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

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Dave Kroupa thought he’d hit the jackpot. He’d just met Cari Farver, a beautiful, intelligent woman who wasn’t looking for a long-term commitment. The two dated casually for a little while, but all of a sudden, Cari became much less easy going. She dumped him, via text and abruptly left town, leaving her son to fend for himself. For years afterward, she sent Dave countless verbally abusive texts. But over time, Cari’s family became suspicious. Had she really up and left?  Then Kristin tells us about an old timey kidnapping that took the state of California by storm. Brooke Hart had it all. At 22 years old, he was good looking, athletic, and wealthy. Really wealthy. His family owned the beloved Hart’s Department store. He was next in line to run the family business, but that all changed on November 9, 1933.  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 book “Swift Justice” by Harry Farrell “Bay Area mob lynched kidnappers 75 years ago,” by Carl Nolte for the San Francisco Chronicle “Brooke Hart” entry on wikipedia.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Scorned” episode Dateline “How investigators used technology to solve the mysterious disappearance, murder of a Macedonia woman” by Brian McCormack, Daily Nonpareil “Cari Lea Farver” iowacoldcases.org “Cari Lea Farver” charleyproject.org

5 Feb 20201h 54min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, we’re talking about cases profiled by America’s Most Wanted. Kristin starts us off with the story of David James Roberts -- the first fugitive featured in the pilot episode of America’s Most Wanted. Coincidentally, he was also the first fugitive ever captured thanks to America’s Most Wanted.  David James Roberts was a terrible dude. He murdered a husband and wife, set their house on fire, and left their infant to die in the home. When he was out on bond, he raped a woman twice, locked her in the trunk of her car, then set her infant son out to die in an Indiana winter. Juries were horrified by what they heard. He was ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison. But a few years later, he escaped. Then Brandi tells us about the murder of Ashley Peoples. Ashley was just 22. She was hard working and responsible. So when she suddenly stopped returning her mother’s phone calls and didn’t show up for work, her friends and family knew something was up. Suspicion quickly turned to a man named Darryl Crenshaw. News outlets refer to him as Ashley’s boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, but her family says either term is too strong. He was just a guy she’d seen a few times, and didn’t want to see again.   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: “Top 10 America’s Most Wanted Captures,” by Claire Suddath for Time Magazine “Episode 1: Show About Fugitives Leads to Arrest,” by Christopher Drew, Chicago Tribune “David James Roberts,” Murderpedia “Gasoline can presented as murder link,” The Daily Journal “Formidable armchair posse ropes in ‘America’s Most Wanted,” by Peter Genovese for The Central New Jersey Home News “Angola jury convicts Roberts of murder,” The Daily Journal “Testifies in murder-rape case: Woman identifies suspect,” The Daily Journal “Jury finds Roberts guilty,” The Daily Journal In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “'He didn't have to kill her' Parents of Ashley Peoples talk about their ordeal and justice in the aftermath of her murder” by Laura F. Alix, Journal Inquirer “America's Most Wanted Leads To Fugitive's Capture In Mexico” by David Owens, Hartford Courant “Trial Underway In 2008 Slaying Of Ashley Peoples” by Christine Dempsey, Hartford Courant “MURDER, NOT MANSLAUGHTER: Jury convicts Crenshaw of more serious charge based on evidence of intent in killing of Ashley Peoples” by Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer “78 Years for Convicted Murderer” by Bob Connors, NBC Connecticut “Man Resentenced In Kidnapping, Murder Of Girlfriend” by Kelly Glista, Hartford Courant “Prisoner Doing 78 Years For Murder Charged With Having Child Porn In Prison” by David Owens, Hartford Courant  “State v. Crenshaw” casetext.com

29 Jan 20201h 31min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In the summer of 1984, a small fire broke out along a California highway. A driver pulled off the road to get a closer look at the blaze, but that closer look brought more questions than answers. What the hell was that awful smell? Soon, another driver arrived on the scene. He used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Once the smoke cleared, the two drivers made a disturbing discovery -- a burnt human body. Investigators learned that the body belonged to a woman -- and that she’d sustained multiple injuries over her lifetime. But it would take them years to discover who that woman was, and who had tortured her. Then Kristin tells us about a bright, talented young woman whose life was cut short by a total dirtbag. Yingying Zhang was beyond smart. Originally from Nanping, China, she attended one of the nation’s top universities. When it came time to earn her doctorate, she headed off to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She had only been in the United States for a few weeks when she suddenly went missing.  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: “Undercover girlfriend” episode of 20/20 “The Kidnapping and murder of YingyingZhang” entry on wikipedia “Prosecutor: Suspect in Chinese student’s kidnapping discussed ‘ideal victim’” by Kaylee Hartung, Janet DiGiacomo and Darran Simon for CNN.com “In opening statement, attorney admits Brendt Christensen abducted, killed Chinese scholar at University of Illinois,” by Jamie Munks for the Chicago Tribune “Guilty: Brendt Christensen found guilty in Yingying Zhang’s kidnapping, killing,” wandtv.com  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Mother Knows Best: The Story of Theresa Jimmie Cross” by David Lohr, Crime Library “‘Unbelievable’ Tale Reveals Grisly Crimes” by Richard C. Paddock, Los Angeles Times “Theresa Jimmie Knorr” murderpedia.org “Theresa Knorr” wikipedia.org

22 Jan 20202h 5min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Matt Carrington wasn’t your typical frat boy. He was reserved. He didn’t drink much. But when a friend asked him to rush the Chi Tau fraternity at Chico State University, Matt said sure. He couldn’t have guessed what he was in for. Over the course of what is commonly referred to as “hell week,” Matt endured relentless hazing. The hazing ramped up as the week progressed. On the final night of hazing, Matt died. Then Brandi tells us about a brilliant, troubled young man named James Gordon Wolcott. James grew up in a small town in Texas. He excelled academically, but he struggled to fit in at home. His sister, Elizabeth had a Southern accent that grated on him. His father, a conservative professor at Southwestern University, disapproved of James’ more liberal politics. One day, in the summer of 1967, James had enough. He murdered his entire family. 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: “Matt’s Law” entry on wikipedia “The Pledge” episode of The Shadows of Death “New ‘Matt’s Law’ toughens penalties for college hazing,” by Matt Krupnick for Contra Costa Times “Horrifying details in hazing death,” by Cecilia Vega for the San Francisco Chronicle “7 face trial in hazing death,” Associated Press “4 fraternity members plead guilty in student’s death,” Associated Press “Student dies during fraternity hazing,” Santa Maria Times “A fraternity hazing gone wrong,” by Elaine Korry for NPR “Hazing death at Chico State” episode of Dateline In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Innocence Lost” by Kim Janssen, Chicago Sun Times “Esteemed Illinois professor revealed as teen killer who murdered his family — and served just six years after insanity bid” by Joe Kemp, New York Daily News “The Family Annihilator Turned University Professor – James Gordon Wolcott” by Emily Thompson, Morbidology “Boy who killed family turns up 46 years later as college professor” by Mike Robinson, NBC News

15 Jan 20201h 27min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a story from her Johnson County, Kansas, bubble. Ed and Tyler Patton seemed like the perfect couple. In many ways, they were opposites. He was a partier, while she was more straightlaced. Their friends figured that Ed and Tyler’s differences were what made them a good match. But less than a year after they got married, Ed was murdered. Despite her many protests, Tyler seemed like the obvious culprit. Then Kristin tells us about legendary comedian and actress Carol Burnett. Carol is well known for being a hollywood trailblazer, but she’s also a trailblazer when it comes to fighting back against tabloids. It all started with a fun night out in January of 1976. Carol was out with some colleagues. She shared her dessert with a few nearby tables. On her way out, she said hello to Henry Kissinger. A few months later, when the National Enquirer wrote about Carol’s night out, they told an entirely different tale.  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: “Burnett v. National Enquirer, Inc.” wikipedia “Carol Burnett sued The National Enquirer and won!” clip from John Fugelsang’s ‘Tell Me Everything’ show on SiriusXM “Burnett Wins Enquirer Suit,” by Jay Mathews for The Washington Post “Tabloid Law,” by Alex Beam for The Atlantic “Carol Burnett given $1.6 million in suit against National Enquirer,” by Robert Lindsey for The New York Times “Carol Burnett launches trial balloon,” by Vernon Scott for UPI In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Kansas Woman Brutally Beats Husband To Death With Wooden Plank” by Benjamin H. Smith, oxygen.com “Greed led wife to kill husband, jurors told” by The Associated Press, Lawrence Journal-World “State v. Patton” findlaw.com “Widow found guilty of murdering husband” The Associated Press, Lawrence Journal-World

8 Jan 20201h 23min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! We all know that Miranda rights are important. They’re a staple in every episode of Law & Order. They’re a quick and concise way of making a person aware of their rights. But how did we get Miranda rights? Well, it’s complicated. And it all started with a world-class douchebag named Ernesto Miranda.  Then, Kristin tells us about anchorwoman Christine Craft. Christine was good at her job. By the time she was hired to co-anchor the evening news in Kansas City, she’d proven herself as a talented reporter and a hard worker. But Christine was no dummy. She knew that women news anchors get unfairly judged for their looks. So before she took the job in Kansas City, she told the station management that she wasn’t looking for a makeover. They assured her they were hiring her for her journalistic talent. They were full of shit. 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 surfing and survival of Christine Craft,” by Elisabeth Bumiller for the Washington Post “Judging the news by appearance,” The Age “Jury awards Christine Craft $325,000,” by Peter Kerr for The New York Times “Once fired for appearance: Christine Craft to be anchor in Sacramento,” by Jay Sharbutt for The Los Angeles Times The appellate court opinion on Justia.com The book, “Waiting for Prime Time: The Women of Television News” by Marlene Sanders and Marcia Rock “Manager: Appearance key for the TV news anchor,” United Press International “Christine Craft” wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Miranda v. Arizona: The Crime That Changed American Justice” by Mark Gribben, The Crime Library “Miranda v. Arizona” wikipedia.org “Facts and Case Summary - Miranda v. Arizona” USCourts.gov “Miranda v. Arizona” Encyclopedia Britannica

1 Jan 20201h 45min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It’s time for a remix! In honor of the holiday season, we are re-releasing last year’s ridiculously fun holiday episode. But we’ve added some new stuff, too! There’s a new set of holiday-themed questions at the end, plus SUPREME COURT inductions. Plus: Someone’s mom bought them a SUPREME COURT induction for Christmas. Was it your mom? Listen to find out! Around the holidays, a lot of people bake cookies for their neighbors. It’s supposed to be a nice, friendly gesture. But boy, can it backfire! Teenagers Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey Zellitti learned that lesson the hard way when they anonymously left a plate of cookies at Wanita Young’s house. Their late night cookie drop scared the crap out of Wanita. She was so shaken that she went to the hospital the next day, suffering from what appeared to be a heart attack. Then Brandi tells us about the time Santa robbed a bank. The robbery took place on December 23, 1927, in Cisco, Texas. A man dressed as Santa Claus entered First National Bank. His armed accomplices followed. Together, the men terrorized the customers and emptied the bank’s safe. Afterward, Santa and his gang took off. What followed was the largest manhunt Texas has ever seen.   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 book, “The Party of the First Part: The Curious World of Legalese,” by Adam Freedman “Family says they are under attack in cookie caper,” Associated Press “Nation rallies around girls sued by neighbor over late-night cookies,” East Bay Times “Teens sued for cookie delivery to neighbor,” ABC News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Santa Claus Bank Robbery” by Boyce House, Startling Detective Adventures “The Night the Posse Chased Santa Claus” by Maggie Van Ostrand, TexasEscapes.com “Santa Claus Bank Robbery” by Walter F. Pilcher, Texas State Historical Association “Santa Claus Bank Robbery” wikipedia.org

25 Dec 20191h 31min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Can you believe it? It’s our 100th episode! Holy sexy times! Thank you to everyone who joined us on this perilous journey. We hope you’ll stay with us for many episodes to come. If you don’t, we’ll send a Bob Moss after you. Or maybe a juvenile bigfoot.  In honor of our 100th episode, we are re-doing our very cringe-y first episode! Note: We’re not re-releasing the first episode. We’re completely redoing it. So sit back, relax, and let us tell you for a second time about the crimes that got us interested in lawsuits.  Kristin starts us off with the story of Robert Courtney, a Kansas City pharmacist who was caught diluting cancer drugs. Over the course of several years, Robert diluted everything from chemotherapy drugs to fertility treatments. His horrific crimes affected an estimated 4,200 patients.  Then Brandi tells us about the Tate-LaBianca murders, also known as the Manson Family murders. In the summer of 1969, members of Charles Manson’s cult brutally murdered seven people. They killed five people one night, and two more the next. The crimes were as senseless as they were shocking. 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 Toxic Pharmacist,” New York Times Magazine “Jury Awards 2.2B in Courtney Case,” Kansas City Business Journal “Deadly Rx for Greed,” American Greed  “Pharmacist Robert Courtney Admits He Diluted Drugs,” Kansas City Star “Prosecutors Say Greed Drove Pharmacist to Dilute Drugs,” The New York Times “Courtney’s Wife Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement,” Kansas City Business Journal “Pharmacist’s Wife to Give Money to Victim Fund,” Southeast Missourian In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Charles Manson and the Manson Family” by Marilyn Bardsley, The Crime Library “Charles Manson Trial” Famous-Trials.com “Helter Skelter” by Vincent Bugliosi “Tate-LaBianca Murders” wikipedia.org

18 Dec 20192h 2min