Episodes
Crime & Updates 9 Part 2 It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on 2017 Portland Oregon Max stabbing case Update on Brian Steven Smith the Alaska Memory Card Killer Update on William Talbott Update on Dennis Day's death Update on Cynthia Hoffman murder If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level,...
Published 09/03/24
Published 09/03/24
It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on Joshua Wade case from Alaska Update on serial killer Harvey Carigan Escaped convict update Update on Sircharles Marc Anthony Jones case Update on Aaron Christenson case If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free...
Published 08/27/24
Several months ago, I received an email from a journalist in Washington. Eric Trent, who works for the Chronicle, informed me he had been working on an unsolved disappearance and he was hoping I could help get the word out. We were FINALLY able to have a conversation about the case and it left me with even more questions and a dropped jaw. Today I’ll be telling you all the information publicly available regarding the unsolved disappearance of 11-year-old Louk Peeyoundday and how the FBI...
Published 08/20/24
Last week, Josh detailed the disappearance and likely murder of Gene Bassett, who had vanished soon after arriving in the Pacific Northwest while on a day–trip to sell his car in Seattle. Found in possession of Bassett's vehicle and belongings, DeCasto Mayer and his mother Mary Smith were found guilty only of grand larceny in the case, as the murder of Gene Bassett could not be proven. In part two of Deadly Potentialities, a confession written on the eve of a prison release, a gruesome death...
Published 08/13/24
In the weeks leading up to an ocean voyage to The Philippines, Gene Bassett listed his brand new Chrysler for sale in local (Seattle) newspapers. He'd decided to sell the automobile rather than have it shipped to him in Manila, having recently accepted a position there. The morning he left on a ferry to meet a prospective buyer was the last time any of his family ever saw him. The brand-new vehicle also vanished with Gene Bassett. It was recovered days later, eight hundred miles from its last...
Published 08/06/24
Part 2: "The Demons Have Taken Over" In last week’s episode, we discussed the 2005 vigilante killings in Bellingham, Washington. A man, haunted by the traumas of his own childhood, was on a mission to hunt pedophiles because he thought he was protecting the public, and more specifically, vulnerable children. He claimed he was inspired to do so by another 2005 case from Idaho, the murders of Mark McKenzie, Brenda Groene, and Slade Groene, and the kidnapping of the two youngest Groene...
Published 07/30/24
Today, we’ll explore two unique cases where perpetrators took to the internet to bear their souls and how the cases relate; a vigilante killer in Washington state who was so floored by a devastating case out of northern Idaho that he took it upon himself to do the public a service and take justice into his own hands. Then we’ll dive into that northern Idaho case that left the nation holding their breath to see what would happen next. Episode Host: Emily Rowney For photos and sources for...
Published 07/23/24
A Patreon Exclusive As Rob Thomas iconically said in the classic summer jam Smooth ”Man, it’s a hot one”. This summer has seen record temperatures across the country. Speaking of across the country, we’re once again headed out of town, hosting a booth and presentation at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver! Since we’re out and about, we’re sharing one of my favorite Patreon episodes, Nine Strangers. Not only is it a fascinating mystery surrounding the deaths of two...
Published 07/16/24
It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on Oregon’s accused serial killer Jesse Calhoun Update on Alaska’s memory card killer Brian Steven Smith Update on Lake Oswego dad Michael Meyden Update on Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton Update on Mia Zapata’s killer Jesus Mezquia Summary of Olympic volleyball player Steven van de Velde and why the...
Published 07/09/24
Last week, I told the stories of eight, young Black women trafficked into sex work. All had been murdered in and around North Portland. These cases were presented to the Green River Task Force when no suspects emerged during initial investigations. It was found that none of the murders were connected to Gary Ridgway. Years later, the state would claim five of the women were connected to the same culprit. Today, I’ll detail how police eventually tracked down and arrested a man for four of the...
Published 07/02/24
Starting in March 1983 and through June 1993, someone was killing young, black women and girls in North Portland. The victims weren’t acknowledged with much more than a blip in the paper. The killer wasn’t making the headlines as bombastic Ted Bundy was. He wasn’t prolific enough to warrant a task force like Gary Ridgway. He was a mentally ill man with an extensive criminal history, unmanageable addictions, and no memory of what he may have done. Today’s story isn’t about that man. It’s about...
Published 06/25/24
Black powder dynamite is both efficient and hazardous. Its general commercial use is to clear land of large debris like boulders and tree stumps. Though it has only 20 to 30 percent of the explosive power of full nitro dynamite, if that power is multiplied and applied to a human body, the effect is devastating. April 21, 1955, was the last day of Oliver Smith's life. Twelve sticks of black powder explosive had been bound with black tape and mounted to the underside of the driver's seat in...
Published 06/18/24
In today’s case we explore a real whodunit in a little unincorporated community in Jackson county called Applegate, Oregon. In 2016 a shocking crime would take place on a local ranch and leave folks reeling when they learned that their little community could be the backdrop for a soon to be infamous crime. Episode Host: Emily Rowney For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog. If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members...
Published 06/11/24
It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories, and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Patreon Shoutouts! Murder in the Rains upcoming events, goings-on, and where to find us Update on Seattle Police Department changes Update on the accused Oregon serial killer case Update on the officers in the Manny Ellis case News: Lake Oswego dad drugs girls at a sleepover News: Yakima, WA rooster...
Published 06/04/24
Being that May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I wanted to share a story that would highlight violence against those in the AAPI community, then I remembered one of the first cases I covered, way back in September of 2019; The Hells Canyon Massacre. Since that time, the story has received more media coverage, and my research abilities have improved, so I wanted to revisit the case and share even more of the story of Hells Canyon and how it isn’t a...
Published 05/28/24
A veteran police officer was retired from law enforcement as the result of post-traumatic stress after his involvement in what was once the worst mass shooting in the United States. The next year, after testifying against a fellow officer in a high-profile murder case, he and his family moved from California to a quiet town in Washington. Two years later, he would endure a home invasion that may have been revenge against a cop thought by some to be a rat. Though he’d been found hogtied and...
Published 05/21/24
Today's episode is called Strange Things are afoot at the Circle K. Unlike a regular episode, Patreon allows us to venture out of the Pacific Northwest. And in this case, I will be taking us to Naples, Florida, where 20 years ago, within just a couple months of each other, two men in Naples, Florida disappeared. They didn’t have a ton in common except for both being young, hard working fathers. Another thing they have in common? The last time either of them was seen alive, they were being...
Published 05/14/24
In this week’s Murder in the Rain episode, we’ll discuss a case with a complicated list of players. When the body of a 33-year-old father is discovered in the brush off a residential road in Gig Harbor, Washington, an unlikely list of suspects is developed and you’ll end up asking yourself, where is the line when protecting someone you love? Would you lie in court for a friend? For your brother? For your child? Would you lie for your mother? Just how far does a mother’s love go? Episode...
Published 05/07/24
It's been an amazing 5 years here at Murder in the Rain. In this episode, we are answering listener questions! Kick back and have a laugh with us and we'll get back to our regular scheduled content next week. If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more. Come visit us at CrimeCon 2024 in Nashville, TN this May 30th through June 2nd. Use code RAIN at checkout for 10% off...
Published 04/30/24
Last week we mentioned that this week’s episode is very special to us and is very different from our usual format. When Danielle Tudor was in town a few weeks ago for a political event, she was kind enough to schedule time with us to give us an update of sorts. So, we went to her mother’s home and sat down with Danielle Tudor and Tiffany Edens, both survivors of Richard Gillmore, Portland’s jogger rapist. For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain episode...
Published 04/23/24
It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear about… Patreon Shoutouts! A run down of the many Sean “Diddy” Combs allegations Update on the “Portland Jogger Rapist” survivors Tiffany Edens and Danielle Tudor from our episode “Unprecedented” Speaker Announcements for the first annual True Crime Fest NW Update on Amanda Jo Stott-Smith from our episode “Help Me”...
Published 04/16/24
Last week, I told you about Robert Silveria aka Sidetrack aka The Boxcar Killer, and his years-long series of murders. Sidetrack traveled at will, with no record of his movements, and his pool of victims were the unhoused, the drifters, and the fellow rail hoppers he encountered. People on the fringe- the kind who wouldn't be missed. This week, the end of the murders, the arrest, and many confessions of Robert Silveria, as well as the California police detective who moonlighted as Elvis- a...
Published 04/09/24
Part 1: "Butchered Up" By the mid-nineteen-nineties, the United States population of train tramps and hobos dropped to only a few thousand from their Depression-era numbers of two million plus. This turn-around began in 1941, when the U.S. began actions during WWII, which led to the military draft, and "the creation of millions of jobs in defense and war industries.” The man we're telling you about today started hopping the rails as a full-time hobo lifestyle in 1991, half a century after...
Published 04/02/24
Part 2: The Dream Has Never Changed Last week I spoke about perpetrator, rapist and murderer Bruce Bradley Bushey. This week, we aren’t talking about him, but about his victims Barbara and her son Patrick. In different ways, Barbara and Patrick both lost their lives to the same man. Today I’ll talk with Patrick about what he remembers of his mother and the chaos surrounding her death. He’ll talk about how it shaped the way reacted as a teen and how he’s turned into a helper as an...
Published 03/26/24