This month in Once Upon a Crime’s “Best Of” series, we highlight significant episodes as the podcast rounds off its eighth year. This week, I’ve chosen to revisit a story from 2018 about the serial murders of over 500 women in Juarez, Mexico, between 1993 and 2011. You’ll hear about the disturbing pattern of disappearances and murders of young women from that city. The episode also discusses the widespread negligence and victim-blaming by the police, the negative impacts of labeling women...

This Best Of episode of Once Upon a Crime revisits the mysterious disappearance of Jeanine Sanchez Harms from Campbell, California, in 2001. This case is unique for a number of reasons, including its proximity to my hometown and studio and the shocking, unforeseeable conclusion.  It also stands out due to its 'no body murder' status and complex detective work. Jeanine, recently divorced, goes missing after a night out involving a somewhat reluctant date and interaction with several...

This episode of 'Once Upon a Crime' revisits a popular series from Season 1 titled 'The Day the Music Died,' focusing on the tragic endings of musical icons, including Selena Quintanilla Perez.  The episode explores Selena's rise to fame as a star in Tejano music, her groundbreaking achievements, and her untimely death at 23. Additionally, it delves into Selena's early life and career, her family's influence, the formation of Selena y Los Dinos, and her significant impact on Tejano and pop...

In the final series for season eight of Once Upon A Crime, we provide a retrospective look at the most compelling episodes from the show's archive, particularly highlighting those that newer listeners might have missed.  This episode revisits the story of Betty Broderick from Season 1, part of the 'A Woman Scorned' series, which delves into crimes committed by women against their romantic partners.  Betty Broderick's tumultuous marriage, marked by jealousy, arguments, and ultimately, her...

We’re wrapping up Season 8 on the way to Once Upon a Crime’s 9th birthday! We’re sharing six of our “Best Of” Episodes from the archives to celebrate eight years of true crime podcasting.  First up, you’ll hear a clip from one of our most popular episodes released as discussions with everyone’s favorite co-host, my sister, Yolanda.  We’ll break down the O.J. Simpson case with details you may not have heard before.   Links:  Season 6: Episode 225: Breaking Down the O.J. Simpson Case with...

In the last chapter of the series “Manipulated to Murder,” I’ll share a story about a predator who hid behind a false identity to manipulate young and impressionable teens into committing the senseless murder of a vulnerable young...

Pamela Smart became a household name - not for being the next Barbara Walters as she’d hoped but for orchestrating the cold-blooded murder of her husband - using her teenage lover as the trigger man. The case became a media sensation when it hit the news cycle in 1990.  It was such a high-profile case that millions watched the trial unfold live on television.  It was the very first time a murder trial in the U.S. received “gavel-to-gavel” coverage on a newly launched cable television channel...

In this month’s series, we’ll look at people who were manipulated into committing murder.  First up, we’ll take a look at a case where a mother pressures her child to kill his father.  That fact alone would make this story truly horrible but it was not the last murder Marie Witte orchestrated.  The next one would be as cold-hearted as it was...

In this special bonus episode of Once Upon a Crime, I speak with Michael Wolraich, the author of a new true crime book, The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age.  In 1931, Vivian Gordon’s body was found in a gully in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park. She’d been brutally strangled, her body dumped.  The investigation into her murder would uncover blackmail plots, sex scandals, and corruption at the highest levels of the New York government.   The Bishop and...

In this final episode of “Tarnished Hollywood,” I’ll share a story about a promising young actor who ran afoul of the law.  His decision to immerse himself in gang culture at the expense of an acting career would lead to a life sentence in a prison cell and a brutal and bizarre end to his life at the age of...

Amanda Hayes, an actress known for roles on The Sopranos and The Stepford Wives, was convicted of conspiring with her husband, Grant Hayes, to murder Laura Ackerson, his ex-wife and mother of his two children.  The murder  and its cover-up would be one of the most grisly crimes investigators had ever encountered.  Sources:  Bitter Remains, author Diane Fanning, Berkley Books, 2016.  See No Evil: Who killed Laura Ackerson and where are they now?  ID’s See No Evil: Who killed Laura Ackerson...

Danny Masterson is an American actor best known for his role in That 70’s Show. In 2020, he was charged with raping three women in 2001 and 2003. Masterson and his victims were all members of the Church of Scientology. The church’s policies and threats toward the victims caused a 20-year delay in bringing the crimes to justice. Sources:  A Timeline of Danny Masterson’s Controversies, Skyler Caruso for People.com, Sept 7, 2023...

...1 historic steam train... ...9 exceptional true crime podcasts... ...9 tales woven with the spirit of Women's Day... ...Will YOU unravel the mysteries aboard? This International Women's Day, join Shane Waters and Wendy Cee on an unprecedented journey through the heart of England to Crimecon UK in London. Mysteries on the True Crime Express is not just a podcast episode; it's an immersive voyage into the depths of true crime, history, and the indomitable spirit of women. Aboard this...

In this special episode, I speak with author Gareth Russell.  His new book, The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of British History at Hampton Court, gives us a look at the storied history of what is called the most beautiful palace in England.  But, behind the walls of Hampton Court, true tales of intrigue, sex scandals, assassination plots, and murder played out among the royals and court members....

“Murder in Boston” - An Interview with Adrian Walker (Bonus Episode) On October 23, 1989, 29-year-old Charles Stuart placed a 911 call to report that he and his wife, Carol, had been carjacked, driven to a secluded section of the city, robbed, and shot.   A city-wide manhunt for the assailant began.  But, from the start, police were suspicious about Charles Stuart’s story.  Stuart was gravely wounded, but his wife, seven months pregnant with their first child, died, as did their unborn...

In history, there have been several monarchs known as “Mad Kings” - monarchs who were plagued by erratic and even violent behavior often attributed to mental illness. King Eric the XIV of Sweden is one such ruler. While intellectually brilliant, King Eric suffered from extreme paranoia, which led to erratic, violent, and even murderous behavior. Sources:  Disturbed Facts About Eric XIV Of Sweden, The Butcher King - Factinate Eric XIV, King of Sweden,...

This month, we’re taking a peek at royal families. What secrets and scandals lie behind these noble houses? In this week’s episode, I’ll tell you about an illicit affair an heir to the British throne engaged in with a French courtesan during WWI.  Marguerite Alibert retained evidence of her affair with Prince Edward that she would later use as blackmail when she was on trial for the murder of another prince.   Sources:  Marguerite Alibert: Courtesan, Murderess and Blackmailer of a King  -...

In this month’s series, we’ll take a look at the dark side of royalty. I will detail crimes, sex scandals, and even murders that have occurred within royal families.   First up, a member of the British royal family, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York’s reputation is muddied when his close, personal friend, Jeffrey Epstein, is exposed as a sex trafficker of underage girls. Prince Andrew will fall even further into disgrace when one of Epstein’s victims accuses him of sexual assault while she was...

In the summer of 1984, a young woman kidnapped in Northern California finally makes her escape after seven years of violence, torture, imprisonment, and coercive control. While free from the physical restraints of her horrific experience, the emotional battle is just beginning.  The investigation and legal battles unfold while the victim, Colleen Stan, attempts to rebuild her life.  Resources: True Crime Documentary: The Girl in the Box - YouTube The 'Girl In The Box' Case And The Tragic...

In 1977, a young woman kidnapped by a married couple while hitchhiking is taken to their home and imprisoned for the next seven years. During this time the woman is subjected to depraved torture, sensory deprivation, and sexual abuse. Deep and pervasive brainwashing and coercive control make it less and less likely she will ever escape, despite one of her captors eventually telling her the terrible truth which could facilitate her breaking free.  Resources: True Crime Documentary: The Girl...

In this first part of a 3-part episode, I share an infamous kidnapping case that began in 1977 in northern California.  The kidnapping of Colleen Stan become famously, and chillingly, known as “The Girl in the Box” case.   It’s an incredible story of unprecedented evil but also one of faith, strength, and the courage of a young girl to survive a horrific nightmare at the hands of the worst kind of predator.   Sponsors:  Lume - LumeDeodorant.com - Use code ONCE for $5 of a Lume Starter Pack...

My Fugitive Dad” - An Interview with Ashley Randele (Bonus Episode)  Release Date: December 28, 2023 In 2021,  71-year-old Thomas Randele, revealed to his daughter, Ashley. that his real name was Theodore John Conrad.  In 1969, Ted Conrad, a vault teller at a bank in Cleveland, Ohio, stuffed a bag with over $200,000 in cash and walked out, never to be seen again.  The new season of the podcast Smoke Screen, titled My Fugitive Dad, tells the story with first-person accounts from those who...

As we wrap up 2023, I ask the question, “What was your true crime obsession this year?”  In this episode, I’ll find out what true crime cases your favorite true crime podcasters were talking about.   You’ll hear my discussions with Tyler from Minds of Madness, Michael from True Crime Guys, Leroy from Excuse Me, That’s Illegal, Jerri from FBI Retired Case File Review, and Eric, from True Consequences.   I’ll also share the most exciting milestones and events for Once Upon a Crime in 2023 and...

In 1958, 19-year-old Starkweather went on a killing spree that shocked the nation. He took his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril, with him.   The story of that crime spree has become a legend in true crime history, and Starkweather and Fugate have been portrayed as villains on par with Bonnie and Clyde.  In this episode, I revisit this case by speaking with best-selling true crime author Harry MacLean.  His new book Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America takes...

In this month’s episodes, I’ll wrap up 2023 by discovering what listeners, podcasters, and other true crime experts list as their “true crime obsessions” this year.  This week, I’m privileged to talk to veteran true crime journalist, correspondent, podcaster, and celebrity Erin Moriarty.  Erin has been a correspondent for 48 Hours on CBS Television for over three decades. Her award-winning true crime podcast My Life of Crime has returned for season four. I’ll talk with Erin about her life as...