243: Fires

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Brandi scares the pants off us with the story of serial killer Dennis Rader, a.k.a., the BTK killer. Over the course of several decades, Rader killed ten people and terrorized his community in Wichita, Kansas. Then, like a true douchebag he gave himself a nickname. He dubbed himself, BTK, which stood for Bind, Torture, Kill. He loved to taunt the police and the media… and that eventually bit him right on the ass. Then, did you know that in 1911, someone stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre? Neither did we.  Kristin lightens the mood with this incredible story about the thief who kept the Mona Lisa hidden in his apartment for nearly two years. French police searched high and low for him. At one point, Pablo Picasso was the prime suspect.  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 documentary, “The Missing Piece: Mona Lisa, Her Thief, the True Story” The documentary, “Mona Lisa Robbery – Who Stole Da Vinci’s Painting?”  “When Picasso Went on Trial for Stealing the Mona Lisa,” Artsy.net “The Theft That Made The ‘Mona Lisa’ A Masterpiece,” NPR.org In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Dennis Lynn Rader” murderpedia.org “BTK Victims Speak Out In Hearing” CNN Transcripts “The Floppy Did Me In” by Rebecca J Rosen, The Atlantic

9 Maj 20182h 33min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Kristin starts us off with a story that begins with the murder of her second cousin and ends with police capturing a serial killer in the making. The murder of sweet, outgoing Alissa Shippert shook Platte City, Missouri. Police were determined to catch her killer, but with most of the evidence washed away by the river and few viable suspects, justice seemed unlikely. Then, several months later, the killer struck again. But this time, the woman survived. And she told police everything she knew. Then Brandi tells the incredible story of Juanita Maxwell, a maid at a Florida motel accused of murdering a 73-year-old woman over a ballpoint pen. Like any good Brandi story, this one has twists and turns, plus an incredibly creepy moment on the witness stand. We guarantee you’ll get goosebumps. 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: On the Case with Paula Zahn episode, “River of Sorrow” Probable Cause Statement from The Platte County Landmark.com  “Survivor of would-be serial killer shares horrifying tale,” Fox4  “Gruesome Details Emerge About Missouri Hatchet, Razor Attacks,” CBS St. Louis “Quintin O’Dell pleads guilty in Alissa Shippert murder case,” KMBC 9 News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Other Women” Michael McLeod, Orlando Sentinel “Woman With Two Identities Absolved of Murder” Associated Press, New York Times “The Brutal Crime of Juanita’s Other Half” Birmingham Post “Not Guilty and Finally Moving On” Andrew West, Southwest Florida News-Press

2 Maj 20181h 45min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When Jim Hildenbrand moved to the Avignon Villas in Olathe, Kansas, he thought he’d found the perfect place to live. But pretty soon, he started butting heads with the neighborhood’s home owners association. Then one day, he did the unthinkable. He installed some unapproved landscaping. What followed was a costly, lengthy legal battle that epitomized first world problems. Be ready to clutch your pearls. But they can’t all be lawsuits about landscaping. This week, Brandi tells about the hunt for Jennifer Jackson’s murderer. Her murder appeared so deeply personal that police quickly zeroed in on Jennifer’s teenage daughter, Noura. But did they catch Jennifer’s actual murderer? 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: “Olathe man’s war with HOA over landscaping: $400,000 at stake,” the Kansas City Star  “Church deacon’s relative has cancer, but HOA says he can’t park extra car in driveway,” the Kansas City Star  “$400,000 case pitting Olathe man, HOA needs more work, court rules,” the Kansas City Star   In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “My Mother’s Murder” episode, 48 Hours  “She Was Convicted of Killing Her Mother.  Prosecutors Withheld the Evidence That Would Have Freed Her.” by Emily Bazelon, New York Times

25 Apr 20181h 48min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, we discuss video game lawsuits with our special guest, Norman Caruso, the Gaming Historian. How did we get the Gaming Historian on this little dog and pony show? It’s hard to say. It could be that he’s a huge fan of obscure podcasts. … or it could be that he’s Kristin’s husband. What can we say? It’s a gigantic mystery. In this episode, Kristin starts us off with Devin Moore, a teenager who shot two police officers and a 911 dispatcher. When the police finally caught up with him, he said, “Life is like a video game. Everybody’s got to die sometime.” That mindset left a lot of people asking whether violent video games were to blame for his murder spree. Then Norman brings us our only non-violent crime of the day when he tells the fascinating story of Atari Games vs Nintendo. This lawsuit focused on the very first unlicensed games for the Nintendo Entertainment System.  Brandi wraps things up with Daniel Petric, the 16-year-old boy who shot his parents after they took away his copy of Halo 3. His defense attorney said that Daniel’s recent infection made him more susceptible to the game’s violent themes…. But we’re a little skeptical. 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 Rise and Fall of Video Gamings Most Vocal Enemy,” Kotaku “Court Rejects Appeal in Alabama Suit Blaming Game for Slayings,” WSFA  “Grand Theft Auto Player Gets Death Penalty,” The Inquirer  “Can a Video Game Lead to Murder?” CBS News  “Driven to Kill?” People Magazine In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Game Over For Teen Who Killed Mother Over Video Game” by Edecio Martinez, CBS News “17-year-old Accused of Killing Mother Over Halo 3 Video Game May Get Verdict Soon” by Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer “Petric Sentenced to 23 Years To Life: Father Says Son Regrets Shooting Mother Over Halo 3 Video Game” by Jordan Cravens, The Morning Journal In this episode, Norman pulled from: “Game Over” by David Sheff A History of AT Games (http://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/at_games.html) Atari Games Corp v Nintendo http://digital-law-online.info/cases/24PQ2D1015.htm

19 Apr 20181h 58min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, Brandi’s story doesn’t involve stabbings, serial killers or cult leaders. Instead, she talks about Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania treasurer accused of awarding a government contract in exchange for a campaign contribution. Doesn’t sound like Brandi’s cup of tea, does it? Trust us, it is. This story has a huge twist.  Then Kristin tells the story of Anna Ayala, who claimed to find a severed human finger in her Wendy’s chili. But whose finger was it? And how the hell did it get there? This one’s a real nail biter. 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: “Finger-in-chili lady back in trouble,” San Francisco Gate “‘Finger lady’ spills the beans about chili scam,” McClatchy Tribune News Service “Prison term for Wendy’s chili scam no joke,” Associated Press “Woman in chili incident fails to enter plea in court,” San Francisco Chronicle “Police call woman’s finger in chili claim a hoax,” New York Times “Police check woman with Wendy’s finger claim,” Associated Press “Finger has lunch crowd rethinking its choices,” LA Times  In this episode, Brandi pulled from: The documentary “Honest Man: The Life of Budd Dwyer”

12 Apr 20181h 42min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with a story about 17-year-old honors student Syndi Bierman, who was murdered during a robbery gone wrong. At least… that’s what her sister said. When Syndi’s sister Shari called 911, she reported that their house had been robbed. But Shari’s story raised a lot of eyebrows. Including ours. Then Kristin talks about the wrongful conviction of Lamonte McIntyre. When 18-year-old McIntyre was accused of a double murder, he wasn’t too worried. He was innocent. He had a good alibi. He had no motive, and the prosecution had no evidence. But the jury convicted him anyway. McIntyre spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Get ready to pull your hair out with frustration. This story has corruption at every turn. 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: “No Justice,” Kansas City Star  “Kansas man wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years receives no compensation from state,” CBS News  “23 Years for Murder. He Didn’t Do it. What Went Wrong?” New York Times  “Lamonte McIntyre, wrongly imprisoned for 23 years for double murder, finally set free,” Kansas City Star  “Lamonte McIntyre,” Midwest Innocence Project  “Former Lamonte McIntyre prosecutor accused in new case of threatening a witness, misconduct,” Kansas City Star In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “State v. Bierman” Kansas Supreme Court appeal opinion “2 Slaying Suspects Sought” Associated Press, The Oklahoman “Woman Says She Hid While Sister Killed” Associated Press, Salina Journal “Kansas Fugitive Surrenders” by Joe Stumpe, Tulsa World

5 Apr 20182h 5min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! We’re celebrating April Fools’ Day with some of our favorite pranks and hoaxes. Brandi starts us off by talking about Balloon Boy. This is the story of the six year old boy who floated off in his dad’s flying saucer. Or did he? This story captivated the nation, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll have forgotten like 95% of it. Then Kristin talks about three pranks that ended in lawsuits. There’s the waitress who was promised a Toyota, but given a toy Yoda. Then there’s the civil servant whose co-workers duped him into thinking he had a looming deadline. The poor guy cut his vacation short. He even developed heart palpitations. We end with a woman who spent five days thinking a criminal was stalking her. You’ll never guess who was behind the prank. Seriously. You’ll absolutely never guess. It’s insane. 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:  “Office joke backfires, city bans more pranks,” The Globe and Mail “City hall boss on stress leave after prank” London Free Press “Three top city managers named in Howlett prank” London Free Press “Court Approves Lawsuit Against Toyota Over Cyberstalking Ad Stunt,” Wired.com “Toyota Loses a Marketing Lawsuit in Ruling That May Chill Advertiser Pranks,” CBS News “Woman Sues Toyota Over ‘Terrifying’ Prank,” ABC News “Saatchi Sued Over “Terror Marketing Campaign” for Toyota,” CBS News “Former Hooters waitress settles toy Yoda suit,” USA Today In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Ballad of Balloon Boy” by Justin Peters, Slate.com  “Doubts Came Early in Balloon Incident” by Brian Stelter and Dan Frosch  “Heene family says ‘balloon boy’ headlines ‘wasn’t a hoax’” by Elizabeth Murray, Today.com

30 Mars 20181h 32min

WARNING: The audio in this episode is rough. What can we say? We were young(ish), dumb, and thought we’d save a little money by sharing one microphone. Yeah. The audio quality improves drastically after episode 9.  Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Susan Wright stabbed her husband 193 times, left his dead body half-buried in the backyard, then asked police for a restraining order against him. A restraining order against her dead husband. So, what was up? It depends on who you ask. Some say she’s a cold blooded killer. The media even dubbed her the Blue-Eyed Butcher. But Susan tells a different story. She says that her husband had abused her for years and that she killed him to protect herself and her children. Lifetime movie aficionados Brandi and Kristin think the truth lies somewhere in between. Then Kristin talks about con artist Cassie Chadwick. This woman knew her craft. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, she talked countless people and banks out of millions of dollars. How did she do it? By starting a rumor that she was the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie. For years, her scheme worked perfectly. 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*: “The High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance,” Smithsonian Magazine  “Carnegie On Chadwick Case,” New York Times  “Hoax of ‘Heiress’ Ruined Bankers,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune  “The Turbulent Life of Cassie Chadwick,” Vintage News  “Cassie Chadwick,” Biography.com  The book “Whoppers: History’s Most Outrageous Lies and Liars” by Christine Seifer *Please note that Cassie Chadwick was full of shit, so details differ from story to story. In this episode, Brandi pulled from:  “193” by Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly  “Wright Case Goes To Jury After Graphic Testimony” by Andrew Tilghman, Houston Chronicle  “Susan Wright Guilty Of Murder” by Andrew Tilghman, Houston Chronicle

28 Mars 20181h 37min