steven Seagal, plus much more): https://youtube.com/@interestingstufffromaround8014?si=E9-UiKKcTZQ4ng-J https://ashidakim.com/ The Dance of the Deadly Hands https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xw5wjwVkFc&t=36s Ninja “levitation” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3QF3t58Rk Ninja curtains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCaZmajZ_g4&t=258s Kim catches a bullet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJZjwWwFc4 Kim dodges bullets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1sN7eeyvM&t=78s https://www.dillman.com/ George Dillman on tongues and toes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIL5nD2PQ0Y&t=326s George’s chi bullet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYez2RKQn8c&t=748s George mostly resurrects a pet https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w7hgVWbPxG8 Seagal’s Lightning Bolt ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IId64OJdCKM Seagal running weird https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwXE-T4HPI Seagal’s very real Russian aikido demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmEx8Moy7ro Seagal essential oils https://members.tripod.com/life_scents/oldfiles/seagal.html   Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Pay up front or set up a payment plan. Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE  Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Faking It: Art's Greatest Forger

Art is a mysterious thing. It’s hard to pin down why one thing moves us and another does not. Similarly, it can be hard to identify that special spark, that unique creativity that an artist can have that lifts their work into something magical. If you don’t have that, all the technical skill and carefully won knowledge in the world won’t get you to that special place. Unless, of course, you just steal it from someone else. This is “Faking It: Art’s Greatest Forger.” This is a fun one, y'all. Opulent settings. Drama even a fan of telenovelas might find over the top. International intrigue...and salmon throwing? Sources: Fake! by Clifford Irving New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/08/obituaries/fernand-legros-dealer-in-art.html Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets on sale now, and payment plans are available: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

A "Special Place in Hell" Grab Bag

We’ve covered some real nasty pieces of work on our show over the years. Dive into true crime for any length of time, and you’re bound to come across plenty of people you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Or a lit one, even. But even among the rogue’s gallery of devil’s rejects out there, there are some in a league of their own. People so devoid of morals and human empathy that they should really just be shoved in some dank little spider-infested oubliette somewhere and forgotten about, just to protect the rest of us. Today, we’re gonna tell you about two of them. Case 1: Hell's Belle - The Crimes of Melissa Patterson Case 2: Making a Killing - The Story of Mark Barton, the Day Trader Killer Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Appeals court filings, Patterson v State: https://casetext.com/case/patterson-v-state-2099 Investigation Discovery's "Diabolical," episode "The Rich Get Richer" Oxygen's "Snapped," episode "Melissa Patterson" Martin Knell's Obituary KRGV: https://www.krgv.com/videos/murder-victim-s-only-son-speaks-out-following-conviction/ My RGV: https://myrgv.com/local-news/2023/09/23/five-years-later-monica-melissa-patterson-still-claims-innocence-despite-the-evidence/ Time magazine: https://time.com/archive/6736072/a-portrait-of-the-killer/ New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/31/us/shootings-in-atlanta-the-overview-killer-confessed-in-a-letter-spiked-with-rage.html Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1999/07/31/killer-wrote-of-fear-hopelessness/af33786a-de37-45cd-9d5f-1098379892dd/ South Coast Today: https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/nation-world/1999/07/31/atlanta-shooter-had-been-disgruntled/50508538007/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2025

Bound By Hate: The Murder of Rozanne Gailiunas, Finale

Last week, we learned the identity of the man hired to kill Rozanne Gailiunas—Andy Hopper, an insurance adjustor turned weed dealer who had apparently added “hitman” to his list of careers. But investigators were still uncertain whether Andy was who they were after, or just a middleman who could lead them to the real killer. So they let him remain free—and then, tipped off by his girlfriend, he vanished. Join us for the conclusion of “Bound by Hate: The Murder of Rozanne Gailiunas. Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Open Secrets by Carlton Stowers D Magazine: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1991/july/fatal-obsessions/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=en Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

Bound By Hate: The Murder of Rozanne Gailiunas, Pt 2

In last week’s episode, young nurse Rozanne Gailiunas was brutally murdered while her  young son slept in the room next door. Suspicion initially fell on both her estranged husband, Peter, and her new boyfriend, Larry Aylor. But evidence was thin on the ground, and the case went cold. Three years later, Larry was the target of a botched assassination attempt, but had trouble getting the police to take it seriously. No one connected this shooting to Rozanne’s death. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious woman called investigators and laid the blame for Rozanne’s murder at the feet of her menacing husband, Bill Garland. This mysterious caller turned out to be Carol, the elder sister of Larry Aylor’s wife Joy. And she said Joy was behind the whole thing. Join us for part 2 (of 3) of this twisty tale.  Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Open Secrets by Carlton Stowers D Magazine: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1991/july/fatal-obsessions/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 7 February 2025

Bound By Hate: The Murder of Rozanne Gailiunas, Pt 1

The late, great Bo Diddley asked one of life’s big questions in one of the 20th century’s greatest songs—“Who Do You Love?” That’s a simple question, but in some relationships, the answer isn’t simple at all. Love, money, revenge—people kill for all kinds of reasons. And in this week’s case, those motives tangle together in a way that will tear lives to pieces. A woman torn between two men, a crime scene straight out of a nightmare, and an investigation that twisted and turned for years.  Join Katie and Whitney, plus the hosts of Last Podcast on the Left, Sinisterhood, and Scared to Death, on the very first CRIMEWAVE true crime cruise! Get your fan code now--tickets go on sale February 7: CrimeWaveatSea.com/CAMPFIRE Sources: Open Secrets by Carlton Stowers D Magazine: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1991/july/fatal-obsessions/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

Schemer: The Crimes of Sheila Davalloo

We’ve covered our share of scary ladies on this show. In fact, bad bitches are one of our special interests. There was Tracey Richter, who murdered an innocent neighbor to frame him for a crime he didn’t commit. Marie Hilley, the serial poisoner who eluded police for years and once passed herself off as her own (fictional) twin sister. Marjorie Orbin, the Vegas showgirl who murdered her husband for his life insurance and left his dismembered body in the desert. I could keep going—there are a lot of ‘em. But this week, I think we may have found the scariest one yet. You can tell us if you think I’m wrong, but I think the woman we’re about to tell you about may be the worst of all the women we’ve covered so far…a woman whose heart is a swirling black hole of need and darkness. This is Schemer: The Crimes of Sheila Davalloo. Sources: Obsessed by M. William Phelps Oxygen's "Snapped," episode "Sheila Davalloo" Killer Women with Piers Morgan Murderpedia (various articles): https://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/davalloo-sheila.htm Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2025

Explosive: The Benson Family Murders

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Money has never made a man happy yet, nor will it.” To which I think a lot of people would say, yeah, try being poor, Benny. A couple thousand dollars would make me plenty happy right now. But, once you’re beyond the stage of having enough wealth to be comfortable and free from fear of destitution, I think his point mostly stands. We’ve seen a lot of cases involving very wealthy people, and I don’t think you could say they were any happier than the average Joe. If anything, just the opposite. That’s definitely true in this week’s case, which involves a staggeringly wealthy family with a whole collection of messy, grasping lives that culminate in tragedy. Sources:  Serpent’s Tooth Christopher Andersen https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/08/07/in-florida-murder-most-malevolent/3c1c9fb0-560b-4b40-8185-fc701724d936/ https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2016/04/01/medical-examiner-says-benson-was-stabbed-to-death-in-prison/85873180/ https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/07/us/florida-murder-trial-that-bared-secrets-of-the-rich-nears-end.html Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

Lust, Lies & Audiotape: Two Failed Murders for Hire

Most people love getting a peek behind a fellow human’s carefully managed facade. We’re delighted when we see the local magistrate gettin’ wrecked at a dive bar two towns over. We catch a glimpse of our married coworker making out with a guy who’s not her husband behind the building, and we can’t wait to tell somebody. We love a hot mic moment, when a news anchor or politician drops the mask for a second and acts like the flawed human they are. I think that’s one of the reasons we love hit-man stings on this show. A recording of somebody offering money in exchange for murder—it's the most authentic peek behind the curtain you could possibly get. A person making an inexplicable, evil choice, dropping the face they normally show to the world to show the darkness underneath. This week we have two cases for you: One where a career fraudster and general snake in human form stays exactly true to his character, and one where a respected member of the community does something light-years out of hers. Sources: Oxygen's "Murder For Hire," episodes "Revenge! Revenge!" and "Wrong Side of the Law" CNBC's "American Greed," episode "A Con Man's Deadly Revenge" https://www.oxygen.com/murder-for-hire/crime-time/long-island-inmate-joseph-romano-plot-murder-judge-prosecutor-bianco-gatz https://www.cnbc.com/2014/02/27/how-joseph-romano-went-from-million-dollar-coin-fraudster-to-hiring-a-hit-man.html Court papers: https://law.justia.com/cases/colorado/supreme-court/1987/86sc254-0.html New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/15/nyregion/inmate-gets-life-in-prison-for-plotting-to-behead-a-judge-and-a-prosecutor.html Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 10 January 2025

Away Team: The Story of Heaven's Gate

I have vivid memories of the night of March 22, 1997. Part of it has to do with, y’know, young dumb love—but most of it has to do with the Hale-Bopp Comet, also known as the Great Comet, which was brilliantly visible from my hometown that night. I had a huge crush on this guy, and he invited me to watch the comet with him. We climbed up on the rooftop of this neighborhood bar with a bottle of screw-top wine, and we watched the sky—and suddenly, there it was, a bright silvery ball with a long glowing tail. Magic. I’ll never forget it—wrote some bad poetry about it later that night. And then a couple mornings later, I woke up to the strangest news story of my life. A group calling themselves Heaven’s Gate had taken their own lives en masse out in California—and they’d left behind a video explaining why. They were catching a ride on the comet, with the full certainty that it would take them to paradise. They were leaving their human bodies behind, chasing the pure perfection of enlightenment. These were smart, educated people with families who loved them. What led them to this? Join us for the story of one of the deadliest cults in American history: Heaven's Gate.  Sources: Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion, Benjamin Zeller https://web.archive.org/web/20081003124716/ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070318/news_lz1n18timelin.html Cult Education Institute https://www.heavensgate.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20080122002236/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986136-1,00.html Wikipedia "Comet Hale-Bopp" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

Transcribed - Published: 3 January 2025

Bad Fortune: Two Tales of Psychic Scammers

As Abe Lincoln once said—or possibly some guy named Peter Drucker, depends on who you ask—the best way to predict the future is to create it. But for a lot of us humans, that’s a little too loosey-goosey. We’re not big fans of the unknown, and we tend to seek out people who claim they can tell us what to expect from the future. Americans, for example, spend billions a year on psychics. A lot of these are legitimate businesspeople who genuinely want to provide counseling and comfort for their clients. But there’s also a bustling trade in psychic fraud—run by people who have no qualms about taking advantage of you at your most vulnerable and desperate. Today we’re gonna tell you about two of those cases. Case 1: The Mysterious Death of Seth Tobias. Case 2: Psychic Scammer Gina Marks Sources: New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/business/04tobias.html ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=4279324&page=1 New York Magazine: https://nymag.com/news/features/43914/ The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/article/hunt-for-tiger-the-go-go-boy-after-seth-tobiass-death-5n923qml8pf The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/12/bob-nygaard-private-investigator-psychic-fraud NBC: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/maryland-psychic-sentenced-to-6-years-for-scamming-clients/155294/ TV show "Pink Collar Crime," episode "The Psychic Didn't See Him Coming" Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 20 December 2024

Fool Me Twice: The Murders of James & Virginia Campbell

Some of the easiest people on the planet to fool are those who have a real high opinion of their own brains based on very little evidence. A classic con-artist trick is to make the mark think they’re the one in charge, they’re the one making the decisions. They don’t realize they’ve been taken until their bank balance is empty and they’ve signed away the deed to granddaddy’s farm. Sometimes they won’t even see it then, because that would mean facing up to some unpleasant realities about themselves. In this week’s story, the consequences of gullibility and manipulation are a lot heavier than financial ruin—three generations of a family have their lives torn to pieces over greed and a web of the darkest lies imaginable.  Sources: Daddy’s Girl by Clifford Irving  Court papers: https://casetext.com/case/ray-v-state-51 The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/02/26/true-confessions/718e2739-0997-4ac0-a551-d860a9f51b7f/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 2024

Listen Now - Hollywood & Crime: The Cotton Club Murder

On June 10th, 1983, the decomposing body of a well-dressed man was found in a desolate canyon near Los Angeles. John Doe #94 would soon be identified as missing variety show producer Roy Radin. He'd last been seen after meeting with a mysterious woman in a gold dress. Her name was Lanie Jacobs.   Jacobs and Radin were obsessed with becoming Hollywood movie producers. And when their paths collided, it led them to a tantalizing film deal promising fame and fortune. But then, a twisted script unfolded, plunging them into a million-dollar cocaine and cash heist, a tangled web of lies, and ultimately – murder. The trail led investigators right to Hollywood's doorstep, linking former golden boy producer Robert Evans to the case and dredging up Radin's own troubled past.   But the case turned ice cold. It would take more than five years of dogged pursuit by the L.A. Sheriff’s Department detectives, a secret undercover witness, and another murder almost 3,000 miles from Hollywood – to unlock the truth.   This is the story of a doomed Hollywood partnership, a grisly murder and the search that stretched across the country for a killer – or killers.   From Wondery, and the team behind the hit series Hollywood & Crime: The Dating Game Killer, The Wonderland Murders, Death of Starlet, and the Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley comes a six part series that dives into the dark side of Hollywood through a shocking murder – fueled by ruthless ambition and desperate dreams. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas.   Listen to Hollywood & Crime: The Cotton Club Murder: Wondery.fm/TCCM_TCC

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2024

Journey Into Darkness: The Stayner Brothers Part 2

When we left you at the end of Part 1, fourteen year old Steven Stayner had escaped from seven years of captivity and abuse at the hands of child predator Kenneth Parnell—and he’d rescued Parnell’s next intended victim, a little boy named Timmy White. The story made international headlines, and Steven Stayner became his hometown’s living legend. It was March 1980, both boys were back home safe and Kenneth Parnell was behind bars where he belonged, waiting to go to trial. It seemed like a happy ending. But the story doesn’t end there. The second half of the Stayner saga is even darker than the first. Justice is denied. Secrets come to light. And another member of the family lets his most depraved fantasies cross over to real life. Big thanks to Mike Moran of the podcast Confessional with Mike Moran for doing much of the work/research on this one and last week's!  Sources: Wikipedia: Cary Stayner A&E's American Justice, episode The Yosemite Killer The Crime Reel: Part 2 of The Troubled Lives of the Stayner Brothers Casefile (podcast): Yosemite Sightseer Murders Parts 1 and 2  CBS News: The Yosemite Murders SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/defense-to-fight-for-stayner-s-life-lawyers-2820211.php Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

I Know My First Name Is Steven: The Abduction of Steven Stayner

In classic literature—and in soap operas, too—there are a lot of families who become lightning rods for misfortune. Sometimes it really strains your suspension of disbelief—like, come on, one family could never go through this much tragedy. But every now and then, a family just seems to be haunted by something sinister. From February through July of 1999, the bodies of four women turned up around Yosemite National Park in California—all brutally murdered and mutilated. The killer was a handsome, likable guy named Cary Stayner, who confessed to the four murders once they had him in custody, and is suspected of quite a few more. And during his confession, the investigators realized why his name had seemed familiar to them. Cary was the brother of Steven Stayner, kidnapped by a pedophile in 1972, forced to change his name to Dennis and held captive for years, until one night in 1980 when he walked into a police station and said, “I know my first name is Steven.” That case captured the world, with books and documentaries covering Steven’s years-long ordeal and the courage of his escape. Now, nearly 20 years later, the Stayner family was once again in the throes of a nightmare. Would Cary have become a serial killer if his brother had never been kidnapped, or was that evil always lurking inside him? It’s a Shakespearean tragedy of a story, and we’ll be telling it in two parts. This is part one--the abduction of Steven Stayner. Big thanks to Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast for doing much of the work/research on this one!  Sources: All That's Interesting: https://allthatsinteresting.com/steven-stayner Wikipedia: Kenneth Parnell The Crime Reel: Part 1 of 2: Steven Stayner. The Troubled Lives of the Stayner Brothers Casefile (podcast): Ep. 154, Steven Stayner This Is Monsters (podcast): The Story of Kenneth Parnell, the Kidnapping of Steven Stayner Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 29 November 2024

Payback: The Murder of Ted Ammon, Pt 2

In Part One, we met high-powered millionaire Ted Ammon and his…let’s say “eccentric” soon-to-be-ex-wife Generosa. When we left off, the Ammons were embroiled in a vicious divorce and a struggle over Ted’s wealth and custody of their twin children. Generosa, staying at the ritzy Stanhope Hotel, was renovating a townhouse and had just met a young electrician by the name of Danny Pelosi. Join us for part 2 of this wild true story. Sources: Almost Paradise by Kieran Crowley Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 22 November 2024

Payback: The Murder of Ted Ammon, Pt 1

As much as most of us might try to live easy, conflict-free lives, sometimes you just can’t avoid an uncomfortable interaction. Maybe an unpleasant neighbor gets in your face about nothing at all, maybe someone behind a counter gives you all kinds of attitude, it’s more or less inevitable that sooner or later, someone will throw some grit into the smoothly turning gears of your life.  And most of us just deal with it and forget about it. Most of us don’t have actual “enemies,” but the main character in this week’s story made enemies like it was her full-time job. She would burn down years-long friendships over the smallest imagined slight, and if there were an actual, real betrayal—well, she’d burn down your whole life. Join us for part 1 of a story of explosive rage and revenge, set in one of the richest neighborhoods in the world.  Sources: Almost Paradise by Kieran Crowley Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 15 November 2024

Let the Right One In: A Halloween Special

Monsters in folklore are easy for us to comprehend. You can only kill a werewolf with a silver bullet, to stop a zombie for good, you have to destroy its brain, and vampires can’t enter your home without your permission. They also have pretty straightforward motivations. Werewolves: Animalistic rage. Zombies: Brains. Vampires: Blood. Human monsters have motivations that are a lot more opaque. What would possess someone to kidnap a woman in broad daylight? To break into a home in the middle of the night to kill the strangers inside? What if no one saw anything? How do you catch a ghost? Case 1: The Murder of Ethel Kidd Case 2: The Miyazawa Family Murders Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jan/07/jonathanwatts.theobserver https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/drumoorhouse/setagaya-family-murders-unsolved https://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=1784 https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/DownloadDraft.aspx?key=ymB6nZIkmtMHmD4fHNtFClpXxLVi5INdtxEH7GVV6SO/J3tQV0Oi1OZsY1fMY0sHi8/+hJhQOuHrWPxzeSFPfA== https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/new-book-claims-to-shed-light-on-2000-setagaya-family-murders https://mcsmrampage.com/2020/10/text/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/garden-of-unborn-children https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-29/the-house-of-horrors-in-setagaya-japan/11771304 https://smol.news/p/the-scary-strange-setagaya-family  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHI4Q6bmnnU&t=270s https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/what-we-really-know-about-the-setagaya-family-murder-a87389875e71 https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/safe_society/wanted/seijo.files/eng.pdf https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/safe_society/wanted/seijo.html Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack, Season 4, Episode 3 https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1074838/edward-wayne-beverly-v-commonwealth-of-virginia/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 2024

Stranger Than Fiction Vol. 5: Petty Motives Edition

We tend to cover strange cases on our show. We seek them out, because we find that there are always interesting lessons to be learned there. But when it comes to weird, some cases are in a category all their own. Like a pair of high school students so upset about a grade that they plot the brutal murder of their Spanish teacher…and a mother so obsessed with protecting her child from pain that she loses all sense of right and wrong. They’re two very different cases on the face of things, but underneath they have one major thing in common—the motive is just bizarre. Case 1: Final Bell: The Murder of Nohema Graber Case 2: Dark Magic: The Murder of Joey Fischer Sources:  Interrogation of Willard Chaiden Miller by Fairfield PD Interrogation of Jeremy Goodale by Fairfield PD Law & Crime network, YouTube Couch Detectives, YouTube NBC: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/slain-iowa-teacher-nohema-graber-remembered-best-us-rcna4710 The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/09/13/murder-on-the-border https://blog.chron.com/narcoconfidential/2013/09/twenty-years-later-recollections-of-wilder-than-fiction-south-texas-murder/ https://myrgv.com/featured/2021/12/11/motion-for-early-release-denied-dora-cisneros-to-serve-out-life-sentence/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 25 October 2024

Lightning Strikes Twice: The Crimes of Harold Henthorn

The philosopher and all-round barrel of laughs Albert Camus wrote, “To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.” Like any good philosophical quote, you can interpret it in a few ways. To not worry overly much about other people’s opinion of you can be a healthy lesson to learn, for example. But the main character in this week’s case would have a different interpretation—nothing and no-one mattered except his own grasping need for money and control, a need that would tear into pieces the lives of everyone around him. Join us for the story of a serial black widower--a man whose charm and pious Christian exterior hid a devious, murderous heart.  Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Sources: Black Widower by Michael Fleeman Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/black-widower-how-one-man-allegedly-murdered-two-wives-199999/ Court papers: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-10th-circuit/1868895.html Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2024

Listen Now: Kill List

In the depths of the dark net, tech journalist Carl Miller makes a disturbing discovery: a secret Kill List targeting hundreds of innocent people on a murder for hire website. When the police decide not to investigate, Carl is thrown into a race against time to warn those in danger and uncover the truth about the people who want them dead. From Wondery and Novel, comes a true story about obsession, control and the price of life and death.  Listen to Kill List on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/KL_TCCF You can listen to Kill List and more Exhibit C true crime shows like Morbid early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. Check out Exhibit C in the Wondery App for all your true crime listening.

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2024

Ambush: The Murders of Alan and Terra Bates

There’s an old saying: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? The answer, for most of us, is obvious. We want to be happy. And sometimes, that means compromising. Not getting exactly what we want. Not winning. But for some people, the only thing that can make them happy is conquest. They’ll always choose being right—always choose winning, no matter what the stakes. Even if it leaves a smoking wreckage behind them. Join us for a true story of smoldering rage and revenge--and one of the worst "bad bitches" we've covered so far. Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Sources: Death Trap by M. William Phelps Murderpedia, Jessica McCord (various articles): https://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/mccord-jessica.htm#google_vignette Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 11 October 2024

Enlightened: The Bizarre World of the Breatharians

For thousands of years, human beings have sought spiritual connection and enlightenment. A lot of us are seekers by nature, we want to know why we’re here and what—if anything—comes next. Sometimes it can seem like most of humankind is walking around with their heads in the sand, and we don’t wanna be one of those people. We want to chase after the secrets. We want to be plugged in. There’s a long tradition, as part of this search for truth, of self-deprivation as a spiritual virtue. Taking a vow of silence or poverty. Forbidding alcohol or dancing or sex. Fasting. Some people believe it strips away everything extra and leaves the spirit more open to connection with the infinite. Others prefer a more balanced approach to life, like the Buddhist Middle Way. But for those who choose to throw away worldly pleasures, the path can get pretty extreme. Today we’ll tell you about a group who claim they’ve given up one of our most basic needs—food—and have learned to live on nothing but light and air. Are these people just fully spiritually attuned, or are they just grifters? Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Sources:  Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascended_master https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmuheen Cult Education Institute: https://culteducation.com/group/848-breatharianism/3279-prison-for-air-cult-discipless.html Cult Education Institute: https://www.culteducation.com/group/848-breatharianism/3269-three-deaths-linked-to-living-on-air-cults.html ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/International/man-eat-drink/story?id=10787036 GQ Magazine: https://www.gq.com/story/breatharians-the-people-who-think-air-is-food Vice: https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-one-hundred-day-fast/ YouTuber “Atrocity Guide” Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/01/living-on-air-the-crazy-ideas-and-consequences-of-breatharians/ The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/gaunt-and-weak-the-sham-diet-guru-who-refuses-to-see-the-light-737972.html The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/sep/28/millennium.uk Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135324/Woman-starves-death-spiritual-journey-trying-live-sunlight-alone.html CNN: https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/21/media/breatharian-couple-news-outlets/index.html#:~:text=After%20it%20was%20contacted%20by,the%20New%20York%20Post's%20story. Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 4 October 2024

Prey: The Story of the Beast of Gevaudan

Like a lot of fairy tales, early versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” were quite a bit different from the story most of us heard growing up. There was no heroic huntsman with an axe, there was no tricking the wolf into a well. At the end of the tale, girl and grandmother were both devoured, and the only happy-ever-after was for the wolf. For most of human history, wolves have been a source of real darkness and fear—and for most of human history, that reputation had been entirely undeserved. But not always. Every now and again, growling, sharp-fanged beasts have wreaked havoc throughout the land, a grim reminder of primordial times when mankind was just another target to fill an empty stomach…and at least part of the origin of the werewolf stories we still love telling today. Join us for the perfect start to the Halloween season, a true story straight out of the Grimm Brothers.  Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Sources: Beast by S.R Schwalb and Gustavo Sanchez Romero Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/beast-gevaudan-terrorized-france-countryside-180963820/ Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-has-a-group-of-orcas-suddenly-started-attacking-boats/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 27 September 2024

Less Dead: Serial Killer Robert Willie Pickton, FINALE

Psychologist Rolio May said, “Hate is not the opposite of love. Apathy is.” Over the course of the last three episodes, we’ve discussed how apathy paved the way for a horrific criminal to wreak havoc on the women of Vancouver. Willie Pickton was only allowed to continue his crimes, to rack up the number of bodies he did, because the government and the police didn’t do their jobs, were apathetic to the cries for help coming from the downtown eastside. Today, we have finally reached the conclusion to this chilling story. Justice will finally be served, but just a little too late for too many women. Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Try Magic Mind: You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code TCC20 at checkout! Claim it at: https://magicmind.com/tccpod Sources: Cameron, Stevie. On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women. Knopf Canada. Kindle Edition. https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw?utm_term=mmiw%20statistics&utm_campaign=MMIW+-+Search&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-1652454857508&hsa_grp=144380966783&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=b&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=646853914079&hsa_acc=3651624507&hsa_kw=mmiw%20statistics&hsa_cam=19633980915&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbu2BhA3EiwA3yXyu8y0N86jvR6NFomqQUWY1AD3h0y48ITuUopInfNw6Tb_MBFkRKbaRhoC0ikQAvD_BwE The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/features11.g2 Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 20 September 2024

Less Dead: Serial Killer Robert Willie Pickton, Pt 3

Once an avalanche starts, there’s nothing that can be done to stop it. You can prevent them, you can prepare for them, but by the time you start to hear the ice cracking, it’s almost always too late. The case of Willie Pickton feels a little bit like an avalanche. For the past two episodes, the people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside have been hearing ominous creaks, trying hard to determine what the cause is. Unfortunately for dozens of women, help wouldn’t come in time. Part 3 of this chilling true story. Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Try Magic Mind: You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code TCC20 at checkout! Claim it at: https://magicmind.com/tccpod Sources: Cameron, Stevie. On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women. Knopf Canada. Kindle Edition. https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw?utm_term=mmiw%20statistics&utm_campaign=MMIW+-+Search&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-1652454857508&hsa_grp=144380966783&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=b&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=646853914079&hsa_acc=3651624507&hsa_kw=mmiw%20statistics&hsa_cam=19633980915&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbu2BhA3EiwA3yXyu8y0N86jvR6NFomqQUWY1AD3h0y48ITuUopInfNw6Tb_MBFkRKbaRhoC0ikQAvD_BwE The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/features11.g2 Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 13 September 2024

Less Dead: Serial Killer Robert Willie Pickton Pt 2

When we last left off, Willie Pickton was just starting his reign of terror over the women of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Nancy Clark was missing, along with several other women, whose disappearances would never be solved. The Pickton farm was quickly becoming a criminal headquarters, thanks to Dave Pickton’s infatuation with the Hell’s Angels gang. The Vancouver Police didn’t care. The missing women were sex workers and addicts, and therefore, less worthy of effort. The horror of this story is not only the monstrous actions of Willie Pickton, but also the apathy of the same people that were supposed to protect and serve. Join us for part 2 of this chilling story. Free shipping and 365-day returns from Quince: https://quince.com/happycamper Try Magic Mind: You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code TCC20 at checkout! Claim it at: https://magicmind.com/tccpod Sources: Cameron, Stevie. On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women. Knopf Canada. Kindle Edition. https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw?utm_term=mmiw%20statistics&utm_campaign=MMIW+-+Search&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-1652454857508&hsa_grp=144380966783&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=b&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=646853914079&hsa_acc=3651624507&hsa_kw=mmiw%20statistics&hsa_cam=19633980915&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbu2BhA3EiwA3yXyu8y0N86jvR6NFomqQUWY1AD3h0y48ITuUopInfNw6Tb_MBFkRKbaRhoC0ikQAvD_BwE The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/features11.g2 Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 6 September 2024

Less Dead: Serial Killer Robert Willie Pickton, Pt 1

In his book, Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime, Eric Hickey wrote about a type of victim that he called, “the Less Dead”. These are people that are seen by the media or law enforcement as having less value than others. Usually sex workers, drug addicts, houseless people, and sexual or racial minorities. The case we’re discussing today is about dozens of these types of victims. Women whose disappearances were ignored or were straight up covered up because they happened to be addicts or sex workers. One police officer told a woman’s terrified family that the series of missing women were “just junkies and hookers. Don’t waste our time.” These were human beings. With friends and families, hopes, dreams, stories, lives. The fact that the authorities ignored their disappearances for so long is one of the worst miscarriages of justice that we’ve seen in our decades of true crime study. This killer roamed the streets of Vancouver, like a shark swimming among a school of fish, unchecked and under the radar, taking almost 50 lives before anyone stopped him. Try Magic Mind: You have a limited offer you can use now, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code TCC20 at checkout! Claim it at: https://magicmind.com/tccpod Sources: Cameron, Stevie. On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women. Knopf Canada. Kindle Edition. https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw?utm_term=mmiw%20statistics&utm_campaign=MMIW+-+Search&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-1652454857508&hsa_grp=144380966783&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=b&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=646853914079&hsa_acc=3651624507&hsa_kw=mmiw%20statistics&hsa_cam=19633980915&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwlbu2BhA3EiwA3yXyu8y0N86jvR6NFomqQUWY1AD3h0y48ITuUopInfNw6Tb_MBFkRKbaRhoC0ikQAvD_BwE The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/features11.g2 Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 30 August 2024

Cradle to Grave, Volume II: Two More Killer Kids

Adults like to think of kids as the embodiment of innocence—and in a lot of ways, they are. But…remember what it was like to actually be a kid? Did other kids seem innocent to us then? Not so much. The playground could be a battle zone. Gym class could be Lord of the Flies. Kids have strong, complicated emotions just like we do, but without the impulse control that comes with a fully-developed prefrontal cortex. Most of the time, the worst thing that comes from that is a tantrum in the middle of Costco, or a loud, teary breakup in the middle school cafeteria that ends up going viral on TikTok. But for some kids, just like some adults, the outcome is much, much darker. Case 1: The story of a 14 year old aspiring serial killer who murdered his unsuspecting best friend. Case 2: A greedy young man took the lives of his entire family just to inherit some cash. Sources: A&E's "American Justice," episode “Millions of Reasons to Kill” Court papers: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00186/pdf/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00186-7.pdf LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-13-mn-49271-story.html Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/05/19/2-cops-work-5-years-to-prove-son-had-family-killed/ Investigation Discovery's "Signs of a Psychopath," episode "I'm Not the Monster I Was" Medium, Rivy Lyon: https://medium.com/the-crime-center/14-year-old-lures-friend-to-a-gruesome-death-in-middle-school-bathroom-b5ee8df8e915 The Ledger: https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2004/03/20/state-releases-teen-slaying-suspects-journal/26105617007/ Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 23 August 2024

The People's Monster: Serial Killer in the City of Light Pt 2

In Part One last week, we introduced you to the strange world of Marcel Petiot, doctor, failed politician, and serial killer in wartime Paris. The horrific discovery of dismembered bodies at Dr. Petiot’s mansion had triggered a massive manhunt, and we’re going to pick up the police investigation now in Part Two of “The People’s Monster.” Note: Katie was sick this week, so Whitney had to take this one solo! Katie will be back next episode. Sources: Death In the City of Light by David King Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 16 August 2024

The People's Monster: Serial Killer in the City of Light Pt 1

There aren’t many darker places to be than in a city occupied by an enemy during a brutal war, living without freedom, in constant fear, and with little or no recourse to justice. For a crime to be able to shock even people living under those conditions, it has to be something truly terrifying, and that is what the people in Paris during World War II experienced when a series of gruesome murders were uncovered. Join us for part 1 of the disturbing story of serial killer Dr. Marcel Petiot. Sources: Death In the City of Light by David King Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2024

Ensnared: The Murder of Katy Briscoe

Sometimes, danger comes in hot, with blazing red flags and alarm bells so loud they drown out everything else. Plenty of warning signs to activate the fight or flight instinct, put us on guard. But that’s not always the way it happens. Sometimes, danger slinks in silently, coiling itself around us without us even noticing, until it’s already around our throat—and any chance for escape is long past. Today, we have one of those stories, where a talented young woman didn’t realize she was in a killer’s sights until it was far too late. Sources: Daily Mail: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20120726/282063389094525 Cosmopolitan: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a30199/time-to-ban-racist-porn/ Borehamwood Times: https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/9839685.catherine-wynters-family-in-exclusive-interview-after-tony-bushby-sentenced-for-her-murder/ Watford Observer: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/9836873.family-pay-tribute-to-catherine-wynter-as-murderer-tony-bushby-is-jailed-for-life/ "Nightmare in Suburbia," episode "The Babysitter and the Cyber-Killer" "When Kids Kill," episode "Catfish Killer" Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 2 August 2024

Lost Highway: The Murders at Moclips Beach

It’s kind of hard to pin down what the first slasher movie was. Do you start with “Psycho” in 1960? Go even further back? But there’s no real doubt when the genre blossomed—the 1970s. And that makes sense, because the 1970s was also when the shocking crimes of serial killers really permeated the national consciousness. You ask someone to name a serial killer, there’s a good chance they’ll name someone who was mostly or exclusively active in the ‘70s—Bundy, Gacy, BTK, Son of Sam. The slasher movies tapped into a growing awareness that there really were terrifyingly dangerous people out there, killers who didn’t even have to know you to want you dead. This is the story of the horrible murders of two young hitchhikers, at a time when such cases were startlingly common. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HAPPYCAMPER at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Sources: Ann Rule—Last Dance, Last Chance—"The Beach” Court papers:,https://casetext.com/case/state-v-batten-3 https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/gone-girl-the-disappearance-of-laura-flink/ https://charleyproject.org/case/laura-lee-asynithe-flink Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2024

Gaslight, Gatekeep, GirlBoss: A Girl Gang Grab-Bag

Like most American Millennials, I was subjected to Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE. It was the typical kind of “Drugs Are Bad, mmmkay?” sort of thing. Police officers would come to school and show 2nd graders pictures of smoker lungs and suggest that everyone and their mom would be peer pressuring you to smoke weed and/or crack, which was not as big of an issue as some of us might have hoped. During one such class, we were being taught about the danger of gang violence and we were told to draw what we thought a gang member would look like. Yes, it does sound like a potentially extremely racist arts and crafts session, but yours truly decided to get creative. I drew a woman wearing a crop top and JNCO jeans. The DARE officer looked at my drawing and told me that women weren’t ever members of gangs, but were usually girlfriends, which made my tiny feminist hackles raise. What do you MEAN there weren’t any lady gang members? Whatever men could do, women could do, right? EQUALITY, RIGHT? If she had been prepared for nuance beyond her vaguely racist lesson, she might have talked about the culture of toxic masculinity that pervades most gangs as we think about them today and often, women have to carve out their own niche when it comes to organized crime. Officer Silva, this one’s for you. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code HAPPYCAMPER at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Sources: Heritage of Endurance: Family Patterns and Delinquency Formation in Urban Japan By Hiroshi Wagatsuma, George A. De Vos https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2023/the-queens-of-the-forties-1683/ https://www.dannydutch.com/post/meet-the-forty-elephants-the-all-girl-gang-from-london https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QZEnyZyYo4 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00220094211018490 https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Pages/life-juveniles.aspx#:~:text=(Image%20source%3A%203%20)%20Wartime,year%20of%20World%20War%20II. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/001112875500100210?journalCode=cada https://apnews.com/article/japan-gangsters-yakuza-crime-fdb57ffd2325fb3aba8c211a30b6c861 https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a60938449/under-the-bridge-manjit-suman-reena-virk-parents/ https://web.archive.org/web/20090801004713/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060719/virk_killer_060719?s_name=&no_ads= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/reena-virk-kelly-ellard-sim-1.7185366 https://www.vice.com/en/article/qvpqa7/the-unforgettable-story-of-a-bc-teen-murdered-by-her-peers https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/13803/1/MQ49780.pdf https://www.vicnews.com/news/kelly-ellard-declines-chance-for-full-parole-says-shes-not-ready- Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2024

One Step Behind: A Stalkers Grab Bag

Obsession can be a good thing. An obsessed athlete can spend hours practicing to be the best they can be, an obsessed collector can find joy and community in the thrill of the hunt, or obsession can drive an artist to explore the human condition in a way that moves everyone that sees their art. But obsession can veer into something darker if the object of it is a person. That’s how you get a stalker. Someone who is so consumed with the life of another almost always pushes the boundaries of appropriate behavior. If you’ve seen the show Baby Reindeer, you’ll know that being the target of a stalker’s attention can have serious consequences. Today, we have two stalker stories for you. The first is about how a stalker can project their own feelings of love and affection onto their victim, to a violent outcome. In the second, we’ll tell you a story about how one of the largest companies in the world harassed a couple for the crime of blogging. This is One Step Behind: A Stalkers Grab Bag. Sources: Journal of Homicide and Major Incident Investigation, V6I2 Autumn 2010, “Operation Hydration” https://library.college.police.uk/docs/J_Homicide_MII/J_Homicide_6.2.pdfNightmare in Suburbia, S2E5, “The Internet Stalker”World’s Most Evil Killers, S3E15, David Heisshttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/technology/ebay-cockroaches-stalking-scandal.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/technology/ebay-cyberstalking-crimes.htmlhttps://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ex-ebay-manager-prison-harassing-natick-couple-stephanie-popp/https://www.svvoice.com/former-cop-discussed-using-scpd-contacts-to-obstruct-cyberstalking-investigation/https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/ebay-inc-pay-3-million-connection-corporate-cyberstalking-campaign-targetinghttps://www.reuters.com/legal/government/couples-case-over-ebay-stalking-campaign-can-move-forward-us-judge-rules-2023-12-13/https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gdpzwzqykvw/12122023ebay.pdfFollow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH!

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2024

Tin Soldiers: The Murder of Carole Garton

When it comes to stuff, I really feel like counterfeit can be just as good as the real thing. Give me a lab-created diamond any day; I can show off some sparkle without robbing a bank. Same goes for shoes and bags and perfume dupes—I’m happy to sport a convincing knockoff. Fake isn’t always bad. But when it comes to people, it’s a whole different story. Especially when we’re talking fake doctor, or fake financial advisor…or as we’ll see in today’s story, fake assassin. Join us for a story of counterfeit clout, astounding gullibility, and greed, that when mixed all together, led to a deadly conclusion. This is a wild one, folks. Sources: Kill or be Killed by Robert Scott Oxygen's "Mastermind of Murder," S2E10, “Under Covers” The Investigators, S1E8, “Toy Soldier” Court papers: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-supreme-court/1891091.html Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2024

Phantom: The Murder of Heidi Bernadzikowski

I'm not going to try and do his voice because it'd tear my throat up, but Hollywood legend Jack Palance once said, "The only two things you can truly depend upon are gravity and greed." Greed has been a motivation in more true crime cases than I can count, and it's astonishing how a grasping desire for dollars and cents can twist the human heart. It can drive someone to acts of both chilling cruelty and jaw-dropping stupidity, and in this week's case we get both. Join us for a bizarre true story of a heartless murder for hire that took 11 long years to solve. Sources: Court papers: https://casetext.com/case/cooke-v-gang Court papers: https://www.mdcourts.gov/sites/default/files/unreported-opinions/0815s23.pdf Interrogation footage from the interrogations of Alexander Bennett and Grant Lewis NBC's Dateline, episode "Indiscretion" Investigation Discovery's True Crime with Aphrodite Jones, episode "Discreet House Cleaning" Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2024

Burning Down the House: A Casino Bandit Grab Bag

Almost everyone who walks into a casino feeling confident that they’re gonna walk out richer is what is technically known as “a sucker.” Every game you play at a casino gives the house an edge. Not much of one—otherwise, why would people play? Players have to win a decent portion of the time, that’s why they keep putting their money down on the table. But behind the glitz and glamour, casinos run on cold mathematical certainty. Over the long term, over hundreds of hands of cards and rolls of the dice and spins of the wheel, the house ultimately always wins. But what if they didn’t? What if people, through brainpower and daring, managed to beat the odds and come out on top? It’s a tantalizing thought—and for the people in these three stories, it was too tempting to pass up. Sources: https://www.888casino.com/blog/famous-mit-team-members BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27519748 Esquire: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a37016468/heather-tallchief-roberto-solis-heist-netflix-now/ NBC: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9766179 Boston Magazine: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2019/06/21/mit-blackjack-team/ NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/us/fugitive-in-armored-car-theft-gives-up-after-12-years.html New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428644-500-roulette-beater-spills-physics-behind-victory/ Science Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/a-physicist-has-built-a-machine-that-can-beat-the-odds-at-roulette Justice.gov: https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nv/news/2006/03302006.html http://www.richardmunchkin.com/2011/08/my-interview-with-john-laurie-c-mit.html Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/heist-netflix-heather-tallchief-roberto-solis-true-story-facts-documentary-1610361 Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2024

Because They Were Home: The Dartmouth Murders, Pt 2

Our homes are meant to be where we feel the safest, so it makes sense that there’s an entire horror movie subgenre dedicated to home invasions. The Strangers, Panic Room, Funny Games, When a Stranger Calls, even Jordan Peele’s Us. All those movies play on the innate fear we have that our most peaceful area would be disturbed by those that would do us harm. Unfortunately, there are people out there that would do us harm just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Today, we’re finishing one of those stories. Join us for part 2 of the story of the Dartmouth Murders. Sources: Judgment Ridge by Lehr and Zuckoff Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2024

Because They Were Home: The Dartmouth Murders Pt 1

Schopenhauer wrote, “Fate shuffles the cards, and we play.” Every day, every decision we make sparks a chain reaction of others, leading us down a particular path. And with every choice, a universe of other un-choices spins away behind us, forgotten. We all like to think we’re the master of our own destiny, but sometimes…we fall to the whims of chance instead. This is one of those stories—of two boys whose monster egos sent them down a path of destruction, and two innocent victims whose only crime was being there. Sources: Judgment Ridge by Lehr and Zuckoff Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2024

Stranger in the Mirror: The Crimes of Theresa Ramirez

We tend to think of doctors as leading pretty cushy, privileged lives—lots of money, social status, and respect. But a dark trend has been developing in recent years, and it’s only getting worse. Increasingly, doctors are experiencing violence at the hands of their patients. Sometimes it’s a verbal threat, a push or a shove. Sometimes it’s stalking. And sometimes, it’s murder. This is one of those stories, about a woman whose obsession with physical perfection led her to an unimaginable act. Download the game "June's Journey" on Apple iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/junes-journey-hidden-objects/id1200391796 "June's Journey" on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.wooga.junes_journey_hidden_object_mystery_game&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1 Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2015/03/08/dr-michael-davidson-died-as-he-lived-saving-others/?sh=176e90165e12 Oxygen's "Snapped," episode "Theresa Ramirez" Dr. Joni Johnston: https://medium.com/crimebeat/the-ugly-truth-behind-the-murder-of-dr-paul-tavis-e5ad525c88ba SFGate: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/disgruntled-patients-hazardous-to-health-3069418.php MDLinx: https://www.mdlinx.com/exclusive/unsafe-haven-the-rise-of-violence-against-physicians-in-the-workplace/LyJwbDwQgHps1wJ00QYYn Follow us, campers! Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfire https://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/ Facebook: True Crime Campfire Instagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079 Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfire Email: [email protected] MERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2024

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