In 1932, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow embarked on a two-year crime spree, gaining a reputation as fun-loving outlaws which has been cemented by their many portrayals in popular culture. But how true is it? Find out in this week's Based on a True Crime. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. Snag some sweet...

Between January 21 and January 29 of 1958, 19-year-old Charlie Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Fugate, went on a killing spree across America’s Heartland that left 10 people dead. The sensationalist coverage of the teenage killers sparked a national reflection on teenage disillusionment and juvenile delinquency, and continues to this day to inspire songs, visual art, television, and movies, including the 1994 film “Natural Born Killers.” This is Based on a True...

In August of 1931, police searching a farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia made a gruesome discovery: five bodies, three of them children, buried in a shallow drainage ditch. The women had been lured to the farm with the promise of marriage by Harry Powers, a serial killer who would later become known as the Bluebeard of Quiet Dell.In popular culture, Harry Powers became Harry Powell, the itinerant preacher and terrifying antagonist of the 1953 novel, The Night of the Hunter, by Davis Grubb, and...

On March 18, 1950, 13-year-old Janett Christman was babysitting for the Romacks in their small, isolated home on the outskirts of Columbia, Missouri. That night, the police received a phone call from a girl screaming hysterically but were unable to get an address. At 1:35 a.m., the Romacks returned home to find Janett murdered. The still-unsolved crime inspired the widely told urban legend, the babysitter and the man upstairs, which itself inspired several movies including the 1979 horror...

Before he directed the holiday classic A Christmas Story, Bob Clark helmed a film that was quite a bit darker: Black Christmas, an early entry to the holiday horror and slasher genres. Rumors have persisted that Black Christmas is based on a true series of mysterious Christmas-adjacent murders, but was it? This is Based on a True Crime. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders...

In this special crossover episode with The Little Podcast of Horrors, we chat with Julie about a couple of Christmas murders, including the Los Feliz Murder Mansion and the legend of Stagger Lee. This is Based on a True Crime. The Little Podcast of Horrors is a podcast that covers true crime, serial killers, horror movies, and disappearances. We love their show! Check them out on social media via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love...

By the late 1960s, Bob Crane was a household name, famous for his portrayal of the wisecracking Colonel Robert Hogan on Hogan’s Heroes. Less than 10 years after the show was abruptly cancelled, Crane’s still-unsolved murder brought to light his obsession with photographing and videotaping his numerous sexual encounters. In 2002, the life and death of Bob Crane was brought to the big screen in the movie Auto Focus, which followed his rise to fame and concurrent transformation from a...

In this episode, we celebrate winter holiday horror movies (mostly Christmas horror movies). We begin the discussing with an overview of the controversy surrounding 1984's Silent Night, Deadly Night. We then have an in-depth chat about some of the best Christmas/Winter Holiday horror films and end with some of our favorite non-horror holiday films and tv specials. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we...

Note: In this episode we use an outdated term for the Romani people. We are very sorry and appreciate our listeners taking the time to set us straight! On May 18, 1827, Maria Marten left home to meet her lover, William Corder, at the Red Barn, a local landmark in Polstead, England. One year later, her stepmother, Ann Marten, has a series of prophetic dreams which led to the discovery of Maria’s body buried under the barn. The Red Barn murder, as it became known, captured the public’s...

My Friend Dahmer is the film adaptation of Derf Backderf's true story graphic novel about his time hanging out with Jeffrey Dahmer in high school, before Dahmer started killing people. We were able to catch a screening of it in Cincinnati - join us as we talk about our thoughts on the film! Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture...

Between June of 1984 and August of 1985, a spree of home invasion robberies, rapes, and murders terrified residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco. The killer was given the nicknames “The Valley Intruder”, “The Walk-In Killer”, and most famously, “The Night Stalker.” The brutal crimes and twisted motives of Richard Ramirez have inspired a number of big and small screen adaptations, including the 2002 horror film, “Nightstalker”. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where...

In this minisode we discuss ghosts who solved their own murders and the 1988 film "Lady in White." Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. SUBSCRIBE!iTunesStitcherGoogle Play You can also stream directly from our website. Find us at our website and on Instagram @basedonatruecrime, Twitter...

Join us as we detail a string of mysterious sleep-related deaths that inspired the late, great horror master Wes Craven and his 1984 slasher film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, featuring iconic horror villain, Freddy Krueger. David’s dream of a whole episode dedicated to the film has finally come true! Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with...

It's a bonus minisode! The Poughkeepsie Tapes may be too scary to contain in one episode, so we teamed up with the Victims and Villains podcast for a great discussion about a really creepy, controversial movie about the details of a serial killer's decade of terror as captured on videotape. NOTE: This was our first Skype capture, so we may sound slightly different at times. We start off with an interview with Josh from Victims and Villains, Chelsea then dives into the background of some...

Join us for another spooky October discussion! This time it's all about the 1888 London murders committed by Jack the Ripper and as told in the film adaptation of Alan Moore's FROM HELL. This is Based on a True Crime. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we discuss murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. SUBSCRIBE! iTunes Stitcher Google Play You can also...

In this special Halloween minisode, we tell the story of Robert the Doll, the creepy real-life inspiration for the murderous Chucky in "Child's Play" (1988). Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. References:   Blood Buddy: The Strange Evolution of the Chucky Doll...

Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated over 10,000 cases of paranormal activity and founded the New England Society for Psychic Research. Join us for a spooky chat about the true cases which inspired "The Conjuring" movie franchise, a part of our Scary October series! Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have...

It's Halloween season, so we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about the history of Halloween and list our favorite Halloween movies! If you're looking for something spooky to watch in October, we have something for you! Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have...

In the spring of 1946, a string of killings committed by a so-called "Phantom" terrified the Texarkana region, and inspired the 1976 film "The Town That Dreaded Sundown". So lock your doors, install some Venetian blinds, and get yourselves some guard dogs because our new episode has dropped!!! This is Based on a True Crime. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders...

We're heading on a trip to New Orleans to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, so in this very special minisode, we figured that it's the perfect time to discuss Delphine LaLaurie & The Axeman of New Orleans - two infamous NOLA murderers who are featured in American Horror Story: Coven. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop...

On May 21, 1924, 14-year-old Bobby Franks was killed for the thrill of it by two wealthy Chicago-area teens looking to commit the perfect murder. The legacy of Leopold and Loeb and their “crime of the century” has inspired many film adaptations, including the 2002 thriller, “Murder by Numbers.” This is Based on a True Crime. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders...

In this episode, we talk about the deadly exorcism which inspired the 2005 horror movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.”  Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. SUBSCRIBE!iTunesStitcherGoogle Play You can also stream directly from our website. Find us at our website and on Instagram...

The late, great director Tobe Hooper was a true Master of Horror. In this episode, Chelsea and David discuss real life cannibal families and then dive into a discussion of the 1974 horror movie masterpiece The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. SUBSCRIBE!iTunesStitcherGoogle...

In this deluxe episode, Chelsea and David discuss details surrounding the Clutter family murders by ex-convicts Richard Hickock and Perry Smith as detailed in the film adaptation of Truman Capote's novel 'In Cold Blood'. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop culture they have spawned. SUBSCRIBE!iTunesStitcherGoogle...

Do stories of home invasion freak you out? They terrify us! In this episode, we chat about a handful of real-life home invasions, including the Sharon Tate murders at the hands of the Manson Family. We then have an in-depth discussion about the 2008 home invasion film 'The Strangers'. Based on a True Crime is a podcast where Chelsea’s love of true crime and David’s love of horror movies intersect. Each week we will be discussing murders and/or mysteries, along with the pop...