On January 9th, 2008, 22 year old Sophie Elliot was attacked in Dunedin, New Zealand by her ex-boyfriend. He would later try to use a 1961 law aimed at protecting victims of domestic abuse to get his crime reduced from murder to manslaughter. News of the violent murder and the use of the law sparked outrage in the low-crime country and the outcome of the trial contributed to changes in New Zealand law and an attempt by police to teach young people about toxic relationships. Listen along as we...

After meeting Gabby's family at CrimeCon 2023, I felt I needed to redo Gabby's story and present it in a way that highlights not just what happened to her but the mission the foundation named after her is all about. When her tragic murder was front page news across the country in 2021, there was a lot discussion about the how it happened but not much about why it happened. In this two part series we will tell Gabby's story and talk about the dangerous relationship she found herself in and how...

After meeting Gabby's family at CrimeCon 2023, I felt I needed to redo Gabby's story and present it in a way that highlights not just what happened to her but the mission the foundation named after her is all about. When her tragic murder was front page news across the country in 2021, there was a lot discussion about the how it happened but not much about why it happened. In this two part series we will tell Gabby's story and talk about the dangerous relationship she found herself in and how...

In 2016, high school student Emma Walker was found deceased on her bed with a single gunshot wound to the head. Her ex boyfriend, who had cultivated an extremely unhealthy relationship with the young woman, was eventually found guilty of her murder after it was proven that he shot into the bedroom to scare her into dating him again and one of the shots proved to be fatal. Listen along as we use this story as a chance to discuss the signs and dangers of unhealthy relationships and remember a...

On Halloween night in 1974, a father took his two children out trick or treating. After returning home the children were allowed to eat on piece of candy before bed. Eight year old Timothy chose a giant pixy stix and after his father helped him open the tube containing the candy powder, the boy ingested some of the treat but immediately complained about a bitter taste. His father gave him some Kool-Aid to help swallow the powder but soon Timothy was vomiting and convulsing. He was taken to...

In 1990, in an affluent neighborhood outside West Palm Beach, FL, a person dressed as a clown delivered two balloons and some flowers to an unexpecting homeowner. After handing the items over the suspect shot and killed the homeowner and calmly walked away. The case would go on to be known as the Killer Clown case and for over 30 years the killer of Marlene Warren escaped justice. While investigators had a solid suspect early on it took advances in DNA to finally put the killer behind bars....

In 2006 a 31 year old man named Daniel Ott was killed in a what police believed to be a murder for hire. The victim's background yielded no clues as to why he was targeted for death but after six months, investigators found another Daniel Ott in the area that was a much more likely victim and believed the younger Daniel was killed because he shared a name with a marked man. Listen along as we discuss the murder of Daniel Ott. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

On November 2, 2021 a beloved Spanish teacher from Fairfield, IA was killed while walking in a city park. The investigation revealed that two students were responsible for the murder and the motive revolved around the teacher giving one of the suspects a failing grade. Listen along as we discuss the sad and infuriating case of Nohema Graber. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

In 1984, the small village of Manley Hot Springs Alaska was the scene of a gruesome spree killing. A 25 year old man on the run from law enforcement in Illinois and Alaska killed seven people at a boat landing outside town. He had just killed his neighbor a couple week earlier and as law enforcement closed in, he shot and killed a trooper before being killed by the trooper's partner. Listen along as we discuss the brutal case of the Manley Hot Springs Massacre. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from...

In 1920 an Italian immigrant named Charles Ponzi found a legal way to get rich but he needed investment money. He convinced people he could double their money in 90 days and within 6 months he grew a company from nothing to be worth almost half a billion in today's money. His house of cards came crashing down and he spent 14 years in prison before being deported back to Italy and eventually dying penniless in Brazil in the late 1940's. Listen along as we discuss the life and crimes of the man...

In Merced, CA in 1972, a seven year old boy was abducted and held captive for over seven years. He only escaped to save another young boy from suffering the same fate he did and was hailed as a hero. Steven Stayner would tragically die ten years after his harrowing escape and then ten years after that, someone very close to Steven began his own reign of terror. Listen along as we discuss the dichotomy of evil in these two stories. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

In Merced, CA in 1972, a seven year old boy was abducted and held captive for over seven years. He only escaped to save another young boy from suffering the same fate he did and was hailed as a hero. Steven Stayner would tragically die ten years after his harrowing escape and then ten years after that, someone very close to Steven began his own reign of terror. Listen along as we discuss the dichotomy of evil in these two stories. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

In 2010 a brutal home invasion near Toronto, Canada, left a mother dead, a father clinging to life and a daughter tied up inside the home. The father miraculously survived being shot in the face and would go on to tell the police something so startling, it changed the entire investigation. Listen along as we break down the twisted case of the Pan family. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

When Phoenix police were met at the door by Ryan Waller during a welfare check, they found his girlfriend, Heather Quan, deceased on the couch from a gunshot wound to the head. Ryan looked like had been in a fight and was taken into custody. Sadly it would take police six hours to realize Ryan too had been shot and was a victim, not a suspect. Listen along as we break down the highly controversial and frustrating case of Heather Quan and Ryan Waller. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

In 2013, eleven days after being released from prison, a monster named Nikko Jenkins killed four people in ten days in Omaha. His murder spree had very different motives and victims. Investigators were baffled by the crimes and once he was in custody, Nikko told investigators the killings were done to appease the Egyptian God of darkness, Apep. Listen along as we break down this terrible loss of life at the hands of one of the most violent killers in recent history. Music by Gioele Fazzeri...

Less than two weeks after America celebrated its 200 birthday, three armed men hijacked a school bus containing 26 children and the driver. They drove the bus to a secluded location and forced their captives into two modified vans and drove them to a rock quarry. There they forced them into a buried trailer and closed the hatch, imprisoning their prey underground. The suspects planned to exchange their prisoners for $5 million in cash but couldn't call in the ransom demand due to overloaded...

Over the 4th of July weekend in 2003 a family of five including a mother and her three young children and their mother/grandmother, were killed in what was setup to look like a burglary gone wrong. The main suspect was the estranged husband and father to the children but he had what at first looked like an airtight alibi. The murders occurred in Bakersfield, CA and he had flown to Ohio on July 2 and had credit card receipts for purchases on the day of the murder. But a rental car in his name...

In 2002, a double murder in the small town of Hudson, WI rocked the community. A funeral home director and his intern were shot in the middle of the day, in the funeral home by an unknown suspect. Two years later, a young man reported being sexually assaulted by a local priest and that investigation would eventually point investigators to the killer from the double homicide. Listen along as we discuss the strange and tragic case of the Hudson Funeral Home Murders. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from...

In the mid 1970's, Ted Bundy terrorized the states of Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Florida. Before he was executed he confessed to 30 murders of young women and girls but some believe he started killing well before he will admit to and it's possible he killed 75 to over 100 people, starting during his teenage years. In this three part series we explore the childhood, life, crimes, and the rationale behind the crimes committed by this monster of a man. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from...

In the mid 1970's, Ted Bundy terrorized the states of Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Florida. Before he was executed he confessed to 30 murders of young women and girls but some believe he started killing well before he will admit to and it's possible he killed 75 to over 100 people, starting during his teenage years. In this three part series we explore the childhood, life, crimes, and the rationale behind the crimes committed by this monster of a man. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from...

In the mid 1970's, Ted Bundy terrorized the states of Washington, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Florida. Before he was executed he confessed to 30 murders of young women and girls but some believe he started killing well before he will admit to and it's possible he killed 75 to over 100 people, starting during his teenage years. In this three part series we explore the childhood, life, crimes, and the rationale behind the crimes committed by this monster of a man. Music by Gioele Fazzeri from...

The son of an Irish convict, Ned Kelly grew up in the harsh environment of 1860's bush country in Victoria, Australia. His family was harassed by law enforcement and after several short stints in prison, Ned rose up against the police and his gang gained the support of the public as they fought police corruption. 150 years later, some argue that Ned Kelly was a cold blooded murderer while others praise his efforts to change policing in Australia and they treat his a folk hero. Listen along as...

The son of an Irish convict, Ned Kelly grew up in the harsh environment of 1860's bush country in Victoria, Australia. His family was harassed by law enforcement and after several short stints in prison, Ned rose up against the police and his gang gained the support of the public as they fought police corruption. 150 years later, some argue that Ned Kelly was a cold blooded murderer while others praise his efforts to change policing in Australia and they treat his a folk hero. Listen along...

When an 11 year old Navajo girl and her brother are abducted off reservation land in New Mexico authorities should have immediately issued an amber alert and launched a massive search, but in the case of Ashlynne Mike and her brother Ian jurisdictional issues and low staffing meant an 11 hour delay and while Ian was found alive, Ashlynne had been abused and left for dead the night before. Her tragic death highlights just one of the struggles that Native American families and children face in...