243: Fires

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In this episode, Brandi gives us part one of a two-part series that begins with the rape and murder of 68-year-old widow Helen Wilson. When investigators discovered Helen’s body, they were baffled. She had no enemies. Who in the tight-knit city of Beatrice, Nebraska, could have killed her? Investigators had a pretty solid lead, but blood analysis ruled out their top suspect. After that, the case went cold… that is, until a retired police officer and full-time hog farmer picked up the case.  Then Kristin tells us about con man Clark Rockefeller. Things seemed relatively normal in July of 2008, when Clark, his daughter, and a social worker walked through a posh area of Boston. But when a black SUV limo pulled up beside them, Clark shoved the social worker out of the way and pulled his daughter into the vehicle. The limo sped off, leaving the social worker behind. Boston police rushed to Clark’s ex-wife, Sandra Boss. If they were going to catch him, they needed all the information they could get. Therein lay the problem. Clark Rockefeller didn’t have an ID. He didn’t have a social security number. In fact, Clark Rockefeller wasn’t Clark Rockefeller at all.  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 Man in the Rockefeller Suit,” by Mark Seal for Vanity Fair “Lawyer says ‘Rockefeller’ won’t get fair trial,” The Boston Globe. “‘Rockefeller’ wins false name battle,” Associated Press “11 jurors chosen in kidnap trial,” Boston Globe “Rich deception,” Associated Press “‘Rockefeller’ defense claims delusions,” Associated Press “Ready-Made Rockefeller,” New York Times Newspapers.com |Wikipedia.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Presumed Guilty Part one: Murder in Apartment 4” by Joe Duggan, Lincoln Journal Star “Presumed Guilty Part two: The Search For a Killer” by Catharine Huddle, Lincoln Journal Star “Presumed Guilty Part three: The Break” by Joe Duggan, Lincoln Journal Star “Presumed Guilty Part four: Pointing Fingers” by Catharine Huddle, Lincoln Journal Star “Memories of a Murder” by Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker “Even in 1989, forensics didn’t point to men and women who went to prison for crime” by Joe Duggan, Omaha World-Herald

13 Feb 20192h 26min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Angelika Graswald and her fiance, Vincent Viafore, loved going on adventures. On a Sunday in April of 2015, they strapped two kayaks to the top of Vincent’s Jeep and headed for the Hudson River. They planned to kayak over to Pollepel Island, where they’d see the Bannerman Castle ruins. But there were a few big obstacles in their way. The water was cold. Their kayaks weren’t suited for the river. Vincent didn’t wear a life vest. On top of all that, the weather that evening was predicted to take a turn for the worst. On their way back across the river, Vincent’s kayak capsized. Later, Angelika’s statements to detectives had people asking whether this was a tragic accident or a calculated murder.  Then Brandi tells us the heartbreaking story of three violent murders at an Oklahoma girl scout camp. In the summer of 1977, Doris Milner, 10, Lori Farmer, 8, and Michelle Guse, 9, shared a tent. Everything seemed normal on the night of June 12, but early the next morning, a camp counselor discovered a grizzly scene. The girls’ dead bodies had been piled together on a trail. The crime stunned and terrified the nation. Police soon captured a man named Gene Leroy Hart. But did they have the right guy?  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: “Murder by kayak?” episode of 20/20 “Woman pleads guilty in fiance’s kayak death on Hudson River,” New York Times “‘Who’s Miranda?’ Suspect in kayak killing didn’t understand her rights, lawyer says,” New York Times “A kayak trip on the Hudson, ending in death and an arrest,” New York Times “Murder charge for woman who said fiance’s kayak capsized in Hudson River,” New York Times “Woman convicted in fiance’s death entitled to portion of his life insurance,” CBS News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Girl Scout Murders | June 13, 1977” by Tim Stanley, Tulsa World “Girl Scout murders in Oklahoma remain unsolved 40 years after tragedy” by Juliana Keeping and Brianna Bailey, The Oklahoman “Gene Leroy Hart Is Found Innocent In Sex Slayings of Three Girl Scouts” by Jim Bradshaw, The Washington Post “40 Years After 3 Girl Scouts Were Killed at Camp, Police Hope DNA Will Reveal Their Killer” by Jeff Truesdell and Christine Pelisek, People Magazine “The Troubling, Still-Unsolved Case of the 1977 Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders” by Cheryl Eddy, Gizmodo

6 Feb 20191h 48min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Jesse James Hollywood was a suburban Los Angeles pot dealer. At just 20 years old, he owned his own home, pulled in a grand a week, and had a couple of his old little league friends to sell his drugs and do his bidding. Jesse thought he was hot shit. So when one of his henchmen refused to fall in line, Jesse decided to send him a message. He kidnapped the man’s 15-year-old brother, Nicholas Markowitz, and later learned from a family lawyer that the justice system doesn’t go easy on kidnappers. What Jesse did next landed him on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Then Kristin really bums us out with the story of Andrea Yates, a deeply troubled Texas mother who drowned her five children in her bathtub. Andrea’s story shocked and disturbed the nation, but it also raised important questions about Andrea’s mental state. By the time she murdered her children, she’d been hospitalized, she’d attempted suicide, she’d withheld food from her children, and she’d been prescribed antipsychotic drugs. Both the prosecution and the defense agreed that Andrea was mentally ill, but would the jury find her not guilty by reason of insanity?  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: “Profile of Andrea Yates,” Thoughtco.com “Andrea Yates,” episode of Mugshots  “Where is Andrea Yates’ Husband Now?” People.com “Andrea Yates,” Wikipedia Newspapers.com “Defense derides psychiatrist as a witness for hire,” Los Angeles Times “Andrea Yates case turns on trail error,” Los Angeles Times In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Last Ride of Jesse James Hollywood” by Jesse Katz, Los Angeles Magazine “The Real Story Behind Alpha Dog” episode Dateline “Defendant Denies Killing Teen” by Sue Fox, Los Angeles Times “Prosecutor Okayed for Jesse James Hollywood Trial” by Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent “Witness Rundown in Hollywood Trial” by Amy Silverstein and Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent “Jesse James Hollywood Tells His Story” by Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent “Hollywood Jury Deliberating” by Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent “Verdict In: Hollywood Guilty of Murder and Kidnapping” by Chris Meagher, Santa Barbara Independent “The Murder of Nicholas Markowitz” wikipedia.org “Jesse James Hollywood” wikipedia.org “Joshua Lynn” wikipedia.org

30 Jan 20192h 14min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Rebecca Schaeffer was at the beginning of a promising acting career. She was gorgeous, talented, and dedicated. She landed the cover of Seventeen magazine, nabbed several movie roles, a recurring role on a soap opera, and most notably, a role on the CBS sitcom, “My Sister Sam.” But as Rebecca’s fame grew, an unstable 19-year-old named Robert John Bardo became obsessed with her. What transpired would help criminalize stalking in the United States. Then Brandi wraps up her horrifying series on Johnson County crimes with a story she first read when she was 10 years old. Seriously. Ten. This is why we’re weird.  It starts innocently enough. When Ed Hobson met Sueanne at a local skating rink, he was smitten. He asked her out. She turned him down. He asked her out again. She turned him down again. Then Sueanne spotted Ed’s high-end car and decided she’d give him a chance. Eventually, the two married. The pair had children from previous marriages, so Ed brought his 13-year-old son Chris and Sueanne brought her 13-year-old daughter Suzanne into the home. Everything went great. Until it didn’t. 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: “Suspect in actress’ murder spirited to LA,” Associated Press “Sanity issue raised by Bardo Lawyer,” Los Angeles Times “Police directed to evidence in actress’ death,” Los angeles Times “Robert John Bardo,” Wikipedia.com “Rebecca Schaeffer,” Wikipedia.com “The shocking 1983 crime that raised awareness about stalking,” Gizmodo “A rising star lives to shine again after a near fatal knifing,” People magazine “Six years ago, Rebecca Schaeffer was fatally shot,” Entertainment Weekly “It took this up-and-coming actress’s tragic death to change anti-stalking laws,” Ranker … and several other articles from newspapers.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Family Affairs” by Andy Hoffman “Hit Mom” episode Evil Stepmothers “Stepmother of 13 year old boy forced to dig his own grave charged with murder” UPI “Sueanne Hobson wanted her 13-year-old stepson killed by Christmas” by Toni Cardarella, UPI “A jury Friday convicted Sueanne Hobson of first degree murder” by Michele DiGirolamo, UPI “Love Never Dies” by Ben Paynter, The Pitch

23 Jan 20192h 20min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with the story of Johnson County’s other serial killer. That’s right, folks. There’s more than one.  In the late 80’s, young women in Johnson County apartment complexes had a good reason to be afraid. Three twenty-something’s vanished without a trace. Their apartments showed no signs of a break in. But there weren’t signs of murder, either. For a while, all anyone could go on was a sinking suspicion that something was terribly wrong. Then, to everyone else in Sugar Land, Texas, the Whitaker family seemed to have it all. But that all changed one winter night in 2003. The family went out to celebrate Bart Whitaker’s graduation from Sam Houston State University, and when they arrived back home, a masked gunman shot all four of the family members. Kevin died almost immediately. Trisha died in the hospital. Bart and his father Kent survived. They begged police to find the people responsible for the crime. But police didn’t have to look too far… 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 48 hours episode, “Sugar Land: Life or Death” And a tad from “Thomas Bartlett Whitaker,” Wikipedia.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Gone in an Instant” episode, On The Case With Paula Zahn “CRIME HISTORY: Serial Killer Richard Grissom — A Conviction Without Any Corpses” by Terri Osborne, crimefeed.com “Jurors Convict Grissom in Triple Murder, Eight Other Counts” by Richard D. Lipsey, Associated Press “20 Years Later, Killer Refuses to Reveal Bodies’ Location” Associated Press

16 Jan 20191h 49min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! If there was one thing Helle Crafts’ friends knew for certain, it was that Helle’s husband Richard was a violent sketch ball. So when she didn’t show up for work one day, they got suspicious. Richard’s explanations were less than reassuring. Was she visiting her mother in Denmark? Or was she with a friend on vacation? The story kept changing, but one thing remained the same — Helle was nowhere to be found. Then Brandi continues her Johnson County, Kansas, series with a robbery gone terribly wrong. It all started at the She’s a Pistol gun store in Shawnee, Kansas. Becky Bieker owned the store with her husband Jon. She was behind the counter on January 9, 2015 when four teenagers entered the store. Two of them were armed. One of the teens punched Becky, knocking her unconscious. Shortly afterward, Jon came out of a back room, gun drawn. A gun battle ensued. Later, one of the teens’ lawyers mounted an… interesting legal defense.  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: “50-year sentence imposed in wood chipper murder,” New York Times “Wood Chipper Murder” Crime Library “The Disappearance of Helle Crafts” episode of Forensic Files “23 years ago Richard Crafts was more willing to part with his wife than his money,” NewsTimes.com “Crafts unconcerned at wife’s disappearance, her friends say,” Hartford Courant “Chopped to bits,” Daily News “Richard Crafts denies killing his wife, says he believes she is alive,” Hartford Courant In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Owner Killed, Three Shot in Attempted Robbery at Gun Shop” Associated Press, NBC News “Co-owner of Shawnee gun shop dies; three suspects shot during attempted robbery” by Michelle Pekarsky and Megan Brilley, Fox 4 “Suspect in ‘She’s A Pistol’ murder to plead guilty, while 3 alleged accomplices prepare for murder trial” by Michelle Pekarsky, For 4 KC “Four Charged With Murder In Gardner Man’s Death” Danedri Thompson, The Gardner News “She’s a Pistol gun store in Shawnee is closing” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star  “Judge denies defendant’s self-defense claim in She’s a Pistol killing” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star  “Owner of She’s A Pistol tearfully announces store’s closure amid mounting expenses” by Shannon O’Brien, Fox 4 KC “Trial begins for ‘She’s A Pistol’ gunman who claimed he shot store owner in self-defense” by Kerri Stowell, FOX 4 KC “On day three of his trial, She’s A Pistol suspect pleads guilty as charged” by Nick Sloan and Natalie Davis, KCTV5 “One man convicted for role in deadly shooting at ‘She’s A Pistol’ sentenced to ‘Hard 25’ for murder” by Andrew Lynch, FOX 4 Kc

9 Jan 20191h 54min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! The day has arrived. Kristin’s dad Daryl Pitts, a.k.a. DP, *cringe* is on the podcast! Our theme this week is cheaters, because what could be more fun to discuss with your father?  Brandi starts us off with yet another brutal attack in Olathe, Kansas. Late at night on February 28, 1982, Melinda Harmon ran to her neighbors for help. She told them that two masked men had just broken into her home. They’d killed her husband David right in front of her. Police rushed to the scene, but the evidence didn’t match Melinda’s story.  Then Daryl tells us about a strange night in March of 2011, when Kandi Hall called police to report that two men were shot in a Walgreens parking lot. One was her husband; the other was her boss and lover. Kandi’s husband Rob survived, but Emmett Corrigan wasn’t so lucky.  Then Kristin tells us about Leon Jacob, a greasy-haired guy who fancied himself a bit of a ladies man. His charm worked on recently divorced veterinarian Valerie McDaniel. The couple quickly moved in together. Together, they plotted to murder their exes. 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: “Toxic Love” episode of 20/20 “What happened in bizarre murder-for-hire plot that led to veterinarian’s suicide, her boyfriend in prison,” ABC News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “A Knock on the Door” episode 48 Hours “Conspiracy To Kill” by Richard Jerome, People Magazine “Police Catch Woman and Her Young Paramour 20 Years After They Beat Husband To Death So They Could Be Together” by Benjamin H. Smith, oxygen.com “In a Limbo of Another Kind” by Marek Fuchs, The New York Times “Killer in infamous Olathe love triangle case soon will go free” by Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star In this episode, Daryl pulled from: “Deadly Desire” episode of Dateline An episode of Dr Phil “Dr. Phil Show does not provide healing for Ashlee Birk,” by Maggie O’Mara for USA Today “Woman’s affair with her boss leads to deadly parking lot confrontation,” by Jason Mattera for True Crime Daily Articles for Idahonews.com Articles in the Idaho Statesman by Cynthia Sewell

2 Jan 20192h 34min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! 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 20181h 26min