Bonus: The First Suspects - The Black Dahlia Files

This month I’m sharing cases of people who, against all odds, survived some of the worst killers in modern history. In this week’s story, a teenage girl is picked up by a seemingly ordinary couple and then spends two days trapped in a nightmare. She is the fifth victim of one of the rarest types of killers on record - a serial killer couple. But Kate Moir would keep her wits about her, and even though she was only seventeen, she outsmarted the evil duo, ending their killing spree. Resources: The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Mitzi Szereto, Editor, Mango Publishing, 2022. Catherine, David Birnie: The macabre, sadistic Moorhouse murders | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site David and Catherine Birnie: Australia’s worst serial killer couple still haunt Kate Moir | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site 'How I escaped the house of horrors': Hostage of Australia’s most evil killers tells how she fled (yahoo.com) Links: Join our Patreon for bonus episodes and ad-free episodes - 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.

13 Mars 202347min

In this month’s episodes I’ll tell you stories of people who were fortunate enough to survive horrifying experiences.  In this episode, a family dream vacation turns into a nightmare on the sea.  All seems lost when the ship sinks with all onboard.  But by some miracle, a sole survivor is found. The story she tells about what happened onboard The Bluebelle will horrify all who hear it.  Resources:   Delivered From Evil: True Stories Of Ordinary People Who Faced Monstrous Mass Killers and Survived, Ron Franscell, Fair Winds Press, 2011.   Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean, Tere Duperrault and Richard D. Logan, Titletown Publishers, 2010.   SURVIVED: 11-Year-Old Found Alone in Middle of Ocean - YouTube Extraordinary Lives | Tere Jo Duperrault - YouTube Book 'Em: Alone, Orphaned on the Ocean - CBS News Terry Jo Duperrault – the girl who survived her entire family being brutally murdered at sea | Mysteriesrunsolved The Sea Waif: A Murder on the Ocean and the Little Girl Who Stayed Alive | Mental Floss Julian Arthur Harvey | American Air Museum Terry Jo Duperrault Family Now (thefamilynation.com) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Mars 202348min

In this second part of a two-part episode, in their quest to be transformed into vampires, Daniel and Manuela Ruda conclude that the only way to prove their loyalty to Satan is by performing a human sacrifice.  Their crime would be described as “a picture of cruelty and depravity” such as had never been seen before in the German town of Witten. The subsequent trial would become a media circus with the two perpetrators proudly displaying their bizarre antics in front of the press and the public. Resources: The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Edited by Mitzi Szereto, Mango Publishing, 2022. Murder Dictionary Podcast: “Occult Murders: Daniel and Manuela Ruda”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/occult-murders-daniel-manuela-ruda/id1169967004?i=1000389846158 https://serialkillercalendar.com/A-MATCH-MADE-IN-HELL-DANIEL-AND-MANUELA-RUDA.php https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/nov/16/thefarright.uk Satanist couple jailed for killing – The Irish Times https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/1383474/Last-kiss-as-Satanist-killers-are-locked-up.html https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3674781/satanist-killer-who-butchered-friend-in-coffin-to-drink-his-blood-is-back-in-court-charged-with-plotting-to-kill-his-ex-wife/ https://expressdigest.com/german-murderer-who-drank-his-victims-blood-is-freed/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Feb 202327min

Daniel Ruda, a 26-year-old, self-described “black vampire” immersed himself in Germany’s goth and death metal scene as an outlet for his dark proclivities.  In the year 2000, he was ready to find his soulmate or, as he put it, his “princess of darkness” and placed a singles ad in a German black-metal magazine. 23-year-old Manuela Bartel answered his ad and the two soon became inseparable.  Separately, they participated in strange hobbies like sleeping in graves to “see what it felt like” and filing their teeth into fangs.  But together they were deadly.  In 2001, they jointly committed a gruesome murder.  Was their violent behavior a result of mental illness or were they purely evil? Resources:  The Best New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime, Edited by Mitzi Szereto, Mango Publishing, 2022.  Murder Dictionary Podcast: “Occult Murders: Daniel and Manuela Ruda”  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/occult-murders-daniel-manuela-ruda/id1169967004?i=1000389846158 https://serialkillercalendar.com/A-MATCH-MADE-IN-HELL-DANIEL-AND-MANUELA-RUDA.php https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/nov/16/thefarright.uk https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/06/17/tom-leppard-tattooed-man--obituary/ https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=cj_fac https://www.cesnur.org/testi/gothic.htm See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Feb 202327min

I’m pleased to have Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jake Halpern, back with me again to discuss a new case he investigated for his podcast “Deep Cover”. Deep Cover, a Pushkin podcast, is all about people who lead double lives. In the new season, Jake follows the story of a girl who goes missing without a trace in South Carolina in 1999. Years later, the missing girl is connected to another missing person’s case on the other side of the country. There are twists and turns in this story that you won’t see coming connected to stolen identities, a female fugitive on the run from the law, and even espionage. Join me for this fascinating discussion with Jake where we talk about his latest case, female victims and perpetrators and how they are portrayed by the media, and the ethical dilemma faced by everyone who reports or podcasts about true crime. You can listen to episodes of Deep Cover: Never Seen Again beginning on January 30th. A new episode releases every Monday but you can binge the entire season by subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Go to www.pushkin.fm to find out more You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, and on YouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Feb 202359min

We continue the story of Barbora Skrlova from where we left of last week.  In part two, you’ll learn all the details of the bizarre unfolding of events in the Mauerova home.  I’ll conclude by telling you the unbelievable tale of how Barbora Skrlova almost escaped all responsibility for her part in this horrendous abuse case. Resources:   Book: “The Kurim Case: A Terrifying True Story of Child Abuse, Cults & Cannibalism” by Ryan Green, 2016.   The Kurim Case: https://youtu.be/DN3nelsuDx0 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/czechs-appalled-and-enthralled-by-obscure-cult-and-fake-identities-1.931498 https://mindlifetv.com/movies/torture-cannibalism-and-incestuous-sex-the-chilling-story-of-barbora-skrlova/# https://www.okaybliss.com/barbora-skrlova-now/ https://signalhorizon.com/orphan-first-kill-ending-explained-the-real-story-of-barbora-skrlova-and-a-fitting-origin-story-for-esther/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30 Jan 202327min

For our first series of 2023, we’ll do a deep dive into a case that has so many bizarre twists and turns a Hollywood horror movie was later based on it.  In this first part of a 2-part series, a child who has been placed in a children’s home after allegations of abuse goes missing.  When he’s found over a thousand miles away in the company of a strange man, the police discover a shocking secret.  He is not who he said he was - nor is he a young boy - but an adult woman.  The story of Barbora Skrlova only becomes more strange as the truth is revealed. Resources:  Book: “The Kurim Case: A Terrifying True Story of Child Abuse, Cults & Cannibalism” by Ryan Green, 2016.  The Kurim Case: https://youtu.be/DN3nelsuDx0 https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/boys-don-t-cry-woman-arrested-in-norway-for-impersonating-teen-a-528047.html https://www.irishtimes.com/news/czechs-appalled-and-enthralled-by-obscure-cult-and-fake-identities-1.931498 https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-grail-movement-cult/amandasedlakhevener https://mindlifetv.com/movies/torture-cannibalism-and-incestuous-sex-the-chilling-story-of-barbora-skrlova/# Links: Human Monsters - Listen wherever you listen to podcasts or at https://humanmonsterspod.podbean.com. 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.

23 Jan 202331min

In 2008, Travis Alexander was brutally murdered in his home in Mesa, Arizona.  His ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias, was convicted of the slaying and was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.   A new Lifetime Television movie tells the behind-the-scene story of Jodi’s life behind bars.  In this follow-up to one of Lifetime's most successful true crime dramas, JODI ARIAS: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, we see a whole new side of Jodi and follow the story that has captivated the public for nearly a decade.  In this episode, I speak with Donavan Bering, a cellmate of Jodi Arias’ who became her good friend and staunchest supporter - that is until she came to learn what kind of person Jodi really was and realized that her claims of innocence were all lies.  Jodi Arias: Bad Behind Bars, produced for Lifetime by Cineflix Productions premieres Saturday, January 21 at 8/7c.  Links:  You can listen to Once Upon a Crime’s in-depth coverage of the Jodi Arias case in a 2-part series from Season 1.  Listen to Episodes 43 and 44 on your favorite podcast app or listen on our website:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-043-a-woman-scorned-jodi-arias-part-1/ https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/episode-044-a-woman-scorned-jodi-arias-part-2/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Jan 202339min