124: The Chicago Tylenol Murders and Corruption in Kansas City

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Brandi’s story doesn’t involve stabbings, serial killers or cult leaders. Instead, she talks about Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania treasurer accused of awarding a government contract in exchange for a campaign contribution. Doesn’t sound like Brandi’s cup of tea, does it? Trust us, it is. This story has a huge twist.  Then Kristin tells the story of Anna Ayala, who claimed to find a severed human finger in her Wendy’s chili. But whose finger was it? And how the hell did it get there? This one’s a real nail biter. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: “Finger-in-chili lady back in trouble,” San Francisco Gate “‘Finger lady’ spills the beans about chili scam,” McClatchy Tribune News Service “Prison term for Wendy’s chili scam no joke,” Associated Press “Woman in chili incident fails to enter plea in court,” San Francisco Chronicle “Police call woman’s finger in chili claim a hoax,” New York Times “Police check woman with Wendy’s finger claim,” Associated Press “Finger has lunch crowd rethinking its choices,” LA Times  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: The documentary “Honest Man: The Life of Budd Dwyer”

12 Huhti 20181h 42min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a story about 17-year-old honors student Syndi Bierman, who was murdered during a robbery gone wrong. At least… that’s what her sister said. When Syndi’s sister Shari called 911, she reported that their house had been robbed. But Shari’s story raised a lot of eyebrows. Including ours. Then Kristin talks about the wrongful conviction of Lamonte McIntyre. When 18-year-old McIntyre was accused of a double murder, he wasn’t too worried. He was innocent. He had a good alibi. He had no motive, and the prosecution had no evidence. But the jury convicted him anyway. McIntyre spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Get ready to pull your hair out with frustration. This story has corruption at every turn. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: “No Justice,” Kansas City Star  “Kansas man wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years receives no compensation from state,” CBS News  “23 Years for Murder. He Didn’t Do it. What Went Wrong?” New York Times  “Lamonte McIntyre, wrongly imprisoned for 23 years for double murder, finally set free,” Kansas City Star  “Lamonte McIntyre,” Midwest Innocence Project  “Former Lamonte McIntyre prosecutor accused in new case of threatening a witness, misconduct,” Kansas City Star In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “State v. Bierman” Kansas Supreme Court appeal opinion “2 Slaying Suspects Sought” Associated Press, The Oklahoman “Woman Says She Hid While Sister Killed” Associated Press, Salina Journal “Kansas Fugitive Surrenders” by Joe Stumpe, Tulsa World

5 Huhti 20182h 5min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! We’re celebrating April Fools’ Day with some of our favorite pranks and hoaxes. Brandi starts us off by talking about Balloon Boy. This is the story of the six year old boy who floated off in his dad’s flying saucer. Or did he? This story captivated the nation, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll have forgotten like 95% of it. Then Kristin talks about three pranks that ended in lawsuits. There’s the waitress who was promised a Toyota, but given a toy Yoda. Then there’s the civil servant whose co-workers duped him into thinking he had a looming deadline. The poor guy cut his vacation short. He even developed heart palpitations. We end with a woman who spent five days thinking a criminal was stalking her. You’ll never guess who was behind the prank. Seriously. You’ll absolutely never guess. It’s insane. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from:  “Office joke backfires, city bans more pranks,” The Globe and Mail “City hall boss on stress leave after prank” London Free Press “Three top city managers named in Howlett prank” London Free Press “Court Approves Lawsuit Against Toyota Over Cyberstalking Ad Stunt,” Wired.com “Toyota Loses a Marketing Lawsuit in Ruling That May Chill Advertiser Pranks,” CBS News “Woman Sues Toyota Over ‘Terrifying’ Prank,” ABC News “Saatchi Sued Over “Terror Marketing Campaign” for Toyota,” CBS News “Former Hooters waitress settles toy Yoda suit,” USA Today In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Ballad of Balloon Boy” by Justin Peters, Slate.com  “Doubts Came Early in Balloon Incident” by Brian Stelter and Dan Frosch  “Heene family says ‘balloon boy’ headlines ‘wasn’t a hoax’” by Elizabeth Murray, Today.com

30 Maalis 20181h 32min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9.  Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Susan Wright stabbed her husband 193 times, left his dead body half-buried in the backyard, then asked police for a restraining order against him. A restraining order against her dead husband. So, what was up? It depends on who you ask. Some say she’s a cold blooded killer. The media even dubbed her the Blue-Eyed Butcher. But Susan tells a different story. She says that her husband had abused her for years and that she killed him to protect herself and her children. Lifetime movie aficionados Brandi and Kristin think the truth lies somewhere in between. Then Kristin talks about con artist Cassie Chadwick. This woman knew her craft. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, she talked countless people and banks out of millions of dollars. How did she do it? By starting a rumor that she was the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie. For years, her scheme worked perfectly. Until it didn’t. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from*: “The High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance,” Smithsonian Magazine  “Carnegie On Chadwick Case,” New York Times  “Hoax of ‘Heiress’ Ruined Bankers,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune  “The Turbulent Life of Cassie Chadwick,” Vintage News  “Cassie Chadwick,” Biography.com  The book “Whoppers: History’s Most Outrageous Lies and Liars” by Christine Seifer *Please note that Cassie Chadwick was full of shit, so details differ from story to story. In this episode, Brandi pulled from:  “193” by Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly  “Wright Case Goes To Jury After Graphic Testimony” by Andrew Tilghman, Houston Chronicle  “Susan Wright Guilty Of Murder” by Andrew Tilghman, Houston Chronicle

28 Maalis 20181h 37min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9. Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with the tale of the toxic tush doctor. These ladies just wanted a more shapely behind. Instead, they got injected with fix-a-flat and construction-grade silicone. This story will make you grateful for your sad, flat little ass. The murders of secret lovers Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills captivated the nation in 1922, but they still have us on the edge of our seats today. This trial has everything — religion; a double murder; a forbidden love affair; a media circus; and a female pig farmer. Let’s just say that it starts with two dead bodies covered in torn love letters and gets even more intriguing from there. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: The book “Cold Cases: Famous Unsolved Mysteries, Crimes and Disappearances in America” by: Helena Katz  “The Press: Under the Crabapple Tree,” Time Magazine  “Frances Hall, Henry Stevens, and William Stevens Trial: 1926,” encyclopedia.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Fake Doc Charged With Bizarre Butt Rebuilding” by Carey Codd, CBS Miami  “$15K Bond For Accused Fake Doc In Toxic Tush Case” by Gary Nelson, CBS Miami  “Emotional Day In Court After ‘Toxic Tush Doc’ Sentenced To 10 Years Prison” by Joan Murray, CBS Miami  “Fake Florida doctor who ‘enhanced’ buttocks with cement, caulking gets 10 years for manslaughter” by Katie Mettler, Washington Post

23 Maalis 20181h 18min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9. Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Remember those ‘Smiling Bob’ commercials from the early 2000’s? Of course you do. In this episode, Kristin talks about the man who brought us Enzyte, the “once daily tablet for natural male enhancement.” It’s an insane story, full of fake clinical trials, phony customer satisfaction surveys, and a bunch of other fabrications. But oddly, none of those lies are what brought Steve Warshak down. It was the company’s business practices that ultimately took him to prison. Then Brandi talks about the heartbreaking story of two 12-year-old girls who lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her multiple times. They said they did it to please “Slender Man,” a creepy but 100% fictional internet meme. Thankfully, due to determination, grit, and a level of bad-assery we can only try to imagine, Payton Leutner dragged herself to safety and survived. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: “Thanks, Smilin’ Bob,” Slate.com  “The rise and fall of the Cincinnati boner king,” GQ  “Sexual Performance Pill” episode, American Greed  “Ohio supplement co. founder gets lower prison term”  “Orange is the new white-collar,” Fortune  “Updating an email law from the last century,” New York Times In this episode, Brandi pulled from:  “The Girls Who Tried To Kill For Slender Man” by Abigail Jones, Newsweek  “Slender Man Stabbing Survivor’s Parents: ‘She’s Meant to Do Something Special’” by Lauren Effron and Kelley Robinson, ABC News

19 Maalis 20181h 33min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9.  Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi’s story will blow your mind. It starts with a dead body that has been chopped to pieces, bagged, and dropped along a rural Michigan road. If you can believe it, the story gets even weirder from there. The less you know about this one, the better. Then Kristin tells the story of an Arizona family whose innocent bath time photos were mistaken for child pornography. The parents were put on the sex offender registry. Their children were removed from their home. At the end of that nightmare, they felt their civil rights had been violated. So they took their case to court. Get ready to feel sorry for everyone involved. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: “Couple’s three girls were taken away after Walmart reported innocent bath time photos,” The Washington Post The United States Court of Appeals Opinion on this case An ABC News interview with Lisa and Anthony Demaree In this episode, Brandi pulled from: The Snapped episode, “Donna Scrivo”  “Donna Scrivo guilty of murdering, dismembering son,”  USA Today

16 Maalis 20181h 17min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9.  Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In this episode, Kristin talks about the Kellogg brothers. Sounds a little bland, right? Trust us, it’s not. The Kellogg brothers fought each other in and out of court for years. By the time this story is over, you’ll never look at corn flakes the same way again. Then Brandi tells us about the West Memphis Three. She gets so into it that she brings us both to tears. The story centers around three teenage boys who were convicted in the brutal murders of three little boys. According to our super accurate analysis (don’t ever question us, kthanks) Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were convicted for wearing too many black t-shirts. And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases. In this episode, Kristin pulled from: The book, “The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek,” by Howard Markel  “Will Kellogg: King of Corn Flakes” from the Foundation For Economic Education  The book, “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs” by Chuck Klosterman  The book, “A Secret History of Brands” by Matt MacNabb In this episode, Brandi watched the hell out of: “West Memphis Three Trials,” from  famous-trials.com  The documentary, “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills”

13 Maalis 20181h 49min