Episode 304

It's one thing to talk about gun violence, it's quite another to see it up close on live television. In this episode of Sword and Scale we take you back to one of the first examples of a life being lost on live television: the suicide of Budd Dwyer, an American politician who had been convicted of bribe receiving. However, before his sentence of 55 years' imprisonment and a $300,000 fine could be imposed Dwyer chose to take his life with a blued Smith & Wesson Model 27 .357 Magnum revolver at a press conference he had himself called. A few weeks ago we were once again exposed to a display of gun violence on live television, when disgruntled reporter Vester Lee Flanagan II who also went by the alias, Bryce Williams, shot and killed a young reporter and cameraman and injured a third innocent woman. The media has refused to show the footage of this killing, giving one reason or another for their censorship of newsworthy information. ABC News and the local Sheriff's department have also refused to release the killer's 23-page manifesto despite the Freedom of Information Act, citing some nonsense about glorifying the killer. They have, on the other hand, provided 24-hour news coverage about the event and named the killer repeatedly. The father of the reporter that was killed, Andy Parker, has vowed to shame lawmakers into creating some meaningful legislation rather than kowtowing to the NRA's lobbyists. In his words, "We’ve got to do something about crazy people getting guns."Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

20 Sep 20151h 7min

In Episode 47 we told you about the McMartin Preschool case and the Satanic Panic that overtook an entire nation under the fear that our children are not safe. This week we are joined by Keelan Balderson from WideShut to cover a case that is hauntingly familiar, but occurring in modern-day Europe. When Ella Draper met marijuana-advocate Abraham Christie her life, and the lives of her two young children, spiraled out of control. According to Mrs Justice Pauffley, the presiding judge in the case, Christie was an abusive man who punished the children by hitting them with metal spoons and kicking them in the stomach. According to Pauffley's ruling, the couple brainwashed the two kids into making up an elaborate story about a satanic cult committing the ritualistic murder of children. Not surprisingly, at the head of the cult, was the children's father who was in the midst of a bitter custody dispute with Draper at the time. A bizarre cast of characters, including software engineer turned victim's advocate Sabine McNeill, refuses to believe the judges ruling and instead continue to argue that the whole thing is a grand conspiracy reaching the highest levels of government, despite the total lack of physical evidence in the case. This case demonstrates what happens when personal beliefs and biases take hold over common sense.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

6 Sep 20151h 11min

On November 18, 1978, in a remote settlement of northwestern Guyana, 909 Americans lost their lives in what is considered to be the largest mass suicide of the twentieth century. This compound, informally known as Jonestown, was established by a charismatic preacher named Jim Jones who led his People's Temple to their ultimate demise. In this episode, we welcome Julia Scheeres, author of the book "A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown", to tell us the story of how this story evolved into a tragedy. The religious organization he established was called People's Temple, and it was shrouded in secrecy and isolation. After drawing some unwanted attention from concerned family of People's Temple members, Jones moved his followers to a 3,800 acre plot of jungle he leased from Guyanese officials. Once there, Temple members were trapped. Late night meetings known as "White Nights" were used as drills to keep residents prepared for an imminent invasion by the CIA or other intelligence agencies which Jones referred to as "capitalist pigs." Temple members were tricked into committing "revolutionary suicide", as Jones called it, for the sake of their cause during staged sessions. Eventually, the paranoia and drug abuse of Jones would lead Jonestown down a dark path to which there was no other alternative but the death of every resident of Jonestown. If you're familiar with the term "drinking the Kool-Aid", this is where it comes from. However, the derogatory term simply doesn't fit the set of facts. Many of the residents of Jonestown simply didn't have a choice and almost a third of them were children. This mass "suicide", wasn't suicide at all. It was murder.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

20 Jul 20151h 48min

On June 15th, 2015 an ominous message appeared on Facebook which sent friends and family into a panic. Their worst fears were realized when police entered the home of Claudinnea "Dee Dee" Blancharde and her disabled daughter Gypsy, and found the mother dead and the daughter missing. The killer seemed to be mocking concerned loved ones online, and immediately the most important concern was to make sure the poor sickly daughter was found and that she would be unharmed. Little did they know the web of lies and deceit they would expose, dating back decades, and making victims out of dozens of concerned neighbors, friends, family and even various charitable organizations.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

3 Jul 20151h 14min

In Episode 48 we revisit many of the stories we've previously covered on Sword and Scale and fill you in on what has happened with in each case. We start with alleged theater shooter Curtis Reeves who is accused of shooting and killing Chad Oulson after a disagreement about texting during the previews of a movie. We then move on to the story of Vince Li, a schizophrenic man who suddenly without provocation beheaded Timothy McLean on a Greyhound bus. Then we jump over to South Africa, for an update to the Oscar Pistorius case, and the lackadaisical sentencing of this self admitted killer. We then ride the rollercoaster of twists and turns in the Holly Bobo case and discuss the various cast of strange characters accused of being involved with her murder. Such a jam-packed episode demands a strong opening act. We bring you one with a one-on-one interview with Noreen Gosch, who's son Johnny was abducted in 1982 and subsequently became the central piece of the Franklin Credit Scandle Conspiracy. We talk to her and director David Beilinson about his new film "Who Took Johnny?"Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

21 Jun 20151h 17min

The highly technological society in which we live obscures the fact the we are still a very primitive species. One which continues to fall under the spell of magical beliefs and mass hysteria. Although we'd like to think we have evolved, this story which mirrors the insanity of the Salem Witch Trials shows, that perhaps, we have not. In the early 80's a madness was brewing. The rise of heavy metal music combined with the infiltration of demonic imagery into American homes in the form of VHS and Betamax videotapes of horror films such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and The Omen, had many of the public on edge. Combine that with several books and TV shows suggesting that Devil Worshipers make up a vast underground network that can exist in any middle-class neighborhood and you have a recipe for disaster. Fear turns to terror. Terror turns to mass hysteria. This phenomena was called Satanic Panic and elements of it can still be seen in our culture even today.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

7 Jun 20151h 14min

Despite being a grown man, Joseph McEnroe still exhibits the same traits he did when he was just a little boy: He bottles up his frustrations until they explode in fits of violence. He also seems to have a hint of the same Nightingale Syndrome that his mother uses to justify her abhorrent dating behaviors. Joseph follows in her footsteps by meeting a series of strange women through his online fantasy writing group and then travelling to whatever city they're in an attempt to start a relationship. Many of these women give him the cold shoulder, but Michelle Anderson, unfortunately, does not. The relationship that followed would end in the deaths of six innocent people at the hands of this awkward young man, an illegitimate child without even a proper mother to guide him. You may think he's a monster or you may take pity on him, but in the end a jury of 12 King County peers ultimately decided his fate. Is it life or death? You'll find out in this episode which is part 2 of the two-part story known as The Carnation Murders.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

24 Mai 20151h 9min

In this first part of a two-part story, we examine the Carnation Murders. This slaughtering of an entire family, by a seriously deranged couple, took place in 2007 in Carnation, Washington, a small rural town 25 miles east of Seattle. This story is told through the words of the man behind the trigger, as he's tries to make excuses and barter for his life. As with all unspeakable acts such as this we are interested in finding out why this occurred, so we take a closer look at Joseph McEnroe's life and family. Somewhere along the way, despite this hateable man's atrocity, we end up finding out he was actually a human being that and pity begins to take the place of hate. A product of the horrible home life due to a mother who was desperate for male companionship and unfit to care for her 4 illegitimate children, McEnroe ended up having to pick up the slack and take on most of the household responsibilities while he was still just a child. This along with his social awkwardness and speech impediment are all ingredients that made up the disaster he would become as an adult.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

17 Mai 20151h 4min