Once Upon A Crime | True Crime

In this episode I’ll tell you about a case that got worldwide media attention due to the bizarre circumstances, the heinous nature of the crime, and the venue at which it occurred - a high school prom. Resources: Melissa Drexler, murderpedia.comhttps://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/drexler-melissa.htm “Before Prom Night, a Suspect was the Girl Next Door” by Abby Goodnough and Bruce Weber for The New York Times, July 2, 1997. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/02/nyregion/before-prom-night-a-suspect-was-the-girl-next-door.html

A student residing with three roommates on an Indiana college campus finds herself mired in a tense living situation. An unusual set of circumstances soon turns deadly. Resources: Murder Loves Company: Dorm Living Nightmare, Season 1, Episode 1, The Investigation Discovery Channel, (2019). Liette Martinez Obituary, Las Cruces-Sun News, April 22, 2008. A series of articles regarding this case can be found in the Albuquerque Journal, April 18, 2008 - Sept. 19, 2008. 

Kitty LeRoy was a sharpshooter, cardsharp, dancer, and entrepreneur.  She became a well-known entertainer in the Old West and ran with legends like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock. But her fierce temper and fiery personality often made her dangerous to be around. You may have never heard of Kitty LeRoy before but after this episode you won’t soon forget her. Resources:  “Kitty LeRoy: Lady Gambler and Gunfighter” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America, Feb 2020.  https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-kittyleroy/ “Kitty LeRoy: Untimely Death” by Greta for Explore Dallas History, Dec 29, 2018.  https://exploredallashistory.com/kitty-leroy-untimely-death/ “Kitty LeRoy was a Jig Dancer and Much More” by Marshall Trimble for True West Magazine, August 3, 2016.  https://truewestmagazine.com/kitty-leroy-was-a-jig-dancer-and-much-more/ “Wild Women Wednesday: Kitty LeRoy” by Chris Enss for Cowgir Magazinel, Dec 30, 2015. https://cowgirlmagazine.com/wild-women-wednesday-kitty-leroy/ Boudoirs to Brothels: Th

In 1819, Lavinia Fisher and her husband John were accused poisoning and murdering multiple guests of their Charleston, South Carolina inn and sentenced to hang.  But were the Fishers really serial killers or is the legend simply a tall tale concocted to entertain tourists? The true story of who Lavinia Fisher was and why she was hanged may shock you. Resources: Lavinia Fisher: Legends of America, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sc-laviniafisher/ Murder and Mayhem in the Holy City, Pat Hendrix, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, 2006. Six Miles to Charleston: The True Story of John and Lavinia Fisher, Bruce Orr, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, 2010. 

In this series we’ll step back in history to learn about some of the history’s first female outlaws. In this episode I’ll tell you about Sally Skull, ranch owner, horse trader, fandango dancer, and gunslinger. Some say Sally’s quick temper - and even quicker hand with a gun - was responsible for the mysterious disappearances of two of her five husbands.  Resources:  “The legendary Sally Skull was a gun-slinging, foul-mouthed Texas horse trader”, Allison Ehrlich for the Corpus Christi Caller Times, March 17, 2022.  https://www.caller.com/story/news/special-reports/building-our-future/throwback/2022/03/17/tbt-sally-skull-gun-slinging-foul-mouthed-texas-horse-trader/7006359001/ “Two Sixshooters and a Sunbonnet”, Dan Kilgore for Publications of the Texas Folklore Society, Legendary Ladies of Texas.  http://sonsofdewittcolony.org/texwomen.htm Scull, Sarah Jane Newman (Sally) (1817 - unknown), Texas State Historical Association.  https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/scull-sarah-jane-newman-sally “Sa

A young girl leaves her hometown of Ohio for the Big Apple with her heart set on a career as a Broadway dancer. Instead, she meets a young man who becomes obsessed with controlling her life. Unable to let her go, Paul Cortez commits a shocking crime.  Resources: The People v. Paul Cortez, New York Court of Appeals filing, April 8, 2013.  https://casetext.com/brief/e970db1d-the-people-respondentvpaul-cortez-appellant-brief  “A dancer’s secret life and savage murder, Keith Morrison/NBCNews.com, Jan 15, 2006.  https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10868185  “The Last Dance”, 48 Hours, May 4, 2006, retrieved from CBSNews.com https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-last-dance/ 

This week’s episode details a murder that, at first glance, appears to be a cut-and-dried case of a lover’s quarrel turned deadly.  Upon investigation, it is discovered to be a much more thought-out and sinister plan.  When authorities uncover the real killer he turns out to be an actor who attempted to parlay his skills as a performer to pull off “the perfect crime”. Sources: “Actor is held in double slaying.” Los Angeles Times, 29 05 2010,    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104583077/actor-is-held-in-double-slaying/. “Actress convicted of lying to police about ex-fiance's double murder pleads innocence in  interrogation tapes.” ABC News, 30 May 2019,  https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/actress-convicted-lying-police-fiances-double-murder- pleads/story?id=63234575 . Accessed 4 July 2022. “As coldblooded as a murderer gets.” Los Angeles Times, 09 01 2016,  https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104976453/as-coldblooded-as-a-murderer-gets/. Berg, Tom. “Justice delayed: Why it took more than 5 years for trial of

In this month’s series “Final Curtain Call” a film or theater actor is connected to a sensational crime.  In 1973, The Exorcist was released in theaters. Moviegoers were shocked by the film’s graphic depiction of a little girl possessed by a demon.  But one movie extra, Paul Bateson, had demons of his own which lead him to commit an act of violence and become a prime suspect in a series of grisly murders.  Resources: Paul Bateson: The ‘Mindhunter’ Murderer Who Appeared in ‘The Exorcist’ -  https://allthatsinteresting.com/paul-bateson   The Exorcist Serial Killer -  https://www.truecrimeedition.com/post/paul-bateson Bag Murders and The Last Call Killer Put in Focus the Dangers the NY LGBTQ+ Community Faces, Inside Edition Online - https://www.insideedition.com/how-the-bag-murders-and-the-last-call-killer-put-in-focus-the-dangers-the-new-york-lgbtq-community Rites Held for Addison Verrill, Variety Reporter Killed in Robbery, The New York Times,  Sept 20, 1977. Arthur Bell, 51, a Columnist, Homosexual

Harry Uzoka was a rising star who’d broken into the world of high-end modeling against all odds. But another model envious of his success began a rivalry which lead to a violent showdown that no one saw coming. Resources Adey, Linda. “Remembering Harry.” BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/remembering_harry_uzoka_the_murder_of_a_model. Accessed 8 June 2022.Balogun, Simi. “FAB Editorial: Ty Ogunkoya & Harry Uzoka Featured In Paper Magazine.” FAB, 21 February 2014, http://fabmagazineonline.com/fab-editorial-ty-ogunkoya-harry-uzoka-featured-paper-magazine/. Accessed 8 June 2022.Okeowo, Alexis. “The Tragedy of Harry Uzoka.” The New York Times, 23 April 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/magazine/harry-uzoka-murder-george-koh.html. Accessed 8 June 2022.“Two charged over stabbing of male model.” London Evening Standard, 16 01 2018, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103618163/two-charged-over-stabbing-of-male-model/. MUSIC CREDITS: Missing (Loopable) by Dave DevilleLink: https://filmmusic

In light of the ongoing tragedies of frequent mass shootings in America, I’ve decided to make this week’s episode one of hope and heroism. In this story, a young girl becomes an unlikely hero when she acts upon a hunch derailing an evil plot before it could begin.  Resources “De Anza bomber receives 7-year prison sentence” | News | losaltosonline.com.” Los Altos Town Crier, 3 April 2022, https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/de-anza-bomber-receives-7-year-prison-sentence/article_53662dd7-5f2f-5b74-9719-7f6bb84b6cb0.html. Accessed 4 June 2022. Fernandez, Lisa. “Woman whose call to cops stopped De Anza College attack now has cancer.” The San Jose Mercury News, 17 August 2010, https://www.mercurynews.com/2010/08/17/woman-whose-call-to-cops-stopped-de-anza-college-attack-now-has-cancer/. Accessed 2 June 2022. Gathright, Alan. “De Anza massacre planned in diary / College student's bomb trial begins.” SFGATE, 11 April 2002, https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/De-Anza-massacre-planned-in-diary-College-2852635

In 1996, the longest and most expensive investigation in the FBI’s history was successfully solved when Theodore Kaczynski was identified as “The Unabomber” 18 years after he began building and planting bombs at various locations. Three people were killed and several others injured before he was brought to justice. A new book titled “Madman in the Woods” recounts the experiences of its author Jamie Gehring regarding Kaczynski who she knew as “Ted” the eccentric neighbor who lived in a one-room cabin just a stone’s throw from her family home in Lincoln, Montana. In this episode I speak with Jamie to discuss her memories of Kaczynski and learn how her own father was instrumental in the FBI”s capture of the elusive killer. Link to Jamie’s book: Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber by Jamie Gehring https://amzn.to/3FNbD73

Christopher Wilder posed as a photographer to lure beautiful young women with the promise of modeling work. Those who take him up on his offer - and even those that didn’t - found themselves victims of a serial rapist who soon graduated to serial murder. Resources:  https://listverse.com/2019/08/07/10-shocking-facts-about-the-beauty-queen-killer/  https://allthatsinteresting.com/christopher-wilder  https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Christopher_Wilder  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Wilder https://charleyproject.org/case/elizabeth-ann-kenyon  https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/wilder-christopher.htm

A young woman who creates a YouTube channel to advocate for animal rights and veganism becomes disgruntled with the social media platform when she feels she is being targeted for discrimination. But, no one imagined that her anger would spiral into a random act of violence.  Resources:  “Sleeping in Car and Visiting Gun Range: How YouTube Attacker Spent Final Hours” by Daisuke Wakabayashi, Matthew Haag and Elizabeth Dias for The New York Times, April 4, 2018. MVPD Statement Regarding Officers’ Interaction with Woman Responsible for YouTube Shooting, City of Mountain View News Details.  “YouTube shooter was angry about company’s “Policies and Practices’: The Latest” by Aric Jenkins, Katy Steinmetz, and Mahita Gajanan for Time Magazine, April 4, 2018.  The Case Files: Nasim Najafi Aghdam by Virginia Simmons, blog post dated March 25, 2021, Ontic.com.  Clip from Mountain View Police Department bodycam footage can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmpjNUWpLBU Links: Once Upon a Crime Facebrook Gro

In this episode, a young man who dubs himself “Mr. Anime” gains a large following as a critic and reviewer on YouTube.. But, he’ll later admit to harboring dark fantasies most of his life after he commits a shocking act of violence against his closest family members. Resources: “Mr. Anime Loves God and His Family” by Jeannette Garrett for Crime Magazine. “Parents, brother each had high-powered rifle wounds” by Mike Glenn and Cindy George for The Houston Chronicle, Mar 21, 2012. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118711/Trey-Eric-Sesler-shot-dead-parents-brother-planning-Columbine-style-massacre.html https://rabrewster.com/2019/07/21/human-monsters-trey-sesler-mr-anime-the-first-youtube-killer/ https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Police-Man-charged-in-Waller-deaths-planned-3425659.php https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/anime-youtube-star-murdered-family-22852419 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-dWvmMif68 Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

This week I have a special episode diving into the topic of the psychology of mass killers. What prompts someone to commit mass murder against random strangers? How did Columbine become a cultural touchstone that inspired others to plan and execute their own mass shooting sprees? What can we do to slow down the number and frequency of these types of crimes, if anything? I'll get answers to some of these questions from psychotherapist and author, P. Shavaun Scott, author of The Minds of Mass Killers: Understanding and Interrupting the Pathway to Violence. Here's a link to Shavan's book which you can purchase at Amazon.com. https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B09MB86W17&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_2M1AWDE85GG90D9JY8QH&tag=onc01a-20

A young couple on a quest for internet fame record a prank for their YouTube channel with tragic results.  Resources: YouTube Prankster Jailed, BBC News, March 15, 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43410816 The Last Moments Before a YouTube Stunt Went Fatally Wrong, Buzzfeed News, June 22, 2018. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/failed-youtube-stunt-killing-videos Who Was Pedro Ruiz?, The Sun, March 15, 2018 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3908168/pedro-ruiz-youtube-star-killed-girlfriend-monalisa-perez-shooting-stunt-jail-latest/ Stunt Gone Wrong, Valley News, June 27, 2017 https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Family-says-it-was-a-YouTube-stunt-gone-wrong-a-22-year-old-man-is-dead-after-being-shot-in-the-chest-431170773.html

This is part 2 of a 2-part- episode. As we continue the story, Shelly and Dave Knotek have isolated themselves, their three daughters, nephew, and a boarder, Kathy Loreno, in their Ramond, Washington home. The torture and abuse Kathy endured would come to a shocking conclusion in July of 1994. Resources: If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood - Gregg Olsen https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/knotek-michelle.htm https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/876416/shelly-knotek-abuse-daughters-serial-killer/ https://casetext.com/case/state-v-knotek Snapped: Season 10, Episode 19 Couple Held in Woman’s 1994 Disappearance https://apnews.com/article/1ba1a2ceca7d8bbbc82506c3b1b488b5

Shelly Knotek has been called “America’s Most Evil Mom”. She abused, tortured, and humiliated her children and partners, but her control and abuse went beyond her own family members. One-by-one people she took into her home as boarders also found themselves trapped and unable to escape her abuse. This is part one of a two-part episode. To get Part 2 early and ad free, become a Patreon member of Once Upon a Crime at www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime.  Resources: If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood - Gregg Olsen https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/knotek-michelle.htm https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/876416/shelly-knotek-abuse-daughters-serial-killer/ https://casetext.com/case/state-v-knotek Snapped: Season 10, Episode 19 Couple Held in Woman’s 1994 Disappearancehttps://apnews.com/article/1ba1a2ceca7d8bbbc82506c3b1b488b5

In this month’s series, we’ll take a look at the fascinating phenomenon of narcissistic family cults - a family unit that exhibits all the hallmarks of a traditional cult group but is led by a narcissistic family member - usually a parent.  In this episode, a couple with thirteen children spend decades isolating themselves from the outside world. The public would be shocked when it was discovered their children had been subjected to long-term ritualistic abuse, neglect, and deprivation in one of the worst cases of child abuse ever recorded in California.  Links: Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime - Become a Patreon member of Once Upon a Crime to get ad-free, early release episodes, and more perks.  Military Murder Podcast - Check out my friend Margo’s podcast - Military Murder! www.militarymurderpodcast.com.  Resources: The Family Next Door by John Glatt, St. Martin’s Press, 2019.  David Turpin Biography: 13 Things About Perris, California Engineer Turpin Trial: Couple Jailed for Life for ‘Inh

A young man’s racist ideology lead him to take the lives of 51 people and injure dozens more all while recording and uploading a video of the murders to Facebook Live.  Resources: Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019. https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz “Massacre Suspect Traveled the World but Lived on the Internet” by David D. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times, March 15, 2019.  “NZ gunman to stay silent at sentencing after families bring court to tears” by Nick Perry for The Times of Israel, 26 August 2020.  “The Christchurch shooting was streamed lived, but think twice about watching it” by Colleen Murrelll for abc.net.au, Mar 15, 2019.  “Family of alleged gunman apologises to Christchurch victims” by Padraig Collins for The Irish Times, Mar 17, 2109.  Links:  website - www.truecrimepodcast.com Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime