Bonus: Love Letters from The Black Dahlia

A man leads police to a body buried in a snowbank on Christmas Day, 1977. This murder in Madison, Wisconsin, would captivate the public with a tale of sex, murder, drugs and money.     Resources: Book: Winter of Frozen Dreams - by Karl Harter Video: Winter of Frozen Dreams  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Dec 201653min

On Christmas Day, 1929, one of the country's worst mass murders took place in North Carolina. This is Chapter 2 of Holiday Homicides: The Lawson Family Murders.  Resources: Book: The Meaning of Our Tears: The True Story of the Lawson Family Murders by Trudy J. Smith Ballad: The Lawson Family Murder by Doc WatsonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Dec 201657min

In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, 1881, a brutal attack was perpetrated on three sleeping teens in Ashland, Kentucky. Poem: The Ashland Tragedy, composed as a ballad by Peyton Buckner Byrne of Greenup County, Kentucky. Music: The Cherry Tree Carol and Carol of the Bells from An Appalachian Christmas, Composer Mark O'ConnorSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Dec 201633min

A 9-year-old girl is abducted in Arlington, Texas. The community and, ultimately, the country would call for changes in the way law enforcement responds to missing and abducted children   You can find the video about Amber and her family here: WFAA Amber Hagerman Documentary Click here to find out more about the AMBER Alert System The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can be contacted at 1-800-THE-LOST or www.missingkids.org . You can see a list of active AMBER alerts here. Tips to keep your children safe: 1) Have a code word phrase. This is a phrase that you would share with your children, especially as it relates to adults they should and can trust. They should know that if you send someone to pick them up from school or any activity, the code word will be used. Make it something funny or personal so it’s easy for the kids to remember. A child should only go with someone who tells them that phrase. 2) Teach your kids that adults don’t need help from kids. If an adult needs directions, help finding a pet or anything else, they should ask another adult, not a child. 3) Let your child know it’s OK to yell, scream, and say no to an adult if they feel uncomfortable or scared. We teach children to listen to adults and not to be disruptive, but there are times they should disobey and be loud. It’s a good idea to practice with your kids. Give them a scenario and have them practice say no firmly and loudly, screaming, and running away. 4) Be careful of sharing too much identifying information on the internet. Of course, we like to share pictures and information about the cute and fun things are children do on Facebook and other social media. But predators can get information about a child's location, routine, etc., if identifying information is shared such as school names, names of parks you frequent, even locations of meeting places like scout troop meetings, sports fields, etc. So, just keep that information to a minimum and without details. Family members and good friends already probably know it so it's not necessary to share.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Dec 201624min

The murder of a young girls leads to sweeping changes in sentencing laws. Polly Hannah Klaas was 12 years old when she was abducted by a stranger out of her own bedroom. Resources:  People v. Davis, Appeal Record, Superior Court of California, June 1, 2009 "The Man Who Kept Going Free" by Jeffrey Toobin for The New Yorker, March 7, 1994.  Polly's Story - www.pollyklaas.org  "An Angel Named Polly" by Elizabeth Gleick and Maria Eftimiades for People Magazine, Nov 28, 1994.  Book recommendation: American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Nov 201634min

Happy Thanksgiving! Just sharing some info about the holiday schedule of podcast releases and some shout outs to listeners and podcasters! Thanks to our new sponsor Audible who is offering our listeners a 30-day free trial and a free audiobook download! Go to www.audibletrial.com/onceuponacrime for your free offer.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Nov 201616min

An abused woman spends years being beaten and terrorized by her husband while police and others turn a blind eye. In desperation, she takes the law into her own hands. Resources: The National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.) 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Victim Support (U.K.) www.victimsupport.org.uk Domestic Violence Resource Centre (AU) www.dvrcv.org.au U.S. Dept. of Justice Office on Violence Against Women www.justice.gov/ovw Book: The Burning Bed by Faith McNulty   People show support for the defendant at the trial of Francine Hughes./Farrah Fawcett's portrayal of Francine in "The Burning Bed".    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Nov 20161h 13min

A young woman's murder becomes and indictment on American apathy and changes the way crime is reported. Resources: Film: The Witness Book: Kitty Genovese: The Murder, The Bystanders, The Crime that Changed America - Kevin CookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

8 Nov 201657min