Once Upon A Crime

In 1967, a double murder shocked a small town in Virginia. A suspect was quickly rounded up, but the case wasn’t truly resolved until decades later when a chance encounter led to a series of events that would ultimately bring about a deathbed confession.  Resources:  “Thomas Free on Bond; Hearing Slated Oct 27”, The News Leader, Oct 17, 1967. “Prosecution Rests in Thomas Hearing”, The News Leader, April 10, 1968. “Getting away with murder? Former cop has serious questions about why Staunton’s most infamous killer almost got away”, Lindsay Barnes for The Hook, Jan 8, 2009.  Sharron C. Smith, Obituary, retrieved from Legacy.com. “Woman confesses to 1967 slayings”, Ashley Broughton for CNN, Jan 24, 2009.  “Motive in Double Killing 42 Years Ago is Revealed”, The Associated Press, retrieved from The New York Times, Jan 24, 2009.  “We just want the truth; Connie Hevener’s family wants to know why a cop allegedly hid her killer for 40 years”, Lindsay Barnes for The Hook, Feb 26, 2009.  “Bound by blood? Were cop and killer father and child?”, Lindsay Barnes for The Hook, April 23, 2009.  “A $200M Wrong? One-time suspect in ‘67 slayings says Staunton cops framed him”, Brad Zinn for The News Leader, Dec 23, 2010.  “High’s case featured on Investigation Discovery”, Augusta Free Press, Feb 17, 2013. Links:  Patreon - Join to become a Patreon member for bonus episodes, early release, ad-free episodes and more at www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime.  Join the Once Upon a Crime Facebook 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.

26 Juli 202154min

In this series I share cases where people on their deathbeds finally confess to terrible crimes. In his episode you’ll hear about a brutal murder that went unsolved for over a dozen years when the perpetrator confessed before meeting his maker. But, this story ends with a twist when fate intervenes.  Resources:  State of Tennessee v. James Murray Washington, Direct Appeal from the Criminal Court for Davidson County, July 15, 2014 The Crime Reel: A Brutal Murder and a Deathbed Confession, YouTube.com, May 26, 2021. https://youtu.be/5vD_KFlPbtw https://blogs.findlaw.com/legalgrounds/2012/11/deathbed-confession-leads-to-conviction-after-man-gets-better.html https://abcnews.go.com/US/inmate-james-washington-convicted-death-bed-murder-confession/story?id=17653264 https://criminallawyerwashingtondc.com/blog/tennessee-man-on-deathbed-confesses-to-murder-then-recovers-and-gets-life-sentence/ Links:  CrimeCon UK - www.crimecon.co.uk - Use my promo code ONCEUPON21 for 10% off your registration  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime You can sign up to receive texts from Once Upon a Crime by texting OUAC to 408-676-1770. Msg&DataRatesMayApply. Text messaging provided by Text Sanity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Juli 202129min

In this series "Deathbed Confessions" I share cases that went cold and the perpetrator was only revealed when they made a deathbed confession. In this first episode, a dying woman reveals a long-held secret to her children, leading to a shocking discovery.  Resources:  “Slaying Victim had Fled a Troubled Past”, The Boston Globe, November 20, 2004. “John’s in the Freezer”, What Lies Beyond, August 31, 2014. “Deathbed Confession Leads to Slain Husband”, Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times, Nov 20, 2004.  “Murder Confession Confirmed”, Jay Lindsay/AP, Seacoast Online.com Nov 20, 2004 “Slaying Victim was Cleared in 1981 Brawl”, Michael Levenson, The Boston Globe, Nov 25, 2004.  “Lies of former Ventura woman, who kept body in freezer, went unchallenged”, Angelica Martinez and Aron Miller, Ventura County Star, Nov 20, 2004.  “Authorities confirm woman’s deathbed murder confession”, Jay Lindsay/AP, The Berkshire Eagle, Nov 20, 2004.  Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime You can sign up to receive texts from Once Upon a Crime by texting OUAC to 408-676-1770. Msg&DataRatesMayApply. Text messaging provided by Text Sanity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Juli 202126min

In this final chapter of “Buried Truth” I share a story of one of the most rare categories of criminal - the female serial killer. Behind her grandmotherly exterior, Dorothea Puente was hiding some very dark secrets very close to home. This is the case of “The Killer Landlady”.  Resources:  Newspapers.com: Dorothea Puente by Julia Scheeres for TruTV.com, Jailed Landlady: I Didn’t Kill Anyone - The Sacramento Bee - Nov 18, 1988, Puente Guilty of Killing 3 - The Sacramento Bee - Aug 27, 1993, Murderous Landlady Puente Dies - The Sacramento Bee - March 28, 2011 The Life and Deaths of Dorothea Puente by Martin Kuz for Sactown Magazine, 2009.  "Sacramento serial killer’s former home renovated, ready for visits" - David Bienick for KCRA3, August 29, 2013 "Tours, documentary focus on Sacramento house of murderer Dorothea Puente" - Ryan Lillis for The Sacramento Bee, Sept 1, 2015  California Superior Court (Sacramento County) case files for The People v. Dorothea Montalvo Puente - Retrieved from The Online Archive of California - oac.cdlib.org  Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Juni 20211h 22min

A teenage boy goes missing in 1984. Authorities would quickly decide that he was a runaway, but his family didn’t agree. Fourteen years later his fate would be learned in a shocking and unusual way.  Resources:  The New Detectives: Grave Secrets - Season 8, Episode 7, The Discovery Channel  Articles (Jackson Vallarta/Christopher Denoyer/Dale Vallarta) from The Californian newspaper, Feb 17 1998 to Feb 10, 2000 - Clipped from Newspapers.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 Juni 202137min

In this month’s series “Buried Truth” I share cases where a person goes missing never to be seen again. Just when it seemed their fate would remain a mystery, the truth would be uncovered. This time, a neighborhood menace harbors dark secrets in his own backyard. This is the case of Russell Tillis and The House of Horrors.  You can now receive texts from Once Upon a Crime! Text OUAC to 408-676-1770 to opt-in!  Links:  www.truecrimepodcast.com Resources: https://www.thedailybeast.com/womans-body-found-under-booby-trapped-mobile-home http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/showthread.php?11401-Death-Penalty-Trial-Tentatively-Set-for-November-5-2018-for-Russell-David-Tillis-in-May-2015-FL-Murder-of-Joni-Lynn-Gunter&p=101924&viewfull=1 https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/features/5-things-you-need-to-know-house-of-horrors-death-penalty-trial-starts-april-5-crime/77-611a8a49-232b-4d4e-b31f-fd367cf2b587 https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/04/08/russell-tillis-expected-to-testify-in-own-defense-at-murder-trial/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

14 Juni 202145min

This is a double episode to conclude the month-long miniseries where I detail the case of serial killer David Carpenter, known as “The Trailside Killer”. Carpenter stalked and killed men and women on the hiking trails of Marin County, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Other suspected victims would disappear from San Jose and Daly City, California.  Resources: The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate by Robert Graysmith, Penguin Books, (1990) People v. Carpenter, Supreme Court of California, Nov 29, 1999.  “The Frightening Case of the Trailside Killer”, Strange Outdoors, November 27, 2020.  “DNA ties Trailside Killer to ‘79 SF Slaying”, Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle, Feb 24, 2010. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

24 Maj 20211h 51min

In Part 2 of this 3-part mini-series, I’ll continue the story about a random series of attacks that took place on hiking trails in northern California beginning in 1979, soon after David Carpenter was released from prison for an earlier violent crime spree. After three women were found murdered on Mount Tamalpais, investigators began to suspect that a serial killer was on the loose and targeting local hikers.  This is the case of “The Trailside Killer”.  Resources: The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate by Robert Graysmith, Penguin Books, (1990) People v. Carpenter, Supreme Court of California, Nov 29, 1999.  “The Frightening Case of the Trailside Killer”, Strange Outdoors, November 27, 2020.  Links: Website: www.truecrimepodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Maj 202129min