True Crime Historian

The Minot Redemption Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 124 is classic potboiler adapted from the pages of True Detective Mysteries Magazine, concerning a party of sailors landing in a private speakeasy in the San Pedro Harbor during prohibition. Told from the perspective of a detective on the case, this is a tale of sin and redemption, of an escape from justice and ill-fated love, and the efforts of an amateur sleuth in discovering the fugitive. More PRISON BREAKS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

The $2.35 Murder Ad Free Safe House Edition Episode 331 is dedicated to listener Kalie Jansen who recommended this strange story of a  Syracuse, New York woman who came up missing during a brutal snowstorm, and the surprising way in which the mystery unfolded. Culled from the historic pages of the Syracuse Herald and other newspapers of the era. More CAPITAL CRIMES Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

The Jailer's Wife's Betrayal Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 330 is the exciting story of the Biddle Brothers of Pittsburgh, whose ransack of a humble home turns to homicide and leads to the line-of-duty death of one of the city's beloved officers. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2025

The Tragic Typhoid Conspiracy Commercial Free Safe House Edition Episode 329 tells of an unusual modus operandi, the use of typhoid germs as a method of poisoning when an Illinois attorney goes on trial for the murder of a young man he raised after the death of his mother, who happened to leave her son a million dollar estate. A big welcome back to our friend Susan Ferman, who will read passages written during the trial by the Chicago Tribune’s ace female reporter Genevieve Forbes Herrick about some of the women involved in the case. Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers of the era. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Rampage in Valdosta Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 126 concerned this podcast’s first non-human perpetrator, a great big crazy brilliant elephant first known as Empress when imported into the United States in 1871. She killed so many handlers that she was sentenced to death many times, but doing so was so difficult that she was just passed from show to show. Along the way someone changed her name to Gypsy, and she spent the last decade of her tragic life with the Harris Nickel Plate Circus. She claimed at least seven victims, but she was crazy for a reason, and if you’re an animal lover, I’ve got to warn you that you’re about to get a big dose of outrage and indignation.  More Serial Killers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

The Botched Execution of Tom Ketchum Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 127 takes us back to the days of the Old West with the tale of “the Black Jack Gang,” terrors of the Southwest, from about 1896 to 1891 when its leader, Tom Ketchum, was finally captured trying to pull off a train robbery solo. He didn’t know the conductor had been robbed once before and carried a sawed-off shotgun. Yeah, that’s not gonna end well. More BOTCHED EXECUTIONS More WILD WESTERNS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

What The Dog Saw At Beekman Place Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 128 is one of the creepiest and sleaziest yet, when the mad Bohemian debauchery that made Greenwich Village famous spills over into the posh East Midtown. The colorful cast of real-life characters includes a woman who ran a prohibition speakeasy, her beautiful model daughter and her artistic friends, and an estranged husband who is disgusted by the whole thing, but addicted to pornography. And wait til you hear the eerie confession! You’re gonna love it. More Mass Murders Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2025

The LaBoeuf Triangle Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 328 revisits one of our favorite tropes: The Love Triangle Gone Awry. The people involved here weren't rich and famous, but just ordinary people, tragically caught up in their passion. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

The Exploits Of The Outlaw James Gang Ad Free Safe House Edition Episode 326 finishes off Wild West Month with the epic tale of one of the most notorious bands of outlaws to plague the American frontier. It’s a wild ride, so hang on. More WILD WESTERNS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2025

The Thorny Rose Of The Wild Bunch Ad Free Safe House Edition Episode 324 tells the tale of a young woman who would do anything for the man she loves, even go to prison for him. The couple were associated with the gang known as the Wild Bunch, featuring such notorious characters as Black Jack Ketchum, Butch Cassidy, and Harry Longbaugh, also known as the Sundance Kid. More WILD WESTERNS Culled from the historic pages of the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, the St. Louis Republican, and other newspapers of the era.Epilogue.  Ben Kilpatrick did not get out of federal prison until 1911. By that time, Laura Bullion had been involved with several other men and was living in Memphis. They never reconnected. Kilpatrick was killed in an attempted train robbery in 1912. Laura Bullion worked as a seamstress and interior designer in Memphis until she died of heart disease at age 85 in 1961, the last surviving member of the Wild Bunch. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

The Grand Mogul Of The Texas Desperados Commercial Free Safe House Edition Episode 322 relates the downfall of one of the most desperate desperados of the Old West, John Wesley Hardin, the man so mean that it is alleged he shot a fellow just for snoring. Culled from the historic pages of the Galveston Daily News, The El Paso Times, and other newspapers of the era. More WILD WESTERNS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

The Capture Of Hong Di  Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 321 continues our exploration of stories from the Old West, this one from a ranch near Colusa when a Chinese cook, a mere boy of 17, opens fire with a rifle during the family meal. After a flight from justice, an unlikely hero captures the fugitive, who is put on trial while a vengeful crowd gathers outside demanding the extreme penalty of the law. Culled from the historic pages of the the San Francisco Examiner and other newspapers of the era. More WILD WESTERNS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

The Earp Brothers Take A Stand Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 319 takes us on a journey to one of the most famous gunfights in Old West history, the shoot-out at the OK corral. The first two thirds relates the story from the newspaper accounts of the day, while the third act gives a first-person account from Wyatt Earp himself. Culled from the historic pages of the Tombstone Epitaph, the Arizona Daily Star, the San Francisco Examiner, and other newspapers of the era. More WILD WESTERNS Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

She Conversed With The Devil Ad-Free Safe House Edition Recently widowed, eager to date, her family hated of her choice of a mate. So she put poison in their water. What a mean & devilish daughter! YESTERDAY’S NEWS --Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... Episode 317 explores the bizarre tale of Martha Wise who becomes so tired of the scorn of her family and their objection to her dating life after the death of her husband, that she starts putting arsenic in their drinking water. Not everyone dies, so the intense family drama carries over into her sensational trial and damning testimony from a cousin made invalid from the poison and the suicide of a sister-in-law.Culled from the historic pages of the Akron Beacon Journal and other newspapers of the era. More Femmes Fatale Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

The Mysterious Case Of Alma Tirtschke Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 315 is the sad tale of a 12 year old Aussie girl who disappeared while running errands for her family. Her body was found naked and outraged the following morning. Based on the testimony of some spurious witnesses, as you shall hear, the crown executed the owner of a wine shop near the alley. But did they get the right man? More Stories From True Crime Pioneer Peter Levins Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2025

The Botched Execution of Eva Dugan Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 131 concerns the murky relationship between the mysterious hired wife, a Tucson rancher, and a young man who came to stay. It’s also about the dogged chase for the fugitive conducted by a determined sheriff, but the scene that strikes me most takes place in the office of a prison warden when they confront the suspected murderer with an unsettling relic of her crime. More Botched Executions Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

The Trial Of Vera Stretz  She was his dedicated love slave and "office wife," until he pushed her too far. Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 133 is the story of a scholarly young artist whose married fiance tries to take things too far. This story is performed by our late friend Emily Simer Braun, reading the reporting from Alice Cogan, ace reporter for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. More Femmes Fatale Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2025

A Secret Crime Spree Revealed By Murder Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 313 is the action-packed story of a pair of bands who met in juvenile jail, and embarked on a short-lived but deadly crime spree through the Wyoming Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania that included two murders, a shooting to kill, several home invasions, and a general disregard and disdain for social order and the rule of law. But they’ll get what’s coming to them. More Capital Crimes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2025

Bannon Buries Bodies In The Haven Barn A family of six goes missing, and the only clue is a badly misspelled letter from a post office box that doesn't exist.  Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 312 tells the story of a disappearing farming family in North Dakota, who were said to have gone out West for the health of the wife and mother. But the young man left in charge has a strange story to tell, and it keeps changing. When the truth is revealed, if it is revealed, the community seeks its own justice. More Mob Justice Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

The Lady Bluebeard Lyda Southard Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 310 is the tale of Lyda Trueblood Meyer Southard, who is credited with killing four husbands, a brother-in-law, and her own baby. Along with a sordid marital history, this tale has the bonus of a daring prison escape and a 15-month flight from justice. Culled from the historic pages of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, the Salt Lake City Telegram, and other newspapers of the era. More Serial Killers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Mrs. Creighton’s Cocoa And Egg Nog The epic saga of Mary Frances Creighton and her web of adultery, pedophilia, and murder. Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 307 is the epic tale of the serial killer Mary Frances Quevada Avery Creighton, who is generally credited with three poisonings, although she was acquitted in court on the first two. But 12 years later, she will find herself ensnared in a tangled web of adultery, pedophilia, and murder when she conspires with her live-in lover to poison his wife so that he can marry her teenage daughter. It’s a long and sordid tale, so settle in with your favorite beverage. More Serial Killers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

Special Triple Feature Episodes 306, 309, 311 Jerry The Wildcat Ad-Free Safe House Edition Adapted from True Detective, vol. 56 no. 4, February 1952By Jonas BayerA cowboy rolls into Miles City, Montana, on his way back home to Iowa, and stops in a local cafe to buy a fellow ranch hand a drink. When he's found later, beaten nearly to death in an alley and his roll of bills missing, officials set out to find the fiery red-head he had been talking to in the bar. There was only one clue as to who murdered the drunken cowboy: The fiery red-headed teenager he escorted out of the cafe. More Wild Westerns Three Women In Black Ad-Free Safe House Edition Midnight. A few harsh words. A glint of steel. Murder. More Femmes Fatale The Gatton Murders Ad-Free Safe House Edition When the grown Murphy children failed to return home from a dance, a wobbly wagon trail leads to a most horrible scene. Episode 311 explores one of Australia's historic mysteries, the death of a man and his two sisters -- and  an old horse -- found dead in an isolated paddock, the girls raped and all of them brutalized.  More Unsolved Cases Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

The Lizzie Halliday Horrors Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 305 kicks off Lady Serial Killers Month with the strange story of Lizzie Halliday, the perpetrator of at least five, maybe six murders, and once you hear about those, you’ll wonder if maybe there weren’t a few more than that. In addition to six murders, the spice in this tale includes a near-lynching and the lunatic antics of the prisoner, the first American woman to receive a death sentence in the electric chair. More Serial Killers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

The Racine Street Bridge Horror When 14-year-old Hattie Zinka disappeared, people feared her body would be found in the river. It wasn't, but it was just as bad. Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 303 takes us back to 1909 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where a teenage girl disappears while walking home from her married sister’s house. The area was known as a dark, dangerous place, but she’d made the journey many times. Until one fateful dark night...  Culled from the historic pages of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other newspapers of the era. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2025

The Brutal Murder Of Ethel Mae Atkins Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 301 is an especially sordid tale, and I don’t belive all of the lurid details were revealed, although many of them hinted at as police and people who knew her inadvertently reveal uncomfortable truths even as they try to protect the dignity of the victim. But I think she just went on a bender and things took a dark fatal turn. What do you think? More stories of Capital Crimes Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2025

The Brownell-Bennett Dismemberments Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 300 recounts a grisly pair of murders that are uncovered when New York City residents begin finding stray body parts around Brooklyn. The reporting isn’t terribly graphic, but there are a few ghastly descriptions. There’s your trigger warning.Culled from the historic pages of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the New York Daily News, and other newspapers of the era. More Torso Murders Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

Berthe Claiche’s Revenge  Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 298 relates the sad story of Berthe Claiche, whom we met briefly in episode 297 when she gave a necklace to her cellmate, Josephine Terranova. I normally like to mix things up a bit, but these two tales have a lot in common, interesting back stories about immigrants struggling to adapt to American ways, courtroom theatrics, and sympathetic abused female defendants. Not that murder is ever a good idea, but if I were in their shoes... What do you think? Culled from the historic pages of the New York Evening World, the New York Sun, and other newspapers of the era. More Courtroom Shenanigans Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2025

Josephine Terranova’s Revenge Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 297 is a sad story about a young immigrant woman so abused by her relatives that when the truth is revealed to her newlywed husband, he breaks off the union. The teenage bride believes she has but one recourse: To do what God commands.Culled from the historic pages of the New York World and other newspapers of the era. More Femmes Fatale Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 24 February 2025

Crime Club Founder Found Dead Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 134 takes place five months and one city block from Episode 133, Tears Of The Weeping Willow. They are otherwise unrelated, except that both incidents begin with sexual assaults that end in murder. In this one, an up-and-coming author and recent bride makes the grave mistake of opening the door of her upscale Manhattan East Side apartment to a young man who wanted to talk about her love seat. Without many clues to go on, police pin their hopes on a stray piece of twine left at the scene of the crime.  More Bathtub Murders Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2025

Who Killed The Widow Short?  Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 137 is the quirky story of the death of a beloved widow in Topeka, Kansas. She was old and in ill health, and no one suspected any foul play until her caretaker--allegedly her late husband’s nephew--suddenly confessed to the crime, but then the autopsy told another story entirely. Was Fred Fanning covering for someone? Or did someone have undue influence over his mind, if he had one?  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2025

The Complicated Death Of Starr Faithfull Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 138 is the story that inspired the John O’Hara novel and the Elizabeth Taylor film “BUtterfield 8,” the sad, sordid tale of a beautiful girl with an evocative name and a traumatic past that put her on the road to ruin. The finding of her body on a Long Island beach led to probe deep into the social fabric of three cities on two continents. The telling of the story isn’t particularly graphic, but it does go into dark, dark places. Just so you know. More Unsolved Cases Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2025

The Murder Of William Desmond Taylor Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 295 recaps one of Hollywood’s first and most sensational murder cases. After his death, the mysterious past life and personal entanglements of William Desmond Taylor lead in a dozen different directions, but none apparently toward a solution to the case. But there’s a reason the case aroused so much sensation. The victim's mysterious past and a tangled web of relationships made the shocking murder impossible to solve. Culled from the historic pages of the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers of the era. More Falls From Grace Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

Episode 294 Ad-Free Safe House Edition  Pulp Nonfiction “I’d die before I’d let a man do anything to me,” she said. And she did. Adapted from “Joanna And The Hillbilly Lover Boy,” by George Vedder Jones, True Detective, Vol.73 No.1, May 1960 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2025

A Rampage In Richmond Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 293 may start out like your ordinary love triangle gone awry, but the city of Richmond, Virginia is scandalized by the revelations that come out about the young people of their city during the shocking trial. When the flapper told the dapper young man that it was over between them, she set off a massacre. More Love Triangles Gone Awry Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 10 February 2025

Historic Lady Killers Ad-Free Safe House Edition Episode 292, in which we pay our respects to a quartet of murdered wives: Sarah Yargus, murdered by her husband John Yargus, July 13, 1849; Pauline Schmitt, murdered by her husband Germain Schmitt, January 21, 1919; Ida Jech, murdered by her husband Frederic Jech, July 22, 1930; Anna McDowell Gentry, murdered by her husband Sam Gentry, February 1, 1935. Recorded live at Miami University Hamilton Downtown, October 29, 2018. Download the slideshow for headlines and more information. 0292 slideshow.pdf Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 7 February 2025

The Brutal Murder Of Mayme Sherman A True Crime Short Story by Richard O Jones Ad-Free Safe House Edition One of the factors behind my interest in historical true crime is that my hometown of Hamilton, Ohio, seems to have a particularly rich history of crime--murder in particular, but not just murder. I’ve done several local programs about the safecrackers, bandits, and other notorious characters. This short story, “Bacon On The Table,” concerns the third of three “bluebeard” killers in the first decade of the 20th century. The first was the murder of Hannah Knapp by Alfred Knapp in December, 1902. This is the subject of my book, “The First Celebrity Serial Killer.” But even before this crime came to light, Samuel J. Keelor tried to decapitate his wife on Valentine’s Day, 1903. You can read more about that story in my ebook, “The Sleepwalking Slasher.” The following year, just a week after Knapp paid the ultimate penalty for his crime, Charles Victor Sherman commits the horrible crime detailed in this episode. In more recent days, Hamilton is the hometown of “the Cross Country Killer” Glen Rogers, who murdered at least five people in 1994 and 1995, and probably more than that. He is currently on death row.And perhaps the most sensational of all Hamilton stories is the Easter Massacre of 1975, in which James Urban Ruppert gunned down his mother, his brother, and his brother’s wife and eight children. But friends, this was not Hamilton’s first mass family murder, but our third. In 1925, Francis Lloyd Russell shot eight members of his family one hot summer night (see the Two-Dollar Terror “Massacre On Prospect Hill”). And in October, 1929, the barber Charlie King opened the gas pipes in his house while his wife and five sons slept, then hopped on a northbound freight train (see the Two-Dollar Terror “The Gas Fume Fugitive”).I am also descended from murderers, although their crimes weren’t in Hamilton but in various Kentucky locations. Maybe I’ll tell you about those someday. More Hometown Horrors Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2024

The Saga of the Scoundrel Thomas McGehan A true crime short story by Richard O Jones Ad-Free Safe House Edition - Episode 28 takes place on Christmas Eve 1870, when three men attack a local politician with boulders and slungshots, and at least a dozen men scramble for the door while five shots pepper the faro room at the American Saloon in Hamilton, Ohio, the hometown of True Crime Historian Richard O Jones. One of the bullets kills the politician, Thomas Myers, but in their haste none of the gamblers see who fired the shot. The blame falls on the leader of the gang of thugs who attacked Myers, his political rival Tom McGehean. At his trial, the famed former Congressman, exiled Copperhead, and gubernatorial candidate, Clement Vallandigham literally gives his life for McGehean's defense. Read-Along (more or less. It's not the exact same text) More Hometown Horrors Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2024

The Atrocities Of Albert Fish I'D TURN BACK IF I WERE YOU!!! Episode 191 is without a doubt the vilest case you'll ever hear on this program because I don't think I could find a worse one if I tried. There's a lot of evil discussed here: torture, cannibalism, and more. Consider this your trigger warning: I'd turn back if I were you! Or at least put the kids to bed and plug in your ear buds. Keep this between us. Ad-Free Edition Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2024

The Murder Of Mary Phagan Episode 183 tells of one of the most infamous cases of an innocent man wrongly accused. When a teenage factory girl is found dead in the basement of an Atlanta pencil manufacturer, blame falls on the mild-mannered Jewish superintendent of the plant, and the jury takes the word of a drunken janitor. It’ll take 70 years for the truth to come out. Ad-Free Edition Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2024

The Reily Mattock Murder Episode 198 is centered on one of my favorite murder tropes, the so-called “eternal triangle,” between the cranky old farmer, his fading wife, and the handsome young farmhand. Yeah, that’s not going to end well, but they might have gotten away with it if they had just put the body across the tracks. It’s all in the details. Culled from the historic pages of the Hamilton Journal-News and other newspapers of the era. Ad-Free Edition Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2024

The Real ‘Chicago’ Murders Episode 352 explores the two murders that inspired the hit musical “Chicago,” which was based on a play by Maurine Watkins, who did some reporting on both cases as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. I’ll be joined by my colleague Susan Ferman, whose own podcast Catastrophic Calamities, will premiere next week on the Pulpular Media network. Susan will read about the case of Beulah Annan, who became Roxy Hart on stage. I will read the case of Belva Gaertner, who became Velma Kelly.Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and other newspapers of the era.This episode includes a reference to a fellow murderess Sabela Nitti, whose story you can hear about in True Crime Historian 230, The Ugly Duckling Murderess. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2023

The Trial Of Rattlesnake James, The Red-Headed Bluebeard Episode 192 gets a bit epic, but it’s the story that keeps on giving, with two botched murders and moral charges to boot, and things go from crazy to crazier when they bring a pair of rattlers named Lethal and Lightning into the courtroom. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 3 December 2023

A Litany of Horror Episode 12 is a reading of the chilling confession of Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, one of the most remarkable serial killers in American History. The whole nation was shocked and outraged in the waning years of the nineteenth century by the gruesome deeds of one Herman Mudgett, the arch fiend who took on the pseudonym H.H. Holmes as he prepared his famous "Castle of Death" in downtown Chicago. He was arrested for an insurance fraud in November 1894, but his string of murders, perhaps 200 in all, were soon revealed. He was convicted of one capital crime in Philadelphia, and while he awaited execution, he penned a confession detailing 27 murders that was published in newspapers across the country. He would recant this confession before he hanged, but really, you can't make this stuff up. Ad free Patreon edition with subscription Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 12 November 2023

A Terrible Reign of Murder About the murders that inspired Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" Episode 214 digs deep into the files of the FBI and one of its early successful investigations during the tenure of J.Edgar Hoover, when the Bureau of Investigations looked into the murder of as many as 60 to 70 Osage Indians. The file includes a report by Agent Frank Smith as well as statements by informants who helped break the conspiracy. True Crime Historian welcomes guest reader Susan Ferman as Katherine Cole, one of these informants. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2023

YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told through vintage newspaper accounts from the golden age of yellow journalism... The Gillooly/Lannon Affray Episode 443 tells the story of the first officer to be killed in the line of duty in Kokomo, Indiana. But was the violent action against him provoked, or spurred on by a notorious local gang? The question divided the growing Indiana town. Culled from the historic pages of the Kokomo Saturday Tribune, the 1882 History of Howard County, and Jackson Morrow’s 1909 History of Howard County. We offer a special thanks to the staff at the Howard County Library’s genealogy room and listener Anthony R Jones, no relation, who saw the mobile production unit outside that library, where I was engaged in research on another matter. After I got his message telling me to look into the Mollihan gang, I dug around and came up with this episode. Residents of the Safe House can take a deeper dive into Kokomo’s criminal past in the case file posted at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian. *** A creation Of Pulpular Media Also from Pulpular Media: Portals to Possibility, an improvised mock-talk show that proves you don’t have to be human to be good people. Visit pulpular.com/portals2 for a brand-new episode. Catastrophic Calamaties, Exploring the famous and forgotten disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries. What could go wrong? Everything! Some listeners choose to support this podcast by checking in at the Safe House at www.patreon.com/truecrimehistorian, to get early access, exclusive content, and whatever personal services you require. Some listeners don’t want to pledge monthly support but just want to send a few bucks this way. You can do that at www.buymeacoffee.com/crimehistorian. You can also subscribe to a $5 monthly or $50 annual membership! *** Musical contributors include Nico Vitesse, Lucia La Rezza, Joyie, Danielle Mo, Dave Sams, Rachel Schott and David Hisch. Some music and sound effects licensed from podcastmusic.com. Media management by Sean Miller-Jones Richard O Jones, Executive Producer Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 20 May 2021

The Mysteries Of Belle Gunness Episode 308 examines the strange story of Belle Gunness, which came to light only after her house burned down with her body presumably inside and a dozen or so bodies buried in the yard. There’s a lot of conjecture and debate about this case still going on today. Culled from the historic pages of the Chicago Tribune, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and other newspapers of the era. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2019

YESTERDAY’S NEWS -- Tales of classic scandals, scoundrels and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism... The First Mrs. Kinkead Episode 258 tells the sad story of a nurse who fell in love with her patient. If you can believe her story, she may have been led on a bit, maybe outright deceived by his promises of marriage. But then, he marries another and the nurse turns stalker. For your delight and indignation *** Opening theme by Nico Vitesse. Incidental music by Nico Vitesse. Closing theme by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music. Media management by Sean R. Jones Production assistance by Emily Simer Braun Richard O Jones, Executive Producer Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2018

The Avondale Horror Episode 231 is a dark, dark tale of what happens when the population doesn’t die fast enough to keep the medical schools supplied with cadavers for dissecting: The resurrectionists start hitting people over the head to hasten the process and get their points. The reporting also includes some interesting stories about the craft of the grave robber. Culled from the historic pages of the Cincinnati Enquirer and other newspapers of the era. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2018

A Foul Deed In Ft. Thomas In celebration of our 200th episode, I’m going to share one of my favorite local stories. The murder itself took place a state over, but one of the convicted murderers lived for a time in my hometown, and the sad story of Pearl Bryan is well-known in the three states involved, with many dubious legends and rumors abounding, and it’s said that her spirit haunts a Northern Kentucky nightclub. But what I really like about this story is that it has one of the most remarkable descriptions of an execution that I’ve come across. Enjoy. *** Incidental music by Nico Vettese Theme music performed by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music. Media management by Sean R. Jones Production assistance by Emily Simer Braun Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2017

UNSOLVED A special edition of Yesterday’s News exploring one of history’s most baffling murder mysteries. The Murder Of Elizabeth Short By listener request, Episode 196 follows the first month of the investigation of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated murder mysteries that begins when of a 22-year-old party girl turns up tortured, murdered, and mutilated by the side of a busy boulevard. She was such a runabout that when her body was identified by fingerprints, no one had realized she hadn’t been seen in five days. But the body was fresh. *** Hosted by Wondery. @wonderymedia Member of the BombPod Media Network. @bombpod *** Theme music performed by Dave Sams and Rachel Schott, engineered by David Hisch at Third Street Music. Some incidental music by Chuck Wiggins Media management by Sean R. Jones Production assistance by Emily Simer Braun Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2017