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

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was the early 90s, and Pepsi needed to make a name for itself in the Philippines. So they came up with a brilliant idea. They dubbed it Number Fever. Under the bottle cap of each Pepsi product, consumers would find a number. If they were lucky, that number would earn them extra cash. The typical reward was roughly 100 pesos. But if a Pepsi drinker was especially lucky, they could win one million pesos. People all over the country played the game. They were eager for a shot at the life changing money. Then, Pepsi announced that night’s winning number 349. There was just one problem. For some strange reason, a lot of people had that number.  Then Kristin tells us about the murder of Skylar Neese. In the summer of 2012, Skylar was sixteen years old. She’d just gotten home from a shift at Wendy’s when her friends Rachel Shoaf and Sheila Eddy asked her to come hang out. Skylar wasn’t so sure. It was late. She’d have to sneak out of her family’s apartment. Plus, she and Rachel and Sheila had been on the outs lately. She wasn’t eager to hang out with them. But they kept pressing her. Eventually, Skylar gave in.  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: “Trial by Twitter” by Holly Millea for Elle magazine “Unfriended” episode of 20/20 In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Pepsi’s “Number Fever” in the Philippines caused street riots, deaths, and 14 years of lawsuit” by Tijana Radeska, The Vintage News “The Computer Error That Led to a Country Declaring War on Pepsi” by Jake Rossen, Mental Floss “That Time Pepsi Accidentally Promised Hundreds of Thousands of People $40,000 Each” by Karl Smallwood, TodayIFoundOut.com “Philippines: Court clears Pepsi on promo fiasco” just-drinks.com “SC decides in finality on 'Pepsi 349' case” by Rene U. Borromeo, The Philippine Star

1 Apr 20201h 24min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Picture it. Sicily. 1963.  Franca Viola was 15 years old, and engaged to a mafia member named Filippo Melodia. When Filippo went to jail for theft, Franca broke off the engagement. She moved on with her life. She became engaged to a childhood friend. Life seemed pretty good, until Filippo came back into the picture. He stalked her. He threatened her. Then, he and a band of douchebags stormed her family’s home. They beat up her mother. They kidnapped Franca, and her little brother, too. Filippo held Franca captive for eight days. He sexually assaulted her many times. He was pretty pleased with himself. After all, in those days, that meant he’d found a bride. Then Brandi tells us a story about Paul Warner Powell, the biggest idiot to walk the planet. In January of 1999, Paul was a 20-year-old self described neo nazi who had a crush on his 16-year-old neighbor, Stacie Reed. One day when Paul was over at Stacie’s house, he became incensed to find out that her boyfriend was black. He attempted to rape Stacie, then murdered her as she fought back. Paul went on to commit more crimes against Stacie’s family that day. At one point, he thought he’d gotten away with everything. So he began bragging.   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: “A brave young woman fought a centuries-old cruel Sicilian tradition and won,” by E. L. Hamilton for The Vintage News The book, “Italian Sketches: The Faces of Modern Italy,” by Deirdre Pirro “Franca Viola says ‘No’” by Daisy Alioto for Mashable “Franca Viola” entry on Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Paul Warner Powell” imsurroundedbyidiots.com “Paul Warner Powell” clarkprosecutor.org “Inmate Lands Back on Death Row for Taunting Letter He Sent to Prosecutors” lifedaily.com “Death-row defense argues double jeopardy” The Washington Times “Powell v. Kelly” findlaw.com

25 Mars 20201h 27min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Kristin starts us off with our most old timey story ever. It was May of 1812 in Manchester, Vermont, and something was up. Russell Colvin was missing. People were pretty sure he’d come back. He had a wife. He had a child. He had obligations. Plus, he was known to wander off from time to time. But then months passed. Then years. People in town became suspicious. What if Russell hadn’t wandered off? What if he’d been murdered? Then Brandi tells us about a November morning in 2004. Peter Porco, an Appellate Division court clerk, had always been reliable. So when he didn’t show up for work one day, a coworker went to Peter’s house to check on him. The coworker peered through the windows to discover a grizzly scene.  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: “Then Again: A case of who done… what?” by Mark Bushnell for the Vermont Digger “The Boorn Affair,” Cincinnati Daily Star, May 24, 1875 “First wrongful conviction: Jesse Boorn and Stephen Boorn” Bluhm Legal Clinic Center on Wrongful Convictions  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Christopher Porco” by Rachael Bell, The Crime Library “Memory of Murder” episode 48 Hours “Christopher Porco 15 Years Later” by Diego Cagara, Spotlight News “Christopher Porco: The Unthinkable” ForensicFilesNow.com “Christopher Porco 2: The Explainable” ForensicFilesNow.com “Murder of Peter Porco” wikipedia.org

18 Mars 20201h 36min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In the summer of 1945, the USS Indianapolis was tasked with a top secret mission. The ship was to transport materials for the atomic bomb that the United States would later drop on Hiroshima, Japan. Under the leadership of Captain Charles B. McVay III, the ship accomplished its mission. From there, the ship headed off to Guam, and then to the Philippines. But before they left for the Philippines, Captain McVay requested a destroyer escort. The USS Indianapolis didn’t have submarine detection equipment, but destroyer escorts did. His request was denied. So, off he sailed into submarine infested waters. Then Brandi tells us the story of the Caffey family murders. Terry Caffey woke up to a blast, riddled with bullets. Two men were in his bedroom. They had guns. One had a samurai sword. The men murdered his wife, Penny, and left Terry for dead. Soon, Terry smelled smoke. The men had set his house on fire. Nearly dead but desperate to get help, Terry found the strength to get himself to a neighbor’s house.  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: www.ussindianapolis.org “Captain, once a scapegoat, is absolved,” by David Stout for the New York Times “USS Indianapolis sinking: ‘You could see sharks circling’” by Alex Last for the BBC “USS Indianapolis,” entry on Wikipedia “Charles B. McVay III,” entry on Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Flesh and Blood” by Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly “Father Uses Family Massacre to Help Others” by David Lohr, AOLNews “Girl, 17, Gets 2 Life Terms In Family Slay” Associated Press, CBSNews “Family Slaughtered for Teen Love” episode Dr. Phil “Erin Caffey” episode Killer Women with Piers Morgan

11 Mars 20201h 48min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a wrongful conviction story unlike any we’ve ever covered. When Scott Hornoff was put on trial for the murder of Victoria Cushman, he had every conceivable advantage. The prosecution didn’t rely on junk science. There were no faulty eye witnesses. He had good legal representation. He was a police officer. He is white. But that didn’t stop the jury from finding against him.  Then Kristin tells us about the infamous chocolate candy murders. Back in the late 1800’s, a married woman named Cordelia Botkin met a married man named John Preston Dunning. Cordelia was immediately smitten. John was hot, smart, a great writer, and an all-around good time. The two immediately struck up an affair. After a few years, John broke the news that he was leaving Cordelia. He wanted to go back to his candy-loving wife. Cordelia decided to stop him. 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 heinous crimes of Cordelia Botkin,” by Heather Monroe on medium.com “Murder by mail: The story of San Francisco’s most infamous female prisoner,” by Katie Dowd for the San Francisco Chronicle “Candy from a stranger: The Cordelia Botkin Case of 1898,” by Thomas Duke in 1910, posted on historicalcrimedetective.com “Cordelia Botkin” entry on Wikipedia “Mrs. Cordelia Botkin pleads with her judges for her life,” Dec. 23, 1898, The San Francisco Call In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Tangled Up in Blue: The Scott Hornoff Story” by Seamus McGraw, The Crime Library “Jeffrey Scott Hornoff’s Murder Conviction Is Exposed As A Sham When The Real Killer Confesses” by Hans Sherrer, Justice Denied “Killer's confession frees convicted man” by The Associated Press “State v. Hornoff” casetext.com

4 Mars 20201h 20min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Kristin starts us off with a case that’s as awful as it is important. Emmett Till was just fourteen years old in 1955, when he traveled from his home in Chicago to visit relatives in rural Mississippi. Before he left, his mother warned Emmett that Chicago and Mississippi were two different worlds. The culture was different -- the racism more intense. He’d have to be careful. But no warning could prepare Emmett for what lay ahead of him in Mississippi.   Then Brandi tells us the infuriating, but ultimately positive story of Cyntoia Brown. From the moment she was born, Cyntoia faced incredible obstacles. By the time she was a teenager, Cyntoia had been sex trafficked by an older man. When she was 16, a 43-year-old real estate broker named Johnny Michael Allen approached her in a Sonic, looking for sex. The two went back to his house, where Cyntoia felt increasingly afraid.  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: “Emmett Till Murder Trial” by Douglas O. Linder for famous-trials.com “Emmett Till” entry on wikipedia “What happened to the key figures in the Emmett Till case?” by Devery S. Anderson for the Mississippi Clarion Ledger In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “A timeline of the Cyntoia Brown case, conviction and successful bid for clemency” by Jon Garcia, The Tennessean “Who was Cyntoia Brown convicted of killing? A look at Johnny Allen.” by Jon Garcia, The Tennessean “Read Cyntoia Brown-Long's note to her 16-year-old self facing life in prison” by Juan Buitrago, The Tennessean “Cyntoia Brown wasn’t a victim, stole money after killing Johnny Allen: Prosecutors” by Christal Hayes, Newsweek “Cyntoia Brown, a trafficking victim jailed for killing a man using her for sex, was granted clemency following a social-media campaign. Here's everything you need to know.” by Benjamin Goggin, Insider “How The Justice System Failed Cyntoia Brown” by Leah Carroll, Refinery29 “Attorneys seek new trial for teenage killer” Associated Press, The Oklahoman “Cyntoia Denise Brown v.  State of Tennessee” tncourts.gov “Cyntoia Brown Is Getting Back The Childhood She & So Many Young Black Girls Never Had” by Clarissa Brooks, Bustle “Cyntoia Brown” wikipedia.org “Cyntoia Brown” episode ExpediTIously Podcast

26 Feb 20201h 45min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Get ready for a wild ride. This week, we sat down with Toby Dorr, who made international headlines in 2006 when she helped an inmate escape from Lansing Federal Prison.  Back then, her name was Toby Young, and she had what seemed like a normal life. She was married. She had two kids. She had a demanding corporate job. But the truth was that Toby felt isolated and unhappy. Following a layoff and a battle with cancer, Toby wanted to live a more meaningful life. So she created the Safe Harbor Prison Dog program, where she brought dogs in to be trained by inmates at the Lansing Correctional Facility.  But while she was there, she fell in love with an inmate named John Manard. John was serving a life sentence for felony murder, due to his role in a fatal carjacking. Despite their differences, Toby felt a bond with John that she didn’t feel in her marriage. So on February 12, 2006, she helped John escape prison in a dog crate. Toby and John were on the run for 12 days before they were caught, thanks to a high speed chase.  Toby was sentenced to 27 months in prison for her role in the escape. In the years since then, Toby has worked on herself. She doesn’t let the escape define her. She doesn’t downplay what she did, or shift the blame toward John. Instead, she tells her story in the hope that it will help other women.  Let us be the first to tell you… if you’ve read a few headlines and thought, “how the hell could anyone do that?!?” Give this episode a listen. Toby’s story is worth hearing.  If you’d like to learn more about Toby Dorr, check out her website at tobydorr.com. Be on the lookout for her forthcoming memoir, Unleashed.

19 Feb 20201h 53min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In 2013, Matt Hoss created an exceptionally cringey YouTube video. He cast himself as the cool guy. He cast a hot young woman to act alongside him. He wrote a script where he gave himself all the good comebacks, and made the woman swoon for him. His video got millions of views. Then one day, YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein of H3H3 productions created their own video reacting to Matt’s video. They gave him a bit of a roast, but ended on a respectful note. There was just one problem. Matt didn’t think their video was very funny. Then Brandi tells us about a case that took place in the summer of 1974. On her way home from the pool, thirteen-year-old Lizabeth Wilson cut through the parking lot of Shawnee Mission East High School. She was never seen again. Suspicion circled around the school’s janitor, John Henry Horton, but without concrete evidence, the case grew cold.    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: “Bold Guy vs Parkour Girl,” Matt Hoss Zone on Youtube  “WE WON THE LAWSUIT!” h3h3Productions on Youtube “The Big, the BOLD, the Beautiful (Re-Upload)” h3h3 Productions on Youtube Matt Hosseinzadeh v Ethan Klein and Hila Klein court docouments “Judge sides with YouTubers Ethan and Hila Klein in copyright lawsuit,” by Anthony Ha for techcrunch.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “State v. Horton” findlaw.com “Conviction is upheld in 1974 murder of Prairie Village girl” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star “40 years later, conviction upheld on teen’s killer” by Rick Dean, The Topeka Capital-Journal “Judge Denies New Trial In Killing Of Kansas Girl” by Kelley Hoskins, Fox2Now St. Louis “Chloroform killer of Prairie Village girl gets chance at release from prison” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star “Parole denied for Shawnee Mission school janitor who killed Prairie Village girl” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star

12 Feb 20201h 58min