24: The Charming Kidnappers & the Swope Family Murders (?)

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Fatty Arbuckle was a star. He could act. He could sing. He could make an audience roar with laughter. By the 1910s, he was one of the highest paid actors, and among the most popular stars of silent films. It seemed like nothing could stop his shine. But then, following a weekend of partying at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, his friend Virginia Rappe died. It wasn’t immediately clear why Virginia died, but her friend supplied the answer: Virginia had been raped and killed by one of America’s most beloved stars. Then Kristin tells us about the ultimate old-timey kidnapping. If your parents ever warned you about taking candy from strangers, this is why. On July 1, 1874, four-year-old Charley Ross and his six-year-old brother Walter were playing in their front yard when two men pulled up in a horse-drawn carriage. The men offered to buy the boys candy and fireworks. Naturally, the boys jumped at the chance. The men took the boys on a long, winding ride. They stopped at a store, and gave Walter 25 cents to buy fireworks. But after Walter made his purchase, he came back outside to find that the men were gone. They’d taken Charley with them. 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: “Charley Ross: Efforts to induce Westervelt to confess — he says, ‘search the Catholic Institutions,’” The Tennessean “Among the missing: Charley Ross,” by Jay Robert Nash for The Tampa Tribune “A notorious 19th century kidnapping in Brooklyn,” by Michael Pollak for The New York Times “‘JonBenet’ case of its time — 1874,” by Jeff Gammage for The Philadelphia Inquirer “Little Charley Ross,” The St. Albans Advertiser “The story of Charley Ross,” ushistory.org “The disappearance of Charley Ross,” by Steven Casale for The Lineup  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Fatty Arbuckle and the Death of Virginia Rappe” by Denise Noe, The Crime Library “The Skinny on the Fatty Arbuckle Trial” by Gilbert King, Smithsonian “Roscoe Arbuckle” wikipedia.org

16 Okt 20192h 4min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! United States President William McKinley was on top of the world. For the most part, the American people loved him — and he loved them. In fact, shaking hands and meeting new people was one of his favorite parts of the job. But it was also one of the most dangerous. Despite the fact that two previous U.S. Presidents had been assassinated, presidential security was still grossly insufficient. It was the ideal environment for anarchist Leon Czolgosz to enact his revenge. Then, Brandi tells us an unsettling story about a deeply disturbed teenage boy. When Zachary Davis was just nine years old, his father died from ALS. His father’s death was understandably difficult on the young boy. He withdrew. He became quieter than ever before. Eventually, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depressive disorder. Years later, as a teenager, Zachary brutally murdered his mother, Melanie Davis, then attempted to light the house of fire. The prosecution would argue that Zachary was cold-blooded. But the defense made a case for leniency. They said he was a disturbed young man who desperately needed mental health treatment. 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: “Czolgosz is to die,” The Fairmont News “Leon Czolgosz” entry for Wikipedia “James Benjamin Parker” entry for Wikipedia “Assassination of William McKinley” entry for Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Sledgehammer Killer -Zachary Davis” by Emily Thompson, morbidology.com “Zachary Davis: The Disturbing Story Of The 15-Year-Old Who Bludgeoned His Mother And Tried To Burn His Brother Alive” by William DeLong, All Things Interesting “Davis trial Day 3: Zachary Davis tells jurors ‘I didn’t do it’” by Tena Lee, Tennessean “Zachary Davis gets 20 more years in bludgeoning death of mother” by Tena Lee, Tennessean “Mentally Ill or Monster?” episode Dr. Phil

9 Okt 20192h 15min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It’s divorce week! In this episode, we’ll talk about Kim Kardashian’s two divorces and we’ll hear about a guy who *really* didn’t want a divorce. It was 1988 and Susan Walters was ready for love. So she placed a personal ad in the Willamette Week. Her ad read, in part, “SWF, 33, overweight but not over life, seeks SM who wants more out of a relationship than just “slender.” Her ad went on to describe herself as an adventurous, active health care professional. That caught the attention of Mike Kuhnhausen. The pair hit it off immediately, and were married a short time later. But over the course of many years, the couple grew apart. Mike’s negative outlook on life didn’t mesh well with Susan’s sunny personality. After 17 years of marriage, Susan asked for a divorce. But Mike didn’t like that idea.  Then Kristin wraps things up with the stories of Kim Kardashian’s two divorces. When she was just 19 years old and high on ecstasy, Kim and 29-year-old music producer Damon Thomas eloped in Las Vegas. Their marriage lasted just a few years. In documents that have since been made public, Kim alleged that Damon was physically and emotionally abusive. Damon denied physically abusing Kim. A few years later, Kim met NBA player Kris Humphries. The pair’s highly publicized, star-studded wedding drew international attention. But the wedding lasted just 72 days. The divorce, however, lasted almost two years.  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: “Exclusive: Kim Kardashian’s divorce scenes on ‘KUWTK’ were reshot and scripted” by Chantal Waldholz for Life and Style Magazine “Kim K/Kris H officially divorced,” TMZ “Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries divorce timeline,” US Magazine “Kanye bought his first phone because of Kris Humphries,” Kocktails with Khloe clip on YouTube “I never wanted to be that guy,” by Kris Humphries for the Players Tribune “In Touch Exclusive Interview: Kim Kardashian ex-husband tells all,” In Touch Weekly “Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries Wedding was 7 Years Ago: Remembering Their 72-Day Marriage,” by Natalie Stone for People Magazine “He punched me in the face and told me I needed liposuction: Kim Kardashian’s marriage hell revealed for first time,” Daily Mail “Kris Humphries talks marriage to Kim Kardashian, ‘brutal’ divorce: ‘I was in a dark place’” by Sara Moniuszko for USA Today “The Dark Secrets Behidn Kim Kardashian’s First Marriage that Everyone Forgot About,” by Chelsea Leary for Showbiz CheatSheet In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “A Hit Man Came to Kill Susan Kuhnhausen. She Survived. He Didn’t.” by Beth Slovic, Willamette Week “Intended Murder Victim Has Her Day In Court” The Oregonian “Woman Who Strangles Attacker Wins $1 Million From Estranged Husband” by Kathleen Glanville, The Oregonian “Portlander Michael Kuhnhausen, who hired hitman to kill wife (she strangled him), dies in prison” by Bryan Denson, The Oregonian “No Bigger Gamble” episode Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry “Susan/John and Jean/Penny” episode I Survived

2 Okt 20192h 8min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Michael Malloy was one tough dude. He was also an out-of-work alcoholic who didn’t have many friends or family. But his apparent poor health and social isolation made him the ideal target for a murderous scheme. A group of sketchy men, later dubbed the “Murder Trust,” took out life insurance policies on Michael. They figured he’d die from alcoholism and they’d cash in. And if they sped up the dying process … who would be the wiser? They tried, and tried, and tried to kill Michael Malloy. Each time, Michael survived, and their attempts got more brazen.  Then Brandi tells us about Ellie Nesler. In the summer of 1988, Ellie’s 7-year-old son, Willie Nesler, begged her to send him to summer camp. Ellie was hesitant, but she took comfort knowing that her friend, Daniel Mark Driver, would be working at the camp that summer. But when Willie returned from camp, something was off. He was withdrawn. He eventually told his aunt that he’d been molested by Daniel. Ellie was determined to make things right. But when the justice system revealed its flaws, Ellie took justice into her own hands.   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 Man Who Wouldn’t Die” by Karen Abbott for Smithsonian Magazine “The Durable Mike Malloy” New York Daily News “Doctor on stand denies covering insurance death,” The Daily News “Death certificate of durable Mike convicts doctor,” The Daily News “Four hear doom; ‘Nice day — for some,’ says one,” The Daily News “Officers of murder trust are executed,” by James Cannon for I. N. Service “Four convicted of hard-to-kill Malloy murder,” the Times Union “Four go to chair after five attempts at murder,” by Max Haines for The Ottawa Citizen “Try four as deliberate murderers to get victim’s insurance,” Chicago Tribune “Death demanded for four in $1,800 risk plot murder,” The Daily News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “William Nesler Still a Fugitive” The Associated Press, CBSNews “Accused Molester is Killed in Court” The Associated Press, The New York Times “Ellie Nesler killed son’s accused molester in courtroom shooting” The Associated Press, The Denver Post “Ellie Nesler: Woman and Myth” by Charles Schwab, SFGate “Woman Gets 10 Years For Killing Son’s Alleged Molester” by Nancy Mayer, The Associate Press “Lasting Effects of Child Molestation” Oprah.com

25 Sep 20191h 48min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Jennifer Morey Caldwell was a cautious person. So when she picked out her apartment complex, she chose the Bayou Park Apartments. She was a young lawyer living alone in Houston, Texas, so she was drawn to the complex’s 24-hour security. The apartment complex was protected by Pinkerton Security. She’d heard of them. Surely they’d keep her safe.  Then, Kristin wraps things up with the explosive story of Olestra. Those of us who lived through the 90’s remember Frito-Lay’s Wow brand of chips. They were made using the chemical Olestra, which worked as a fat substitute. It was amazing! The chips tasted great! They had hardly any fat! There was just one tiny problem. They caused anal leakage. 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: “Nutrition group seeks warning labels for olestra,” by Bruce Mohl for The Boston Globe “Frito-Lay agrees to label fake fat Olestra more clearly on its “Light” chips,” article by the Center for Science in the Public Interest Notice of intent to sue from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to Frito-Lay “Frito-Lay target of Olestra lawsuit,” article by the Center for Science in the Public Interest “Olestra: A Leaky History,” portablepress.com “FDA says Proctor & Gamble free to use fake fat,” medicinenet.com “Frito-Lay’s Wow chips hit Hoosiers hard,” press release by the Center for Science in the Public Interest In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “False Sense of Security” by Steve McVicker, Houston Press “Jennifer/Sampson/Norina” episode I Survived

18 Sep 20191h 25min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Tyler Clementi was a smart, talented young man with a promising future. But shortly before his freshman year at Rutgers University, Tyler’s randomly assigned roommate, Dharun Ravi, discovered that Tyler was gay. Dharun he tweeted about it. He IM’ed his friends about it. He seemed obsessed. When the semester began and Tyler invited a date back to the dorm, Dharun and his friend Molly Wei spied on Tyler and his date via a webcam. Once again, Dharun tweeted. He encouraged others to tune in. What Dharun did was unspeakably cruel. It didn’t take Tyler long to find out.   When Justin Rey showed up at his storage unit in Lenexa, Kansas, with his young daughters, it didn’t take long for police to show up, too. Police worried about the girls. They were dirty. They didn’t appear healthy. When police asked about the girls’ mother, their concerns grew to full-on alarm. Justin pointed to a cooler. Inside was the dismembered body of his wife, Jessica Montiero. Justin had a hell of an explanation.  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 story of a suicide,” by Ian Parker for The New Yorker “Witness: Viewing Party Planned,” by Gene Racz for The Courier-News “Ex-classmates testify in trial,” by Gene Racz for The Central New Jersey Home News “Webcam witness: First, pair tried to contain it,” by Geoff Mulvihill for the Associated Press “Student says he helped set up webcam,” by Geoff Mulvihill for the Associated Press “Man testifies about his relationship with the late Rutgers student,” by Jonathan Allen for Reuters In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Dad charged after police say investigation revealed more than human remains at Lenexa storage unit” by Megan Dillard, Fox4KC ““You don’t forget things like that:” Witness describes bringing suspect and two young girls to Lenexa storage unit” by Megan Dillard, Fox4KC “Outburst in court-Man whose wife’s body was found in cooler yells about Johnson County injustice” by John Pepitone, Fox4KC “Court documents offer graphic details of inside of Lenexa U-haul where police found man, two children and wife’s remains” by Makenzie Koch, Fox4KC “Man charged in Lenexa storage unit case named a suspect in California murder” by Makenzie Koch, Fox4KC “Attorney for man charged with dismembering wife files motion saying Justin Rey is unfit to withstand trial” by Fox 4 Newsroom, Fox4KC “In unusual fashion, man accused of dismembering wife’s body in KC files handwritten motions to dismiss charges” by Fox 4 Newsroom, Fox4KC “Man found in Lenexa with wife’s dismembered body is competent for trial” by Tony Rizzo, Kansas City Star “Prosecutors allege child porn found on phone of man who once said he cut up wife’s body” by Associated Press, Fox4KC “Trial begins for man found in Lenexa storage unit with kids, wife’s dismembered body” by Shannon O’Brien, Fox4KC “Man found in Lenexa U-Haul with kids, wife’s dismembered body takes stand in trial” by Alana Laflore, Fox4KC “Man discovered in Lenexa U-Haul with kids, wife’s body found guilty of child endangerment” by Makenzie Koch and Zac Summers, Fox4KC “Justin Rey sentenced to nearly 9 years in prison for child porn possession, child endangerment” by Andrew Lynch, Fox4KC “Man skinned and dismembered wife so badly cops couldn’t tell if she was male or female” by Jimmy McCloskey, Metro

11 Sep 20192h 9min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Dartmouth College professors Half Zantop and Susanne Zantop were hanging out at home, waiting for their friend to arrive for dinner, when two boys showed up at their door. The boys said they were working on a school project. Could they ask Half a few questions? Half obliged. He’d devoted his life to academics. Of course he would help 16 year old James Parker and 17 year old Robert Tulloch. But James and Rob weren’t there for a school project. In fact, there was no school project. Then, Kristin talks about a phlebotomist named Bryan Stewart. When Bryan and Jennifer Jackson first got together, things were great. But Bryan quickly became abusive. When Jennifer left Bryan, his threats escalated. The thought of paying child support for their infant son enraged him. He promised Jennifer that their son, Brryan Jackson, wouldn’t live to the age of five. Around that same time, Bryan “joked” with coworkers that as a phlebotomist, he could inject his enemies with disease-tainted blood, and they’d never know what hit them.  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: “Brryan Jackson: My father injected me with HIV” by Lucy Hancock, for BBC News “A positive life: How a son survived being injected with HIV by his father,” by Justin Heckert for GQ Magazine “Man accused of injecting H.I.V. in son,” by Jo Thomas for the New York Times “Mother testifies that defendant hinted at son’s death,” CNN “Brian Stewart (phlebotomist)” Wikipedia entry In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Dartmouth Murders” by Denise Noe, The Crime Library “Hearts of Darkness” by Alex Tresniowski, People Magazine “Dartmouth professors’ murderer to get new sentence” by Peter Schworm and John R. Ellement, The Boston Globe “Man convicted in 2001 murders of professors asks for early release” by Elliot Zornitsky, The Dartmouth “2001 Dartmouth College murders” wikipedia.org

4 Sep 20192h 2min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was Sean Tarala’s eighth birthday party, and man was he excited. He’d just gotten a new red bike! He was gonna eat cake! And then, just when life couldn’t get any better, his aunt, Jennifer Connell, showed up. “Auntie Jen! Auntie Jen!” he shouted. He ran to her. He lept into her arms. But Jennifer wasn’t prepared for such an exuberant hug. The pair tumbled to the ground. Jennifer experienced immediate pain in her wrist. So what did she do? She sued her nephew for $127k. You’ll want to hear the whole story. This one has a twist ending.  Then Brandi tells us an incredible story of survival. Robert Lee Burton was a controlling, abusive boyfriend. Following a violent attack, Melissa Dohme got a restraining order against Robert. That restraining order effectively ended their relationship. Melissa felt like a new woman. She felt free. But Robert didn’t want to let her go. He called her and called her. He begged her for closure. He said he wanted one last hug. Melissa said okay. 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: “Aunt who sued nephew for $127k says she’s not after money,” by Chris Perez for the New York Post “‘She loves us’: Nephew speaks out on aunt’s hug injury lawsuit,” Tribune Media Wire “8-year-old Westport boy on trial for exuberance,” by Daniel Tepfer for the Connecticut Post “Woman loses lawsuit against nephew over ‘exuberant hug,’” by Kim Lacapria for Snopes In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Live to Tell: One Last Hug” 48 Hours episode “48 Hours: Dating violence survivor tells story” by Melissa Dohme, CBS News “Marrying the man who saved my life” BBC News Magazine “Domestic Abuse Survivor Finds Happily Ever After with First Responder Who Saved Her Life: ‘He Loved Me Through It All’” by Rose Minutaglio, People Magazine

28 Aug 20191h 16min