Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion – Q&A Aftershow

Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion – Q&A Aftershow

In this special Aftershow episode, Esther and Lorena answer listener questions and reflect on the powerful story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom.

Together, we unpack the psychology, the heartbreak, and the social forces behind one of Britain’s most infamous true crime cases. From Ruth’s volatile relationship with David Blakely to the justice system that sealed her fate, we dive deeper into what drove her — and what doomed her.

Plus, Esther reflects on Ruth’s final act, and whether she believed it was her only escape.

If you loved the Hanged series, this Aftershow gives you a chance to go behind the scenes, hear deeper insights, and join the conversation about love, obsession, and justice.


Highlights:

  • The emotional toll of toxic relationships and what they reveal about human behavior
  • Gender, class, and morality in 1950s Britain
  • How Ruth Ellis’s childhood and early adult experiences informed her choices about love, relationships, and obsession



✈️ Travel with Us to Mexico City! 🇲🇽

We’re taking Once Upon a Crime on the road—and you’re invited! In March 2026, join us for a fun, fabulous 4-day group trip to vibrant Mexico City. Explore incredible sights, savor delicious food, and connect with fellow true crime fans on an unforgettable adventure.

Reserve your spot today with just 25% down—but hurry, space is limited and will sell out fast!

🔗 Click here to learn more and book your spot now!


Support the Show:

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review. Your support helps us bring more stories like Ruth’s to life.


Sources:

A Fine Day for a Hanging: The Ruth Ellis Story, Carol Ann Lee, Mainstream Publishing, 2013.

The Last Woman to be Hanged: The Ruth Ellis Story, Robert Hancock, Seven Dials Publishing, 2020.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis

https://realcrimes.co.uk/ruth-ellis-jealousy-rejection-and-a-hanging/

https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/ruth-ellis-real-story-last-woman-hanged-murder-a-cruel-love-b1141748.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20141204212735/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/women/ellis/5.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/12/ukcrime.claredyer

https://www.hampshirelive.news/news/history/woman-hanged-ruth-ellis-hampshire-4192091

https://www.crimemagazine.com/ruth-ellis-love-lust-and-death-gallows


Sponsors:

See a list of our sponsors and discount codes on our website:

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/


Links:

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast


✈️ Travel with Us to Mexico City! 🇲🇽

We’re taking Once Upon a Crime on the road—and you’re invited! In March 2026, join us for a fun, fabulous 4-day group trip to vibrant Mexico City. Explore incredible sights, savor delicious food, and connect with fellow true crimefans on an unforgettable adventure.

Reserve your spot today with just 25% down—but hurry, space is limited and will sell out fast!

🔗 Click here to learn more and book your spot now!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(391)

Real Life Heroes: The Foiled DeAnza College Shooting

Real Life Heroes: The Foiled DeAnza College Shooting

In light of the ongoing tragedies of frequent mass shootings in America, I’ve decided to make this week’s episode one of hope and heroism. In this story, a young girl becomes an unlikely hero when she acts upon a hunch derailing an evil plot before it could begin.  Resources “De Anza bomber receives 7-year prison sentence” | News | losaltosonline.com.” Los Altos Town Crier, 3 April 2022, https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/de-anza-bomber-receives-7-year-prison-sentence/article_53662dd7-5f2f-5b74-9719-7f6bb84b6cb0.html. Accessed 4 June 2022. Fernandez, Lisa. “Woman whose call to cops stopped De Anza College attack now has cancer.” The San Jose Mercury News, 17 August 2010, https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/08/17/woman-whose-call-to-cops-stopped-de-anza-college-attack-now-has-cancer/. Accessed 2 June 2022. Gathright, Alan. “De Anza massacre planned in diary / College student's bomb trial begins.” SFGATE, 11 April 2002, https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/De-Anza-massacre-planned-in-diary-College-2852635.php. Accessed 2 June 2022. Glionna, John M. “Man Accused of Bombing Plot 'Hated Everyone.'” Los Angeles Times, 1 February 2001, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-01-mn-19794-story.html. Accessed 2 June 2022. Hammack, Maria Esther. “A Brief History of Mass Shootings – Behind the Tower.” Behind the Tower, http://behindthetower.org/a-brief-history-of-mass-shootings. Accessed 4 June 2022. Hasan, Najeeb. “Features | Biter.” Metro Silicon Valley, https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/papers/metro/09.01.04/biter-0436.html. Accessed 2 June 2022. Ionides, Alex. “Metroactive News & Issues | Al DeGuzman.” Metro Silicon Valley, https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/papers/metro/01.31.02/cover/deguzman-0205.html. Accessed 2 June 2022. “Man who planned massacre at De Anza College commits suicide.” SFGATE, 9 August 2004, https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Man-who-planned-massacre-at-De-Anza-College-2702611.php. Accessed 2 June 2022. “PEOPLE v. DEGUZMAN | FindLaw.” FindLaw's Cases and Codes, https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1009557.html. Accessed 2 June 2022.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Juni 202228min

Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber with Author Jamie Gehring

Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber with Author Jamie Gehring

In 1996, the longest and most expensive investigation in the FBI’s history was successfully solved when Theodore Kaczynski was identified as “The Unabomber” 18 years after he began building and planting bombs at various locations. Three people were killed and several others injured before he was brought to justice. A new book titled “Madman in the Woods” recounts the experiences of its author Jamie Gehring regarding Kaczynski who she knew as “Ted” the eccentric neighbor who lived in a one-room cabin just a stone’s throw from her family home in Lincoln, Montana. In this episode I speak with Jamie to discuss her memories of Kaczynski and learn how her own father was instrumental in the FBI”s capture of the elusive killer. Link to Jamie’s book: Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber by Jamie Gehring https://amzn.to/3FNbD73See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Juni 202242min

Picture Perfect Murder: The Beauty Queen Killer

Picture Perfect Murder: The Beauty Queen Killer

Christopher Wilder posed as a photographer to lure beautiful young women with the promise of modeling work. Those who take him up on his offer - and even those that didn’t - found themselves victims of a serial rapist who soon graduated to serial murder. Resources:  https://listverse.com/2019/08/07/10-shocking-facts-about-the-beauty-queen-killer/  https://allthatsinteresting.com/christopher-wilder  https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Christopher_Wilder  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wilder https://charleyproject.org/case/elizabeth-ann-kenyon  https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/wilder-christopher.htmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Juni 202237min

YouTube Mayhem: The YouTube Headquarters Shooting

YouTube Mayhem: The YouTube Headquarters Shooting

A young woman who creates a YouTube channel to advocate for animal rights and veganism becomes disgruntled with the social media platform when she feels she is being targeted for discrimination. But, no one imagined that her anger would spiral into a random act of violence.  Resources:  “Sleeping in Car and Visiting Gun Range: How YouTube Attacker Spent Final Hours” by Daisuke Wakabayashi, Matthew Haag and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times, April 4, 2018. MVPD Statement Regarding Officers’ Interaction with Woman Responsible for YouTube Shooting, City of Mountain View News Details.  “YouTube shooter was angry about company’s “Policies and Practices’: The Latest” by Aric Jenkins, Katy Steinmetz, and Mahita Gajanan for Time Magazine, April 4, 2018.  The Case Files: Nasim Najafi Aghdam by Virginia Simmons, blog post dated March 25, 2021, Ontic.com.  Clip from Mountain View Police Department bodycam footage can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmpjNUWpLBU Links: Once Upon a Crime Facebrook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 Maj 202228min

YouTube Mayhem: Mr. Anime

YouTube Mayhem: Mr. Anime

In this episode, a young man who dubs himself “Mr. Anime” gains a large following as a critic and reviewer on YouTube.. But, he’ll later admit to harboring dark fantasies most of his life after he commits a shocking act of violence against his closest family members. Resources: “Mr. Anime Loves God and His Family” by Jeannette Garrett for Crime Magazine. “Parents, brother each had high-powered rifle wounds” by Mike Glenn and Cindy George for The Houston Chronicle, Mar 21, 2012. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118711/Trey-Eric-Sesler-shot-dead-parents-brother-planning-Columbine-style-massacre.html https://rabrewster.com/2019/07/21/human-monsters-trey-sesler-mr-anime-the-first-youtube-killer/ https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Police-Man-charged-in-Waller-deaths-planned-3425659.php https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/anime-youtube-star-murdered-family-22852419 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-dWvmMif68 Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Maj 202226min

The Minds of Mass Killers with Author Shavaun Scott

The Minds of Mass Killers with Author Shavaun Scott

This week I have a special episode diving into the topic of the psychology of mass killers. What prompts someone to commit mass murder against random strangers? How did Columbine become a cultural touchstone that inspired others to plan and execute their own mass shooting sprees? What can we do to slow down the number and frequency of these types of crimes, if anything? I'll get answers to some of these questions from psychotherapist and author, P. Shavaun Scott, author of The Minds of Mass Killers: Understanding and Interrupting the Pathway to Violence. Here's a link to Shavan's book which you can purchase at Amazon.com. https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B09MB86W17&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_2M1AWDE85GG90D9JY8QH&tag=onc01a-20 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Maj 202249min

YouTube Mayhem: Dying To Be Famous

YouTube Mayhem: Dying To Be Famous

A young couple on a quest for internet fame record a prank for their YouTube channel with tragic results.  Resources: YouTube Prankster Jailed, BBC News, March 15, 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43410816 The Last Moments Before a YouTube Stunt Went Fatally Wrong, Buzzfeed News, June 22, 2018. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/failed-youtube-stunt-killing-videos Who Was Pedro Ruiz?, The Sun, March 15, 2018 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3908168/pedro-ruiz-youtube-star-killed-girlfriend-monalisa-perez-shooting-stunt-jail-latest/ Stunt Gone Wrong, Valley News, June 27, 2017 https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Family-says-it-was-a-YouTube-stunt-gone-wrong-a-22-year-old-man-is-dead-after-being-shot-in-the-chest-431170773.html See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Maj 202223min

The Ties That Bind: The Crimes of Shelly Knotek - Part 2

The Ties That Bind: The Crimes of Shelly Knotek - Part 2

This is part 2 of a 2-part- episode. As we continue the story, Shelly and Dave Knotek have isolated themselves, their three daughters, nephew, and a boarder, Kathy Loreno, in their Ramond, Washington home. The torture and abuse Kathy endured would come to a shocking conclusion in July of 1994. Resources: If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood - Gregg Olsen https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/knotek-michelle.htm https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/876416/shelly-knotek-abuse-daughters-serial-killer/ https://casetext.com/case/state-v-knotek Snapped: Season 10, Episode 19 Couple Held in Woman’s 1994 Disappearance https://apnews.com/article/1ba1a2ceca7d8bbbc82506c3b1b488b5 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Maj 202234min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
rattsfallen
aftonbladet-krim
p3-dokumentar
badfluence
en-mork-historia
svenska-fall
skaringer-nessvold
nemo-moter-en-van
killradet
fallen-som-forfoljer
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
flashback-forever
p1-dokumentar
hor-har
vad-blir-det-for-mord
rysarpodden
kod-katastrof
olyckan-inifran
aftonbladet-daily