239. From Cop to Killer: The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen

It was a warm Wednesday morning in Sarasota, Florida, on June 12, 1991, when 36-year-old Jackie Galloway was supposed to meet a friend for lunch. The friend arrived at her home expecting an easy midday catch-up. Instead, the front door was unlocked, Galloway’s purse was sitting on the couch, and an unsettling silence filled the house. Jackie was gone. By the next afternoon, ten miles from downtown Sarasota, a passerby discovered a body dumped in a vacant lot, wrapped tightly in a beige bedsheet. It was Jackie. Her body was already decomposing under the relentless Florida sun. A noose was still looped around her neck. Her wrists bore the angry marks of bindings, and every one of her artificial nails had been torn away, illustrating the fight that Jackie had put up to try to escape.  Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Murder by the Book: Jackie Galloway.’ Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS All music by our executive producer @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/08/25/convicted-rapist-murderer-be-released-after-serving-less-than-half-sentence/ https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/convicted-sarasota-murderer-rapist-to-be-released-after-serving-partial-sentence/67-c707042d-40e8-4c60-a3f6-e594678f8262 https://www.facebook.com/heraldtribune/posts/john-waterman-54-who-raped-and-killed-a-sarasota-county-woman-and-raped-another-/10164173446750710/ https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-waterman-no-884878986 https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/early-release-of-killer-rapist-john-waterman-angers-florida-community https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/flyer.jsf?personId=71973 https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/08/25/heres-why-convicted-murderer-rapist-is-only-serving-half-his-sentence/ https://people.com/crime/jackie-galloway-murderer-john-waterman/ https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/crime/2020/08/25/convicted-sarasota-murderer-serial-rapist-john-waterman-released/5625619002/ https://test2.milnerbrowne.com/2546961/unveiling-the-dark-truth-the-story-of-john-waterman-the-killer/ https://people.com/crime/john-waterman-florida-man-neighbors-upset-release-murderer-rapist/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2896809/news/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Okt 47min

In this episode, Jen and Cam are joined by their friend Dawn from Method & Madness. Dawn, with her background in Criminal Justice and victim advocacy, brings a unique perspective to the tragic and still unsolved murder of Deverrie Schiller. Deverrie, a young woman of only 23, set out from her home in California City for a simple trip to Taco Bell. Tragically, she never returned. Her lifeless body was discovered the following day, a devastating event that sent shockwaves through her community and shattered the world of her mother, Debi. Method & Madness is not just another true crime podcast. It's a platform with a profound purpose, deeply rooted in compassionate storytelling and a strong focus on victim advocacy. Every episode is crafted to center on the victims and their survivors, ensuring the criminal is never glorified. With Dawn's background in Criminal Justice and victim advocacy, the show's approach is unique. It uses immersive storytelling and insightful commentary to honor the victims and shed light on the broader societal issues connected to violence. Anyone with information about the murder of Deverrie Schiller can contact: California City Police Dept 760-373-8606 Crimestoppers: 800-222-8477 Debi Fones has created coloring books, honoring children gone too soon: Amazon.com: The Wings Of Our Children Book 12: 9798263580339: Lee, Remedy: Books Method and Madness Website:Method & Madness Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Okt 58min

It should have been a time of celebration. Melissa Lamesch, a 27-year-old EMT, was just two days away from giving birth to her baby boy. Instead, her home in Mt. Morris, Illinois, was engulfed in flames on Thanksgiving Eve. First responders treated the scene as a terrible accident, but the medical examiner soon delivered a shock: Melissa had died before the fire even began. That truth exposed a dark motive, one rooted in a secret relationship and the imminent arrival of a child the father did not want. Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "The Deadline: Melissa Lamesch." Thank you to our team Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠ Sources: https://people.com/melissa-lamesch-death-people-magazine-investigates-8766788 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta0IUWG5Zss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZVCTWFkR90 https://www.finchfuneral.com/obituaries/melissa-lamesch https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/277013872/melissa-deanne-lamesch https://www.cbsnews.com/news/melissa-lamesch-matthew-plote-illinois-firefighter-accused-of-staging-house-fire-to-cover-up-murder-48-hours/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/696991681/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/697561140/?match=1&clipping_id=182247891 https://www.newspapers.com/image/697561135/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/700693973/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20obituary https://www.newspapers.com/image/824364094/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 (Plote arrest) https://www.newspapers.com/image/825964251/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/894952081/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/831529455/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/831529533/?terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/824453855/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/839290648/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/833170919/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1024379826/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/959058622/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1021227602/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1021227580/?terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1057262119/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1147080532/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1144701359/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1092816504/?match=1&terms=%22Melissa%20Lamesch%22%20 (guilty) People Magazine Investigates: Season 8 Episode 11 Inferno of Lies (I watched it on HBO) https://www.wifr.com/2024/03/22/she-said-she'd-call-me-right-back-plote-trial-gains-powerful-witness-testimonies/ https://thecinemaholic.com/melissa-lamesch-family/ info on parents and siblings https://thecinemaholic.com/matthew-plote/ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Okt 47min

Every Monday, poet and paranormal obsessive Heidi Wong unearths the chilling true stories behind the world’s most terrifying legends. From haunted dolls to cursed houses, each episode of Twisted Tales reveals the disturbing real-life events that inspired horror’s biggest blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. Some stories are stranger than fiction. These are darker. New episodes every Monday. Twisted Tales is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen here: https://link.podtrac.com/listentotwistedtales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Okt 28min

In the summer of 2016, Gaylin Rose had moved her 4 little girls to Flora, a small town of just over 2,000 residents, seeking a fresh start. The two-story duplex cost $500 a month to rent, and by autumn, they were settling into a routine. Rose had secured a job at a nearby gas station, while her daughters threw themselves into school, cheerleading, and making new friends. On the night of November 20, Rose tucked her daughters into their bunkbeds upstairs. Rose retired to her bedroom on the lower floor. At 3:00 a.m., silence gave way to chaos. Thick plumes of smoke curled up over East Columbia Street. By the time fire trucks left for the scene, a three-story apartment building at 103 East Columbia was already engulfed in flames.   The four sisters — Kionnie Welch, 5; Kerriele McDonald, 7; Keyara Phillips, 9; and Keyana Davis, 11  would not survive. Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast as we discuss ‘Lost in the Ashes: The Flora Fire Four.’ Today’s episode was a special request by Shaniece. Thanks for reaching out. If you have any information about the Flora arson case, call the Indiana State Police at 800‑382‑4628 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. Listener discretion by @octoberpodVHS Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/a-chase-for-answers-questions-remain-after-flora-fire-kills-4-girls/ https://fox59.com/dashboard-camera-video-reveals-rescue-attempt-in-deadly-flora-fire/ https://fox59.com/news/8-years-later-isp-discusses-deadly-flora-house-fire-that-left-4-girls-dead/ https://www.jconline.com/story/news/crime/2025/07/07/fbi-state-police-go-door-to-door-to-try-to-solve-fatal-2016-flora-fire/84494391007/ https://fox59.com/news/8-years-later-isp-discusses-deadly-flora-house-fire-that-left-4-girls-dead/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4fmbGAAmM https://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/the-chase-for-answers-mom-shares-anger-heartache-7-years-after-flora-fire-killed-4-girls/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Okt 35min

It was Halloween night in 1973 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Nine-year-old Lisa Ann French dressed up to go trick-or-treating, but she never came home. Lisa's disappearance terrified the town. The desperate search lasted for days, ending with a shocking discovery that changed how families everywhere thought about letting their kids trick-or-treat. The awful truth? The person who took Lisa was someone she knew, a neighbor who lived right nearby. This week, join Cam and Jen as they discuss the case of Lisa French and how "The Monster on Rose Avenue" stole a child's life and changed Halloween forever. Thank you to our team Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers Nico & Jesse of The Inky Pawprint ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.wisciviljusticecouncil.org/wwcms/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Thomas-M.-Hruz-Criminals-Escaping-Affliction-Gerald-Turner-and-Wisconsin%E2%80%99s-Fair-Employment-Law-Wisconsin-Interest-Winter-2000-at-7..pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lisa_Ann_French https://www.nbc26.com/fonddulac/judge-says-halloween-killer-will-stay-in-mental-health-facility  (this article says she died of shock) https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591494d9add7b049345c40a7 https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1abu1z6/on_halloween_1973_9yearold_lisa_ann_french_was/ https://people.com/lisa-french-halloween-murder-11697665 https://www.newspapers.com/image/270324881/?match=1&clipping_id=180855281 https://www.newspapers.com/image/270330493/?match=1&clipping_id=180855438 https://www.newspapers.com/image/597646228/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/285243209/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/270347812/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/288054377/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/285223032/?match=1&clipping_id=180859221 https://www.newspapers.com/image/285323435/?match=1&clipping_id=180859305 https://www.newspapers.com/image/288068208/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/611573818/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/406427707/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/1053173158/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder%20Halloween https://www.newspapers.com/image/270538845/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder https://www.newspapers.com/image/270538845/?match=1&terms=Lisa%20French%20murder https://www.newspapers.com/image/290818494/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/270538317/?match=1&clipping_id=180862764 https://www.newspapers.com/image/270538375/?match=1&terms=Arlene%20Penn https://www.newspapers.com/image/290924434/?match=1&terms=%22Lisa%20French%22%20murder (refutes confessions, denies even seeing her) https://www.newspapers.com/image/1035313879/?match=1&terms=%22Lisa%20French%22%20murder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoned_candy_myths https://www.newspapers.com/image/270326228/?match=1&terms=%22Lisa%20French%22%20funeral https://www.newspapers.com/image/288073336/?match=1&terms=%22Lisa%20French%22%20funeral http://www.apricetopay.com/blog/the-halloween-killer https://www.thepetitionsite.com/713/926/478/petition-to-keep-the-quotthe-halloween-killer-gerald-m.-turner-incarcerated/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Okt 48min

UPDATE: When we first covered Robert Eugene Brashers back in April 2025, we never imagined he’d be tied to one of Texas’s most infamous crimes: the 1991 Austin Yogurt Shop Murders. Now, advanced DNA testing has confirmed his link to the horrific killings that haunted Austin for more than three decades. On December 6, 1991, four teenage girls, Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, Eliza Thomas, and Amy Ayers, were found bound, gagged, and shot inside an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt! shop that had been set on fire. The case became one of Texas’s deepest mysteries, spawning thousands of leads, false confessions, and the wrongful convictions of two young men later cleared by DNA evidence. Now stay tuned for episode 305: “Genetic Justice: Unmasking Robert Brashers.” From the original airdate: For years, Robert Brashers had managed to evade justice, slipping through the cracks repeatedly. But on January 13, 1999, his luck finally ran out in a modest motel room in Kennett, Missouri. What began as a routine police search quickly escalated into a tense, life-or-death standoff that would forever change the lives of those involved. Who was Robert Brashers? A man who his wife and children loved. What could have driven him to such a tragic end?  The entire truth would remain hidden for years, with whispers suggesting that there were more victims out there.   Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode, "Genetic Justice: Unmasking Robert Brashers.”  Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS Music is by our executive producer @theinkypawprint Sources:  https://www.facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery/videos/connected-by-murder-on-the-case-with-paula-zahn/2284387901877879/ https://greenvillejournal.com/tag/robert-eugene-brashers/ https://www.kait8.com/2018/10/05/killer-linked-murders-missouri-tennessee-south-carolina-paragould/ https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/murder-suspects-robert-brashers-body-exhumed-solve-two-1990s-cold-cases https://archive.today/20230115112055/https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/05/greenville-cold-case-robert-brashers-jenny-zitricki/1534079002/ https://archive.ph/20230115112155/https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/02/05/my-father-was-serial-killer-robert-brashers-daughter-speaks-out/#selection-811.21-1279.52 https://archive.ph/20230115112128/https://greenvillejournal.com/news/greenville-police-murderer-in-28-year-old-cold-case-identified/#selection-937.42-937.43 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Eugene_Brashers https://archive.today/20230115112038/https://www.fultonsun.com/news/2020/nov/19/fulton-resident-reminisces-homicide-investigation/ https://archive.ph/20230115112159/https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/01/13/daughter-serial-killer-rapist-tied-greenville-hes-still-my-father/2481586002/#selection-529.0-851.132 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31099977/robert-brashers-mo-from-1985/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54853022/robert-brashers-florida-crime-1985/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Okt 45min

The Knotek residence appeared unremarkable to outsiders. A modest home, needing a bit of work from years of rain, rested quietly on a tree-lined street. To neighbors, it was just another house, just another family. Behind its doors, however, was a living nightmare—meticulously orchestrated by Michelle Knotek, with the complicity of her husband, David. Outwardly, Michelle seemed maternal, warm, and inviting. In truth, her hospitality was a trap. At first, life with the Knoteks appeared normal, but the facade didn’t last long. Michelle’s cruelty emerged gradually, each act more deliberate and sadistic than the last.  Join Cam and Jen on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘From Mother to Monster: The Knotek Family.’ Listener Discretion by @octoberpodVHS All Music by our EP @theinkypawprint Make sure to check out the promo from our friends at The Final Trace https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-final-trace  Sources: https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Tell-Unbreakable-Sisterhood-ebook/dp/B07Q5TL9SQ https://books.google.com/books?id=5ahTxAEACAAJ https://www.chinookobserver.com/news/local/raymond-murderer-crazy-shellie-released-from-prison/article_539f6e46-61f3-11ed-99c6-433b5a338fd0.html https://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-court-of-appeals/1430291.html https://ftp.spaceneedle.com/browse/mL1FD1/600976/Knotek%20Daughters%20Their%20Story%20Unveiled.pdf http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2003/08-14/228867_couple_charged_with_murder_in_d.html https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030817/raymond17m/something-unspeakable-now-the-talk-of-two-towns http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Woman-gets-22-years-in-deaths-of-boarders-1152156.php https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/photos/episode-19-michelle-knotek https://www.shortform.com/blog/michelle-knotek-shane-watson/ https://www.magersandquinn.com/product/AMER-MOST-EVIL-MOM-SHELLY-KNOT/26348146 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1657267/ https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/suspect-s-relatives-contacted-police-in-2001-1121929.php#page-1- https://tdn.com/business/local/raymond-couple-charged-in-murders/article_944e373c-9fbd-5bfb-8650-2501a09a53aa.html http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Dog-adds-twist-to-Raymond-case-1121726.php Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Okt 52min