Once Upon A Crime

A 16-year-old boy from a well-to-do Fort Worth family commits a quadruple vehicular homicide.  His attorneys will argue that his overprivileged upbringing resulted in him not knowing how to discern right from wrong. The term "affluenza" was coined to describe defendants like Ethan Couch - wealthy, spoiled and held unaccountable for their bad behavior.  I'll also describe how this same defense was used in 1924 to defend the wealthy teenaged murderers Leopold and Loeb.  #LeopoldandLoeb #CrimeoftheCentury #EthanCouch #Affluenza Resources: Manny Fernandez, Richard Perez-Pena and Azam Ahmed, The New York Times, "Ethan Couch, 'Affluenza' Teenager, Had Last Party Before Fleeing," Dec 29, 2015.  Michael J. Mooney, D Magazine, "The Worst Parents Ever," May 2015.   American Experience, PBS Television, "The Perfect Crime: Leopold and Loeb". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Mar 201845min

Supervisor Dan White murders San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. His defense would claim "diminished capacity" to keep him from being sentenced to death. The media dubbed this "The Twinkie Defense". But, what really caused Dan White to become a double murderer? Resources John Geluardi, SF Weekly, "Dan White's motive more about betrayal than homophobia," Jan 30, 2008. Carol Pogash, SFGate.com, "Myth of the 'Twinkie Defense', Nov 23, 2003. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Mar 201833min

Three cases are outlined where a person commits murder and then blames the crime on sleepwalking.  First up, Albert Tirrell murders his mistress in 1846 claiming he was in a trance-like state at the time. Kenneth Parks travels 23 km to commit a murder - all while asleep, he claimed. Finally, another man tries to use the sleepwalking defense after killing his wife in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Resources: Karen Abbott, Smithsonian.com, "The Case of the Sleepwalking Killer," April 30, 2012.  Paul Rubin, NewTimes.com, "A Killer Sleep Disorder," Nov 19, 1998.  True Crime Truant, "Scott Falater: Sleepwalking Killer Gets a Wakeup Call," July 20, 2017.  Berit Brogaard and Kristian Marlow, Psychology Today, "Sleep Driving and Sleep Killing: The Kenneth Parks Case," Dec 13, 2012. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Mar 201839min

In this final chapter of our series, we uncover the sinister side of Hollywood’s biggest night. From missing and stolen Oscars to the shocking murder tied to an Academy Award-winning songwriter, the glamour of the Oscars hides a darker reality. Plus, we revisit the bizarre and tragic tale of the Oscar Night Streaker—one of the ceremony’s most infamous moments. Join us as we pull back the curtain on these chilling true crime stories connected to the Academy Awards. 🔍 Featured Cases: 🏆 The mystery of stolen and missing Oscar trophies 🎭 The tragic fate of the Oscar Night Streaker 🕵️‍♂️ A murder with ties to an Academy Award-winning legacy 🎬 Resources & References: 📽️ Uncle Bob – Documentary by Robert Oppel 📺 Do Not Disturb: Hotel Horrors – S1, E1: Power, Privilege, and Passion (Investigation Discovery) – Featuring the case of Sylvie Cachay 🔗 Follow & Subscribe for More True Crime Deep Dives! #Oscars #AcademyAwards #CelebrityCrimes #HollywoodCrime #TrueCrime #UnsolvedMysteries  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 Feb 201844min

From the horrors of Cambodia’s Killing Fields to the bright lights of Hollywood, Haing S. Ngor’s journey is one of survival, resilience, and tragic injustice. After escaping the Cambodian genocide, he defied the odds and won an Academy Award for his powerful performance in The Killing Fields. But his story didn’t end with cinematic triumph—it took a heartbreaking turn that remains shrouded in mystery. In this episode, we explore Ngor’s remarkable life, his haunting past, and the crime that cut his story short.   📚 Resources 📖 A Cambodian Odyssey by Haing S. Ngor & Roger Warner 📖 Survival in the Killing Fields by Haing S. Ngor 🎥 The Killing Fields (1984) – Directed by Roland Joffé, starring Haing S. Ngor, Sam Waterston, and John Malkovich 📽️ The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (2015) – Documentary by Arthur Dong (Deep Focus Productions) 🔗 Follow & Subscribe for More True Crime Stories! #Genocide #Cambodia #VietnamWar #Refugees #HollywoodCrime #TrueCrime #HaingSNgorSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Feb 201830min

Roman Polanski’s life reads like a Hollywood script—marked by unimaginable tragedy, artistic triumph, and shocking scandal. Surviving the Holocaust and enduring personal heartbreak, he rose to fame as an acclaimed director. But his legacy was forever tainted when he became a fugitive from justice, charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl. In this episode, I’m joined by special guest AJ Benza, host of Fame is a Bitch, to discuss the dark side of Hollywood, the power of celebrity, and his personal impressions of Polanski. 📚 Resources & References: 📖 The Celebrity Defense: Sex, Fame, and the Case of Roman Polanski – Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker (Dec 14, 2009) 📖 Why Did Roman Polanski Risk It? – Christopher Sandford, The Telegraph UK (Oct 3, 2009) 📖 Roman Polanski is a Child Rapist: It’s Long Past Time for Hollywood to Cast Him Out – Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast (Oct 23, 2017) 🔗 Follow & Subscribe for More True Crime Deep Dives! #HollywoodCrimes #CharlesManson #CelebrityCrime #TrueCrime #RomanPolanskiSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Feb 201852min

The Academy Awards celebrate Hollywood’s finest, but some Oscar-winning films are rooted in real-life crime. One of the most unforgettable is Dog Day Afternoon—a gripping portrayal of a chaotic New York bank robbery that stunned the nation. But what really happened? In this episode, we uncover the true story of John Wojtowicz, the man behind the infamous Chase Manhattan Bank heist that inspired the film. From his motives to the shocking aftermath, we separate fact from fiction in this stranger-than-Hollywood tale. 📚 Resources 🎥 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – Starring Al Pacino, John Cazale & Charles Durning 📽️ The Dog (2014) – Documentary by Alison Berg & Frank Keraudren 🔗 Follow & Subscribe for More True Crime Stories! #BankRobberies #JohnWojtowicz #ChaseManhattanBank #NewYorkCrimes #TrueCrime #HollywoodCrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Feb 201840min

In 1978, a teenage hitchhiker accepted a ride in Northern California—only to be brutally attacked by a violent predator. The assault on Mary Vincent was so horrifying it sent shockwaves through the public, and her attacker, Lawrence Singleton, became a chilling warning about the dangers of accepting rides from strangers. But against all odds, Mary survived—and her story of resilience is one that will stay with you long after the episode ends.   🎵 Music Featured: 🎼 By St. Patrick – Available for purchase on iTunes or at www.captainfathands.com Resources  📖 Mary Vincent Speaks Out: ‘He Destroyed Everything About Me’ – Paul Dean, The Los Angeles Times (Feb 25, 1997) 📖 People v. Singleton – Court of Appeals Decision, Fourth District, Div I, California (Nov 20, 1980) 📺 I Survived (2009) – Episode featuring Mary Vincent’s harrowing story 🔗 Follow & Subscribe for More True Crime Stories! #TrueCrime #MaryVincent #HitchhikerSafety #SurvivalStory #Justice #LawrenceSingletonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Jan 201840min