Episodes
Theresa Cross Knor was jealous, controlling, and abusive to her partners and children. After murdering one husband and getting away with it, her children became her next targets.  She would make her children complicit in the murders of two of their siblings and would almost get away with murder again. Resources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresa_Knorr Theresa Knorr: The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive, from The Lineup, May 9, 2019 Theresa Knorr: Murderpedia Mother’s Day, Denis...
Published 10/30/23
Published 10/30/23
..1 eerie corn maze... ...9 haunting figures... ...9 spine-tingling tales... ...Will YOU find your way out? This holiday season, step into a labyrinth of shadows and suspense with Shane Waters as your guide. In this chilling collaboration, you'll encounter the hosts of 9 acclaimed true crime podcasts, each offering a dark tale and a life lesson to send shivers down your spine. This is not just a special episode; it's an immersive journey through a maze of twisted paths and unsolved...
Published 10/23/23
This week I’m continuing the series “A Family Affair,” detailing cases of a parent involving their children in murder plots.  This time a mother and daughter team up to murder family members for financial profit and to rid themselves of the “burden” of caring for them.  This is the case of Diane and Rachel Staudte aka “The Antifreeze Murders”.  Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a special bonus! I interviewed Laurah Norton, friend, and fellow podcaster, about her new book “Lay Them to...
Published 10/16/23
In this month’s series “A Family Affair,” I’ll share cases in which children are manipulated into involvement in criminal offenses - even murder - at the direction of a parent. First up, lust and greed spur a man to manipulate his 14-year-old daughter into committing murder.  Later, when facing a lengthy prison sentence, loyalty to her father causes Cinnamon Brown to keep her father’s secret…at first.  Resources: The Real Murders of Orange County: Stolen Youth, Season 3, Episode 9, July 21,...
Published 10/09/23
A 19-year-old college student dies as a result of a fraternity hazing incident at Pennsylvania State University in 2017. It will result in the largest criminal indictment of a fraternity in American history.  RESOURCE LINKS:  “Penn State is Still Keeping Secrets on Frat Row” - https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/penn-state-drinking/5a74f2a3f1cdb375f62d5ddd “What Happened the Night of Beta Theta Pi’s Bid Acceptance Night” - ...
Published 09/25/23
In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In 1996, a 14-year-old walked into his 8th-grade math class and opened fire.  This early school shooting would shock his community and spark a nationwide debate about violence in the media, school bullying, mental health, and gun control.  But what was the real reason Barry Loukaitis brought terror to his classroom?  Sources:  State v. Loukaitis, Appeal from the Superior Court for Grant County, Decided July 2,...
Published 09/18/23
LIVE FROM U.K. Tune in to this special bonus episode. We're pleased to offer you this special episode in collaboration with the amazing and very popular true crime podcast Minds of Madness!  Esther and Tyler co-host this episode to unravel the mysteries surrounding this gruesome case from the U.K. Links:  https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/s7-ep287-the-long-con-the-murder-of-mee-kuen-chong/  https://mindsofmadnesspodcast.com/listen/
Published 09/16/23
In this month’s series, I detail crimes that happened on school campuses. In this episode,  A 14-year-old high school student commits a horrific act of rape and murder in a school bathroom.  Was Philip Chism mentally ill, as his defense would later claim, or was he faking it to get away with...
Published 09/11/23
In this week’s episode, a successful, young entrepreneur gains a large following on Instagram by sharing her photos and videos of her life’s milestones over the years. Alexis Sharkey’s followers only saw the best times - fun with friends, professional achievements, and glamorous trips.  But, in 2020, her life quickly took a dark turn hidden behind the idyllic images posted on social...
Published 08/28/23
This week, I’ll tell you about a rising singing star who began her career on YouTube before making it to Hollywood to compete on a nationally televised talent show.  Christina Grimmie had a bright future ahead of her as an entertainer in 2016 when an obsessed fan cut her career short with an unprovoked act of violence.   Resources:  The cold-blooded murder of Christina Grimmie was Orlando's most tragic and shocking crime ... for about 26 hours (orlandoweekly.com)  Christina Grimmie Murdered...
Published 08/21/23
This month I’ll be detailing true crime cases that involved rising stars who made names for themselves in social media.
Published 08/07/23
Sheila Davalloo made it a habit of looking outside her relationships for passion and sex.  But she soon turned cold toward her secret lovers once these relationships became routine.  That is until she met a man who rejected her for a new love interest. That’s when her attraction turned into a deadly obsession.   Sources:  Sheila Davalloo | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Sheila Davalloo:Tangled Web, Love, Lies, Murder (wickedness.net) Murder of Anna Lisa Raymundo by Sheila...
Published 07/31/23
In this week’s episode, Lorena joins me to discuss another true crime that resulted from a love triangle. Betty Gore was brutally murdered with an axe in the summer of 1980 in her small town of Wylie, Texas.
Published 07/24/23
In this episode, two people in committed relationships become infatuated with one another.
Published 07/10/23
In this episode we’ll revisit the Michael Peterson case aka “The Staircase Murder”.  My guest, author Tiddy Smith, will discuss an alternate theory to explain the death of Kathleen Peterson detailed in his new book Death by Talons.  Links:   Tiddy Smith’s Author Page: https://wildbluepress.com/death-by-talons-tiddy-smith-true-crime/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithTiddy https://www.patreon.com/OnceUponACrime
Published 07/03/23
On June 10th, 2021, an elderly woman vanished without a trace from her own home in Wembley, London.
Published 06/11/23
We’re celebrating our 7th anniversary of the podcast by bringing you 7 case updates of crimes we’ve covered since 2016. Thank you all so much for making this crazy true crime ride possible!
Published 06/05/23
In this series, I share true crime cases that resulted in women being sentenced to Death Row. In 2009, a woman victimized by a childhood of abuse and violence becomes immersed in anti-immigrant vigilante groups. Her zeal and dedication to this cause result in a home-invasion plot that results in the murders of a Hispanic man and his young daughter.
Published 05/29/23
This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.
Published 05/22/23
This Mother’s Day, join Shane Waters on a chilling adventure featuring 14 podcasters (including Once Upon A Crime) as they share sinister stories of motherhood. Mother’s Day is typically a time to honor the love and sacrifices of mothers, but today we’ll be exploring the twisted tales that lurk behind the shadows.
Published 05/22/23
In 1995, a troubled young woman, jealous of one of her peers, enlists the help of two others to eliminate her enemy. But when the full and horrifying details of the plan emerge, the public is aghast at how a young woman could be capable of such depravity.
Published 05/01/23
On our final collaborative episode for the series “Fool Me Once,” Leroy and I share true stories about criminals who were very bad at their jobs.
Published 04/24/23
We continue our “April Fools” series with a fun game for all you Metalheads! Play along as I try to stump Leroy Luna, host of Excuse Me, That’s Illegal, as he tries to guess I’m quoting serial killers or lyrics from metal songs. We also discuss how rock and metal bands’ music has been tied to and even blamed for some horrific true crimes.
Published 04/17/23