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

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was early in the morning on March 7, 1986. Joyce Cohen called 911 in a panic. Her husband, Stan, had just been shot. Police rushed to the couple’s lavish mansion in Miami’s exclusive Coconut Grove neighborhood. Joyce told police that she hadn’t witnessed her husband’s murder. She’d been up all night in another room, sorting through clothing for an upcoming charity event. But she had managed to spot a few shadowy figures fleeing her home. Police weren’t sure what to believe, but they had a feeling they weren’t getting the full story.    Then, Kristin tells us about a WWII plot that could have devastated America. In 1941, Adolf Hitler was beyond pissed off. Germany had a bunch of spies working in the United States — but one of them had just revealed themselves as a double agent. As a result, 33 German spies were captured and convicted. Hitler vowed revenge. He started up a new spy ring, dubbed Operation Pastorius. The Nazi government quickly found eight men who’d all spent significant time in America. They trained the men for three weeks, then sent them off in submarines for America. The men were ordered to blow up factories, destroy canal locks, detonate railroad tracks, and ruin New York’s water supply. But someone took the plan off track. 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 Inside Story of How a Nazi Plot to Sabotage the U.S. War Effort Was Foiled,” by David A. Taylor for Smithsonian.com. “The Nazi Saboteurs Trial,” by Douglas O. Linder for famous-trials.com “Six Nazi spies were executed in D.C. White supremacists gave them a memorial — on federal land,” by John Woodrow Cox for the Washington Post In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Murder in Miami: Stan and Joyce Cohen” by David Krajicek, The Crime Library “Revisiting a Case of Murder” by Mike Clary, The Los Angeles Times “Jail Informant’s Credibility on Trial” by Daniel de Vise, The Miami Herald

29 Maj 20191h 56min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Dr. Jack Kevorkian is a polarizing figure. Some call him a murderer. They think he earned the nickname “Dr. Death.” But to others, Dr. Kevorkian was a compassionate man who performed a necessary service. Over his lifetime, Kevorkian assisted in the suicides of more than 100 terminally ill patients. He was a champion of the right to die movement. But Kevorkian’s detractors were loud and powerful, and took him to court several times. Next, put that syrup away. Brandi’s talking about the other IHOP — the International House of Prayer. In the winter of 2012, a young nurse named Bethany Deaton was discovered dead in her car. Police discovered a suicide note, along with a few bottles of pills. But did Bethany really take her own life? She had so much to live for. She’d just gotten married, she was at the start of a promising career, and she was part of IHOP’s tight-knit church. In fact, she and her charismatic husband, Tyler, were part of an even more tight-knit religious group, known as “the community.” Days after Bethany’s body was discovered, Micah Moore came forward. He said that he’d killed Bethany — under the instruction of her husband, Tyler. But as Micah’s trial grew closer, he recounted those statements. 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 Trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian,” famous-trials.com “Jack Kevorkian,” wikipedia “He breaks his own rules,” by Kirk Cheyfitz for the Detroit Free Press “An end to pain,” by Julia Prodis for the Associated Press “Kevorkian proves a lively witness,” by David Zeman and Janet Wilson for the Detroit Free Press “Two faces of Kevorkian painted,” by David Zeman and Janet Wilson for the Detroit Free Press “‘There is no law’, Kevorkian shouts,” by Jeff Martin for the Detroit Free Press| “Kevorkian: Intent was not to murder,” by Justin Hyde for the Associated Press In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Love and Death in the House of Prayer” by Jeff Tietz, Rolling Stone “Fall From Grace” episode 48 Hours “The Bizarre Christian Sex Cult Death of Bethany Leidlein Deaton” by John Nova Lomax, The Houston Press “Bethany Deaton Suicide Now Considered A Murder; Police Arrest Micah Moore” by David Lohr, The Huffington Post “Prosecutor drops murder charge against Micah Moore in the death of Bethany Deaton”by Donald Bradley, The Kansas City Star

22 Maj 20191h 57min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was a hot day in the summer of 2014. Justin Ross Harris was driving down the road with his toddler, Cooper, when the pair stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast. Justin was supposed to drop Cooper off at daycare afterward, but instead, he drove straight to his office. Justin got out of his vehicle and walked into work, leaving his little boy in the SUV. Cooper died that day. But did Justin leave Cooper there on purpose? Or was it a terrible accident? Then Kristin tells us about Stephen Allwine. Stephen presented himself as a deeply religious man who loved his wife, Amy. But on his 43rd birthday, Stephen traded $6,000 cash for some bitcoin, ate a late lunch with his mistress, and then got on the dark web. He reached out to a freelance hitman. He wanted his wife dead. 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: “If you want to kill someone, we are the right guys,” by Mara Hvistendahl for Wired.com “Stephen Allwine sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder,” by Tom Lyden for Fox9 The Stephen and Amy Allwine episode of Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Leanna Taylor Speaks Out” episode 20/20 “Ross Harris trial: More sexting part of 3 key things to know” by Christian Boone and Bill Rankin, The Atlanta Journal Constitution “Why did the jury convict Justin Ross Harris on all counts?” by Christian Boone and Bill Rankin, The Atlanta Journal Constitution “A timeline of the Justin Ross Harris case” by Christian Boone, The Atlanta Journal Constitution “Day by day: Key moments from the Justin Ross Harris trial” by Mayra Cuevas and Natisha Lance, CNN

15 Maj 20191h 37min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! It was a typical Thursday morning for Rusty Sneiderman. He woke up, had breakfast with his son Ian, and then dropped his son off at Dunwoody Day Care. But as Rusty left the day care, a man approached him. With chilling resolve, the man shot Rusty four times. Witnesses couldn’t believe what they’d just seen. By the time police arrived on the scene, the killer was long gone. But it didn’t take too long to determine that the killer was a man named Hemy Neuman. Hemy, it turns out, was Rusty’s wife’s boss at General Electric. Hemy was in love with Andrea. That much was certain. But did she love him back? And what role — if any — did she play in her husband’s murder? Then Brandi gets revenge on Kristin. Last week, Kristin told a horrifying tale about a dog being murdered. So this week, Brandi attacks the one thing Kristin holds dear — her beloved Taco Bell. It was the summer of 2006 in Provo, Utah, when Ryan Klinkenbeard stopped for lunch at Taco Bell. He ordered a cheesy gordita crunch, a bean burrito, a taco supreme, and a Diet Pepsi. He noticed the bean burrito tasted a little funky, but didn’t think much of it. But hours later, when the rumble in Ryan’s stomach grew to a roar, he knew something was terribly wrong.  Stay tuned till the end, folks. You won’t want to miss it. 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 20/20 episode, “Angels and Demons” “Retrial of day care shooter may lack drama,” by Christian Boone for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Sneiderman lawyer: New trial is needed,” by Christian Boone for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  “Convicts attorneys encouraged,” by Christian Boone for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Sides settle in death lawsuit,” by Christian Boone for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

8 Maj 20191h 18min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! If Martin Frankel had one thing, it was confidence. Confidence in his own intelligence. As a young adult, Martin wanted to get ahead in life. He figured the easiest way to do that was to get involved in a brokerage business. He studied as hard as he could. He amassed an impressive amount of book smarts. But there was one thing he didn’t have: Ethics. Then Kristin scars Brandi for life with the story of Sara McBurnett. Sara was driving toward San Jose International Airport with her little dog Leo in the passenger’s seat when an SUV cut them off. Sara accidentally hit the SUV’s bumper. The driver of the SUV jumped out of his car and ran over to Sara. She tried to apologize, but it was no use. The man was livid. Then, he reached into her car, grabbed Leo, and flung him into oncoming traffic. 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: “Can a little dog’s death end the road rage plague?” by Jeffrey Page, The Record “Jailed killer of dog sues dog’s owner,” Associated Press “Dog’s killer gets 3-year sentence,” by Ron Harris, Associated Press “Dog’s death leads to howls of anger,” by Ray Delgado and Annie Nakao, San Francisco Examiner “Nothing new yet in dog traffic killing,” San Jose Mercury News “California road rage trial begins,” by Ron Harris, Associated Press “New evidence permitted in dog’s traffic death,” Associated Press “New evidence in animal cruelty case,” Associated Press “Judge hands maximum sentence to dog killer,” Washington Post “California court rejects appeal by dog killer,” CNN.com “Dog-killing case gets stranger as trial halts,” Los Angeles Times In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Martin Frankel: Sex, Greed and $200 Million Fraud” by Rachael Bell, Crime Library “Billion-Dollar Vanishing Act?” by CBS News Staff, CBS News “The Martin Frankel Case” episode American Greed “17-Year Sentence Affirmed for Investor Who Looted Insurers” by The Associated Press, The New York Times

1 Maj 20191h 50min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Walburga “Dolly” Oesterreich was unhappy in her marriage. She and her husband, Fred, were financially successful, but Dolly was bored. One day, Dolly told Fred that her sewing machine was broken. She asked him to send one of his repairmen to fix it. Fred sent 17-year-old  Otto Sanhuber. When Dolly answered the door, she was wearing stockings, a silk robe, and not much else. It was the start of a lengthy affair. But when her neighbors asked questions, Dolly was in a pickle. How could she keep cheating on her husband without anyone finding out? Then Brandi tells us about Sharon Kinne, whose life is shrouded in suspicion and mystery. Sharon was just 16 when she met 22-year-old James Kinne. The couple got married quickly, but their happiness didn’t last. On March 19, 1960, James was shot dead in their Independence, Missouri, home. Who could have done it? Sharon had the answer. It was the couple’s toddler.  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: “Sanhuber says he confessed to save widow,” Associated Press “Attic batman and jury visit murder scene,” Universal Services “Mystery of the man in the closet,” by Ruth Reynolds, the Honolulu Advertiser “Lived like a bat in an attic,” by A.L. Wooldridge, the Post-Dispatch Sunday Magazine “Bedroom in the attic,” by Spencer Hardy, King Features Syndicate “‘Bat Man’ case: a lurid tale of love and death,” by Cecilia Rasmussen, Los Angeles Times “The married woman who kept her lover in the attic,” By Addison Nugent, Atlas Obscura “Lover in  the attic,” by Joseph McNamara, Daily News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Maybe I’ll Meet You on The Run” by Mark Gribben, The Malefactor’s Register “Sharon Kinne” by J.J. Maloney, crimemagazine.com “Sharon Kinne” wikipedia.org

24 Apr 20191h 49min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier was thrilled. She’d just logged onto MySpace, and found a message from a hot 16-year-old boy named Josh. Megan wasn’t allowed to spend much time online, but she and Josh quickly became friends. The pair bonded, but one day, Josh’s messages went from sweet to sour.  Then, Kristin tells us a story that everyone has heard before. Back in the early 90’s, a woman went through the drive thru at McDonald’s. She ordered a coffee. She put the coffee between her legs and drove off down the road. As she sped off, the coffee spilled. It hurt. So what did she do? She sued McDonald’s for millions of dollars. This story has been hailed as an example of America’s many frivolous lawsuits. But reality isn’t quite so outrageous.  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: “Scalded by coffee, then news media,” New York Times Retro Report “A matter of degree: How a jury decided that a coffee spill is worth $2.9 million,” Wall Street Journal by Andrea Gerlin “Hot Coffee” documentary “Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants” Wikipedia entry  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: ‘”My Space’ hoax ends with suicide of Dardenne Prairie teen” by Steve Pokin, St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Pokin Around: The story of Megan Meier’s suicide” by Steve Pokin, Springfield News-Leader “Judge Acquits Lori Drew in Cyberbullying Case, Overrules Jury” by Kim Zetter, wired.com  “United States v. Drew” wikipedia.org

17 Apr 20191h 40min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Curtis Brooner loved Burger King. In fact, he ate there almost every day. So it’s no surprise that on December 15, 2018, Curtis popped into Burger King for a quick bite. But before he left the restaurant, he went to the bathroom. Big mistake. Then Brandi tells us about John du Pont. John was an heir to the du Pont family fortune. He had plenty of money, but hardly any friends. Over time, he developed a passion for wrestling. He created a wrestling facility at his home, and became a sponsor for USA Wrestling. John had always been eccentric, but as years passed, his behavior became more and more concerning. 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: “Man sues for free Burger King for life after saying he got trapped in the bathroom,” Time Magazine Curtis Brooner vs Burger King Corporation   “Burger King broke its promise of free-meals-for-life to Portland area customer, lawsuit claims,” By Aimee Green for The Oregonian “Oregon man gets $9,000 settlement after suing Burger King to regain promise of free meals for life,” By Everton Bailey for The Oregonian In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “A LIFE IN PIECES; For du Pont Heir, Question Was Control” by Jere Longman. Pam Belluck, and Jon Nordheimer, The New York Times “Blood on the Mat” by John Greenwald, Time Magazine “John E. DuPont Trial:1997” encyclopedia.com “John Du Pont And The Murder Of Dave Schultz: The True Story Behind ‘Foxcatcher’” by Mark Oliver “John du Pont” wikipedia.org

10 Apr 20191h 18min