Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

In 1975, a rebellious teen enlists her boyfriend to kill her parents in a small, Northern California town. The gruesome crime would be dubbed "The Barbecue Murders" in the press.  Sources: "Kill My Parents: The story of Marlene Olive" by Denise Noe for Crime Library, June 23, 2014 "A Local Murder: Terra Linda was the setting for a real-life 1975 crime" by Jim Wood for Marin Magazine, October 21, 2008 Music Credits: Original theme music by http://AaronGoldberg.Bandcamp.com Other music: https://freesound.org/s/131913/, https://freesound.org/s/403662/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/, https://freesound.org/s/147495/ - all licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License Links: Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-taco-bout-true-crime/id1452118167  Affirmative Murder -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/affirmative-murder/id1296864488 www.CrimeCon.com - Use offer code ONCE2020 for 10% off your registration. 

In this special episode I'll do an in-depth look at the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos.   Time stamps: Early Life: 02:41 Teen Years: 13:25 Young Adult Life: 32:17 On the Road: 35:30 Criminal Activity: 36:12 Tyra: 47:30 The Victims: 55:57 Closing In/The Arrest: 1:36:40 The Confession: 1:44:46 Arlene Pralle/Adoption: 1:51:50 The Trial: 1:56:42 Death Sentence: 2:04:26 Execution 2:12:44 Final Thoughts: 2:14:35 Sources: "Lethal Intent", written by Sue Russell, Published 2002 for Pinnacle Books http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm "A Mother's Love" by Mike Clary for the LA Times, Dec 17 1991,  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-17-vw-496-story.html Other links:  Deadly Misadventures Podcast  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deadly-misadventures/id1494774552  CrimeCon: www.crimecon.com - Use promo code ONCEUPON2020 for 10% off your standard registration.  Music Credits:  Aaron Michael Goldberg: https://aarongoldberg.bandcamp.com Music from http

On this special episode my guest is Jack Luna from Crime Machine Podcast.  We discuss the evidence and theories behind the JonBenet Ramsey Case. Sources: Foreign Faction: Who Really Killed JonBenet? by A. James Kolar, Ventus Publishing, 2012.  JonBenet Ramsey Case Encyclopedia, www.jonbenetramsey.pbworks.com  "The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey". https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6mj3ze  Crime Machine Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-machine/id1209610434 

On this special episode, I discuss the death of Shawn Stephens Lewis. Shawn was the fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and country music star.  When Shawn Lewis was found dead in Lewis's mansion on August 24, 1983, many questions would remain unanswered as to how she died.  My very special guest this week is Erica Kelly from the Southern Fried True Crime podcast!  www.southernfriedtruecrime.com www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  www.crimecon.com - use offer code ONCE20 for 10% off your standard badge.  Resources: "The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis" by Richard Ben Cramer for Rolling Stone, March 1, 1984 "The Sudden Death of Wife No. 5 Confronts Jerry Lee Lewis with Tragedy - and Troubling Questions" by People Staff for People Magazine, Sept 12, 1983.  "Jerry Lee Lewis: 'The Killer' Says the Wild Times are Behind Him" by Jim Sullivan for The Chicago Tribune. 

On this year-end wrap up episode, I answer listener questions and share updates on cases I've covered in past episodes. 

In this last episode about fugitives on the run from the law I tell you the story of the very first woman ever to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List.  Ruth Eisemann-Schier, along with her boyfriend, Gary Krist, carried out a bizarre kidnapping plot in 1968.   Resources: "Femmes Fatals: The Ten Women on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List" by Anna Hopkins for DailyMail.com, Sep 11, 2017.  "A kidnapping with Deltona ties gripped the nation 50 years ago" by Tony Holt for The Daytona Beach News Journal, Dec 20, 2017.  Krist v. The State of Georgia, Appeal Record, Dec 3, 1970. Retrieved online at www.Cite.Case.Law.  "Gary Krist: The Einstein of Crime" by David Krajicek for www.TruTV.com  Music Credits: "On My Way" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Outro Music by Chesare Gray Music

A young man from a wealthy family is accused of committing two rapes while still in high school. Before he could be tried on these charges he'd flee the jurisdiction and disappear for eight years before finally being brought to justice. Resources:  "Accused Rapist and His Flight Trouble Darien" by Elizabeth Neuffer for The New York Times, Aug 27, 1987 "From Ski Slopes of Europe to a Rape Trial" by George Judson for The New York Times, Jan 31, 1995.  "Judgment Days" by Bill Hewitt for People.com, Nov 4, 1996. "Son of Darien" by Susan Cheever for The New York Times, April 27, 1997.  Vanity Fair Confidential: Fugitive Son, based on reporting by Jennet Conant for Vanity Fair Magazine, first aired on Jan 24, 2017. 

In this episode I’ll share two separate cases of women who became part of a very small and exclusive club - women who made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List.   Nazira Ugalde killed for financial gain and flees to South America.  A young woman in Texas, Brenda Delgado, plans the murder of her romantic rival and disappears soon after being questioned by police.   Resources:  "New details emerge about Reno 'Black Widow', Behind the Crime Tape Blog, Nov. 27, 2012 "Fugitive Black Widow wanted in ex-husband's 2008 murder arrested i Peru", by Nina Golgowski for New York Daily News, Jun 5, 2014.  "Mother of Hygenist at center of deadly love triangle sas her daughter is 'not the jealous type'", by Shekhar Bhatia for DailyMail.com, Sep 12, 2015.  "Duo Behind Killing of Dentist in Murder-for-Hire Plot May be Linked to Drug Cartel", Chicago 5 News, Oct 23, 2015.  "Brenda Delgado: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", Heavy.com, Jun 7, 2019.  "The State of Texas vs Brenda Delgado", Criminal Indictment, October 2, 2018.  Po

A small time drug dealer kidnaps a rival's younger brother in order to settle a debt.  The unfolding series of events would become one of California's most bizarre and tragic kidnapping cases on record and would even inspire an award-winning Hollywood movie.   Resources: Jesse Katz for Los Angeles Magazine, "The Last Ride of Jesse James Hollywood", February 2002.  Colby Frazier for Daily Sound, "Hollywood tells his story", June 24, 2009.  Henry Chu and Solomon Moore for The Los Angeles Times, "Fugitive Kept Low Profile in Quiet Brazilian Beach Town", March 11, 2005.  Chris Hansen for Dateline, "The Real Story Behind 'Alpha Dog', Jan 15, 2007.  Tyler Hayden for The Santa Barbara Independent, "Meet Mrs. Jesse James Hollywood", Feb 4, 2014.  Music Credits:  Music from https://filmmusic.io "Floating Cities" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) "Life of Riley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons

In this episode I dig into my file of spooky stories to share some haunted happenings in the world of rock and roll.  #themansionatlaurelcanyon #redhotchilipeppers #slipknot #hauntedhouses #bonscott #joshuatreeinn #halloween #ghoststories  Resources: Corey Taylor, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven (Or How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process), (Da Capo Press, 2013).  Inside the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate, www.wildabouthoudini.com, March 30, 2012.  Funky Monks - Uncut Full Documentary (1st edit uncut w/bonus footage), YouTube, uploaded by MakingMonstersInk, April 10, 2013. https://youtu.be/z0tTJ4SakE0 Music credits from https://filmmusic.io - License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) "Halloween Theme 1" by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/) "Graveyard Shift" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) "Myst on the Moor" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) "Waltz of Treachery" by Kevin MacLeod (h

Bob Marley went from singing R&B harmonies in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica to becoming a pioneer of reggae music, bringing his own blend of reggae, rock and ska music to a global audience. But as a popular figure in Jamaica, he was unwillingly thrust into the country’s political strife. The situation became so dangerous for Marley that on December 3, 1976, he became a target of assassins.  Resources: Chris Salewicz, Bob Marley: The Untold Story, (New York: Faber and Faber), 2010.  Biolgraphy.com, "Bob Marley", https://www.biography.com/musician/bob-marley Vivien Goldman, The Guardian, "Dread, beat and blood", July 16, 2006.  Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "Manufacturing Bob Marley", July 17, 2017 Mike Lanchin, BBC World Service, "I was there when gunmen tried to kill Bob Marley," December 4, 2016.  Kief Davidson, Remastered: Who Shot the Sheriff?, Netflix, 2015.  Music Credits: Music from https://filmmusic.io Sunny Rasta" by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/) License: CC BY (http

A free concert took place in northern California in December of 1969 featuring The Rolling Stones. It would descend into chaos due to poor planning, rampant drug use and the ill-advised use of the Hells Angels as concert security.  Resources: Joel Selvin, Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day, (New York: Harper Collins), 2016.  Lester Bangs, Reny Brown, John Burks, Sammy Egan, Michael Goodwin, Geoffrey Link, Greil Marcus, John Morthland, Eugene Schoenfeld, Patrick Thomas, and Langdon Winner, Rolling Stone Magazine, "The Rolling Stones Disaster at Altamont: Let It Bleed," January 21, 1970.  Albert & David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, Gimme Shelter (1970), http://watchdocumentaries.com/rolling-stones-gimme-shelter/ Note: Meredith Hunter can be seen in the crowd at timestamp 1:18:50. The attack on him begins at 1:23:26. 

A woman begins receiving harassing phone calls and letters from a stalker.  It would take years to discover who the anonymous man was, but when he was finally identified a shocking secret would be revealed.  Resources: Book: Little Girl Fly Away by Gene Stone Articles:   'Poet" makes life a living horror for Wichita Woman by Scott Kraft for AP in the Garden City Telegram, Jan 24, 1980 'Poet' strikes again and Wichita police still baffled by Scott Kraft for AP in Garden City Telegram, Feb 21, 1980 Harassed by an Unknown Author of Vicious Rhymes, Ruth Finley Confronts the Stranger Within Herself by Gene Stone for People Magazine, Sept. 5, 1988 Social Media: Once Upon a Time Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1730325570622505/  Patreon:  www.Patreon.com/OnceUponaCrime

A 7-year-old goes missing while on a family camping trip in 1973.  Anonymous calls would be placed demanding a ransom, but, the trail would grow cold until exactly one year later when the kidnapper would call her mother to brag about taking her daughter.   Resources: Documentary: The FBI Files, "Dark Woods", Season 5, Episode 13.  Articles:  Bible Verse May Have Spurred Meirhofer, The Daily Interlake, October 4, 1974 Small Town Terror by Joseph MacNamara for The New York Daily News, December 22, 1994 The Quality of Mercy by Antoinette Martin for The Detroit Free Press, August 21, 1994 Not Another Victim by Amy Linn for The Missoula Independent, November 5, 2015 Music Credits: Music from https://filmmusic.io"Floating Cities" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Links: Patreon: www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  CrimeCon CrowdSolve - https://www.crimecon.com/crowdsolve-seattle

In a small French village, a little boy goes missing and the family receives anonymous letters from a person taking responsibility who is dubbed "The Crow".  This strange case could be considered the Jon Benet Ramsey case of France.   Resources: Articles:  The Long Shadow of the Crow by Scott Kraft for The Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1993 Gregory by Anthony Davis for CrimeMagazine.com, April 30, 2009 The Murder of Little Gregory: The unsolved case that haunted France by John Henley for The Guardian, August 28, 2017 Links: Let's Taco 'Bout True Crime episode:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-episode-lets-taco-bout-crime-junkie-plagiarism/id1452118167?i=1000447888185 

A young girl goes missing in South Carolina in 1985.  Soon after, her kidnapper would begin calling her family - but not to make demands for her safe return, but only to cruelly taunt them.  This is the first chapter in the series "Taunting Terrors".  Resources: Book: Murder in the Midlands: Larry Gene Bell and the 28 Days of Terror that Shook South Carolina by Rita Y. Shuler Articles:  South Carolina serial killer forced girl to write a farewell note and tormented his victims' families after sick spree in mid-80s by Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, November 15, 2014 Left Behind: Survivors of Capital Crimes Don't want the Victims to be Forgotten by Becky Beane for PFM.org Court Records:  United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Larry Gene Bell v. Parker Evatt, Commissioner, South Carolina Department of Corrections, T. Travis Medlock, Attorney General, State of South Carolina, December 18, 1995 Social Media:  Twitter - @uponacrime Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime  Facebook and Instagra

A horror film franchise is seemingly cursed when it experiences tragedies including hauntings, serious accidents, fatal illness and murder.   Resources:  https://www.ranker.com/list/victims-of-the-poltergeist-curse/melissa-brinks  https://www.grunge.com/35883/bizarre-things-happened-set-poltergeist/  http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2015/12/22/the-shocking-history-of-the-poltergeist-curse/ http://www.iconsoffright.com/IV_Oliver.htm   https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/24/nyregion/crash-at-la-guardia-survivors-of-mangled-plane-recall-fire-water-terror.html http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/143731%7C0/Heather-O-Rourke/ https://www.statesman.com/article/20110202/NEWS/302029646

From 1922 to the 1940s over 40 child actors would be cast in a popular series of short films and many of them would later fall victim to strange accidents, illnesses, drug addiction, financial hardship, murder and suicide.  This is The Curse of The Little Rascals. Resources: Television Episode: E! True Hollywood Story: Curse of the Little Rascals Alfalfa's Mysterious Death - www.tvparty.com Convicted killer of "Little Rascal" dies - AP, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas, July 19, 2014

Every manifestation of the Man of Steel - comic books, television shows and films - has been marked by bad blood, shattered careers, tragic accidents and even murder.  This is the Curse of Superman.  Resources: George Reeves Revealed: An Inside Look at the Life and Tragic Death of Television's First Superman by Ed Gross for CloserWeekly.com, Feb. 27, 2019 Who Killed Superman? TheGuardian.com, Nov. 17, 2006

Three child actors become stars after being cast in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes in 1978.  But, all three would go on to live troubled adult lives including drug addiction, legal troubles and untimely death.  These are the stories of Todd Bridges, Dana Plato and Gary Coleman.  Resources: The Tragic Stars of Different Strokes, People Magazine, March 25, 1991 Gary Coleman dies at 42; child star of hit sitcom Diff'rent Strokes by Dennis McClellan for The Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2010.   The Overdose Death of Dana Plato by Frank Wilkins for ReelReviews.com.  Todd Bridges book: Killing Wills: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted, Simon and Schuster, 2010.