Join me as I dive into some of the most fascinating and thought provoking true crime stories told one chapter at a time. Kidnappings, murders, mysterious disappearances, serial killers, celebrity crime and more will be covered.

A well-respected educator in Bakersfield, California is accused of a brutal crime - the murders of five of his family members.

Episode 182: Bad Teacher: Vincent Brothers

In this month's series "Bad Teacher" I'll share cases of educators who committed newsworthy crimes. 

First up, a 34-year-old teacher scandalizes the nation when she is convicted of child rape with one of her 6th grade students.

Episode 181: Bad Teacher: Mary Kay Letourneau

In Part 2 of Familiar Strangers - Anastasia Romanov, a young woman comes forward claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia.  The investigation into her claim would take decades to solve her true identity.  

I welcome back my sister, Yolanda, to help me discuss all the ins and outs of this case!

Episode 180: Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov, Part 2

On this first part of a 2-part episode, I share the fascinating story of the disappearance of the last imperial family of Russia, the Romanovs.

Episode 179: Familiar Strangers: Anastasia Romanov, Part1

A few summer news items and announcements for Once Upon a Crime listeners.

Podcast Awards: www.podcastawards.com 

Links:

Excuse Me, That's Illegal - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/excuse-me-thats-illegal/id1526994548

August News and Announcements

On this second part of a two-part episode we continue the story of 9-year-old Walter Collins who went missing from Los Angeles in 1928.  In part two, we discover that a serial killer, Gordon Stewart Northcott, has been preying on boys and young men in the LA area.  Was Walter Collins a victim of Northcott's?

Episode 178: Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins, Part 2

A young boy who goes missing in 1928.  When he returns home, his mother will say he's an imposter, but her claims are dismissed.  Who was the boy claiming to be her missing son and what happened to the real Walter Collins?

Episode 177: Familiar Strangers: Walter Collins - Part 1

The life and tragic death of a young socialite in the 1930s inspires an Academy Award winning movie. But, Starr Faithfull's life was far from the glamorous treatment it would receive on the big screen.

Episode 176: Stranger Than Fiction: Starr Faithfull and "BUtterfield 8"

As a bonus for this month's theme "Stranger Than Fiction" I interviewed author Harold Schechter about his new book, Ripped from the Headlines: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies' Most Memorable Crimes, an anthology of forty true crime cases that inspired films.

Bonus Episode: "Ripped from the Headlines" with author Harold Schechter

Two women accused of murder in the Roaring 20s would become the inspiration for one of the best known and longest running shows in American musical theater history. This is the story of the real life Roxie and Velma from "Chicago".

Episode 175: Stranger Than Fiction: Belva Gaertner & Beulah Annan and Chicago

In 1986, a beautiful young mother discovers her husband is cheating on her and files for divorce.  Soon afterward, she goes missing.  Discovering what happened to Helle Crafts would take an small army of detectives, forensic scientists, serologists, forensic anthropologists, a police diving team and other investigators to unravel this bizarre crime and would inspire an Academy-Award winning film.

Episode 174: Stranger Than Fiction: Richard Crafts and "Fargo"

In the last chapter of "Till Death Do Us Part" a woman meets and quickly marries a man. He promises her a new life, but soon after the wedding she goes missing.  It will take years of investigative and legal work to bring her killer to justice.

Episode 173: Till Death Do Us Part: Nancy Andrade and Mark Crew

A bride sees many red flags in her relationship before walking down the aisle. but her fear of angering her fiancee would compel her to go through with the ceremony.  Within hours, that decision would become fatal.  

#domestic violence #coercive control

Episode 172: Till Death Do Us Part: Kelly Ecker and Scott Samson

A new bride decides she's made a mistake in tying the knot.  The decision she makes in order to end the marriage will be a shocking act of cruelty.

Episode 171: Till Death Do Us Part: Jordan Graham and Cody Johnson

In this series, I'll share cases of newlyweds who's lives were cut short by the person who vowed to love them forever.  

In this first case, a young bride is unaware that her new spouse married her to collect on a $1 million dollar insurance policy.

Episode 170: Till Death Do Us Part: Wendy Trapaga and Michel Escoto

In Part 2 of "The Pelley Murders" I'll tell you about Jeff Pelley's trial, theories of the murder and give you a strange and compelling story about who else may have been responsible for the murders of Bob Pelley and his family.

Episode 169: Last Dance: The Pelley Murders - Part 2

A 17-year-old is suspected in the murder of four of his family members because he was forbidden from attending his prom.  Was this a case of a homicidal teen or a rush to judgement?

Episode 168: Last Dance: The Pelley Murders - Part 1

In this series, "Last Dance", I share stories of crimes that happened on prom night.  In the first episode, a teenager commits an act of parricide then attends his prom and holds a party at the crime scene.

Episode 167: Last Dance: Adam Sapikowski

An abusive stepfather gets his comeuppance when his stepsons turn on him resulting in a grisly murder.

Episode 166: StepMonsters - Joshua and Jerome Ellis

A child, unwanted from birth and neglected by her birth parents, is hopeful that her new stepmother will love her like a daughter. It is not to be and her story will become a cautionary tale in the U.K. of how the child protective system spectacularly failed Lauren Wright.

Episode 165: StepMonsters: Tracey Wright

In our new series, “StepMonsters,” I’ll share stories of bad stepparents whose actions became true crime news.  In this first episode I'll share the story of a young boy who went missing and was found in a very unlikely place.  Was he the victim of abuse as he would claim and, if so, who was the person most responsible - his stepmother, his own father or both?

Episode 164: StepMonsters: The Disappearance of Charlie Bothuell

A gruesome crime would become a media sensation in Canada in 1946 when a beautiful young woman was accused of the grisly murder.  This is the case of the infamous Evelyn Dick and the Torso Murder of 1946.

Link to listen to the song "Evelyn Dick" by The Forgotten Rebels - https://youtu.be/OAkxFSM_rNs

Episode 163: Swan Songs: Evelyn Dick

In 1991, Kurt Cobain released a song on the album Nevermind. Titled "Polly" the song was inspired by a kidnapping and rape of a young girl in Tacoma, Washington.  This is the story of that crime.

Listen to "Polly" by Nirvana here: https://youtu.be/3H0NHHKBemg

Episode 162: Swan Songs - Gerald Friend - "Polly"

A young girl is brutally murdered in New York's Central Park in 1986. Her killer, Robert Chambers, would be dubbed "The Preppy Killer" in the press and his victim's name would be dragged through the mud. This is the real story of "The Preppy Murder" you haven't heard before.

Episode 161: Swan Songs: Jennifer Levin

The mysterious death of a young girl inspires Jon Bon Jovi to record a song dedicated to her.  This is the case of Katherine Korzilius.