236: The Disappearance of Elizabeth Sullivan & the Tech Rapist

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Chandra Levy had her life together. She was an intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was just a few days shy of graduating with a master’s degree in public administration. She had dreams of working for the FBI. Maybe the CIA. So when she suddenly went missing in early May of 2001, her parents were alarmed. Their alarm swelled when they learned that Chandra’d been having an affair with Congressman Gary Condit. Was Condit to blame for Chandra’s disappearance? Had he done something to her? Despite a damn good alibi, suspicion enveloped Condit. In the winter of 2000, two men terrorized Wichita, Kansas. Over a short period, their random crimes escalated. First they robbed a man. Then they shot a woman. Then, they raped and terrorized a group of five, twenty-something friends. The men murdered four of the five friends. The lone survivor lived through the ordeal when the killers’ bullet deflected off her barrette. She played dead, then sought help. Ultimately, her testimony helped put the men behind bars.  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: “Who Killed Chandra Levy?” Washington Post investigative series by Sari Horwitz, Scott Higham, Sylvia Moreno Season 38, Episode 48 of 20/20 “Chandra Levy,” Wikipedia “Gary Condit,” Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Wichita Horror” by Denise Noe, Crime Library “True Crime: The Wichita Massacre” by Kara Kovalchik, MentalFloss.com “High court overturns death penalty sentences for Carr brothers, upholds conviction” by Sherman Smith, The Topeka Capital-Journal “Supreme Court restores death sentences in heinous Kansas murder spree” by Richard Wolf, USA Today

24 Okt 20182h 43min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Ethan Couch did a horrible thing. When he was 16 years old, he got drunk, loaded his friends in his truck, and drove recklessly down a dark, two-lane road. Not far from his house, Ethan lost control of his truck. He hit one vehicle, and then another, which hit another. Four people died. When police arrived, one deputy remarked that the stretch of road looked, “more like a plane crash than a car wreck.”  The story made national headlines — for an unexpected reason. During Ethan’s sentencing, psychologist Dick Miller contended that Ethan grew up in an environment with no consequences. His family had money, and money meant that you made your own rules. In other words, Ethan was a victim of his own privilege. It was the affluenza defense, and it infuriated the nation. Then Brandi tells us about the con to beat all cons. In the post-9/11 world, the United States Navy Veterans Association prospered. They brought in millions upon millions of dollars in donations. The money couldn’t have gone to a better cause. People jumped at the chance to help the nation’s veterans. But in 2010, a reporter from the St. Petersburg Times looked into the organization. He was shocked by what he discovered. 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 worst parents ever,” by Michael J. Mooney, D Magazine “Ethan Couch, affluenza sufferer, has been sentenced to two years in jail,” Texas Monthly “Teen sentenced to 10 years probation, rehab in 4 deaths,” Star-Telegram “Ethan Couch, the affluenza teen, has disappeared with his mother and has possibly fled the country,” Texas Monthly “Teenager’s sentence in fatal drunken-driving case stirs affluenza debate,” New York Times “Ethan Couch,” Wikipedia “Affluenza mom Tonya Couch back in jail after authorities say she used meth,” Dallas News “Fred Couch, father of ‘affluenza teen,’ goes to trial,” Star-Telegram In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Strange, Spectacular Con of Bobby Charles Thompson” by Daniel Fromson, The Washingtonian “Mystery Man Bobby Thompson blames CIA for bogus charity” by John Martin, Tampa Bay Times “Money Stolen by Infamous Con Man ‘Bobby Thompson’ Finally Goes to Vets” by Matthew Mosk, ABC News “United States Navy Veterans Association” wikipedia.org

17 Okt 20182h 2min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Here’s a tip: When a member of your spouse’s family asks to stay with you, just say no. That’s the lesson Brandi took from the murder of millionaire Jacques Mossler. When his younger, “toothpaste model” wife, Candy, suggested they let her nephew Melvin move into their sprawling Houston home, Jacques said sure. But over time, Candy and her nephew got close. Too close. Then Kristin tells us about the bizarre kidnapping of stay-at-home-mom Quinn Gray. Her kidnapping panicked and perplexed her husband, Reid Gray. Reid was wealthy. Super wealthy. But the ransom note indicated that the kidnappers only wanted $50,000. Why so little? And why did the kidnappers let Quinn make so many phone calls? As Quinn’s kidnapping dragged on, the case got more and more strange. 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: “Ransom” episode of Dateline “Withhold of adjudication: What everyone needs to know,” Florida Bar Association “Bizarre saga of fake kidnapping of Quinn Hanna Gray reaches quiet end in court,” Jacksonville.com “Ponte Vedra woman who faked kidnapping accused of violating probation,” Jacksonville.com “Nancy Grace Investigates: The Quinn Gray Tapes Part 2,” CNN.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “A Million Dollar Murder” by David Krajicek, Crime Library “Lust and Death on Key Biscayne” by Matt Schudel, Sun Sentinel “Melvin Powers is Dead at 68” by Douglas Martin, The New York Times

10 Okt 20182h 20min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Kristin starts us off with one of the trials of the Scottsboro Boys, a group of nine African American boys and young men who were accused of gang raping two white women in 1931. Their cases are infuriating and upsetting. The Scottsboro Boys were nearly lynched before their trials. At every turn, the justice system was unjust — so unjust that outside groups stepped in to help the young men.  Then Brandi lightens things up with a story about the dangers of high school cheerleading. Wanda Holloway always wanted to be a cheerleader, but her dad wouldn’t let her. So when Wanda gave birth to her daughter Shanna, she knew exactly what Shanna would grow up to be — a cheerleader! But when it looked like another girl might take Shanna’s spot on the squad, Wanda did what any concerned parent would do. She hired a hitman.  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: “Scottsboro Boys,” Famous-trials.com “Who were the Scottsboro Boys?”, PBS.org Scottsboro Boys, wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Cheerleader Murder Plot” by Mimi Swartz, Texas Monthly “Cheerleader Plot Tape: Go For It” by Janet Cawley, Chicago Tribune “The Texas Cheerleader Case: A Daughter’s Painful Memory” by Anne Land and Kristen Mascia, People Magazine “Wanda Holloway Trial: 1991” encyclopedia.com  “The Pom-Pom Hit: When Texas Was Struck By a Cheerleader Mom’s Murder Plot” by Jake Rossen, Mental Floss

3 Okt 20181h 53min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Kelli Peters was the heart of Plaza Vista School in Irvine, California. She was the PTA president and the volunteer director of the after school program. But then, one day, as she was filling in for a teacher, a police officer said he needed to speak with her. He took her out to the parking lot and asked for her car keys. Kelli was puzzled, but she handed them over. The officer dug through her car, and eventually pulled out a bag of pot, a pipe, some Percocet and some Vicodin. Kelli dropped to her knees. She sobbed. She pleaded with the officer. The drugs weren’t hers, she said. But if they weren’t hers, then why the hell were they in Kelli’s car?   Then Kristin talks about two things she knows inside and out: fine wine, and the perils of having millions of dollars in spending money. In the early 2000’s, Rudy Kurniawan was just a young, geeky-looking guy bidding on California wines at high-end wine auctions. Hardly anyone paid attention to him. But then his bids got bigger. And bigger. He spent millions on wine, and then began selling it. But over time, the people who bought his wines got suspicious. The wines didn’t taste quite right. And some of the labels looked a little funny. Had they been duped?  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: “Chateau Sucker,” by Benjamin Wallace for New York Magazine The documentary “Sour Grapes” “Prosecutors reveal evidence against accused wine counterfeiter,” Wine Spectator “Counterfeit fine-wine dealer sentenced to 10 years,” Wall Street Journal “Kurniawan to tell all in $3M settlement with billionaire Koch, as sentencing is delayed,” Decanter “Rudy Kurniawan’s court date is set,” Wine Spectator “Alleged counterfeit wines go on trial,” Wine Spectator  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Framed: A Mystery in Six Parts” by Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times “Former Irvine attorney convicted of planting drugs in the car of PTA volunteer disbarred” by Sean Emery, The Orange County Register “Jury awards $5.7 million to Irvine PTA mom in drug-planting case” by Kelly Puente and Sean Emery, The Orange County Register “Irvine mom Kelli Peters writes book about drugs being planted in her car” by Kelly Puente, The Orange County Register

26 Sep 20181h 58min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Paul Kruse had an irresistible sales pitch. He told his investment clients that their principal investment would be totally safe. They could expect annual returns between 10 and 15 percent. In other words, watch your money grow, risk free. Sounds great, right? If only it’d been true. Paul’s scheme robbed people of their life’s savings, but his plan ground to a halt when his assistant, Amy Weatherford, got suspicious. The feds had plenty on Paul, but he didn’t go down easy. From the comfort of his prison cell, he hatched a violent plan that would make him a free man. Then Brandi tells us the story of Anthony Curcio. Anthony has always been smart. He’s always been a planner. But he hasn’t always used those skills for good. In 2008, Anthony had an expensive drug habit and a busted real estate business. He needed a lot of money, and he knew just where to get it. Over the course of several months, Anthony made a meticulously detailed plan to rob a Brink’s armored car. His plan was so thought-through, it’s hard to believe he got caught. 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: American Greed, “A Mother’s Costly Revenge” “Greed Report: How to blow the whistle on your boss– and live to tell about it,” CNBC.com “Jacksonville con man who tried to hire hitman sentenced to 30 years in prison,” The Florida Times-Union In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Out of Prison, Real-Life Thomas Crown Looks Back on Almost-Perfect Heist” by Brooke Stangeland, ABC News “How an Idaho football player became a bank robber” by Martin Rogers, USA Today “6-year sentence in robbery with getaway inner tube” by Ian Ith, The Seattle Times  “Anthony Curcio” wikipedia.org

19 Sep 20181h 42min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Cindy Anthony’s 911 call in the summer of 2008 was as upsetting as it was chilling. She said her granddaughter, three-year-old Caylee Anthony had been missing for 31 days. Her daughter Casey Anthony had also been missing, but now she was back — and her car smelled like it’d held a dead body. Police rushed to the scene to interview 22-year-old Casey. But Casey’s story was odd. She claimed her daughter had been kidnapped, and that she’d been trying to find Caylee on her own. Police quickly caught Casey in a string of lies. She was eventually charged in her daughter’s death. Then Kristin tells us about Dr. Linda Hazzard. Well, Dr. Hazzard wasn’t really a doctor, but thanks to a handy loophole, Linda was able to call herself one. In the early 1900’s she made a name for herself by championing the benefits of fasting. She even created a sanitarium called Wilderness Heights, where her wealthy patients endured lengthy fasts, enemas, and violent massages. But locals soon dubbed the sanitarium “Starvation Heights.” Linda’s methods killed several patients, but not before they signed over their valuables.   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: “Olalla’s Starvation Heights still causes chills after a century,” Kitsap Sun The book, “Starvation Heights,” by Gregg Olsen Linda Hazzard, Fasting Proponent and Killer, HistoryLink.org Linda Burfield Hazzard, Murderpedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Caylee Anthony” by Chuck Hustmyre, Crime Library “Casey Anthony” crimemuseum.com “Casey Anthony” biography.com  “Death of Caylee Anthony” wikipedia.org

12 Sep 20182h 18min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When Lizzie Borden’s dad and stepmom were brutally murdered in their Massachusetts home, people were stunned. The wealthy couple had been mercilessly hacked to death. But who could have done it? Police had their immediate suspicions — surely this heinous crime was carried out by a male intruder. But in the aftermath of the crime, people weren’t so sure. The slain couple’s 33-year-old daughter was acting weird. Could she have been the violent perpetrator? Police thought so, and so did the district attorney. Lizzie Borden’s eventual trial captivated the nation. Then Brandi tells us the infuriating story of Alice Crimmins, a woman whose young children went missing one night in 1965. Police suspected the beautiful, perfectly coiffed mother immediately. She didn’t fit their grieving mother narrative. She was well dressed. Her hair was expertly teased and sprayed. Her makeup? Impeccable. Oh, and another thing — she liked to have sex. Police hounded her for years, and despite little to no evidence pointing her way, Alice was brought to trial. 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: “Lizzie Borden,” FamousTrials.com Thelizziebordencollection.com “Lizzie Borden,” biography.com Good ole’ Wikipedia In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Alice Crimmins Case” by Denise Noe, crimelibrary.com “Alice Crimmins” murderpedia.org “‘Why Can’t You Behave?’: Revisiting the Case of Alice Crimmins” by Sarah Weinman, Hazlitt Magazine

5 Sep 20182h 13min