257: A Drowning & a Shipwreck

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When Marybeth Tinning’s infant daughter Jennifer died, friends, neighbors and medical personnel felt sorry for the grieving mother. A few weeks later, Marybeth’s young son died, too. People couldn’t believe it. How many losses could one person withstand? Then another child died. And another. And another. In total, nine of Marybeth’s children died over the course of 14 years. In that time, people’s reactions evolved from sympathetic to suspicious.  Then Kristin tells us the story of Gilberto Valle, a.k.a., the cannibal cop. Kathleen Valle knew her marriage wasn’t going great. But when Kathleen figured out exactly what her husband Gilberto was doing online, her blood ran cold. Her NYPD policeman husband had been chatting online about torturing, raping, killing and eating her. But the horror didn’t end there. He talked about carrying out these plans on many women. Authorities took action, but Gilberto’s defense was strong. He hadn’t actually carried out any of these plans. He claimed he was just fantasizing — with no intention of ever harming anyone. This case had people everywhere trying to draw the line between fantasies and criminal intent. 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: “A Dangerous Mind” by: Robert Kolker for New York Magazine “Gilberto Valle, ex-New York police officer, talks about his cannibalism fantasies in film,” New York Times HBO Documentary, “Thought Crimes: The case of the cannibal cop” “Ex-officer’s conviction in cannibal case shouldn’t be reinstated, appeals court rules,” New York Times “Cannibal Cop’s wife takes the stand as horrific details of former NYPD officer’s twisted bondage fetish emerge in first day of trial,” New York Daily News In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “14 years and nine tiny corpses later, authorities finally took action on murderous mother” by Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News “Baby Killer” by Mark Gado, crimelibrary.com “Baby killer Marybeth Tinning leaves prison” Albany Times Union

29 Aug 20182h 5min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! In Gypsy Blanchard’s world, nothing is as it seems. For years, people saw her as a sickly girl plagued by medical issues. She was wheelchair bound. She suffered from mental delays. She had trouble breathing. Her life was marked by constant doctor visits and too-frequent surgeries. All the while, her doting mother Dee Dee was by her side. Then one day, someone updated the status on Dee Dee and Gypsy’s shared Facebook account. They wrote, “that bitch is dead.” Friends and neighbors were in for the surprise of their lives. Then Brandi tells us about four murders at a Chinese hostel. When police arrived at the crime scene in 1995, they had little to go on. The murders were as random as they were brutal. The few leads police developed were vague at best. The case went cold for nearly 20 years. Years later, with the help of DNA testing, investigators took another look at the crime scene. Their discovery led them to a surprising 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 HBO documentary, “Mommy Dead and Dearest” “Gypsy Blanchard’s ex-boyfriend upset with his attorney as murder trial approaches,” Springfield News-Leader “Judge sets trial date for next year in Nicholas Godejohn case,” Springfield News-Leader “Charged with murder, Godejohn give his side of the story,” Ozarks First In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Anhui Author Detained for 1995 Quadruple Murder” by Fan Yiying, sixthtone.com “Farmer-writer-killer sentenced to death” by Ma Zhenhuan, China Daily “Killer author who murdered four people 23 years ago then wrote acclaimed novels ‘inspired by the case’ is sentenced to death in China” by Tracy You, Daily Mail “Crime writer arrested for four murders committed 22 years ago” The Punch “Chinese author of unsolved-murder novel arrested over unsolved murders” by Sarah Zheng, South China Morning Post

22 Aug 20181h 53min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! For years, it looked like investigators would never figure out why 23-year-old Cora Okonski disappeared. One spring day, she left home to buy cigarettes from a local convenience store. She was never seen again. Family, friends and police searched for her, but years passed by without a trace of the young mother. In fact, so much time passed that it looked like they’d never figure out what happened to her. Then, 16 years after Cora went missing, police made an arrest.  Then Kristin gives us the heebie jeebies with the tale of John Edward Robinson, often dubbed the internet’s first serial killer. John didn’t start off as a killer. For years, he was just a thieving con man. He was so conniving that at one point, thanks to an enormous ego and a lot of forged letters, he convinced the mayor of Kansas City to give him the “Man of the Year” award. Over time, John evolved from serial fraudster to serial murderer. His killing spree ended when police discovered barrels containing women’s bodies on his property. Warning: This story is as disgusting as it is disturbing. 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: “Serial Killer JR Robinson’s Sinister Alter Ego,” by David McClintock for Vanity Fair “Tearful wife of accused serial killer offers an alibi,” CNN.com “Death sentence is upheld for serial killer John E. Robinson Sr.,” Kansas City Star …and good ol’ Wikipedia   In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Cora Ann Okonski” IowaColdCases.org  “Where Is Cora Ann” by John Speer, The Tama News-Herald “Murder trial for Iowa woman whose body was never found begins Monday” by Grant Rodgers, Des Moines Register  “Cara Okonski feared for her life, friend testifies in murder trial” by Trish Mehaffey, The Courier  “Tait Purk guilty of 1st degree murder” by John Speer, The Toledo Chronicle “Judge overturns murder conviction of Tama County man in fiancee’s death” by Trish Mahaffey, The Gazette “Judge recuses self in Tait Purk murder trial” by John Speer, The Toledo Chronicle “UPDATE: Tait Purk found guilty in disappearance of Cora Okonski” by Trish Mehaffey, The Gazette “Tait Purk sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing fiancee in 2000” by Trish Mahaffey, The Gazette

15 Aug 20182h 11min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! By the early 1930’s, Nell Donnelly had it all. Women everywhere loved Nell Donnelly’s stylish, well-made, and inexpensive dresses. But she didn’t just make great dresses. She made a great work environment, too. Unlike a lot of factory owners at the time, Nell paid well. She offered her employees medical care and a pension plan. She even paid for them to go to school. Nell’s hard work paid off. Fortune Magazine called her possibly the most successful businesswoman in America. She was rich, stylish and classy. But she was also a target.  On December 16, 1931, Nell and her chauffeur, George, were kidnapped and driven to a nasty old cabin. The eventual trials of Nell’s kidnappers captured the nation’s attention and involved some of Kansas City’s most prominent citizens. Then Brandi frustrates the hell out of us with the story of Lisa Techel’s murder. When Lisa was discovered shot to death in her Iowa home, everyone knew exactly who’d done it — her neighbor. The man had a bad history with Lisa and her husband Seth. Police were sure they had their guy. But when they went to question him, he wasn’t quite the cold-blooded murderer they expected him to be. Hold on tight, folks. This one has so many twists and turns that it could be a two-hour episode of Dateline. Oh, wait. It is.  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, “James A. Reed: Legendary Lawyer; Marplot in the United States Senate,” by Michael Cronan  The book, “Called to Courage: Four Women in Missouri History,” by Heather Roberson and Margot McMillen  The book, “The Devil’s Tickets: A Vengeful Wife, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age,” by Gary M. Pomerantz “Strange bedfellows,” KChistory.org “Nell Donnelly Reed, 102, Pioneer In Manufacture of Women’s Attire,” New York Times In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Before Dawn” Dateline ep.  “Techel Trial: Opening Arguments Heard” by Stephanie Moore, whotv.com “Court upholds man’s conviction in slaying of pregnant wife” by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press

8 Aug 20181h 44min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Brandi starts us off with the strange story of millionaire adventurer Michael Marin. Marin likened himself to the dapper man in the Dos Equis commercials — the Most Interesting Man in the World. As obnoxious as that sounds, he wasn’t wrong. Marin lived most of his life on top of the world, which made it all the more shocking when he fell.  Then Kristin treats us to another old timey Kansas City case. This story starts innocently enough. John and Myrtle Bennett invited their friends Charles and Myrna Hofman over to play bridge. Everyone was having a great time… until they weren’t. John played a bad hand, Myrtle insulted him, and John slapped her several times. But Myrtle didn’t take it sitting down. She ran to her mother’s room and came out with a loaded gun. As crazy as that night was, Myrtle’s trial was even crazier.  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: “Bridge Slaying Story Related,” The Morning Chronicle “Last Hand at Park Manor: The Trial of Myrtle Bennett,” The Jackson County Historical Society Journal “The Bridge Murder Case,” Wikipedia The book, “The Devil’s Tickets: A Vengeful Wife, a Fatal Hand, and a New American Age,” by Gary Pomerantz In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The Extreme Life and Dramatic Death of Michael Marin” by Michale Kiefer, The Arizona Republic “Arson in America: The Odd Tale of Michael Marin” independentmail.com  “The Millionaire Arsonist” by Heather Sutfin, swordandscale.com

1 Aug 20181h 9min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! Eric Abramovitz plays the shit out of the clarinet. He’s amazing. But you know what’s cool about him? He wants to get better. So a few years ago, he applied to the Colburn Conservatory of Music. He set his sights on a huge scholarship and the life-changing chance to study under one of the best clarinet instructors in the world. A few months later, he was rejected. Or was he? Then Brandi wraps up her kidnapping spree… (hmm. Poor choice of words?) with the kidnapping of Bobby Greenlease. This one started in 1953, when a panicked woman ran into a prestigious Kansas City private school and told one of the nuns that her sister’d had a heart attack. She needed to take her nephew out of school. The nun obliged, but there was just one problem. The whole story was bullshit. 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: “She faked a rejection from her ex-boyfriend’s dream school,” CNN “A clarinetist’s girlfriend didn’t want him to leave. So she crushed his dreams,” NY Times “Abramovitz v. Lee,” CanLII.org In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Greenlease Kidnapping” FBI.gov “The Kidnapping of Bobby Greenlease” The Kansas City Star “Bonnie Emily Heady” murderpedia.org Greenleasefamily.com

25 Juli 20181h 32min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! When the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught fire in 1911, it was the worst workplace fire in New York City’s history. In fact, if it weren’t for September 11th, it would still hold that horrible record. In just 18 minutes, the fire took 146 lives. It was devastating, but it was also preventable. The incident inspired activists and politicians. It also encouraged workers to join unions and fight for their right to a safe work environment.  Then we discuss the most famous kidnapping in American history — that of baby Charles Lindbergh. Baby Lindbergh was taken from the second story of his family home. The kidnapper left behind a broken ladder and a poorly written ransom note.  The nearly two year old boy was the son of aviation star Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The distraught parents did everything they could to get their baby back. They paid the ransom and searched high and low for their child. But it was too late…  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: “Rose Freedman, Last Survivor of Triangle Fire, Dies at 107,” New York Times  Triangle: Remembering The Fire, HBO documentary  “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire,” History.com  “The Triangle Fire of 1911,” by John M Hoenig  “The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire,” Cornell University In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “Hauptmann Trial (1935)” Famous-Trials.com “Lindbergh Kidnapping” FBI.gov

18 Juli 20181h 35min

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon! This week, we’re covering old timey Kansas City cases.  Two brothers entered Henry McElroy’s home in the spring of 1933 with a sinister scheme. They wanted to kidnap Henry’s daughter and hold her for ransom. But they were surprised by what they discovered. Henry’s daughter, Mary, wasn’t a child. She was a full grown woman. And she was pretty darn charming, to boot. Weirdly, she found her captors pretty charming, too. This story is as unpredictable as it is intriguing. Then Kristin tells us about Thomas Swope, who made his fortune buying cheap land in the mid 1800’s, and selling it for a profit as the city grew. In 1896, he donated more than 1,300 acres to be used as Kansas City’s largest park. Toward the end of his life, Thomas toyed with the idea of rewriting his will so that more of his vast fortune would go to charity. But before he could do that, he died. So did his cousin. And later, so did his nephew. In fact, almost everyone in the Swope family became mysteriously ill soon after Thomas’s death. Was someone out to get them? Or did the Swope family just have bad luck? 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: “Dr. Hyde and Mr. Swope,” kchistory.org  “The Mysterious Death of Kansas City’s Thomas Swope,” KCUR.org  “Thomas Swope: KC True Crime,” Kansas City Star  “The Evil Dr. Hyde of Kansas City,” historicalcrimedetective.com In this episode, Brandi pulled from: “The lady and her kidnappers” by Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News “RANSOM MARY McELROY” by Stephen C. Haynes and Richard D. Ralls, Kansas City Star “Mary McElroy, the City Manager’s daughter” by David Arthur Walters “Kidnapped!” KCHistory.org “The abduction of Mary McElroy” by Ted Stillwell, The Examiner

11 Juli 20181h 36min