Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast

Blue Ewe Media

Serial killers. Gangsters. Gunslingers. Victorian-era murderers. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each week, the Most Notorious podcast features true-life tales of crime, criminals, tragedies and disasters throughout history. Host Erik Rivenes interviews authors and historians who have studied their subjects for years. Their stories are offered with unique insight, detail, and historical accuracy.

379:  The Pan Am Flight 7 Seven Crash  w/ Ken Fortenberry

379: The Pan Am Flight 7 Seven Crash w/ Ken Fortenberry

My guest this week is award-winning journalist Ken Fortenberry, author of "Flight 7 Is Missing: The Search for My Father's Killer". He walks us through the ill-fated flight of Pan Am's luxurious "Romance of the Skies", a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser that mysteriously crashed into the Pacific Ocean in November of 1957. Forty-four people were killed, including his own father, who copiloted and navigated the plane. His decades long investigation of the crash has led him to the conclusion that the vict

Feb 21, • 1:24:07

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders - The Reverend Lyn George Kelly w/ Edgar Epperly

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders - The Reverend Lyn George Kelly w/ Edgar Epperly

(Original publish date: 6/7/22) In this third and final part of my interview with Dr. Edgar Epperly, the "little minister" Lyn George Jacklin Kelly is examined as a primary suspect in the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. Although Kelly spoke obsessively about the case and even confessed to the murders, many believed that the confession was the result of mental illness and police coercion.Dr. Epperly also offers his thoughts on whether the murders might be the work of a serial killer named Paul Mueller

Feb 15, • 1:18:58

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders: Wilkerson Vs. Jones w/ Edgar Epperly

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders: Wilkerson Vs. Jones w/ Edgar Epperly

(Original Publish Date: 5/31/22) This episode is sponsored by Strawberry dot me. Get a $50 credit when you use our link: https://strawberry.me/notoriousFrank Fernando (F.F.) Jones seemed to be one of the most obvious suspects in the aftermath of the horrific 1912 Villisca Axe murders. He had a contentious business rivalry with the patriarch of the slain Moore family, Josiah (Joe) Moore, intensified further because Moore was having an affair with his daughter-in-law. However there was no dire

Feb 14, • 1:18:07

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders: Crime Scene w/ Edgar Epperly

MoNo Encore: The Villisca Axe Murders: Crime Scene w/ Edgar Epperly

One of my absolute favorites! This is the first of a three part interview I did with Dr. Ed Epperly about the notorious 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. (Original publish date 5/23/2022) This episode is sponsored by Strawberry .me. Get a $50 credit when you use our link: https://strawberry.me/notoriousOn June 9th (or) 10th, 1912, America experienced of the most notorious crimes in its history - the brutal axe murders of Josiah and Sarah Moore, their four children (Herman, Katherine, Boyd a

Feb 14, • 1:16:30

378:  The Murder of "Elvis Girl" Jenny Maxwell w/ Buddy Moorehouse

378: The Murder of "Elvis Girl" Jenny Maxwell w/ Buddy Moorehouse

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jenny Maxwell was one of Hollywood's "it girls", appearing in countless television shows and films. Arguably her most memorable role was that of Ellie Corbett in Elvis Presley's 1961 movie "Blue Hawaii", where she stole every scene she was in. But despite her professional success, her personal life was a mess, much of it due to alcohol, drugs and wild Hollywood parties. By 1981 she was seeking a divorce from her second husband (mob lawyer Tip Roeder) when they

Feb 6, • 1:16:57

377:  The Murder of Anna Wilkens & The Birth of the Lie Detector w/ Amit Katwala

377: The Murder of Anna Wilkens & The Birth of the Lie Detector w/ Amit Katwala

Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving husband or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered? To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch. John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler hoped the li

Jan 30, • 58:01

376:  Erie's Mausoleum Mystery w/ Justin Dombrowski

376: Erie's Mausoleum Mystery w/ Justin Dombrowski

On February 8, 1911, the Scott Mausoleum, a symbol of wealth for the Scott and Strong families in Erie, Pennsylvania, was desecrated by unknown vandals, coined by nationwide papers as ghouls. With the inside of the mausoleum heavily damaged - and a body missing - the crime set off shockwaves throughout the country during a time in which grave robbery, extortion and murder reigned supreme.Hundreds of reporters and newspaper correspondents throughout the country and world descend upon the

Jan 28, • 56:34

375:  The Murder of Virginia Olson w/ Brian & Cameron Santana

375: The Murder of Virginia Olson w/ Brian & Cameron Santana

On April 15, 1973, the body of Virginia Olson was discovered near the campus of the University of North Carolina-Asheville in an area known as the Botanical Gardens. She had been raped and stabbed to death in horrifically brutal fashion. Police would investigate this crime for decades, and even hone in one one particular suspect, but it still remains unsolved today. My guests are brothers Brian Santana, a professor, and Cameron Santana, a police officer. They combined their skills and experienc

Jan 23, • 1:25:10

American Criminal: John Gotti - Making a Man

American Criminal: John Gotti - Making a Man

This is the first episode of Airship's new series about John Gotti on their American Criminal podcast."Living in poverty as a young kid, John Gotti takes up mafia work very early on. He knows that the Gambino family is his ticket out, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks. Even if it means killing a guy."For more information about the podcast visit Airship's American Criminal website: https://www.americancriminal.com/ and listen to the rest of the series by subscribing to

Jan 18, • 45:34

374:   The Mafia, the Kennedys & Hoover w/ Louis Ferrante

374: The Mafia, the Kennedys & Hoover w/ Louis Ferrante

Louis Ferrante is back on the show, sharing more of his extensive research into the history of the American Mafia. In volume two of his trilogy, called "Borgata: Clash of Titans", he focuses on the Mafia during the height of its power in the 1960s and 70s. In our interview he talks about the origins of the animosity between the mob and Bobby Kennedy, and how he believes Bobby's pressure led to his brother's assassination. We also go quite a bit into J. Edgar Hoover's role in the conflic

Jan 14, • 1:31:53

373:  The Murder Case that Inspired The Scarlet Letter w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

373: The Murder Case that Inspired The Scarlet Letter w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

On a cold winter day in 1832, Sarah Maria Cornell was found dead in a quiet farmyard in a small New England town. When her troubled past and a secret correspondence with charismatic Methodist minister Reverend Ephraim Avery was uncovered, more questions emerged. Was Sarah’s death a suicide...or something much darker? Determined to uncover the real story, Victorian writer Catharine Read Arnold Williams threw herself into the investigation as the trial was unfolding and wrote what many claim to be

Jan 6, • 1:05:57

MoNo Encore:  Catch Me If You Can's Frank Abagnale - Perpetrator of the Ultimate Hoax? w/ Alan C. Logan

MoNo Encore: Catch Me If You Can's Frank Abagnale - Perpetrator of the Ultimate Hoax? w/ Alan C. Logan

Happy New Year everyone! This Most Notorious Encore episode revisits my conversation with Alan Logan, originally released on May 19, 2021.Most of us are familiar with the critically acclaimed film called Catch Me If You Can, based on the autobiography of legendary confidence man Frank Abagnale. It's the story of a brazen teenage imposter who through charm and intellect was able to pass as an attorney, a doctor, a pilot and a university professor in the late 1960s and early 1970s.My guest, Alan C

Dec 26, 2024 • 1:37:02

372:  Rhode Island's Last Execution  w/ Paul F. Caranci

372: Rhode Island's Last Execution w/ Paul F. Caranci

On a frigid day in 1843, Amasa Sprague, a wealthy Yankee mill owner, left his mansion to check on his cattle. On the way, he was accosted and beaten beyond recognition, and his body was left facedown in the snow. What followed was a trial marked by judicial bias, witness perjury and societal bigotry that resulted in the conviction of twenty-nine-year-old Irish-Catholic John Gordon. He was sentenced to hang. Despite overwhelming evidence that the trial was flawed and newly discovered evidence tha

Dec 19, 2024 • 1:17:32

371:  The Barbara Graham Murder Case w/ Marcia Clark

371: The Barbara Graham Murder Case w/ Marcia Clark

Unwanted and neglected from birth, Barbara Graham had to overcome the odds just to survive. Her beauty was both a blessing and a curse—offering her too many options of all the wrong kind. Her innate sensitivity left her vulnerable to the harsh realities of the street, where she was left to fend for herself before she reached double digits. Her record of petty crimes spoke to a life that constantly teetered on the brink of disaster. But in 1953, a catastrophic twist of fate would catapult her out

Dec 16, 2024 • 59:18

370: Britain's Notorious Hawkhurst Gang w/ Joseph Dragovich

370: Britain's Notorious Hawkhurst Gang w/ Joseph Dragovich

South-east England, 1740s: War and heated politics bring the old practice of smuggling to new and dangerous heights. Violent gangs of smugglers terrorize communities and confound government attempts to stop them. The most famous of these, the Hawkhurst Gang, operate like a modern drug cartel fueled by illegal tea. They threaten witnesses and authorities, brandish weapons in public, and fight battles in the streets, murdering and kidnapping those who get in their way.My guest, Joseph Dragovich, i

Dec 10, 2024 • 1:04:30

369: Polly Bodine: The Witch of New York w/ Alex Hortis

369: Polly Bodine: The Witch of New York w/ Alex Hortis

On Christmas night, December 25, 1843, in a serene village on Staten Island, shocked neighbors discovered the burnt remains of twenty-four-year-old mother Emeline Houseman and her infant daughter, Ann Eliza. In a perverse nativity, someone bludgeoned to death a mother and child in their home—and then covered up the crime with hellfire.When an ambitious district attorney charges Polly Bodine (Emelin’s sister-in-law) with a double homicide, the new “penny press” explodes. Polly is a perfect media

Dec 6, 2024 • 1:22:36

368:  Gangster Hunters w/ John Oller - A True Crime History Podcast

368: Gangster Hunters w/ John Oller - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest this week is John Oller, author of the new book "Gangster Hunters: How Hoover's G-men Vanquished America's Deadliest Public Enemies". He walks us through the evolution of J. Edgar Hoover's Bureau in the early 1930s, highlighting some of the unsung federal agents that battled America's Depression Era bank-robbing outlaws and the pivotal crimes that helped shape the country's most storied law enforcement organization.The author's website: https://www.johnollernyc.com/Support the show and

Nov 27, 2024 • 1:10:09

MoNo Encore: Jack the Ripper - New Clues & Theories w/ Tom Wescott

MoNo Encore: Jack the Ripper - New Clues & Theories w/ Tom Wescott

On this month's Most Notorious Encore episode, we revisit the "Autumn of Terror" with a popular interview first released on 11/21/2019, five years ago today.  One of the world's most preeminent Ripperologists, Tom Wescott, author of "The Bank Holiday Murders" and "Ripper Confidential" is my guest on this episode of Most Notorious.His extensive research into Jack the Ripper/Whitechapel murders give his a unique perspective into this truly iconic true crime cold case. Focusing on some of the more

Nov 22, 2024 • 1:17:47

367:  A Double Murder in 1948 Illinois w/ Ted Gregory

367: A Double Murder in 1948 Illinois w/ Ted Gregory

Summer 1948. In the scenic, remote river town of Oregon, Illinois, a young couple visiting the local lovers’ lane is murdered. The shocking crime garners headlines from Portland, Maine, to Long Beach, California. But after a sweeping manhunt, no one is arrested and the violent deaths of Mary Jane Reed and Stanley Skridla fade into time’s indifference.Fast forward fifty years. Eccentric entrepreneur Michael Arians moves to Oregon, opens a roadhouse, gets elected mayor, and becomes obsessed with t

Nov 15, 2024 • 1:18:03

366:  Revenge, Murder & Madness  in 1903 Indiana  w/ Stephen Terrell

366: Revenge, Murder & Madness in 1903 Indiana w/ Stephen Terrell

In early 1900s Indiana, John Terrell was the wealthiest man in Wells County, thanks to oil discovered on his farm. But when his youngest daughter, Lucy, became pregnant and entered into a forced marriage to abusive Melvin Wolfe, Terrell’s life and fortune unraveled in a tumultuous spiral of murder, a dramatic trial, and a descent into madness.My guest is Stephen Terrell, who has a very personal connection to this story (as you might guess from his last name). His book is called "The Madness of J

Nov 8, 2024 • 1:25:46

365:  Ontario's Lazier Murder w/ Robert J. Sharpe

365: Ontario's Lazier Murder w/ Robert J. Sharpe

In December of 1883 Peter Lazier, a traveling farm implement salesman, was shot in the heart during the botched robbery of a farmer and his wife in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Two men would be arrested and tried for the murder, but would the sparse evidence against them lead to freedom, prison or the gallows?My guest is Robert J. Sharpe, author of "The Lazier Murder: Prince Edward County, 1884". As a Canadian lawyer and judge, he offers unique insight into a controversial case that is still r

Nov 2, 2024 • 48:32

364:  Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Spirit w/ Evan Rail

364: Absinthe: The World's Most Dangerous Spirit w/ Evan Rail

Absinthe is a drink that has been both romanticized and demonized over the centuries. While the spirit was a favorite of avant-gardists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Baudelaire, it was also thought to be hallucinogenic and the catalyst for violent crime. My guest is Evan Rail, author of "The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit". He tells us about the history of the infamous drink and his investigation into a modern-day counterfeiter w

Oct 25, 2024 • 1:07:59

MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of "Furnace Girl" Elfrieda Knaak w/ Kraig Moreland

MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Death of "Furnace Girl" Elfrieda Knaak w/ Kraig Moreland

We revisit an interview from February 2020 in this Most Notorious Encore episode.In late October of 1928, authorities in the small town of Lake Bluff, Illinois discovered a grisly scene in the village hall basement. They found a young woman named Elfreida Knaak, naked, horribly burned and barely clinging to life, next to a furnace. From that point on, investigators would uncover a bizarre story, including a secret affair, mystical Christian rituals, and contradictory deathbed confessions. My gue

Oct 22, 2024 • 1:29:10

363:  The Donner Party Tragedy w/ Troy Taylor

363: The Donner Party Tragedy w/ Troy Taylor

Troy Taylor, host of the American Hauntings Podcast, returns to the show - this time for an interview with a bit of a Halloween theme. He's here to talk about the ill-fated Donner Party, which was was traveling by wagon to California when it became stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846-47.  There, some of its members infamously turned to cannibalism to survive. And in the spirit of the season, he shares some of the ghost stories associated with this incredible America

Oct 18, 2024 • 1:20:36

362:  The Murders of Virginia Brooks, Louise Teuber & Hazel Bradshaw w/ Richard L. Carrico

362: The Murders of Virginia Brooks, Louise Teuber & Hazel Bradshaw w/ Richard L. Carrico

In 1931, San Diego was left reeling from the brutal murders of ten-year-old Virginia Brooks, seventeen-year-old Louise Teuber, and twenty-two-year-old Hazel Bradshaw. The murders left period investigators flummoxed - and the cases remain unresolved to this day.My guest is award-winning author Richard L. Carrico. He has meticulously reconstructed their stories in his book, "MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE: The True Story of Three Unsolved Murders in Prohibition Era San Diego" and shares details on his rema

Oct 12, 2024 • 1:12:09

361:  The History of Scotland Yard w/ Simon Read

361: The History of Scotland Yard w/ Simon Read

My guest this week is Simon Read, author of "Scotland Yard: A History of the London Police Force's Most Infamous Murder Cases". He walks us through a number of the notorious murder cases that helped transform London's Metropolitan Police into one of the world's premiere crime-fighting organizations.More about the author and his work here: https://simonreadwriting.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 5, 2024 • 1:09:41

360: The Mysterious Death of Sarah Mumford w/ Michelle Graff  - A True Crime History Podcast

360: The Mysterious Death of Sarah Mumford w/ Michelle Graff - A True Crime History Podcast

While on a search for more information on her great-grandmother, my guest Michelle Graff uncovered a fascinating mystery involving the very suspicious 1899 death of a fifteen-year-old girl named Sarah Mumford, whose body had been hit by a train, assumably to cover up a murder. The following investigation, led by the local coroner, would reveal some very dark details about Sarah's relationship to her adoptive family, the Tripps.Michelle Graff is the author of "Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sara

Sep 26, 2024 • 1:12:08

MoNo Encore: DB Cooper & the Hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 w/ Darren Schaefer & George McKeon

MoNo Encore: DB Cooper & the Hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 w/ Darren Schaefer & George McKeon

On this Most Notorious episode, we revisit a fan favorite interview, originally released on 12/9/2021.In November of 1971 a man who would come to be known as D.B. Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305, ultimately parachuting out of the Boeing 727 in spectacular fashion, along with $200,000 in ransom money, presumably somewhere in Washington State. Who he was and what happened to him after he jumped is one of the most enduring true crime mysteries in American history.My guests are Darren Sc

Sep 21, 2024 • 1:21:53

359:  The Manhattan Well Murder w/ Gavin Whitehead

359: The Manhattan Well Murder w/ Gavin Whitehead

On January 2, 1800, the body of a young woman was pulled out of a secluded, boarded-up well, horrifying the citizens of New York City's Lower Manhattan neighborhood. The trial that would follow would be a sensational one, with two Founding Fathers representing the main suspect.Gavin Whitehead, host of The Art of Crime Podcast, returns to share one of the stories he covers on the newest season of his show, The Art of Crime Podcast, starting in October. Learn more about The Art of Crime Podcast he

Sep 13, 2024 • 1:14:54

358:  The Murder of Ruth Munson w/ Roger Barr

358: The Murder of Ruth Munson w/ Roger Barr

One of Minnesota's most fascinating unsolved murder cases began on the morning of December 9, 1937, when firefighters discovered the charred body of 31-year-old Ruth Munson in an abandoned Saint Paul hotel. As the investigation deepened, evidence would surface that suggested that Ruth had lived a very secret life.My guest, Roger Barr, is the author of "A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson." He utilized an extensive collection of police files to piece this 193

Sep 6, 2024 • 1:24:57

357: The Strange Death of Ira Gurley w/ Dale Ross & the Birmingham Axe Murders w/ Jeremy Gray

357: The Strange Death of Ira Gurley w/ Dale Ross & the Birmingham Axe Murders w/ Jeremy Gray

There are two interviews packed into this week's episode of Most Notorious! First Dale Ross, author of "A Voice for Ira" joins me to talk about the horrific death of Ira Gurley in a bizarre elevator accident in 1932 Arkansas. While it looked to be an tragic accident on the surface, some evidence suggests there may have been something more sinister afoot involving corrupt state government officials and gangsters.My second guest is Jeremy W. Gray, author of "The Infamous Birmingham Axe Murders: Pr

Aug 29, 2024 • 1:13:57

356: Murder and Madness in Bologna w/ Mònica Calabritto

356: Murder and Madness in Bologna w/ Mònica Calabritto

On October 24, 1588, the city of Bologna, Italy was shaken when a knight named Paola Barbieri stabbed his wife Isabella to death with a sword. He then fled, dressed only in a nightshirt, with his sword in hand, eventually escaping the city. Authorities were torn about his motivation. Did he murder Isabella out of anger or jealousy? Or did he suffer from serious mental illness?My guest, Mònica Calabritto, addresses those questions in her book, "Murder and Madness on Trial: A Tale of True Crime fr

Aug 20, 2024 • 55:53

MoNo Encore:  The Mysterious Disappearance of Alice Parsons w/ Steven C. Drielak

MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Disappearance of Alice Parsons w/ Steven C. Drielak

This is a MoNo Encore interview. Original release date: 11/10/2020.On the morning of June 10, 1937, New York heiress Alice Parsons disappeared off the face of the earth. Investigators almost immediately suspected that Anna Kupryanova, the Russian housekeeper, and Alice's husband, William Parsons, knew more than they were letting on.My guest is former NYPD detective and Hot Zone Attribution specialist Steven C. Drielak, and his book is called "Long Island’s Vanished Heiress: The Unsolved Alice Pa

Aug 16, 2024 • 1:18:09

355:  New York City Crime Boss Marm Mandelbaum w/ Margalit Fox

355: New York City Crime Boss Marm Mandelbaum w/ Margalit Fox

Best-selling author Margalit Fox returns to the show to talk about Marm Mandelbaum, an extraordinary woman who lived the classic rags to riches story, rising out of immigrant poverty and into wealth and power, but also extreme notoriety. She built her mid-19th century criminal empire by assembling some of the best shoplifters and burglars in the country and putting them to work. They stole millions of dollars worth of silk, jewelry and other valuables for her, which she would fence and sell at i

Aug 14, 2024 • 45:05

354:  The Notorious Reno Gang w/ Rachel Dickinson

354: The Notorious Reno Gang w/ Rachel Dickinson

The Reno Gang is best known for being the first group of outlaws in history to rob a moving train, but their criminal enterprises stretched far beyond that. They were counterfeiters, thieves, safecrackers and murderers as well. Led by John and Frank Reno, they terrorized the town of Seymour, Indiana throughout the second half of the 1860s until they were finally brought down by both Alan Pinkerton and local vigilante groups.My guest this week is Janice Dickinson, author of " The Notorious Reno G

Jul 30, 2024 • 1:09:57

353:  The Incorruptibles w/ Dan Slater  - A True Crime History Podcast

353: The Incorruptibles w/ Dan Slater - A True Crime History Podcast

In the early 1900s, prior to World War I, New York City was a vortex of vice and corruption. On the Lower East Side, then the most crowded ghetto on earth, Eastern European Jews formed a dense web of crime syndicates. Gangs of horse poisoners and casino owners, pimps and prostitutes, thieves and thugs, jockeyed for dominance while their family members and neighbors toiled in the unregulated garment industry.But when the notorious murder of a gambler attracted global attention, a coterie of afflu

Jul 24, 2024 • 1:13:31

352:  The Ward-Peters Murder Case w/ James Polchin - A True Crime History Podcast

352: The Ward-Peters Murder Case w/ James Polchin - A True Crime History Podcast

On the morning of May 16, 1922, a young man’s body was found on a desolate road in Westchester County. The victim was penniless ex-sailor Clarence Peters. Walter Ward, the handsome scion of the family that owned the largest chain of bread factories in the country, confessed to the crime as an act of self-defense against a violent gang of “shadow men,” blackmailers who extorted their victims’ moral weaknesses. From the start, one question defined the investigation: What scandalous secret could le

Jul 17, 2024 • 1:20:24

Today in MoNo History: The 1881 Rock Island Train Robbery w/ Mark Lee Gardner

Today in MoNo History: The 1881 Rock Island Train Robbery w/ Mark Lee Gardner

In this mini MoNo interview, I chat with Mark Lee Gardner about the James Gang and their holdup of a Rock Island Railroad train in Missouri 143 years ago today. Two men were murdered during the robbery.Mark's website: https://songofthewest.com/My previous interviews with Mark:The Northfield Bank Raid: https://www.mostnotorious.com/2022/12/12/mono-classics-the-1876-northfield-bank-raid-by-the-james-younger-gang-parts-1-2/Billy the Kid: https://www.mostnotorious.com/2020/08/05/mono-classics-billy-

Jul 15, 2024 • 14:31

351:  A Modern-Day Police Perspective on the Jack the Ripper Murders w/ Steven Keogh

351: A Modern-Day Police Perspective on the Jack the Ripper Murders w/ Steven Keogh

I'm joined by former Scotland Yard detective Steven Keogh, who examines the Jack the Ripper case in his recent book, "Murder Investigation Team: Jack the Ripper". He applies current investigative techniques and uses his own experiences as a detective to revisit this very infamous series of murders.The author's website: https://stevekeogh.com/Options to purchase the book here: https://books2read.com/u/38Wo2w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 11, 2024 • 1:26:49

350:  Mafia Spies w/ Thomas Maier -  A True Crime History Podcast

350: Mafia Spies w/ Thomas Maier - A True Crime History Podcast

In the early 1960s, two top gangsters, Johnny Roselli and Sam Giancana, were hired by the CIA to kill Cuba’s Communist leader, Fidel Castro, only to wind up murdered themselves amidst Congressional hearings and a national debate about the JFK assassination.My guest, journalist Thomas Maier, is the author of "Mafia Spies: The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro, " which will debut as a Paramount Plus docuseries on July 16. In this interview he talks about the plot to kill Castro,

Jul 2, 2024 • 1:12:01

MoNo Encore:  The Mysterious Disappearance of Joan Risch w/ Stephen Ahern

MoNo Encore: The Mysterious Disappearance of Joan Risch w/ Stephen Ahern

In this month's MoNo Encore episode, we revisit one of the strangest cases ever covered on this show, in my humble opinion.On October 24th, 1961, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in Massachusetts history began when housewife and mother Joan Risch vanished from her home. Investigators were perplexed by a kitchen floor smeared with blood, a telephone receiver ripped from the wall and placed gently on the edge of a trash basket, and a bloodhound who traced her scent to the middle of her drive

Jun 29, 2024 • 2:08:09

349:  Gentleman Jewel Thief Arthur Barry w/ Dean Jobb -  A True Crime History Podcast

349: Gentleman Jewel Thief Arthur Barry w/ Dean Jobb - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest this week is award-winning author Dean Jobb. He joins me to talk about one of the most colorful criminals of the Jazz Age, Arthur Barry. Barry, who has been called "the greatest jewel thief who ever lived", was a master burglar who specialized in robbing New York's wealthiest citizens. Barry would have encounters with a wide array of interesting figures from the 20s and 30s, ranging from the Prince of Wales to investigators working on the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping case.Dean Jobb's book,

Jun 26, 2024 • 51:48

348:  Martha Needle: "The Richmond Poisoner" w/ Samantha Battams

348: Martha Needle: "The Richmond Poisoner" w/ Samantha Battams

On this episode of Most Notorious, I'm joined by Dr. Samantha Battams, who documents the life and times of serial killer Martha Needle in her book "The Secret Art of Poisoning: The True Crimes of Martha Needle, The Richmond Poisoner."Martha Needle was accused of poisoning her three children, husband and future brother-in-law in late 19th century Australia.The author's website: https://www.samanthabattams.com/The book is available on Amazon in the United States here: https://www.amazon.com/Secret

Jun 21, 2024 • 1:03:23

347:  The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire w/ Stephanie Schorow

347: The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire w/ Stephanie Schorow

On November 28, 1942, fire roared through Boston's famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub during what was supposed to be a high-spirited Saturday night. By midnight, more than five hundred people were dead, dying, or maimed for life.My guest, Boston historian and author Stephanie Schorow, walks us through the history of the nightclub, the possible causes of the tragic fire, the devastation it caused, and the aftermath. Her book is called "The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire: A Boston Tragedy".More about t

Jun 13, 2024 • 1:16:31

346:  The Massie Affair w/ Mike Farris - A True Crime History Podcast

346: The Massie Affair w/ Mike Farris - A True Crime History Podcast

In September of 1931, Thalia Massie, a young naval lieutenant’s wife, claims to have been raped by five Hawaiian men in Honolulu. Following a hung jury in the rape trial, Thalia’s mother, socialite Grace Fortescue, and husband, along with two sailors, kidnap one of the accused in an attempt to coerce a confession. When they are caught after killing him and trying to dump his body in the ocean, Mrs. Fortescue’s society friends raise enough money to hire seventy-four-year-old Clarence Darrow out o

Jun 10, 2024 • 1:11:46

345:  The Folsom Prison Bloody 13 Escape w/ Josh Morgan

345: The Folsom Prison Bloody 13 Escape w/ Josh Morgan

On July 27th, 1903, thirteen convicts at California's Folsom Prison, led by Richard "Red" Gordon, attacked prison guards, took hostages, emptied the armory and made a dash for freedom. Some would be captured and punished for the murders they committed along the way, some would be killed themselves, and others would forever elude authorities. My guest is Josh Morgan, author of "The Folsom Prison Bloody 13: The Big Escape of 1903". He joins me to share details of this epic escape and it's afterma

May 30, 2024 • 1:05:55

MoNo Encore: Chicago's SS Eastland Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy

MoNo Encore: Chicago's SS Eastland Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy

Today we revisit another one of my favorite episodes, the sinking of the Eastland. On July 15th, 1915, a steamship with a checkered past called the SS Eastland docked at a wharf on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, ready to transport 2500 Western Electric employees and their families across Lake Michigan to a company picnic. Once boarding completed, however, terrible tragedy struck when the ship tilted over and into the river, killing over 800 people -mostly women and children- in a horrifi

May 26, 2024 • 1:09:04

344: The Casper Bennett Murder Case  w/ David Miraldi  - A True Crime History Podcast

344: The Casper Bennett Murder Case w/ David Miraldi - A True Crime History Podcast

On December 20th, 1963, the city of Lorain, Ohio was rocked by the tragic (and odd) death of Florence Bennett. Her husband Casper had found her dead in their bathtub, scalded in its water. He claimed it had been an accident, but police believed he had drowned her. My guest, David Miraldi, author of the acclaimed book "The Edge of Innocence: The Casper Bennett Trial" has a very personal connection to the story. His father was a civil trial attorney who defended Bennett in his sensational murder

May 22, 2024 • 56:05

343:  Jim Tully: Father of Hard-Boiled Fiction & "The Most Hated Man in Hollywood" w/ Paul Bauer & Mark Dawidziak

343: Jim Tully: Father of Hard-Boiled Fiction & "The Most Hated Man in Hollywood" w/ Paul Bauer & Mark Dawidziak

Many saw the dark side of the American dream, but none wrote about it like Jim Tully. Having spent six years of his childhood in a Cincinnati orphanage, Tully returned to his hometown of St. Marys, Ohio before climbing aboard a freight train in 1901. Drifting across the country as a "road kid," he spent his teens, sleeping in hobo jungles, avoiding railroad cops, and haunting public libraries. After six years on the road, he settled in Kent, Ohio where he boxed professionally and began to write.

May 16, 2024 • 1:14:23

342: The Ill-Fated Voyage of the Nanina w/ Eric Jay Dolin

342: The Ill-Fated Voyage of the Nanina w/ Eric Jay Dolin

Eric Jay Dolin, returns to the show to share details from his new book, "Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World". It's the true story of a wild and fateful encounter between an American sealing vessel, a shipwrecked British brig, and a British warship in the Falkland archipelago during the War of 1812.Fraught with misunderstandings and mistrust, the incident left three British sailors and two Americans, including the captain of the sealer, Charles H. Barnard,

May 8, 2024 • 58:43

341:  The Mysterious Death of Zachary Smith Reynolds w/ Phil Archer

341: The Mysterious Death of Zachary Smith Reynolds w/ Phil Archer

Just after midnight on July 6, 1932, twenty-year-old Zachary Smith Reynolds, a renowned aviator and an heir to the R.J. Reynolds tobacco fortune, was shot in the family's summer home in what is now Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While some believed the moody young man had committed suicide, evidence suggested someone else had pulled the trigger, and eventually Reynolds' wife, Broadway actress Libby Holman, and his best friend, A.B. Walker, would be indicted for murder. I'm joined by Phil Archer

May 3, 2024 • 1:04:07

MoNo Encore:  The Murder of Sister Janina w/ Mardi Link

MoNo Encore: The Murder of Sister Janina w/ Mardi Link

This week we revisit one of my favorite Most Notorious episodes. In the small town of Isadore Michigan in 1907, a young nun named Janina disappeared. Ten years later, her body is discovered by a priest intent on building a new church on the foundation of the old one. Mardi Link, author of "Isadore's Secret", chats with me about the terrible circumstances surrounding the death of Sister Janina. The author's website: https://www.mardilink.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/

Apr 16, 2024 • 57:59

340:  The Murder of Oscar Chitwood w/ Christopher Thrasher

340: The Murder of Oscar Chitwood w/ Christopher Thrasher

On a warm August day in 1910, Sheriff Jake Houpt and his deputies attempted to arrest brothers George and Oscar Chitwood outside the Garland County Courthouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A gunfight soon erupted, leaving both the sheriff and George dead. And when Oscar himself was killed in December under the protection of deputies, a mob of mysterious masked men were blamed for the lynching. But evidence suggests the story of Oscar's death might have been a cover for something else. My guest is C

Apr 10, 2024 • 1:00:02

339:  The Killing of Boxer Tyrone Everett  w/ Sean Nam

339: The Killing of Boxer Tyrone Everett w/ Sean Nam

Six months after losing a world title fight that remains infamous as one of the last mob fixes in boxing, Tyrone “The Butterfly” Everett—a flashy, handsome lightweight southpaw on the verge of stardom—was dead. Only twenty-four years old, he was shot in the head by his girlfriend, Carolyn McKendrick, who claimed that Everett had abused her throughout their relationship. But for years, street corner talk raised doubts about what actually took place in Philadelphia at 2710 Federal Street on May 26

Apr 4, 2024 • 1:12:45

MoNo Presents:  History Daily

MoNo Presents: History Daily

Today we have special back-to-back episodes from the History Daily podcast. The first shares the story of the capture of one of the UK's most notorious serial killers, the Yorkshire Ripper, and the second is about the tumultuous life of Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible. Visit the History Daily website for more information about the show. https://historydaily.org/ More about the Most Notorious podcast here: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho

Mar 28, 2024 • 38:59

338:  The Death of James Dean & the "Curse of the Little Bastard" w/ Lee Raskin

338: The Death of James Dean & the "Curse of the Little Bastard" w/ Lee Raskin

On September 30, 1955, 24-year-old James Dean became immortal. While his young life ended in a car crash, James Dean passed into the realm of American folklore, where his memory remains today. What exactly happened on that fateful day 60 years ago? What events led to the tragic accident that cost Dean his life? What became of the people and vehicles involved in that unguarded moment at Cholame? Is there any truth to the idea of a "curse" associated with Dean and his Porsche Spyder? My guest is

Mar 26, 2024 • 1:53:37

337:  The General Slocum Disaster w/ Edward T. O'Donnell

337: The General Slocum Disaster w/ Edward T. O'Donnell

There were few experienced swimmers among over 1,300 Lower East Side residents who boarded the General Slocum on June 15, 1904. It shouldn’t have mattered, since the steamship was chartered only for a languid excursion from Manhattan to Long Island Sound. But a fire erupted minutes into the trip, forcing hundreds of terrified passengers into the water. By the time the captain found a safe shore for landing, 1,021 had perished.  "Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum" draws on

Mar 19, 2024 • 1:08:02

336:  The Witch of Mansfield: Phebe Wise w/ Mark S. Jordan

336: The Witch of Mansfield: Phebe Wise w/ Mark S. Jordan

Phebe Wise was believed to be a witch by many locals in late 19th and early 20th century Mansfield, Ohio. Bucking societal norms, she lived alone on a large piece of property and would often march into town wearing her deceased mother's antique Civil War gowns. She also had her share of adversity, which included being the target of violent robbers and an obsessed stalker.  And her showdown with her stalker would lead to gunfire and death. My guest this week is Mark Sebastian Jordan, author of "

Mar 5, 2024 • 1:08:53

335:  The "Bulldog Detective" William J. Flynn w/ Jeff D. Simon

335: The "Bulldog Detective" William J. Flynn w/ Jeff D. Simon

William J. Flynn, nicknamed "The Bulldog Detective", had a fascinating and accomplished career in law enforcement. While in the Secret Service he not only battled the Mafia in New York City, but also uncovered a sophisticated German spy ring on the cusp of America's entry into World War I.  As Director of the Bureau of Investigation, he devised the first counterterrorist strategy in United States history. He was a writer as well, contributing articles both to journals and to a true crime detecti

Feb 29, 2024 • 1:03:45

334:  The Birth of the Mafia w/ Louis Ferrante

334: The Birth of the Mafia w/ Louis Ferrante

My guest this week is bestselling author Lou Ferrante. He was an associate in the Gambino crime family before going to prison, where he studied history and began writing books. He joins us to talk about the origins of the Sicilian Mafia and how they followed Italian immigrants to the United States, initially establishing themselves in crime-ridden New Orleans alongside a corrupt police force.  His new book is called "Borgata: Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia", the first volume of

Feb 21, 2024 • 1:28:19

333:  Lana Turner & the Killing of Johnny Stompanato w/ Casey Sherman

333: Lana Turner & the Killing of Johnny Stompanato w/ Casey Sherman

Lana Turner's meteoric rise to fame after being discovered at a soda fountain by a talent scout in 1936 is a legendary Hollywood story. From that point forward, the starlet's life had been a series of exhilarating highs - including award-worthy performances in critically acclaimed films, and terrifying lows - as she suffered abuse by multiple men over the years. Among the men who terrorized her was her gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato, a bodyguard for Los Angeles crime boss Mickey Cohen. Coh

Feb 14, 2024 • 1:11:00

332: The Murder of Vivian Gordon w/ Michael Wolraich

332: The Murder of Vivian Gordon w/ Michael Wolraich

Vivian Gordon went out before midnight in a velvet dress and mink coat. Her body turned up the next morning in a desolate Bronx park, a dirty clothesline wrapped around her neck. At her stylish Manhattan apartment, detectives discovered notebooks full of names—businessmen, socialites, gangsters. And something else: a letter from an anti-corruption commission established by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Led by the imperious Judge Samuel Seabury, the commission had uncovered a police conspir

Feb 8, 2024 • 56:52

331:  The Bermondsey Horror w/ Gavin Whitehead  -  A True Crime History Podcast

331: The Bermondsey Horror w/ Gavin Whitehead - A True Crime History Podcast

On August 17th, 1849, London police officers made a grisly discovery at the home of George and Maria (born Marie de Roux) Manning. Her former beau, Patrick O'Connor, had been buried under the floor. A nationwide hunt for the couple would follow, and after that a trial and executions. The murder case would grip London so fervently that Madame Tussaud would later add wax versions of the couple to her infamous Chamber of Horrors.  My guest today is Gavin Whitehead, creator, writer and narrator of

Feb 3, 2024 • 1:10:16

330: Was Gille de Rais Really One of History's Worst Serial Killers? w/ Margot K. Juby

330: Was Gille de Rais Really One of History's Worst Serial Killers? w/ Margot K. Juby

Gille de Rais is a complicated historical figure. On one hand he was a French military hero - a man who fought side by side with Joan of Arc - and revered for his service to church and state. On the other he was an accused heretic, an occultist, and the self-confessed serial killer of hundreds of children.  My guest is Margot K. Juby, author of "The Martyrdom of Gilles de Rais". She believes that there is not enough evidence to prove that de Rais committed the monstrous crimes he has been accus

Jan 29, 2024 • 1:23:48

Today in MoNo History: The 1888 Murders of Charles and Lois Hitchcock

Today in MoNo History: The 1888 Murders of Charles and Lois Hitchcock

When a well-to-do couple named Charles and Lois Hitchcock are discovered hacked to death on their fruit farm in Garden Grove, California in January of 1888, suspicions quickly turn to an itinerant German, who has been looking to buy a property in the area.   This is a special "this day in true crime history" episode of Most Notorious, narrated by Erik Rivenes.  References:   Los Angeles Evening Express, 1/27/1888, p. 5. Los Angeles Times, 1/27/1888 p. 4.  Los Angeles Evening Express, 1/28/1

Jan 24, 2024 • 38:09

329: Andrew Jackson & The Creek War w/ Peter Cozzens

329: Andrew Jackson & The Creek War w/ Peter Cozzens

The Creek War is one of the most tragic episodes in American history, leading to the greatest loss of Native American life on what is now U.S. soil. What began as a vicious internal conflict among the Creek Indians metastasized like a cancer. The ensuing Creek War of 1813-1814 shattered Native American control of the Deep South and led to the infamous Trail of Tears, in which the government forcibly removed the southeastern Indians from their homeland. The war also gave Andrew Jackson his first

Jan 18, 2024 • 51:52

328:  Squizzy Taylor & the Fitzroy Vendetta w/ Roy Maloy

328: Squizzy Taylor & the Fitzroy Vendetta w/ Roy Maloy

Prolific Australian crime writer Roy Maloy is my guest this week. He gives us the scoop on the complex and violent legacy of Melbourne gangster Squizzy Taylor. Highlights include Squizzy's marriage to notorious madam Dolly Gray, the infamous 1919 Fitzroy Vendetta, and his own bloody death at the hands of his rivals.  His book is called "Squizzy - The Biography: The Forensics - The Man - The Vendetta."  The author's Linktree page: https://linktr.ee/RoyMaloy The author's Facebook page: https://

Jan 12, 2024 • 1:39:17

327:  The Persecution of Lillian Hawkins & the Murder of Ruby Reed w/ Kimberly Tilley

327: The Persecution of Lillian Hawkins & the Murder of Ruby Reed w/ Kimberly Tilley

Four-time guest and author Kimberly Tilley joins me once again, this time to talk about two unsolved historical mysteries. First, she tells the story of nineteen-year-old Lillian Hawkins, who was harassed by a murderous stalker in turn-of-the-twentieth century Ohio. Then we're off to 1920 Los Angeles, where a bit-part Hollywood actress named Ruby Reed was brutally slain in her home.  More about Lillian Hawkins' wild story here: https://oldspirituals.com/2023/06/29/mysterious-persecution-1/ More

Jan 4, 2024 • 47:53

MoNo Encore:  A Shocking New Look at the Lindbergh Kidnapping & Murder w/ Lise Pearlman

MoNo Encore: A Shocking New Look at the Lindbergh Kidnapping & Murder w/ Lise Pearlman

In this Most Notorious holiday re-release, we revisit an interview that got a lot of attention when it first aired. This is my interview with Lise Pearlman about the fascinating research she did in the infamous 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping, and her jaw-dropping conclusions about who was really behind it all. More information on Lise and her books can be found at her website here: www.lisepearlman.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 26, 2023 • 1:18:55

326:  The Life & Crimes of Charley Flynn w/ Matthew Bernstein

326: The Life & Crimes of Charley Flynn w/ Matthew Bernstein

One of the most colorful criminals in 19th-century California history was a man that you may not have ever heard of - Charley Flynn, aka Charles Mortimer. Flynn was a charmer and a ne'er-do-well whose life was something right out of a movie - a seemingly non-stop series of dramatic robberies and daring escapes. Flynn's activities turned terribly violent, however, after partnering with fellow criminal Carrie Jones, and culminated in two horrific murders and his eventual execution. My guest is au

Dec 20, 2023 • 1:17:00

325: The Murder of the Grimes Sisters w/ Troy Taylor

325: The Murder of the Grimes Sisters w/ Troy Taylor

It was a chilly December night in 1956 when young Barbara and Patricia Grimes, dedicated fans of Elvis Presley, set out to watch "Love Me Tender" for the eleventh time. Their disappearance sparked a desperate search, fueled by countless sightings and reports. Yet, despite the intense media frenzy and police efforts, the case was riddled by confusion, misinformation, and potential corruption that have obscured the truth for decades. In this episode, we discuss the web of possible suspects, inclu

Dec 14, 2023 • 1:12:17

324:  The Mysterious Disappearance of Kenneth Beasley w/ Charles Oldham

324: The Mysterious Disappearance of Kenneth Beasley w/ Charles Oldham

On Monday, February 13, 1905, eight- year-old Kenneth Beasley walked to the back of his school’s playground and into the melting snow of the woods beyond. He never returned. A massive search was undertaken for the North Carolina state senator’s son, and a reward was offered. Despite clues, rumors and even a ransom note, he was never found. A year and a half later, a political rival hurriedly was charged. Accused of the most bizarre and twisted of plots, he faced a courtroom overflowing with jur

Dec 7, 2023 • 1:05:48

323:  Spree Killer Charles Starkweather w/ Harry MacLean

323: Spree Killer Charles Starkweather w/ Harry MacLean

Few American criminals have captured the imagination of Hollywood like Charles Starkweather, a red-haired James Dean wannabe who murdered eleven people in 1957 and 58.  With him during most of his killing spree was his girlfriend (and possible accomplice) Caril Ann Fugate. Among the victims were Caril's own mother, step-father and little sister. My guest, Edgar award winner and bestselling author Harry N. MacLean, knew the Starkweather family as a boy in Lincoln, Nebraska. One of his main goals

Nov 29, 2023 • 1:22:31

322: Jack the Ripper: Hyam Hyams w/ Sarah Bax Horton

322: Jack the Ripper: Hyam Hyams w/ Sarah Bax Horton

In my final interview of this Ripper series, I chat with Sarah Bax Horton, author of a recently published book called "One-Armed Jack: Uncovering the Real Jack the Ripper". Her prime suspect is Hyam Hyams, whose distinctive physical characteristics (including a stiff arm) match period eye-witness descriptions of the killer. She also has a personal connection to the story - her great-great grandfather was a police sergeant in Whitechapel during the Ripper murders.The U.S. Amazon link to

Nov 27, 2023 • 56:55

321: Jack the Ripper: James Hardiman w/ Drew Gray

321: Jack the Ripper: James Hardiman w/ Drew Gray

Was the real identity of Jack the Ripper a Whitechapel horse slaughterer named James Hardiman? And if so, could he have committed the Thames Torso Murders as well?  My guest is Dr. Drew Gray, who along with Andrew Wise wrote the book "Jack and the Thames Torso Murders: A New Ripper?" He makes the case for Hardiman as our Jack the Ripper limited series continues.  Drew Gray's blog: https://thepolicemagistrate.blog/ Amazon link to his Jack the Ripper book: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Thames-T

Nov 22, 2023 • 1:02:09

320:  Jack the Ripper: Aaron Kosminksi w/ Robert House

320: Jack the Ripper: Aaron Kosminksi w/ Robert House

Aaron Kosminski is one of the more well known suspects in the Whitechapel murders. Some of the major police officials of the era, in fact, were seriously concerned about his potential involvement in the brutal Autumn of Terror slayings. My guest, Robert House, has studied Aaron Kosminski for years, and shares details of his investigation with us. He is the author of "Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect". The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph

Nov 16, 2023 • 1:25:20

319:  Jack the Ripper: Robert Mann w/ M. J. Trow

319: Jack the Ripper: Robert Mann w/ M. J. Trow

Prolific author M.J. Trow returns to Most Notorious to kick off a series of interviews about the Jack the Ripper. In his 2009 book "Jack the Ripper: Quest for a Killer", he argues that a mortuary attendant named Robert Mann stalked Whitechapel during the Autumn of Terror, and presents his case that Mann had motive, means and opportunity to murder.  M.J. Trow's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/M.-J.-Trow/author/B001H9U1B6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 14, 2023 • 1:21:55

318:  The Dillinger Gang in Tucson w/ Ellen Poulsen

318: The Dillinger Gang in Tucson w/ Ellen Poulsen

My guest this week is my favorite John Dillinger expert, Ellen Poulsen. She returns to regale us with a colorful account of the Dillinger Gang's ill-fated Tucson, Arizona vacation in January of 1934. Ellen is the author of "Chasing Dillinger", "Don't Call Us Molls" and "The Case Against Lucky Luciano", and is back for her fourth visit to Most Notorious.  More about Ellen and her books here: https://www.ellenpoulsen.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 8, 2023 • 1:12:47

317:  The Deadly Colson-Scott Feud w/ Thomas E. Stephens

317: The Deadly Colson-Scott Feud w/ Thomas E. Stephens

On January 16, 1900, a bitter feud between a former Kentucky congressman and colonel named David Grant Colson and a fellow officer, Ethelbert Dudley Scott, reached its bloody climax as they fought it out with pistols in a crowded hotel lobby in Frankfort. Both believed their honor had been besmirched by the other, and that the death of one of them was the inevitable outcome. My guest is Thomas E. Stephens, who has a personal connection to this story, and wrote about it in the Register of the Ke

Nov 1, 2023 • 44:57

316:  Bass Reeves w/ Art T. Burton -  A True Crime History Podcast

316: Bass Reeves w/ Art T. Burton - A True Crime History Podcast

There is a lot of buzz about Taylor Sheridan's newest television series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and this week's guest, Old West author and historian Art T. Burton, is here to separate fact from fiction. He tells us about the exploits of this legendary Deputy U.S. Marshal, not only one of the first African-American marshals in United States history, but arguably the greatest lawman of his era.  Art Burton's book is called "Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves"

Oct 25, 2023 • 1:08:18

315:  The Murder of Frances Lacey w/ Rod Sadler - A True Crime History Podcast

315: The Murder of Frances Lacey w/ Rod Sadler - A True Crime History Podcast

Mackinac Island, Michigan is a special place. Summers there are always bustling with tourists, who come in droves to enjoy its history, beauty and charm. However on July 24, 1960 a horrific event shook the residents of the peaceful island. A 49-year-old widow named Francis Lacey was viciously murdered at the end of a morning walk. Law enforcement officers from across Michigan joined the hunt to find her killer, but the case still remains unsolved today.  My guest is Rod Sadler, author and retir

Oct 17, 2023 • 1:03:12

Introducing Southern Gothic

Introducing Southern Gothic

Step into the world of the unknown and unravel the dark history, and infamous legends of the American South. Southern Gothic journeys into the heart of this rich and fascinating region, uncovering its ghostly stories, haunted places, and eeriest tales through captivating storytelling, in-depth historical research, and an immersive audio soundscape. From the Bell Witch of Tennessee to the haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium, the ghostly tales of the Myrtles Plantation, the Curse of Lake Lanier and b

Oct 14, 2023 • 1:42

314:  Irish Mobster Eddie McGrath w/ Neil G. Clark

314: Irish Mobster Eddie McGrath w/ Neil G. Clark

From the 1930s to the 1950s, Irish altar-boy turned gangster Eddie McGrath ruled New York City's West Side waterfront. Not only did he provide union muscle for the International Longshoreman's Association, but he was also involved in dozens of gangland shootings and murders. My guest, Neil G. Clark, is the author of "Dock Boss: Eddie McGrath and the West Side Waterfront". He tells the story of McGrath's violent rise to power as the leader of New York City's Irish Mob and some of the terrible ac

Oct 11, 2023 • 1:00:13

313:  The Crater Lake Murders w/ Monty Orrick

313: The Crater Lake Murders w/ Monty Orrick

When two General Motors executives drove into Crater Lake National Park in July 1952, no one could predict they would be dead within an hour—not even their killers. It was a crime of opportunity, a botched robbery during the middle of summer in a crowded national park. When Albert Jones and Charles Culhane were found shot to death two days later, the story became a national obsession. The FBI used every resource and available agent but, as time wore on, the investigation ran out of steam. A lack

Oct 4, 2023 • 1:13:20

312:  Charlie Siringo w/ Nathan Ward - A True Crime History Podcast

312: Charlie Siringo w/ Nathan Ward - A True Crime History Podcast

Born in Texas to immigrant parents in 1855, Charles Siringo lived a fascinating life from the very start. At the age of twelve Charlie went on his first cattle drive, and then spent decades working as a cowboy. Along the way crossed paths with legendary Old West figures like Bat Masterson, Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. He was in Chicago during the Haymarket Riot, protected famed attorney Clarence Darrow from a lynch mob, and as a Pinkerton detective pursued Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch for

Sep 27, 2023 • 1:03:06

311:  Eleanor "the Blonde Tigress" Jarman w/ Silvia Pettem

311: Eleanor "the Blonde Tigress" Jarman w/ Silvia Pettem

On August 4, 1933, Eleanor Jarman, her boyfriend George Dale and another accomplice attempted to rob a Chicago clothing store owner, Gustav Hoeh. Hoeh fought back and was murdered by Dale. Eleanor still received a 199 year prison sentence for her part in the crime, but after serving just seven years she escaped with a fellow inmate. From that point on she became a fugitive (never caught) and likely holds the distinction of being the longest-running female fugitive in American history. My guest,

Sep 20, 2023 • 46:26

310:  The Rise of Terrorism in the 19th Century w/ James Crossland

310: The Rise of Terrorism in the 19th Century w/ James Crossland

On January 14, 1858, Felice Orsini and his fellow Italian revolutionaries tossed his newly designed bombs at the carriage of Emperor Napoleon III, outside of the Paris Opera House. This frightening new form of terrorism would have global ramifications, inspiring nihilists, anarchists, nationalists and others, angry about a wide range of injustices both real and perceived, to create chaos around the world. My guest is Dr. James Crossland, author of "The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Mo

Sep 12, 2023 • 1:13:45

309:  Albert "Crooked Snake" Lepard w/ Lovejoy Boteler

309: Albert "Crooked Snake" Lepard w/ Lovejoy Boteler

In February of 1959, Albert Lepard brutally murdered his seventy-four-year-old great-aunt Mary Young and was tried, convicted and given a life sentence at Mississippi's Parchman Penitentiary. Lepard would escape six times over fourteen years. In 1968, my guest Lovejoy Boteler, then eighteen years old, was kidnapped by Lepard during his fifth escape. He shares details about the research he has done over the years on the notorious Lepard, and tells the story of his own abduction. Lovejoy Boteler

Sep 7, 2023 • 1:07:38

308:  The Murder of Nell Cropsey w/ William E. Dunstan - A True Crime History Podcast

308: The Murder of Nell Cropsey w/ William E. Dunstan - A True Crime History Podcast

On this episode of Most Notorious, we examine one of the most infamous true crime cases in North Carolina history. On a cold autumn evening in 1901 a young woman named Nell Cropsey stepped out of her house with her spurned suitor, Jim Wilcox. She was never seen alive again. Wilcox later told police that he had broken up with her, leaving her crying on her porch, and then gone home. Over a month later her body (in pristine condition according to the coroner) was pulled out of the Pasquotank River

Aug 30, 2023 • 1:18:35

307:  The Nazi Titanic w/ Robert Watson - A True Crime History Podcast

307: The Nazi Titanic w/ Robert Watson - A True Crime History Podcast

Built in 1927, the German ocean liner SS Cap Arcona was the greatest ship since the RMS Titanic and one of the most celebrated luxury liners in the world. When the Nazis seized control in Germany, she was stripped down for use as a floating barracks and troop transport. Later, during the war, Hitler's minister, Joseph Goebbels, cast her as the "star" in his epic propaganda film about the sinking of the legendary Titanic. Following the film's enormous failure, the German navy used the Cap Arcona

Aug 23, 2023 • 1:12:51

306:  The Car Barn Murders w/ Karen Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

306: The Car Barn Murders w/ Karen Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

In the early morning of January 21st, 1935 two employees of the Capital Transit Company in Chevy Chase, Maryland were cold-bloodedly gunned down. One of the men murdered was my guest's great-great uncle Emory Smith. As the police investigated the list of compelling suspects grew, but a powerful cover-up appeared to be in play, ultimately preventing the perpetrators from facing justice.  Former forensic detective Karen Smith joins me today to talk about her extensive personal investigation into

Aug 16, 2023 • 1:10:44

305:  The Libby Prison Escape w/ Robert Watson - A True Crime History Podcast

305: The Libby Prison Escape w/ Robert Watson - A True Crime History Podcast

Award-winning author and historian Robert Watson is my guest this week. He talks about the Confederacy's notorious Libby Prison, located in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War. Resourceful Union officers, held captive under extraordinarily brutal conditions, managed to pull off a daring prison break in February of 1864. The manhunt that followed would be one of the largest in American history.  His book is called "Escape!: The Story of the Confederacy's Infamous Libby Prison and the Civil Wa

Aug 9, 2023 • 1:13:34

304:  The Life and Controversial Death of Ted Healy w/ Bill Cassara

304: The Life and Controversial Death of Ted Healy w/ Bill Cassara

My guest this week is Bill Cassara, author of "Nobody's Stooge: Ted Healy". First he walks us through vaudeville performer Ted Healy's rise to Hollywood stardom, including his creation of the Three Stooges, up to his untimely death in 1937. Then he addresses the longstanding rumors that Healy was murdered - either by the mob or by a fellow actor.Note: please listen to the very end - I do a follow up call with Bill to ask a few more questions.Here is a link to the author's books on Amazon. The au

Aug 3, 2023 • 1:15:13

304:  The Life & Controversial Death of Ted Healy w/ Bill Cassara - A True Crime History Podcast

304: The Life & Controversial Death of Ted Healy w/ Bill Cassara - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest this week is Bill Cassara, author of "Nobody's Stooge: Ted Healy". First he walks us through vaudeville performer Ted Healy's rise to Hollywood stardom, including his creation of the Three Stooges, up to his untimely death in 1937. Then he addresses the longstanding rumors that Healy was murdered - either by the mob or by a fellow actor. Note: please listen to the very end - I do a follow up call with Bill to ask a few more questions. Here is a link to the author's books on Amazon: ht

Aug 3, 2023 • 1:18:42

303:  Josie Mansfield & the Murder of Jim Fisk w/ H.W. Brands

303: Josie Mansfield & the Murder of Jim Fisk w/ H.W. Brands

On January 7th, 1872, "Jubilee Jim" Fisk was murdered on a staircase in New York City's Grand Central Hotel. His killer (the lover of Fisk's former girlfriend Josie Mansfield) was furious at being targeted by the financier as the two parties battled in the courts. My guest this week is bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands, author of "The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield". He not only talks about Fisk's sensational murder, but he also explains some of

Jul 27, 2023 • 1:17:52

303:  Josie Mansfield & the Murder of Jim Fisk w/ H.W. Brands

303: Josie Mansfield & the Murder of Jim Fisk w/ H.W. Brands

On January 7th, 1872, "Jubilee Jim" Fisk was murdered on a staircase in New York City's Grand Central Hotel. His killer (the lover of Fisk's former girlfriend Josie Mansfield) was furious at being targeted by the financier as the two parties battled in the courts. My guest this week is bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands, author of "The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield". He not only talks about Fisk's sensational murder, but he also explains some of th

Jul 26, 2023 • 1:10:08

302: The Murders of Stringbean and Estelle Akeman w/ Taylor Hagood

302: The Murders of Stringbean and Estelle Akeman w/ Taylor Hagood

David "Stringbean" Akeman was a singer, clawhammer banjo player and an early Grand Ole Opry star, known for his lanky build and comedic personality. And as a cast member of the nationwide television show Hee-Haw, he was at the height of his popularity when he and his wife Estelle were murdered in their rural Tennessee home in November of 1973. My guest this week is Professor Taylor Hagood, author of "Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Music Legend". He walks us through the fascinating

Jul 19, 2023 • 1:41:41

302: The Murders of Stringbean and Estelle Akeman w/ Taylor Hagood

302: The Murders of Stringbean and Estelle Akeman w/ Taylor Hagood

David "Stringbean" Akeman was a singer, clawhammer banjo player and an early Grand Ole Opry star, known for his lanky build and comedic personality. And as a cast member of the nationwide television show Hee-Haw, he was at the height of his popularity when he and his wife Estelle were murdered in their rural Tennessee home in November of 1973.My guest this week is Professor Taylor Hagood, author of "Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Music Legend". He walks us through the fascinating l

Jul 19, 2023 • 1:37:12

301:  Dick Turpin w/ James Sharpe - A True Crime History Podcast

301: Dick Turpin w/ James Sharpe - A True Crime History Podcast

Dick Turpin is one Britain's most famous criminals, a murderous highwayman whose nefarious deeds became romanticized decades after his execution. My guest is James Sharpe, who shares Turpin's story and dispels some of the myths that have grown around the outlaw over the years. His book is called "Dick Turpin: The Myth of the English Highwayman". More about the author here: https://www.york.ac.uk/history/people/honorary/sharpe Go here to download the Zocdoc app for free to find a top-rated

Jul 12, 2023 • 1:06:26

300: American Privateers w/ Eric Jay Dolin

300: American Privateers w/ Eric Jay Dolin

Happy Independence Day to all of my American listeners, as we finally reach episode 300! A slight deviation this week from the typical true crime tragedy and disaster content - my guest is best-selling historian Eric Jay Dolin, author of "Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution". America's new government, in an effort to stand up against Britain's formidable navy, issued letters of marque to privately owned ships, allowing them to seize British merchant vessels and men of war.

Jul 4, 2023 • 1:07:13

MoNo Encore: Black Dahlia Suspect George Hodel w/ Steve Hodel

MoNo Encore: Black Dahlia Suspect George Hodel w/ Steve Hodel

In this first ever episode re-release, Erik revisits his 2016 interview with New York Times Bestselling author Steve Hodel, author of "The Black Dahlia Avenger". Hodel explains why he believes that the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, was committed by his father, physician George Hodel. More about Steve Hodel and his work here: https://stevehodel.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 28, 2023 • 1:49:11

299: Art Thief & IRA Militant Rose Dugdale w/ Anthony M. Amore - A True Crime History Podcast

299: Art Thief & IRA Militant Rose Dugdale w/ Anthony M. Amore - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest this week is bestselling author Anthony M. Amore, director of security and chief investigator at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He shares the story of Rose Dugdale, an Oxford educated former debutante who rejected her wealthy and privileged life and joined the ranks of the Irish Republican Army in the early 1970s. Included in her notorious exploits was the attempted aerial bombing of a police station and the biggest art theft of her era. Anthony Amore's book is called "The

Jun 20, 2023 • 1:05:20

298:  Machine Gun Kelly & the Woolverton Kidnapping w/ Kevin E. Meredith

298: Machine Gun Kelly & the Woolverton Kidnapping w/ Kevin E. Meredith

On a chilly January night in 1932, a wealthy industrialist named Howard Woolverton was snatched from his car by kidnappers. When he was released unharmed the next day, his apparent lack of concern for the capture of his abductors led many to believe he was attempting to halt the investigation. J. Edgar Hoover would later name George Kelly Barnes, aka "Machine Gun Kelly" and his wife Kathryn as participants in his abduction, but evidence suggests other notorious gangsters were also involved, and

Jun 13, 2023 • 1:02:46

297: The Murder of Barbara Finch w/ Steve Kosareff  - A True Crime History Podcast

297: The Murder of Barbara Finch w/ Steve Kosareff - A True Crime History Podcast

At about 11 pm on July 18, 1959, Dr. Bernard Finch and his girlfriend Carole Ann Tregoff arrived at the Finch home in West Covina, California with a plan to murder his wife Barbara and make her death look like an accident. Things did not go as planned, however, and after a struggle Finch ended up shooting her dead. From there he fled, ultimately leading police on a high speed chase through the city. And he escaped - at least temporarily. My guest is Steve Kosareff, author of "Satin Pumps: The M

Jun 6, 2023 • 1:08:24

296: The Atlanta Ripper w/ Jeffrey Wells - A True Crime History Podcast

296: The Atlanta Ripper w/ Jeffrey Wells - A True Crime History Podcast

In the years following the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot, a wave of terror rocked the city. Over twenty black women were brutally murdered, often in a fashion that mimicked the infamous Jack the Ripper murders twenty years earlier. My guest is Dr. Jeffery Wells, author of "The Atlanta Ripper: The Unsolved Case of the Gate City's Most Infamous Murders". He talks about the racially-charged atmosphere of Atlanta in the 1910s, the likelihood that the rash of murders were committed by multiple people and t

May 31, 2023 • 1:18:04

295: Murder & Lynching in Early 1900s Tennessee w/ Kimberly Tilley

295: Murder & Lynching in Early 1900s Tennessee w/ Kimberly Tilley

Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1906. When a young white woman is assaulted in a dark cemetery, the town erupts. Despite questionable evidence and a flawed trial, a black man named Ed Johnson is convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. Before he can be executed, the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes. Despite their order, a bloodthirsty mob attacks the county jail, and lynches Johnson. The infuriated high court is determined Ed Johnson's murder will not go unpunished, and they charge Joseph Shipp, the

May 26, 2023 • 1:25:46

294: The Ill-Fated Voyage of HMS Wager w/ David Grann - A True Crime History Podcast

294: The Ill-Fated Voyage of HMS Wager w/ David Grann - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest this week is award-winning writer David Grann, whose new book, "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder", is currently number one on the New York Times Hardcover Non-Fiction Best Sellers list. It's the tale of HMS Wager, a British warship that gets separated from the rest of its squadron while in pursuit of a treasure-filled Spanish galleon. The ship wrecks off the coast of Chile and the surviving crew members face off against each other amidst disease, cold and starvation -

May 17, 2023 • 1:08:32

293: The Star Route Scandal w/ Shawn Francis Peters -  A True Crime History Podcast

293: The Star Route Scandal w/ Shawn Francis Peters - A True Crime History Podcast

In the 1870s and 80s the nation was embroiled in a sensational scandal. Corrupt politicians, post office officials and others conspired to defraud the United States Post Office out of millions of dollars. It was only under the watchful eye of newly elected President James Garfield that an in-depth investigation began. My guest is Shawn Francis Peters, author of "When Bad Men Combine: The Star Route Scandal and the Twilight of Gilded Age Politics." He not only explains the graft and its conseque

May 9, 2023 • 53:01

292:  Confidence Men, Corruption & the Klan in 1920s Denver w/ Alan Prendergast

292: Confidence Men, Corruption & the Klan in 1920s Denver w/ Alan Prendergast

Philip Van Cise faced a double threat when he became Denver's district attorney in 1921. He quickly discovered that a massive bunco ring was operating unimpeded in downtown Denver, fleecing unsuspecting rubes out of enormous amounts of money. In addition, the Ku Klux Klan was gaining popularity across the state - winning key elections as it encouraged vigilantism and threatened many Denver citizens. My guest, Alan Prendergast, tells Van Cise's story in his new book, "Gangbuster: One Man's Batt

May 2, 2023 • 1:05:28

291: Anastasia: Mystery & Myth w/ Greg King & Penny Wilson  - A True Crime History Podcast

291: Anastasia: Mystery & Myth w/ Greg King & Penny Wilson - A True Crime History Podcast

For decades following the horrific 1918 execution of the Romanov family, many hoped against hope that one or more of the children had escaped the bullets and bayonets of the Bolsheviks. And when a young woman came forward with an incredible story - that she was the real Grand Duchess Anastasia and had in fact survived the massacre - it sent shock waves around the world.My returning guests are Penny Wilson and Greg King, co-authors of "The Resurrection of the Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, a

Apr 25, 2023 • 1:24:33

290:  Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse & the Battle of the Little Bighorn w/ Mark Lee Gardner

290: Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse & the Battle of the Little Bighorn w/ Mark Lee Gardner

On June 25, 1876, in the valley of the Little Big Horn, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, and the warriors who were inspired to follow them, fought the last stand of the Sioux, a fierce and proud nation that had ruled the Great Plains for decades. It was their greatest victory, but it was also the beginning of the end for their treasured and sacred way of life. And in the years to come, both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, defiant to the end, would meet violent—and eerily similar—fates. Award-winni

Apr 18, 2023 • 1:45:23

289: What Happened to the Princes in the Tower? A New Suspect w/ M.J. Trow

289: What Happened to the Princes in the Tower? A New Suspect w/ M.J. Trow

In the summer of 1483 Edward and Richard, sons of the deceased King Edward IV, disappeared from the Tower of London, where they were being held by the recently crowned Richard III. There are countless theories about their fate. Some believe that were secretly whisked away and survived into adulthood. Some are convinced that Richard III had them murdered, a theory perpetuated by Sir Thomas More and William Shakespeare. But other suspects linger in the background as well. My guest, M.J. Trow, bel

Apr 11, 2023 • 1:19:19

288: The Angel Makers of Nagyrév w/ Patti McCracken -  A True Crime History Podcast

288: The Angel Makers of Nagyrév w/ Patti McCracken - A True Crime History Podcast

From World War I through the 1920s a midwife known as Auntie Suzy readily supplied arsenic to women in a small Hungarian village. The women, who would become known as "the Angel Makers", used the poison to murder their husbands and other relatives. As the years passed and no punishment followed the killers became more emboldened, leaving hundreds of victims in their wake before they were finally caught and their crimes brought to light in 1929. My guest is award-winning journalist Patti McCrac

Apr 4, 2023 • 53:22

287: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar w/ Tal McThenia

287: The Mysterious Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar w/ Tal McThenia

In 1912, four-year-old Bobby Dunbar went missing in the Louisiana swamps. After an eight-month search that electrified the country and destroyed Bobby’s parents, the boy was found, filthy and hardly recogniz­able. A wandering piano tuner was arrested and charged with kidnapping— a crime then punishable by death. But when a destitute single mother came forward from North Carolina to claim the boy as her son, not the lost Bobby Dunbar, the case became a high-pitched battle over custody—and identi

Mar 29, 2023 • 1:37:54

286:  George Hearst w/ Matthew Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

286: George Hearst w/ Matthew Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

In the third season of the acclaimed HBO series Deadwood, one of the most villainous characters in a show full of villains was introduced. Ruthless mining magnate George Hearst arrived, eager to seize control of the richest mine in town - no matter what the cost. But was he really as rotten as the show suggested he was? My guest is Matthew Bernstein, author of "George Hearst: Silver King of the Gilded Age". He talks about the rise and fall and rise again of a man who made millions sniffing out

Mar 21, 2023 • 1:03:18

285: The Last Voyage of the Karluk w/ Buddy Levy - A True Crime History Podcast

285: The Last Voyage of the Karluk w/ Buddy Levy - A True Crime History Podcast

In the summer of 1913, the wooden-hulled brigantine Karluk departed Canada for the Arctic Ocean. At the helm was Captain Bob Bartlett, considered the world’s greatest living ice navigator. The expedition’s visionary leader was a flamboyant impresario named Vilhjalmur Stefansson hungry for fame. Just six weeks after the Karluk departed, giant ice floes closed in around her. As the ship became icebound, Stefansson disembarked with five companions and struck out on what he claimed was a 10-day car

Mar 14, 2023 • 1:20:46

284: The Murder of Bobby Franks (Leopold & Loeb Revisited) w/ Penny Wilson & Greg King

284: The Murder of Bobby Franks (Leopold & Loeb Revisited) w/ Penny Wilson & Greg King

On the afternoon of March 21st, 1924 a horrific crime shook the city of Chicago (and the entire country). Bobbie Franks, on his way home from school, was kidnapped and murdered by two teenage boy geniuses named Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. It has long been believed that Loeb was the mastermind behind the plan, while Leopold, in love with him, followed his orders. But my guests believe otherwise. Greg King and Penny Wilson, authors of "Nothing but the Night: Leopold & Loeb and the Truth Behi

Mar 7, 2023 • 1:32:44

283:  The Murder of Maggie Sheffield w/ Kelly Sullivan & the Homestead Strike w/ Paul Kahan

283: The Murder of Maggie Sheffield w/ Kelly Sullivan & the Homestead Strike w/ Paul Kahan

I've combined two of my shorter interviews into one episode this week. First up, Kelly Sullivan, author of "Murder at Rocky Point Park: Tragedy in Rhode Island's Summer Paradise" joins me to talk about the 1893 murder of little Maggie Sheffield by her father at a Rhode Island amusement park. Then, Paul Kahan returns to give a rousing summary of the notorious Homestead Strike. In July of 1892 Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick hired Pinkerton agents to occupy the Homestead steel mill near Pitt

Feb 28, 2023 • 1:12:42

282:  The Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe w/ Mark Dawidziak

282: The Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe w/ Mark Dawidziak

Edgar Allan Poe is, of course, one of America's most iconic writers. Many credit him with inventing or popularizing multiple literary genres, including mystery, horror and detective fiction. But the real Poe has become distorted over the years - transformed by fans into a dark and tortured soul obsessed with alcohol and death. My guest is author Mark Dawidziak, and his new book is called "A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe". He not only shares with us what Poe was rea

Feb 14, 2023 • 1:54:45

281:  The Murder of William Desmond Taylor w/ William J Mann - A True Crime History Podcast

281: The Murder of William Desmond Taylor w/ William J Mann - A True Crime History Podcast

In early 1922, Hollywood was in damage control. The recent "Fatty" Arbuckle manslaughter and rape case had brought unwanted scandal to the motion picture industry, so when Paramount Pictures director William Desmond Taylor was found murdered in his home on February 1st, the studio tried its best to cover it up. Despite this, the murder case became a national sensation with attention falling on multiple suspects, including a valet who had been blackmailing Taylor, comedy star Mabel Norma

Feb 7, 2023 • 1:07:18

280: The Murder of Sally Cochran w/ Leslie Lambert Rounds - A True Crime History Podcast

280: The Murder of Sally Cochran w/ Leslie Lambert Rounds - A True Crime History Podcast

On a cold winter night in January of 1833, a teenage farmhand named Abraham Prescott crept into the bedroom of his employers, Chauncey and Sally Cochran, and smashed their heads with an ax. Their neighbors in the town of Pembroke, New Hampshire was astonished when the boy explained that he had been sleepwalking and hadn't purposely attacked them. They were even more shocked when the Cochrans, who had both miraculously recovered, allowed him to continue to work for them. A few months later howe

Jan 31, 2023 • 1:01:21

279:  Was Christopher Marlowe Murdered? w/ M.J. Trow - A True Crime History Podcast

279: Was Christopher Marlowe Murdered? w/ M.J. Trow - A True Crime History Podcast

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe is considered one of the greatest playwrights of the Elizabethan era, but was also known as a hothead, a scoundrel and a member of the secretive School of Night. When he was stabbed through the eye at the age of twenty-nine in 1593, those who had it in for him were no doubt relieved to hear of his death. He had worked as an agent under Queen Elizabeth's legendary spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham and had very likely taken some reputation-destroying secrets to his grave.

Jan 25, 2023 • 1:15:39

278: The Murder of Journalist Don Mellett w/ Thomas Crowl - A True Crime History Podcast

278: The Murder of Journalist Don Mellett w/ Thomas Crowl - A True Crime History Podcast

The July 1926 murder of the editor of the Canton, Ohio, Daily News, Don R. Mellett, was one of the most publicized crimes in the 1920s. For less than a year, Mellett was the editor of the Daily News, owned by former Ohio governor and Democrat presidential candidate James Cox. Having promised Cox he would turn the unprofitable News into a success, Mellett combined personal conviction with marketing savvy and in 1925 embarked on an antivice, anticorruption editorial campaign. The following year, t

Jan 17, 2023 • 1:13:51

277:  The True Crime Case That Inspired Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" w/ Jason Isralowitz

277: The True Crime Case That Inspired Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" w/ Jason Isralowitz

In January 1953, a New York City musician named Christopher “ Manny” Balestrero was wrongly arrested for armed robbery, misidentified by eye witnesses. What followed was a nightmarish ordeal that completely devastated him and his family. Alfred Hitchcock was so moved by the miscarriage of justice that he made the case the focus of his underrated, classic 1956 film "The Wrong Man". My guest is Jason Isralowitz, author of "Nothing To Fear: Alfred Hitchcock And The Wrong Men". He shares details of

Jan 10, 2023 • 1:28:37

276:  What Happened to Louis Le Prince? w/ Paul Fischer -  A True Crime History Podcast

276: What Happened to Louis Le Prince? w/ Paul Fischer - A True Crime History Podcast

In the late 19th century, inventors were rushing to perfect and patent motion picture devices, and leading the race was a Frenchman named Louis Le Prince. In September of 1890 Le Prince said farewell to his brother in Dijon and boarded a train bound for Paris. His final destination would be the United States, where he planned to unveil his movie camera and projector to the world. Unfortunately he was never seen again. There are many theories regarding Le Prince's disappearance. Did he run away

Dec 31, 2022 • 1:23:06

275: The Mysterious Disappearance of Joan Risch w/ Stephen Ahern - A True Crime History Podcast

275: The Mysterious Disappearance of Joan Risch w/ Stephen Ahern - A True Crime History Podcast

On October 24th, 1961, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in Massachusetts history began when housewife and mother Joan Risch vanished from her home. Investigators were perplexed by a kitchen floor smeared with blood, a telephone receiver ripped from the wall and placed gently on the edge of a trash basket, and a bloodhound who traced her scent to the middle of her driveway. Later, drivers would report seeing someone resembling Joan stumbling along local highways, apparently dazed and injure

Dec 22, 2022 • 2:13:27

274:  California's McGlincy Murders  w/ Tobin Gilman - A True Crime History Podcast

274: California's McGlincy Murders w/ Tobin Gilman - A True Crime History Podcast

On the morning of May 27, 1896, the peaceful township of Campbell awoke to shocking news. Six people were brutally murdered at the home of Colonel Richard P. McGlincy, one of the town’s most respected citizens. The suspect, James Dunham—the colonel’s son-in-law—fled the scene and disappeared into the hills of Mount Hamilton overlooking Santa Clara County. This heinous crime triggered a massive, nationwide manhunt while investigators pieced together the details. My guest is Tobin Gilman, author

Dec 13, 2022 • 48:19

273:  Chicago's Iroquois Theater Fire w/ Troy Taylor - A True Crime History Podcast

273: Chicago's Iroquois Theater Fire w/ Troy Taylor - A True Crime History Podcast

On December 30th, 1903, over two thousand people were packed into Chicago's brand new Iroquois Theater for a matinee performance of Mr. Bluebeard, starring comedian Eddie Foy. Little did theatergoers know, however, that the owners of the theater cut corners in fire safety measures in an effort to open as quickly as possible. Despite billing itself as "absolutely fireproof" there were no sprinklers or fire alarms installed, the fire escapes weren't finished and some of the exit doors had been lo

Dec 6, 2022 • 1:10:59

272:  Did Lee Harvey Oswald Assassinate JFK Alone? w/ Gerald Posner

272: Did Lee Harvey Oswald Assassinate JFK Alone? w/ Gerald Posner

For almost sixty years, the Kennedy assassination has occupied the hearts and minds of Americans. Hundreds of books have been written about the fateful day at Dealey Plaza in November of 1963, often offering elaborate and convoluted conspiracy theories about government plots, the Mafia, Cuba and the KGB. My guest is investigative journalist and bestselling author Gerald Posner. He believes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in murdering President Kennedy. His critically acclaimed book, "Case Cl

Nov 29, 2022 • 1:20:05

271: The Acid Bath Murderer w/ Gordon Lowe - A True Crime History Podcast

271: The Acid Bath Murderer w/ Gordon Lowe - A True Crime History Podcast

In the years following World War II, serial killer John George Haigh committed five perfect murders, using sulphuric acid to dissolve his victims into soup. His sixth murder, however, was hastily done, and led to his arrest, a trial and eventual execution. The case captivated the United Kingdom, especially when Haigh claimed he had drunk a glass of each victim's blood before disposing of their bodies. My guest is Gordon Lowe, author of "The Acid Bath Murders: The Trials and Liquidations of Joh

Nov 15, 2022 • 1:22:58

270: The Old West's "Bandit Queen" Pearl Hart w/ John Boessenecker

270: The Old West's "Bandit Queen" Pearl Hart w/ John Boessenecker

On May 30, 1899, history was made when Pearl Hart, disguised as a man, held up a stagecoach in Arizona and robbed the passengers at gunpoint. A manhunt ensued as word of her heist spread, and Pearl Hart went on to become a media sensation and the most notorious female outlaw on the Western frontier. Hailed by many as “The Bandit Queen,” her epic life of crime and legacy as a female trailblazer provide a crucial lens into the lives of the rare women who made their mark in the American West. My g

Nov 9, 2022 • 1:37:23

269: Return to Uluru w/ Mark McKenna - A True Crime History Podcast

269: Return to Uluru w/ Mark McKenna - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1934 South Australian policeman Bill McKinnon is sent to investigate a murder and make arrests in the so-called "dead heart" of the country. After some of his Aboriginal prisoners escape, he tracks one of the unarmed men to a sacred rock formation called Uluru, traps him in a cave, and shoots and kills him. My guest is University of Sydney history professor Mark McKenna, author of "Return to Uluru: The Hidden History of a Murder in Outback Australia". He discusses not only the specifics of

Nov 2, 2022 • 1:03:48

268: Vengeance, Tragedy & Murder on the Arkansas Delta w/ Denise White Parkinson

268: Vengeance, Tragedy & Murder on the Arkansas Delta w/ Denise White Parkinson

In 1931 a young woman named Helen Spence, part of a houseboat community along Arkansas' White River, shocked everyone when she stood up in a local courtroom and shot to death the man on trial for murdering her father and step-mother. What followed for Helen would be a nightmare journey of incarceration, torture and more murder. My guest, Denise White Parkinson, has made it her mission to tell Helen Spence's story, and she shares details of it this week on Most Notorious. Her book is called "Da

Oct 26, 2022 • 1:23:06

267: The Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley w/ Elizabeth Randall

267: The Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley w/ Elizabeth Randall

In the winter of 1974 Athalia Ponsell Lindsley was in the midst of a bitter feud with her neighbor, Alan Stanford. The feud ended in brutal fashion on January 23rd when she was murdered in broad daylight on the front doorstep of her St. Augustine, Florida mansion with a machete. Suspects included both Stanford and her husband, James "Jinx" Lindsley. Elizabeth Randall, author of the book "Murder in St. Augustine: The Mysterious Death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley" is my guest this week. She walks

Oct 19, 2022 • 1:00:01

266:  The Murder of Betsy Aardsma w/ David DeKok - A True Crime History Podcast

266: The Murder of Betsy Aardsma w/ David DeKok - A True Crime History Podcast

On Nov. 28, 1969, Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old Penn State graduate student, was stabbed to death in the stacks of Pattee Library. The case remains officially unsolved, but my guest David DeKok thinks that he knows who murdered Betsy. He believes it was a troubled and hot-tempered fellow grad student named Richard Haefner, and lays out the evidence to make his argument. His book is called "Murder in the Stacks: Penn State, Betsy Aardsma, and the Killer Who Got Away". More information on the a

Oct 11, 2022 • 1:06:23

265:  The Murder of Olga Duncan w/ Deborah Holt Larkin - A True Crime History Podcast

265: The Murder of Olga Duncan w/ Deborah Holt Larkin - A True Crime History Podcast

In November of 1958 a pregnant nurse named Olga Duncan disappeared from her suburban California apartment. Police quickly suspected Olga's mother in-law Elizabeth Duncan, a domineering and manipulative woman who was incensed that her son Frank had married Olga without her approval. When Olga's badly beaten body was found buried in a shallow grave, Elizabeth was arrested, along with two hired hitmen, for murder. My guest Deborah Holt Larkin is the author of "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga

Oct 4, 2022 • 1:03:50

264: The 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast w/ A. Brad Schwartz

264: The 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast w/ A. Brad Schwartz

A. Brad Schwartz, who entertained us with Eliot Ness stories in back-to-back episodes earlier this year, returns to talk about the notorious October 30, 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, directed by Orson Wells. The young and up-and-coming Orson Wells shocked and frightened listeners who tuned in late to his radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' science fiction novel, which tells the story of an invasion of Earth by tentacled aliens. The broadcast was delivered in a news story style so real

Sep 28, 2022 • 1:48:02

263: Murder & Manhunt in WW2  w/ Brendan Koerner - A True Crime History Podcast

263: Murder & Manhunt in WW2 w/ Brendan Koerner - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1944 a battalion of African-American soldiers were tasked with the horrific job of building a road through the heart of the Indo-Burmese jungle during World War II. One of the men, a private named Herman Perry, had been having an especially difficult time of it. He’d suffered abuse while serving a stint in the local military prison, and eventually turned to opium and marijuana to escape from reality. On one fateful day, in the midst of an emotional collapse, Perry murdered an unarmed white li

Sep 20, 2022 • 1:05:08

262: The Hall-Mills Murders w/ Joe Pompeo - A True Crime History Podcast

262: The Hall-Mills Murders w/ Joe Pompeo - A True Crime History Podcast

On September 16, 1922, the bodies of Reverend Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills were found beneath a crabapple tree on an abandoned farm outside of New Brunswick, New Jersey. The killer had arranged the bodies in a pose conveying intimacy. The murder of Hall, a prominent clergyman whose wife, Frances Hall, was a proud heiress with illustrious ancestors and ties to the Johnson & Johnson dynasty, would have made headlines on its own. But when authorities identified Eleanor Mills as a choir singer fro

Sep 13, 2022 • 1:34:58

261: The Red Widow: Marguerite “Meg” Steinheil w/ Sarah Horowitz - A True Crime History Podcast

261: The Red Widow: Marguerite “Meg” Steinheil w/ Sarah Horowitz - A True Crime History Podcast

Paris, 1889: Margeurite Steinheil is a woman with ambition. But having been born into a middle-class family and trapped in a marriage to a failed artist twenty years her senior, she knows her options are limited. Determined to fashion herself into a new woman, Meg orchestrates a scandalous plan with her most powerful resource: her body. Amid the dazzling glamor, art, and romance of bourgeois Paris, she takes elite men as her lovers, charming her way into the good graces of the rich and powerful

Sep 6, 2022 • 1:20:14

260:  The 1889 Hamilton Scandal w/ Bill Shaffer - A True Crime History Podcast

260: The 1889 Hamilton Scandal w/ Bill Shaffer - A True Crime History Podcast

Robert Ray Hamilton, great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, was a successful man in the late 1880s. Powered by family money and fame, he spent his time developing real estate and serving in the New York State Assembly. But his life came crashing down on him in 1889 when his wife Eva (whom he'd met at a brothel) was arrested for stabbing their baby's nursemaid in a violent argument. Soon famed New York City police detective Thomas Byrnes would dig up tawdry details on Eva's plot to con her husband

Aug 30, 2022 • 1:02:24

259: America's First Recorded Mass Shooting w/ Ellen J. Green - A True Crime History Podcast

259: America's First Recorded Mass Shooting w/ Ellen J. Green - A True Crime History Podcast

On the morning of September 6th, 1949, a twenty-eight-year-old WWII veteran and loner named Howard Unruh stepped out of his East Camden, New Jersey apartment and shot and killed thirteen people in less than twelve minutes. It was a story that absolutely shocked America, which hadn't seen a spree killing like this in its history before. My guest is Ellen J. Green, author of "Murder in the Neighborhood: The true story of America’s first recorded mass shooting". She walks us through Unruh's murder

Aug 23, 2022 • 49:56

258: The Murder of Helen Clevenger w/ Anne Chesky Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

258: The Murder of Helen Clevenger w/ Anne Chesky Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

On the morning of July 16, 1936, the crumpled body of nineteen-year-old college student Helen Clevenger was found by her uncle in her room at Asheville, North Carolina’s Battery Park Hotel. She’d been shot in the chest and her face had been cut. A black bell hop named Martin Moore would ultimately confess after the murder weapon was found under his porch, but eyewitnesses reported seeing a white man flee the scene of the crime, and questions of police coercion linger to this day. My guest is An

Aug 16, 2022 • 1:25:28

257:  Texas Ranger Company F Vs. The Conner Family w/ Joe Pappalardo

257: Texas Ranger Company F Vs. The Conner Family w/ Joe Pappalardo

The Texas Rangers in the late 1880s were a tough and colorful lot, especially the members of Company F. And while they made their livings hunting down outlaws, none proved more cunning than Willis Conner and his sons, a fugitive family accused of murdering two neighbors in a business dispute over pigs. My guest is Joe Pappalardo, author of "Red Sky Morning: The Epic True Story of Texas Ranger Company F". He not only shares details of the events leading to the showdown between the Rangers and t

Aug 9, 2022 • 1:22:14

256: The 1916 Shark Attacks w/ Dr. Richard Fernicola - A True Crime History Podcast

256: The 1916 Shark Attacks w/ Dr. Richard Fernicola - A True Crime History Podcast

Between July 1st and 12th, 1916, a sensational series of shark attacks terrorized seaside resorts and communities along the Jersey Shore. Four people would ultimately die before the shark thought responsible was found and killed. My guest, Dr. Richard Fernicola, is the world's foremost expert on the subject. He not only tells the story of how the attacks unfolded, but explains why they might have happened. His book is called "Twelve Days of Terror: Inside the Shocking 1916 New Jersey Shark Atta

Aug 1, 2022 • 1:16:17

255:  The Murder of Florence Small w/ Janice S. C. Petrie -  A True Crime History Podcast

255: The Murder of Florence Small w/ Janice S. C. Petrie - A True Crime History Podcast

In September of 1916 a mysterious fire consumed a cottage nestled on Ossipee Lake in New Hampshire, and when local law enforcement searched the wreckage they made a horrifying discovery. The smoldering body of Florence Small was pulled out of the basement, partially preserved by rainwater. The immediate suspect was her husband, Frederick Small, who was known to have abused Florence on a number of occasions. He seemed to have a rock solid alibi, however. He'd been in Boston, selling insurance, wh

Jul 26, 2022 • 1:12:23

254:  Lizzie Borden Revisited w/ Cara Robertson - A True Crime History Podcast

254: Lizzie Borden Revisited w/ Cara Robertson - A True Crime History Podcast

In August of 1892, one of the most famous double murders in American history was committed in brutal fashion. Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death in their Fall River house, and their daughter Lizzie, home at the time, became the number one suspect. What followed was a spectacular trial, fought by brilliant attorneys, in a courtroom packed with fascinated spectators and reporters. My guest is Cara Robertson, author of "The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story". She summarizes this sensa

Jul 19, 2022 • 1:18:29

253:  Tombstone, the Earp Brothers and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral w/ Tom Clavin

253: Tombstone, the Earp Brothers and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral w/ Tom Clavin

Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp and their wives united in Tombstone, Arizona in 1879 with the intent to make their fortunes, but along the way crossed paths with a gang of lawless cowboys that included Ike Clanton, Curly Bill Brocius and Johnny Ringo. In October of 1881, tensions between the Earps and their adversaries climaxed with a shootout in a Tombstone alley, forever known as the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", which left three cowboys dead. But the animosity didn't end there. The cowboys wou

Jul 11, 2022 • 1:17:20

252: The Ceely Rose Murders w/ Mark Sebastian Jordan - A True Crime History Podcast

252: The Ceely Rose Murders w/ Mark Sebastian Jordan - A True Crime History Podcast

The tranquility of Ohio's Pleasant Valley was forever scarred in June of 1896 when tragedy struck the Rose family. Twenty-three-year-old Ceely Rose was infatuated with neighbor boy Guy Berry. When he did not reciprocate her feelings, her family ordered her to stop following him, and she in turn used rat poison to murder them. A trial would follow, with much of the focus on her sanity and mental capacity. My guest is Mark Sebastian Jordan, author of "The Ceely Rose Murders at Malabar Farm". He'

Jul 5, 2022 • 1:13:19

251: The Shooting of Chicago Cubs Shortstop Billy Jurges w/ Jack Bales - A True Crime History Podcast

251: The Shooting of Chicago Cubs Shortstop Billy Jurges w/ Jack Bales - A True Crime History Podcast

In the summer of 1932, with the Cubs in the thick of the pennant race, Billy Jurges broke off his relationship with Violet Popovich to focus on baseball. The famously beautiful showgirl took it poorly, marching into his hotel room with a revolver in her purse. Both were wounded in the ensuing struggle, but Jurges refused to press charges. Even without their star shortstop, Chicago made it to the World Series, only to be on the wrong end of Babe Ruth's legendary Called Shot. My guest is Jack Bal

Jun 28, 2022 • 59:48

250: The Murder of Cecil Wells w/ James T. Bartlett  - A True Crime History Podcast

250: The Murder of Cecil Wells w/ James T. Bartlett - A True Crime History Podcast

In the early morning hours of October 17, 1953, a frightened, battered woman named Diane Wells told a horrific tale to police. She said intruders had broken into the top-floor penthouse apartment she shared with her husband Cecil, murdered him, beat her, and then made their escape. It was an especially sensational story because 31-year-old "blonde bombshell" Diane Wells was nicknamed "the most beautiful woman in Alaska", and Cecil (twenty years her senior) was a wealthy and well-known Fairbanks

Jun 21, 2022 • 1:46:28

249: The Whitman Massacre w/ Blaine Harden - A True Crime History Podcast

249: The Whitman Massacre w/ Blaine Harden - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1835 Marcus and Narcissa Whitman arrived to the Pacific Northwest, building a mission on Cayuse land near the present day Washington/Oregon border with hopes of converting members of the Cayuse tribe to Christianity. However when a deadly measles outbreak devastated the area, it disproportionally killed Cayuse over whites, leading tribal leaders to believe Dr. Whitman was purposely poisoning them. This (along with other reasons) drove tensions so high that on November 29th, 1847, the Cayuse m

Jun 18, 2022 • 1:01:52

Introducing: Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin

Introducing: Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin

Americans are used to being on the lookout for a scam, but authorities are warning of a new kind of fraud. Puppy Kingpin shines a spotlight on Jolyn Noethe, a secretive businesswoman from Iowa who is accused of laundering puppies like drug money. Over the course of 7 episodes, investigative reporter and host Alex Schuman exposes the scheme and an underground part of the industry bringing us the pets we love. From Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment subscribe to Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpi

Jun 16, 2022 • 8:33

248: The Murder of Pearl Bryan w/ Robert Wilhelm - A True Crime History Podcast

248: The Murder of Pearl Bryan w/ Robert Wilhelm - A True Crime History Podcast

In February of 1896 the decapitated corpse of a young woman, who would later be identified as Pearl Bryan, was discovered in the woods of Northern Kentucky. Evidence would lead investigators to two dental students in Cincinnati, Ohio named Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling. My guest is Robert Wilhelm, creator of Murder by Gaslight, an online compendium of notable 19th century American murders. He is the author of "So Far From Home: The Pearl Bryan Murder", and joins me to discuss the case in det

Jun 14, 2022 • 1:01:28

247:  The Villisca Axe Murders: The Reverend Lyn George Kelly w/ Edgar Epperly

247: The Villisca Axe Murders: The Reverend Lyn George Kelly w/ Edgar Epperly

In this third and final part of my interview with Dr. Edgar Epperly, the "little minister" Lyn George Jacklin Kelly is examined as a primary suspect in the 1912 Villisca Axe Murders. Although Kelly spoke obsessively about the case and even confessed to the murders, many believed that the confession was the result of mental illness and police coercion. Dr. Epperly also offers his thoughts on whether the murders might be the work of a serial killer named Paul Mueller (aka The Man From the Train).

Jun 7, 2022 • 1:11:14

246: The Villisca Axe Murders: Wilkerson Vs. Jones w/ Edgar Epperly

246: The Villisca Axe Murders: Wilkerson Vs. Jones w/ Edgar Epperly

Frank Fernando (F.F.) Jones seemed to be one of the most obvious suspects in the aftermath of the horrific 1912 Villisca Axe murders. He had a contentious business rivalry with the patriarch of the slain Moore family, Josiah (Joe) Moore, intensified further because Moore was having an affair with his daughter-in-law. However there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime. Enter James Wilkerson, a pugnacious and cunning private detective who made it his mission to connect Jones to the murd

May 31, 2022 • 1:10:23

245: The Villisca Axe Murders: Crime Scene w/ Edgar Epperly

245: The Villisca Axe Murders: Crime Scene w/ Edgar Epperly

June 9th (or) 10th marks the 110th anniversary of one of the most notorious crimes in American history - the brutal axe murders of Josiah and Sarah Moore, their four children (Herman, Katherine, Boyd and Paul) and Ina and Lena Stillinger, two neighbor girls who had the terrible misfortune of sleeping over that night. It's a case steeped in mystery, with a gruesome crime scene, puzzling evidence, twists and turns and compelling suspects. My guest - Dr. Edgar Epperly - has spent almost seventy ye

May 25, 2022 • 1:08:51

244: The Wreck of the Ocean Monarch w/ Gill Hoffs  - A True Crime History Podcast

244: The Wreck of the Ocean Monarch w/ Gill Hoffs - A True Crime History Podcast

The Ocean Monarch, captained by James Murdock, was a disciplined and safety-conscious passenger ship that should have smoothly sailed from England to the United States in 1848. Not long after its departure, however, a devastating fire broke out on board, turning the boat into a living hell on water. Close to two hundred people would die in the ensuing chaos - despite amazing acts of heroism by both passengers and crew members. My guest, author Gill Hoffs, returns for a second time to Most Notor

May 18, 2022 • 1:15:56

243: The Murder of Thora Chamberlain w/ Rod Kackley - A True Crime History Podcast

243: The Murder of Thora Chamberlain w/ Rod Kackley - A True Crime History Podcast

On the afternoon of December 2nd, 1945, a fourteen-year-old student named Thora Chamberlain walked with friends to a high school football game in Campbell, California. A man wearing a U.S. Navy uniform pulled up beside them in his sedan and told them he needed a babysitter - and would compensate generously for the help. Thora accepted, got into his car, and was never seen alive again.Police, with the assistance of the F.B.I. (and famed G-man E.J. Connelley) soon arrested a ne'er-do-well

May 10, 2022 • 1:13:22

242:  Murder on the Berwind w/ Charles Oldham - A True Crime History Podcast

242: Murder on the Berwind w/ Charles Oldham - A True Crime History Podcast

In October of 1905, the schooner Harry A. Berwind was intercepted off the coast of North Carolina. On board were four Black sailors, three of them alive and one dead. The survivors told conflicting stories - blaming each other for the murder of the ship's four White officers, who had been shot and thrown into the sea. The men would be arrested and tried for murder in Wilmington (which had suffered deadly racial violence only a few years before) and an intense legal drama would follow, ultimately

May 3, 2022 • 1:03:34

241:  Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer? w/ Martin Connolly

241: Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer? w/ Martin Connolly

Mary Ann Cotton is considered by many to be England's first female serial killer, with allegations that she used arsenic to poison over twenty people, including her children, mother and husbands in the 1850s, 60s and 70s. But was she really a heartless killer who preyed upon those in her care for money to buy the expensive dresses she loved so much? My guest, Martin Connolly, is author of "Mary Ann Cotton: Dark Angel: Britains First Female Serial Killer." He says the answer isn't as cut and dry

Apr 25, 2022 • 1:16:19

240:  Bath Massacre (New Edition) w/ Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

240: Bath Massacre (New Edition) w/ Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

Arnie Bernstein was one my first guests on Most Notorious, way back on episode #26, and talked about the horrifying 1927 Bath Consolidated School massacre. Since the initial publication of his book "Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing" in 2009, he's conducted more first-hand survivor accounts, which he has included in the updated and expanded edition of the book released earlier this year. He joins me to share some of the new information he's gathered, and to remind us that violent a

Apr 18, 2022 • 31:46

239:  Axis Sally w/ Richard Lucas - A True Crime History Podcast

239: Axis Sally w/ Richard Lucas - A True Crime History Podcast

Mildred Gillars, known to American GIs as "Axis Sally", was one of Nazi Germany's most notorious radio propagandists. Hired by German State Radio because of her American accent and seductive voice, she finally achieved her own version of stardom after years of pursuing a failed acting career in the United States. My guest is Richard Lucas, author of "Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany". In his book he tells the story of the rise and fall of Mildred Gillars, including her capture an

Apr 9, 2022 • 1:19:39

238: The Murder of Frank Richardson w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

238: The Murder of Frank Richardson w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

On Christmas Eve, 1900, 44-year-old dry goods store owner Frank Richardson was shot to death in his Savannah, Missouri home. Suspects included his wife Addie, his teenage lover Goldie Whitehead, and the man whom he suspected his wife of having an affair with, Stewart Fife. Kimberly Tilley makes her third visit to the podcast. Her book "Has it Come to This? The Mysterious Unsolved Murder of Frank Richardson" explores this largely forgotten murder mystery in titillating detail. More information

Apr 3, 2022 • 1:08:50

237: Eliot Ness Vs. The Mad Butcher w/ A. Brad Schwartz - A True Crime History Podcast

237: Eliot Ness Vs. The Mad Butcher w/ A. Brad Schwartz - A True Crime History Podcast

My conversation about the life of Eliot Ness continues with A. Brad Schwartz. After years battling The Outfit in Chicago, Ness was hired as Director of Public Safety in Cleveland, Ohio. Tasked with ridding the city of crime and corruption, he found himself confronted by a serial killer nicknamed "The Mad Butcher", aka "The Cleveland Torso Murderer," who would ultimately dismember and decapitate at least twelve people. A. Brad Schwartz, along with co-author Max Allan Collins, wrote "Eliot Ness a

Mar 24, 2022 • 1:44:37

236: Eliot Ness Vs. Al Capone w/ A. Brad Schwartz - A True Crime History Podcast

236: Eliot Ness Vs. Al Capone w/ A. Brad Schwartz - A True Crime History Podcast

Throughout the 1920s Chicago was a cesspool of corruption and violence, due in large part to the obscene amounts of money being made through the illegal manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. Much of the business was being done by The Outfit, led by the charming and publicity hungry Al Capone, who viciously knocked off his competitors at the slightest provocation. To combat The Outfit, the federal government chose Eliot Ness, a reserved but ambitious twenty-seven-year-old Prohibition

Mar 17, 2022 • 1:44:21

235:  The Murder of Nancy Morgan w/ Mark I. Pinsky - A True Crime History Podcast

235: The Murder of Nancy Morgan w/ Mark I. Pinsky - A True Crime History Podcast

In June of 1970, the body of 24-year-old Nancy Morgan was found inside a government-owned car in Madison County, North Carolina. It had been four days since anyone had heard from the bubbly, hard-working brunette who had moved to the Appalachian community less than a year prior as an organizer for Volunteers in Service to America. At the time of her death, her tenure in the Tar Heel State was just weeks from ending, her intentions set on New York and nursing school and a new life that she would

Mar 8, 2022 • 1:15:46

234:  Serial Killer David Meirhofer & the Birth of FBI Profiling w/ Ron Franscell  - A True Crime History Podcast

234: Serial Killer David Meirhofer & the Birth of FBI Profiling w/ Ron Franscell - A True Crime History Podcast

On June 25th, 1973, Suzie Jaeger was abducted from her tent while camping with her family in Montana. The FBI was baffled by the mystery, until two agents began using new profiling techniques to narrow in on a local oddball named David Meirhofer. Assisting them was Suzie's brave mother, Marietta Jaeger, who over a series of phone calls with the killer was able to provide invaluable clues that helped lead to Meirhofer's arrest and confession. And he would confess not only to Suzie's murd

Mar 3, 2022 • 1:10:17

233: The Murder of Sarah Feinstein w/ Wayne Hoffman - A True Crime History Podcast

233: The Murder of Sarah Feinstein w/ Wayne Hoffman - A True Crime History Podcast

Journalist Wayne Hoffman had been long intrigued by a family story, vague on details, about the murder of his great-grandmother Sarah Feinstein at the hands of a sniper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Encouraged by his mother, he decided to search for the truth behind the tale, but his research journey became more difficult when his mother's health began to suffer due to Alzheimer's. In his book, "The End of Her: Racing Against Alzheimer's to Solve a Murder" my guest shares what he learned in his inves

Feb 23, 2022 • 1:13:54

232:  The Murder of Dr. W.D. Broadhurst w/ Patrick Gallagher - A True Crime History Podcast

232: The Murder of Dr. W.D. Broadhurst w/ Patrick Gallagher - A True Crime History Podcast

In October of 1946, a chiropractor and rancher named Willis "W.D." Broadhurst was beaten with a wrench and finished off with a shotgun on a lonely eastern Oregon road. Investigators would soon accuse his wife Gladys of plotting the doctor's murder with the help of his young cowhand and her lover, Alvin Williams. Stunning details of her deception would be revealed during the trial, including accusations that she was a bigamist who had left multiple husbands in her wake. My guest is Patrick Gall

Feb 16, 2022 • 1:10:43

231:  Part Two: The Murder of Mary Phagan & the Lynching of Leo Frank w/ Steve Oney

231: Part Two: The Murder of Mary Phagan & the Lynching of Leo Frank w/ Steve Oney

In this second half of my interview with Steve Oney, he shares details of the dramatic events that unfolded after the trial of Leo Frank for the murder of thirteen-year-old factory worker Mary Phagan. Steve Oney is author of "And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank". He has spent forty years researching and investigating this electrifying case. His book can be purchased both at local bookstores and here: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Shall-Rise-Murder-

Feb 7, 2022 • 1:06:16

230: Part One: The Murder of Mary Phagan & the Lynching of Leo Frank w/ Steve Oney

230: Part One: The Murder of Mary Phagan & the Lynching of Leo Frank w/ Steve Oney

In 1913, thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan was found brutally murdered in the basement of the Atlanta pencil factory where she worked. The factory manager, a college-educated Jew named Leo Frank, was arrested, tried and convicted in a trial that seized national headlines. When the governor commuted his death sentence, Frank was kidnapped and lynched by a group of prominent local citizens. In part one of my two hour interview with Steve Oney, author of "And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary P

Feb 6, 2022 • 1:04:36

229: The Catskill Ripper: Lizzie Halliday w/ Kevin Owen - A True Crime History Podcast

229: The Catskill Ripper: Lizzie Halliday w/ Kevin Owen - A True Crime History Podcast

On the heels of Lizzie Borden's infamous double murder, another woman named Lizzie was arrested for a series of killings, this time in New York's Catskill Mountains. Lizzie Halliday was arrested in September of 1893 for not only her husband Paul's murder (found buried under the kitchen floorboards of their home) but also for the murder of two women discovered decomposing in a crawl space under the barn. My guest is Kevin Owen, author of "Killing Time in the Catskills: The Twisted Tale of the C

Jan 30, 2022 • 1:26:31

Introducing: Chameleon: Wild Boys

Introducing: Chameleon: Wild Boys

The latest season of the wildly popular con-themed podcast Chameleon takes place in the summer of 2003 when two half-starved young men turned up in a small Canadian town telling an incredible story. They’d been raised in the British Columbia wilderness, and this was their first-ever contact with society — they’d never seen a TV, gone to school, or registered for IDs. So the community took them in and set about introducing them to the modern world. Before long, the international media descended o

Jan 25, 2022 • 7:30

228:  Eastern State Penitentiary w/ Paul Kahan - A True Crime History Podcast

228: Eastern State Penitentiary w/ Paul Kahan - A True Crime History Podcast

Pennsylvania’s Eastern State Penitentiary has a rich and fascinating history. Built in the 1820s as a place to reform criminals, it saw an increase in violence over the decades before finally closing in 1971 as a working prison. It now operates as a history museum. Among the more notorious inmates was Willie Sutton, who was involved in the most famous escape in the prison's history, and Al Capone. My guest is historian Paul Kahan, author of "Eastern State Penitentiary: A History". He talks abo

Jan 20, 2022 • 1:09:21

227: "Queen of the Con" Cassie Chadwick w/ Thomas Crowl  - A True Crime History Podcast

227: "Queen of the Con" Cassie Chadwick w/ Thomas Crowl - A True Crime History Podcast

Elizabeth Bigley - better known as Cassie Chadwick - might be the most successful confidence artist in American history that you've never heard of. She swindled her way across the eastern United States during the height of the Gilded Age, committing fraud at every opportunity. In her greatest con, she posed as the illegitimate daughter of robber baron and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, bilking banks for millions of dollars in the process. My guest is Thomas Crowl, and in his book "Queen of the

Jan 13, 2022 • 1:23:41

226:  The Murder of Hazel Drew w/ David Bushman & Michael T. Givens - A True Crime History Podcast

226: The Murder of Hazel Drew w/ David Bushman & Michael T. Givens - A True Crime History Podcast

In July of 1908, the bludgeoned body of a young woman named Hazel Drew was found floating in a pond in Sand Lake, New York. In the following weeks investigators would be flummoxed by the mystery of not only who Hazel's killer was, but why she had decided to travel to the rural location fashionably dressed and alone. This is the real-life crime that Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost stated was the inspiration for the television murder of Laura Palmer. My guests Mark T. Givens and David Bushman us

Jan 5, 2022 • 1:12:45

225: The Murder of Salem Slave Trader Joseph White w/ Edward Renehen Jr. -  A True Crime History Podcast

225: The Murder of Salem Slave Trader Joseph White w/ Edward Renehen Jr. - A True Crime History Podcast

In April of 1830, Joseph White, an aged, wealthy and despised resident of Salem, Massachusetts was discovered murdered in his bedroom by servants. The city - still suffering from the stigma of the Salem Witch trials 140 years earlier - brought in famed orator and lawyer Daniel Webster to prosecute the men who were suspected of conspiring to kill White. The case was so famous in its day that Nathanial Hawthorne, a contemporary of the accused murderers, would use details from it to pen his literar

Dec 21, 2021 • 1:12:53

224: The Wreck of the Christmas Tree Ship w/ Cris Kohl & Joan Forsberg

224: The Wreck of the Christmas Tree Ship w/ Cris Kohl & Joan Forsberg

Happy Holidays everyone! In late November of 1912, a schooner named the Rouse Simmons, heavily laden with Christmas trees, made its way across Lake Michigan with Chicago as its final destination. Once there, Captain Herman Schuenemann and his family planned, as they had in years past, to decorate the ship with festive lights and sell their trees to eager Chicagoans. Unfortunately the ship never arrived. It met with a violent winter storm and sunk to the bottom of the lake, along with its captai

Dec 16, 2021 • 51:46

223:  DB Cooper & the Hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 w/ Darren Schaefer & George McKeon - A True Crime History Podcast

223: DB Cooper & the Hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 w/ Darren Schaefer & George McKeon - A True Crime History Podcast

In November of 1971 a man who would come to be known as D.B. Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305, ultimately parachuting out of the Boeing 727 in spectacular fashion, along with $200,000 in ransom money, presumably somewhere in Washington State. Who he was and what happened to him after he jumped is one of the most enduring true crime mysteries in American history. My guests are Darren Schaefer, creator and host of "The Cooper Vortex" podcast, and George McKeon, author of "The M

Dec 9, 2021 • 1:20:10

222: Denver's "Boy Murderer" Anton Woode w/ Dick Kreck - A True Crime History Podcast

222: Denver's "Boy Murderer" Anton Woode w/ Dick Kreck - A True Crime History Podcast

On November 2nd, 1892 a ten-year-old boy named Anton Woode led a hunter to a secluded area of woods a few miles north of Denver, Colorado and shot him dead. Local papers would nickname him "The Boy Murderer". My guest is Dick Kreck, author of "Anton Woode: Boy Murderer". His book can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Anton-Woode-Murderer-Dick-Kreck/dp/1555915787 Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorio

Dec 2, 2021 • 55:43

221: Dostoevsky & the Murderer Who Inspired Crime & Punishment w/ Kevin Birmingham

221: Dostoevsky & the Murderer Who Inspired Crime & Punishment w/ Kevin Birmingham

Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky lived a fascinating and turbulent life. He served a sentence in a Siberian prison camp and suffered from depression and a gambling addiction that kept him destitute for years. But through these challenges he wrote some of the greatest fiction of the 19th century, including his masterpiece "Crime and Punishment". Dostoevsky drew inspiration for the novel from a series of murders committed in Paris by Pierre Lacenaire, a failed poet and aspiring master criminal in

Nov 16, 2021 • 1:10:13

220: The Mysterious Death of Fritzie Mann w/ James Stewart - A True Crime History Podcast

220: The Mysterious Death of Fritzie Mann w/ James Stewart - A True Crime History Podcast

In January of 1923, a 20-year-old dancer named Fritzie Mann left home to meet a mysterious man for what she told her mother was a house party. When she was discovered dead on a remote beach a few miles north of San Diego, police were puzzled by the clues. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? The fact that she was pregnant deepened the mystery even further. Soon two men - a Hollywood actor and a doctor - became the primary suspects in the case, and one would eventually be put on trial for murd

Nov 11, 2021 • 1:14:53

219: The Murder of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin w/ Gillian O'Brien - A True Crime History Podcast

219: The Murder of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin w/ Gillian O'Brien - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the most powerful secret societies in 1880s Chicago was the mysterious Clan na Gael, run by Irish-American kingpin Alexander Sullivan. When Dr. Patrick Cronin questioned Sullivan's management of the organization, embrace of the controversial "dynamite policy", and disappearance of society funds, he was targeted and eventually murdered. My guest is Gillian O'Brien, author of "Blood Runs Green: The Murder That Transfixed Gilded Age Chicago". She talks about Clan na Gael's once powerful inf

Nov 2, 2021 • 1:10:27

218: Rogues' Gallery: Crooks, Cops and Crime in New York City's Gilded Age w/ John Oller

218: Rogues' Gallery: Crooks, Cops and Crime in New York City's Gilded Age w/ John Oller

New York City in the mid to late 19th century was host to some of the most colorful criminals in American history - and equally colorful policemen who battled them. Police Chief Thomas Byrnes was considered one of the best sleuths in the world, yet there were always plenty of sensational cases to solve and elusive crooks to catch. My guest John Oller is author of "Rogues' Gallery: The Birth of Modern Policing & Organized Crime In Gilded Age New York". He shares stories of some of his favorite

Oct 28, 2021 • 1:03:36

217: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein w/ Allison B. Kavey & Lester D. Friedman - A True Crime History Podcast

217: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein w/ Allison B. Kavey & Lester D. Friedman - A True Crime History Podcast

On this special Halloween-themed episode of Most Notorious, my guests - professors Lester Friedman and Allison Kavey - talk about Mary Shelley's early 19th-century literary classic, Frankenstein. They explore Shelley's creation of her timeless gothic novel and how her background and circumstances likely influenced her writing, offer some fascinating interpretations of the book's themes, and explain how the story has evolved into the one we're familiar with today. Their book is called "Monstrou

Oct 20, 2021 • 1:02:16

216: Notorious Gamblers of the Old West w/ G.R. Williamson - A True Crime History Podcast

216: Notorious Gamblers of the Old West w/ G.R. Williamson - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, Western author and historian G.R. Williamson, appeared on Most Notorious a couple of years ago to talk about gunfighters Ben Thompson and King Fisher. He joins me again, this time to tell tales from his book "Notorious Gamblers of the Old West", which includes accounts of colorful card-playing characters like Charles Cora, Lottie Deno and Poker Alice. He also explains how the popular game Faro is played, what a period saloon really looked like, and offers a glimpse into the rough and o

Oct 14, 2021 • 1:07:29

215: The Great Chicago Fire  w/ Carl Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

215: The Great Chicago Fire w/ Carl Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

October 8th, 2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the legendary disaster that destroyed a third of Chicago and made 90,000 residents homeless. While Mrs. O'Leary and her cow are usually portrayed as the culprits behind the catastrophic blaze, my guest, Carl Smith, doesn't believe history has treated her fairly. Professor Smith is the author of "Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City", and he shares on this episode of Most Notorio

Oct 6, 2021 • 1:02:09

214: The Murder of William Cantilupe in Medieval England w/ Melissa Julian-Jones

214: The Murder of William Cantilupe in Medieval England w/ Melissa Julian-Jones

We're back again to the Hundred Years War in this episode of Most Notorious - this time in England. Sir William Cantilupe, a battle-hardened knight who had recently been acquitted of murdering his brother Nicholas, was discovered dead in a lonely field in May of 1375, in what appeared to be a staged crime scene. And it was his wife Maude and their household staff whom authorities would soon accuse of committing the horrific deed. My guest is Melissa Julian-Jones, author of "Murder During the

Sep 28, 2021 • 1:11:06

213: The Stabbing of Henry Ballard by Amelia Norman w/ Julie Miller

213: The Stabbing of Henry Ballard by Amelia Norman w/ Julie Miller

On November 1st, 1843, a dejected servant named Amelia Norman followed her former beau Henry Ballard to the steps of the Astor House Hotel in New York City. There she stabbed him with a folding knife, barely missing his heart. The city's newspapers and moral reformers quickly embraced Miss Norman's cause, seeing it as an opportunity to change seduction laws and expand workers' rights. My guest, Julie Miller, is author of "Cry of Murder on Broadway: A Woman's Ruin and Revenge in Old New York"

Sep 21, 2021 • 56:17

212: The Murder of Louis I in Medieval France w/ Eric Jager - A True Crime History Podcast

212: The Murder of Louis I in Medieval France w/ Eric Jager - A True Crime History Podcast

In November of 1407, Louis I, The Duke of Orleans and brother of France's "Mad" King Charles VI, is murdered on a street near his home in Medieval Paris. A police investigation ensues, surprisingly as thorough and detailed as any modern day crime investigation. My guest, Eric Jager, is the author of "Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris". Not only does he share details from his book, but he also talks about the upcoming film "The Last Duel", starring Matt Damon and

Sep 15, 2021 • 1:00:14

211: The East River Ripper Murder of Old Shakespeare w/ George R. Dekle Sr. - A True Crime History Podcast

211: The East River Ripper Murder of Old Shakespeare w/ George R. Dekle Sr. - A True Crime History Podcast

On April 24th, 1891, a Bowery prostitute named Carrie Brown (known locally as "Old Shakespeare") was found murdered and mutilated in the seedy East River Hotel. With the Jack the Ripper murders unsolved and still news, many believed that the notorious killer had traveled across the Atlantic to continue his bloody work in the United States - and this was his first victim. My guest is George R. Dekle Sr., former Florida prosecutor and author of the new book "The East River Ripper: The Mysterious

Sep 6, 2021 • 1:19:06

210: The George Weyerhaueser Kidnapping w/ Bryan Johnston - A True Crime History Podcast

210: The George Weyerhaueser Kidnapping w/ Bryan Johnston - A True Crime History Podcast

On March 25, 1935, little George Weyerhaueser, heir to one of the biggest fortunes in America, was kidnapped on his way home from school in Tacoma, Washington. His abductors would keep him manacled in a pit in the middle of the forest as they negotiated a $200,000 ransom with his frantic family. What soon followed would be the largest manhunt in the history of the Pacific Northwest. My guest is Bryant Johnston, author of "Deep in the Woods: The 1935 Kidnapping of Nine-Year-Old George Weyerhaeu

Aug 31, 2021 • 58:59

209: The Shipwreck of the William & Mary w/ Gill Hoffs - A True Crime History Podcast

209: The Shipwreck of the William & Mary w/ Gill Hoffs - A True Crime History Podcast

In the spring of 1853 the ill-fated William and Mary, an American sailing ship captained by the incompetent Timothy Stinson, departed from England carrying over 200 Dutch, Scotch, Irish and English emigrants, all bound for New Orleans. The voyage was an absolute disaster, replete with illness, bad weather, starvation, a shipwreck, and ultimately the captain's betrayal - in the form of an attempted mass murder. My guest, Gill Hoffs is an expert on Victorian-era shipwrecks, and she shares detail

Aug 23, 2021 • 1:24:17

208:  Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors w/ Stephen Wade - A True Crime History Podcast

208: Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors w/ Stephen Wade - A True Crime History Podcast

Do you have a criminal from your family's past that you've always wanted to learn more about, but don't know where to start? On this special episode of Most Notorious, prolific British author Stephen Wade offers helpful tips on how to maneuver through what can be both a daunting and thrilling experience - digging up sordid details of long-lost villainous ancestors. His book is called "Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians", and more information about him and his work c

Aug 16, 2021 • 1:33:39

207: Was Montague Druitt Jack the Ripper? w/ Jonathan Hainsworth & Christine Ward-Agius

207: Was Montague Druitt Jack the Ripper? w/ Jonathan Hainsworth & Christine Ward-Agius

Of all of the Jack the Ripper suspects, Montague Druitt is the most maligned in modern times, my guests argue, despite the fact that many of his contemporaries believed him to be the murderer of the Canonical Five before drowning himself in the Thames. Jonathan Hainsworth and Christine Ward-Agius are the authors of "The Escape of Jack the Ripper: The Full Truth About the Cover-up and His Flight from Justice", and they make their case, on this week's episode of Most Notorious, that Montague Dru

Aug 2, 2021 • 1:45:28

206: Illinois' Cherry Mine Disaster w/ Karen Tintori - A True Crime History Podcast

206: Illinois' Cherry Mine Disaster w/ Karen Tintori - A True Crime History Podcast

The Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois was built to be one of the safest in the United States. However on November 13th, 1909, it caught fire, killing 259 boys and men who were trapped inside, hundreds of feet below ground. A few miners eventually escaped - and later told the tale of their experiences battling darkness, thirst, fire and the ominous "Black Damp". My guest, bestselling author Karen Tintori, whose grandfather who escaped death that day, shares details of this heartbreaking tragedy.

Jul 26, 2021 • 57:18

205: The Murder of Brenda Joyce Holland w/ John Railey - A True Crime History Podcast

205: The Murder of Brenda Joyce Holland w/ John Railey - A True Crime History Podcast

Roanoke Island is host every year to the famous "Lost Colony" outdoor drama. It was during the 1967 production that a young makeup artist named Brenda Joyce Holland went missing - her body eventually discovered floating in Albemarle Sound. A murder investigation ensued, with important evidence being mishandled and a slew of suspects to sort through, including her boyfriend and an abusive dentist. My guest on this episode of Most Notorious is investigative reporter John Railey, who has followed

Jul 19, 2021 • 59:12

204: Kentucky's Ashland Murders w/ Joe Castle - A True Crime History Podcast

204: Kentucky's Ashland Murders w/ Joe Castle - A True Crime History Podcast

On the evening of December 23rd 1881, three teenagers, alone in a farmhouse in Ashland Kentucky, were savagely murdered and the house set afire to cover the crime. What followed would be an investigation, trials, a lynching, and a massacre of Ashland citizens by state militia, in this fascinating and tragic series of events. My guest is Joe Castle, author of "The Ashland Tragedy: Murder, a Mob & a Militia in Kentucky". More information about his book can be found here: https://theashlandtraged

Jul 10, 2021 • 1:11:10

203:  Serial Killer "Red" Hall w/ Janie Nesbitt Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

203: Serial Killer "Red" Hall w/ Janie Nesbitt Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

At the tail end of World War Two, a serial killer named James Waybern "Red" Hall, stalked the roads of Arkansas, Kansas and other middle American states, remorselessly murdering kind people who made the unfortunate decision to offer him a ride. My guest, Janie Nesbitt Jones, is the author of “The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer: James Waybern ‘Red’ Hall." She talks about Hall's murders, how investigators eventually caught up to him, and theorizes on why he did what he did. More information about J

Jul 3, 2021 • 1:03:04

202: California's Lamson Murder Case w/ Tom Zaniello - A True Crime History Podcast

202: California's Lamson Murder Case w/ Tom Zaniello - A True Crime History Podcast

When sheriff's deputies arrived at David and Allene Lamson's Palo Alto home on Memorial Day, 1933, they found David frantic over what he said was a terrible accident in their bathroom. Allene, he explained, had slipped when getting out of the bathtub and bashed her head on the sink, resulting in her death. Investigators, however, believed something far more sinister had taken place. My guest is Tom Zaniello, and he shares details from his book "California's Lamson Murder Mystery: The Depressio

Jun 25, 2021 • 57:12

201:  Arkansas' Ella Barham Murder w/ Nita Gould  - A True Crime History Podcast

201: Arkansas' Ella Barham Murder w/ Nita Gould - A True Crime History Podcast

In November of 1912, a young woman named Ella Barham journeyed home, on her horse, to her family farm in Boone County, Arkansas, but never arrived. After her body was discovered, murdered and dismembered, suspicions quickly centered on a neighbor, Odus Davidson, who was rumored to have been in love with Ella, a love never returned. My guest, Nita Gould, has a very personal connection to Ella, one that led to her write the book she joins us to discuss today, called "Remembering Ella: A 1912 Mur

Jun 16, 2021 • 1:13:40

200: Escape from Yozgad w/ Margalit Fox - A True Crime History Podcast

200: Escape from Yozgad w/ Margalit Fox - A True Crime History Podcast

Imprisoned in a Turkish war camp during WW1, two British officers pull off an unbelievable con against their captors involving a Ouija board, an angry ghost and feigned madness - leading to a truly astonishing escape. My guest is bestselling author Margalit Fox, author of "Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History." More information about Margalit Fox and her work can be found at: http://margalitfox.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron:

Jun 7, 2021 • 1:09:23

199: Canada's "Mad Trapper" Manhunt w/ Helena Katz - A True Crime History Podcast

199: Canada's "Mad Trapper" Manhunt w/ Helena Katz - A True Crime History Podcast

Albert Johnson is famous in Canadian crime history for leading Mounties on a sensational and deadly chase through the Yukon and Northwest Territories during the winter of 1931-32. How he managed to elude police over hundreds of kilometers in subzero temperatures through a mountainous wilderness is as much a mystery as his real identity. To this day, very little is known about the man nicknamed "The Mad Trapper". My guest, Helena Katz, Canadian historian and author, joins me to talk about her bo

May 25, 2021 • 1:12:20

198: Catch Me If You Can's Frank Abagnale - Perpetrator of the Ultimate Hoax? w/ Alan C. Logan

198: Catch Me If You Can's Frank Abagnale - Perpetrator of the Ultimate Hoax? w/ Alan C. Logan

Most of us are familiar with the critically acclaimed film called Catch Me If You Can, based on the autobiography of legendary confidence man Frank Abagnale. It's the story of a brazen teenage imposter who through charm and intellect was able to pass as an attorney, a doctor, a pilot and a university professor in the late 1960s and early 1970s. My guest, Alan C. Logan, has done extensive research into Frank Abagnale's well-known and near-mythical narrative, found it riddled with holes, and lays

May 19, 2021 • 1:24:57

197: The Belgica's Ill-Fated Expedition to the South Pole w/ Julian Sancton - A True Crime History Podcast

197: The Belgica's Ill-Fated Expedition to the South Pole w/ Julian Sancton - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1897 a Belgian named Adrien de Gerlache, in command of a ship called the Belgica, sailed to Antarctica with the intent to be the first to reach the south magnetic pole. On the expedition was Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who would later become one of the world's most famous explorers, and Doctor Frederick Cook, who would become one of America's greatest charlatans. My guest, Julian Sancton, shares the story of the ill-fated ship, which found itself entombed in ice and forced to face a dark pola

May 10, 2021 • 1:07:32

196:  Baptist Minister & Accused Murderer J. Frank Norris w/ David R. Stokes - A True Crime History Podcast

196: Baptist Minister & Accused Murderer J. Frank Norris w/ David R. Stokes - A True Crime History Podcast

J. Frank Norris rose to fame as the controversial fundamentalist pastor of America's first megachurch, the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. He used his pulpit, his newspaper and his radio station to battle his enemies in unscrupulous ways, and when one angry local businessman named Dexter Chipps marched into his office in July of 1926 to confront him about his tactics, Norris pulled out a gun and shot him dead. My guest, David R. Stokes, is an ordained minister, broadcaster and autho

May 3, 2021 • 1:00:11

195: Al Capone's Lawman Brother: Richard "Two Gun" Hart w/ Jeff McArthur - A True Crime History Podcast

195: Al Capone's Lawman Brother: Richard "Two Gun" Hart w/ Jeff McArthur - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the more enduring mysteries in true crime history involves Vincenzo Capone, Al Capone's eldest brother, who abruptly left his struggling family in New York City one day, eventually resurfacing as a lawman with a new identity: Richard Hart. His rise to fame - becoming one of the most famous Prohibition agents of the 1920s - coincided with his brothers' rise to power in the violent streets of Chicago. My guest, Jeff McArthur, has extensively interviewed members of both the Hart and the Ca

Apr 25, 2021 • 1:06:06

194: Prohibition's Gangster Couple "Tiger Girl" & "The Candy Kid" w/ Glenn Stout - A True Crime History Podcast

194: Prohibition's Gangster Couple "Tiger Girl" & "The Candy Kid" w/ Glenn Stout - A True Crime History Podcast

Almost a decade before Bonnie and Clyde blasted their way into our collective public consciousness, Richard and Margaret Whittemore, aka "The Candy Kid" and "Tiger Girl" made national news, not only for their participation in deadly robberies in 1920s New York, but also for their romantic love story, played out through newspaper articles and photographs across America. My guest is prolific author Glenn Stout, author of "Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid: America's Original Gangster Couple". He spen

Apr 17, 2021 • 1:16:55

193: Florida Serial Killer Gerard Schaefer w/ Patrick Kendrick - A True Crime History Podcast

193: Florida Serial Killer Gerard Schaefer w/ Patrick Kendrick - A True Crime History Podcast

The late 1960s and early 1970s were witness to some of the worst serial killers in American history. Ranking at the top was Gerard John Schaefer, a cop who used his charisma to lure unsuspecting females into his car before torturing and murdering them in brutal fashion. My guest is Patrick Kendrick, who has spent the past 35 years gathering information on Schaefer, and for a time was even the focus of Schaefer's wrath. He is the author of "American Ripper: The Enigma of America's Serial Killer

Mar 28, 2021 • 1:13:42

192: The Murder of Paul Coblentz w/ David Meyers & Elise Meyers Walker - A True Crime History Podcast

192: The Murder of Paul Coblentz w/ David Meyers & Elise Meyers Walker - A True Crime History Podcast

Holmes County, Ohio is one of the largest Amish communities in America. It was here, in the summer of 1957, that an Amish man named Paul Coblentz was murdered by two ex-cons in his family's rural farmhouse. My guests are David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker, authors of the book "A Murder in Amish Ohio: The Martyrdom of Paul Coblentz". They not only share details of the case, but also offer insight into the Amish's unique beliefs regarding justice and forgiveness. For more information on the a

Mar 20, 2021 • 58:28

191: Sophie "Queen of the Burglars" Lyons w/ Shayne Davidson -  A True Crime History Podcast

191: Sophie "Queen of the Burglars" Lyons w/ Shayne Davidson - A True Crime History Podcast

Sophie Lyons was arguably the most successful (and colorful) female criminal of 19th-century America. She was a trained by her abusive parents at an early age in the art of thievery and scam artistry, and by the end of her life had accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars through her ill-gotten means. And in her wake, she had left a trail of four husbands, estranged children, and spent untold amounts of time in courtrooms and jails across the country. My guest is Shayne Davidson, who share

Mar 11, 2021 • 1:18:24

190: The Mysterious Death of Hollywood's Thelma Todd w/ Pat Jenning - A True Crime History Podcast

190: The Mysterious Death of Hollywood's Thelma Todd w/ Pat Jenning - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the great historical Hollywood mysteries, still unsolved, revolves around the death of silver screen comedienne Thelma Todd. She was found dead in her car on December 16th, 1935, killed by carbon monoxide poisoning according to the Los Angeles coroner. But rumors have circulated for decades that she was murdered, with suspects that have included her live-in boyfriend Roland West, ex-husband Pat DiCicco, and even New York mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano. My guest today is Pat Jenning, wh

Feb 28, 2021 • 1:22:53

189: Pennsylvania Mob Boss Russell Shorto w/ Russell Shorto - A True Crime History Podcast

189: Pennsylvania Mob Boss Russell Shorto w/ Russell Shorto - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, Russell Shorto, has a unique connection to the subject of his latest book, "Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob". He is the namesake of his grandfather, a gangster who ran an Italian-American outfit in the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania in the 1940s and 50s. The organization would eventually crumble after the murder of a local bookie in 1960 exposed its underbelly to unwanted attention. He joins us today not only to share details about his grandfather and his business, but a

Feb 21, 2021 • 59:37

188: Abe "Kid Twist" Reles & Murder, Inc. w/ Michael Cannell - A True Crime History Podcast

188: Abe "Kid Twist" Reles & Murder, Inc. w/ Michael Cannell - A True Crime History Podcast

Murder, Inc. was arguably the most ruthless and successful hit squad in American history, killing hundreds of people throughout the 1930s. It was led by a brutal Brooklyn gangster named Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, who under orders from mob bosses like Lucky Luciano, Lepke Buchalter and Albert Anastasia, dispatched his hitmen across the country to kill anyone who threatened the interests of "The Commission", a national federation of Italian-American and Jewish mobsters. Eventually Reles would turn gov

Feb 12, 2021 • 1:07:46

187: The George Dinning Story: Terror & Retribution in Turn of the Century Kentucky w/ Ben Montgomery

187: The George Dinning Story: Terror & Retribution in Turn of the Century Kentucky w/ Ben Montgomery

My guest, Ben Montgomery, tells the story of George Dinning, a former slave who was visited one night in 1897 by a mob, hellbent on driving him and his family off of their Kentucky farm. In an exchange of gunfire, Dinning killed a wealthy white man. Dinning then had to elude lynchers while fighting for his life in court. Unlikely allies would come forward, including a former Confederate officer who believed that Dinning was in the right due to the castle doctrine, and agreed to represent him in

Feb 6, 2021 • 56:01

186: The Murders of John & Florence Sprouse w/ Kelly Suzanne Hartman - A True Crime History Podcast

186: The Murders of John & Florence Sprouse w/ Kelly Suzanne Hartman - A True Crime History Podcast

In the autumn of 1920, two couples pulled into a campsite in Central Park, Montana, but only one left alive. Seth and Iva Danner would eventually turn on each other with their own versions of how John and Florence Sprouse were murdered, but only Seth would be tried, convicted, and put to death. And questions still linger - about whether justice was truly served. My guest, Kelly Suzanne Hartman, author of "Murder Along the Yellowstone Trail: The Execution of Seth Danner" chats with me about the

Jan 30, 2021 • 52:40

185: America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan w/ Mary Kay McBrayer

185: America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan w/ Mary Kay McBrayer

Somehow Jane Toppan managed to skirt through the first half of her life murdering people at will, before finally being caught and committed to an insane asylum in 1901. Her nursing background made her an expert with drugs, and she used that expertise to kill over thirty people, often torturing them by purposely prolonging their suffering. My guest is Mary Kay McBrayer, and she shares some stories about Jane's nefarious activities from her book: "America's First Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and t

Jan 23, 2021 • 1:08:15

184: The England Family Massacre w/ Glen Sample Ely - A True Crime History Podcast

184: The England Family Massacre w/ Glen Sample Ely - A True Crime History Podcast

In late August of 1876, an eighty-two-year-old Methodist minister, William England, his wife Selena, and two of their children were slaughtered on their North Texas farm. Selena, on her deathbed, insisted that one of the murderers was their neighbor, Ben Krebs, with whom they had suffered some ongoing troubles. But was he the actual killer, or did someone else, with another motive, murder the England family that hot summer night? My guest is Glen Sample Ely, and in his book, "Murder in Montagu

Jan 15, 2021 • 1:30:51

183: Ontario's Forest City Serial Killer w/ Vanessa Brown - A True Crime History Podcast

183: Ontario's Forest City Serial Killer w/ Vanessa Brown - A True Crime History Podcast

In late 1960s a serial murder stalked the city of London, Ontario, killing at will and baffling police. My guest is author, bookstore owner and historian Vanessa Brown. She has spent countless hours researching these horrific murders and looking for the killer, and joins us to share details and theories from her book, "The Forest City Killer: A Serial Murderer, a Cold-Case Sleuth, and a Search for Justice." Her bookstore's website is: https://brownanddickson.com/ Become a Most Notorio

Jan 9, 2021 • 1:04:38

182: Jack the Ripper Suspect Francis Tumblety w/ Michael L. Hawley - A True Crime History Podcast

182: Jack the Ripper Suspect Francis Tumblety w/ Michael L. Hawley - A True Crime History Podcast

Francis Tumblety was one America's greatest 19th century charlatans. A medical quack who became rich peddling cure-all herbal remedies, his larger-than-life character and questionable morals put him into some sticky situations - including being arrested as a suspect in the Lincoln assassination. But his most notorious claim to fame was as a Scotland Yard suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders. My guest, Michael L. Hawley, author of "Jack the Ripper SUSPECT Dr. Francis Tumblety" presents eviden

Dec 31, 2020 • 1:13:44

181: New York Gangster Francis "Two Gun" Crowley w/ Jerry Aylward - A True Crime History Podcast

181: New York Gangster Francis "Two Gun" Crowley w/ Jerry Aylward - A True Crime History Podcast

In the first few months of 1931, Francis "Two Gun" Crowley, an illiterate, psychopathic nineteen-year-old kid, went on a violent New York crime spree, which included murdering a Nassau county cop named Fred Hirsch. Things culminated in an intense gun-battle against between Crowley and over two hundred police officers, who had surrounded his Manhattan apartment building. My guest is Jerry Aylward, a retired New York detective of thirty two years, who has written the definitive book on the subje

Dec 21, 2020 • 1:01:32

Introducing Aghast at the Past: 1892

Introducing Aghast at the Past: 1892

Enjoy this sneak-peak of Aghast at the Past: 1892, a brand-new podcast from the creator of Most Notorious. Ghastly true-crime stories culled from newspapers published in the dark heart of America's Gilded-Age and the golden era of yellow journalism. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to ensure immediate delivery of new episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 14, 2020 • 2:13

180: The Murder of Ed Burdick w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

180: The Murder of Ed Burdick w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

In February of 1903, wealthy businessman Ed Burdick was beaten to death in the den of his Buffalo, New York mansion. Investigators were faced with a strange crime scene and a multitude of suspects. Among them was his own wife Alice and her lover, a close family friend named Arthur Pennell. My guest, Kimberly Tilley, author of "Cold Heart: The Great Unsolved Mystery of Turn of the Century Buffalo," comes on Most Notorious to share the salacious details of a scandal and murder that rocked the ci

Dec 10, 2020 • 1:11:32

179:  Texas's "Santa Claus Bank Robbery" w/ Tui Snider - A True Crime History Podcast

179: Texas's "Santa Claus Bank Robbery" w/ Tui Snider - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, historian and author Tui Snider shares the wild story of the ill-fated Helms-Ratliff gang, who held up the First National Bank in Cisco, Texas on December 23rd, 1927. Eager to collect a $5000 "Dead Bank Robber Reward", townspeople converged on the bank, and during an intense gun battle the police chief, his deputy and one of the gang members were slain. Eventually Marshall Ratliff, who famously wore a Santa Claus suit to the botched robbery, would be lynched after murdering a jailer as

Dec 3, 2020 • 1:02:23

178: The Murder of JoAnn Dewey w/ Pat Jollota - A True Crime History Podcast

178: The Murder of JoAnn Dewey w/ Pat Jollota - A True Crime History Podcast

In March of 1950, a young woman named JoAnn Dewey, trying to get home, was beaten and kidnapped on a Vancouver, Washington street corner, in full view of witnesses. None lifted a finger to help. A week later her body would turn up in a river a few miles away. My guest is Pat Jollota, author of "The Murder of JoAnn Dewey in Vancouver, Washington". She joins me to share the tragic story of JoAnn's murder, and how investigators finally found her killers. Become a Most Notorious patron:

Nov 26, 2020 • 1:03:17

177: James Jesse Strang: Con Man, Mormon Prophet and the "King of Heaven & Earth" w/ Miles Harvey - A True Crime History Podcast

177: James Jesse Strang: Con Man, Mormon Prophet and the "King of Heaven & Earth" w/ Miles Harvey - A True Crime History Podcast

1840s America produced some colorful characters, and none more so than James Jesse Strang. After declaring himself a Mormon prophet, Strang moved his small congregation to Michigan's Beaver Island, proclaimed himself king, and created a criminal enterprise, before finally meeting his death at the hands of his own followers. My guest, bestselling author Miles Harvey, shares some astonishing stories about one of America's very first confidence men. His book is called "The King of Confidence: A T

Nov 17, 2020 • 1:03:23

176: The Mysterious Disappearance of Alice Parsons w/ Steven C. Drielak - A True Crime History Podcast

176: The Mysterious Disappearance of Alice Parsons w/ Steven C. Drielak - A True Crime History Podcast

On the morning of June 10, 1937, New York heiress Alice Parsons disappeared off the face of the earth. Investigators almost immediately suspected that Anna Kupryanova, the Russian housekeeper, and Alice's husband, William Parsons, knew more than they were letting on. My guest is former NYPD detective and Hot Zone Attribution specialist Steven C. Drielak, and his book is called "Long Island’s Vanished Heiress: The Unsolved Alice Parsons Kidnapping". He shares his research and personal theories a

Nov 10, 2020 • 1:10:32

175:  Arizona's Deadly Power Cabin Shootout w/ Heidi Osselaer - A True Crime History Podcast

175: Arizona's Deadly Power Cabin Shootout w/ Heidi Osselaer - A True Crime History Podcast

On February 10, 1918, the Power family, holed up in their cabin in Arizona's isolated Galiuro Mountains, suddenly found themselves surrounded by a small posse. Lawmen were there to arrest two of the Power sons for draft evasion. After a few minutes of confusion, a shootout ensued, tragically ending with four casualties. Adding to the drama, the only daughter of the family had died under mysterious circumstances two months earlier. My guest is Heidi Osselaer, retired professor and author. Her b

Nov 3, 2020 • 1:13:57

174: The Peaky Blinders: Fact Vs. Fiction w/ Carl Chinn - A True Crime History Podcast

174: The Peaky Blinders: Fact Vs. Fiction w/ Carl Chinn - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest on this episode has a very personal connection to the subject of his many decades of research. His great-grandfather was a member of one of the Peaky Blinders gangs that terrorized the city of Birmingham in the late 1800s. British historian Carl Chinn, author of "Peaky Blinders: The Real Story" and its sequel, "Peaky Blinders: The Legacy", joins me not only to share some of the history of the many gangs that battled each other in turn of the twentieth century England, but also to disp

Oct 28, 2020 • 51:22

173:  A Shocking New Look at the Lindbergh Kidnapping & Murder w/ Lise Pearlman - A True Crime History Podcast

173: A Shocking New Look at the Lindbergh Kidnapping & Murder w/ Lise Pearlman - A True Crime History Podcast

Bruno Richard Hauptmann was tried, convicted and executed for the kidnapping and murder of Charlie Lindbergh, son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne. However my guest, Lise Pearlman, author of "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Suspect No. 1: The Man Who Got Away" believes that not only was Hauptmann innocent, but something far more sinister likely happened to the little boy, at the hands of someone inside the Lindbergh's New Jersey farmhouse on that fateful night of March 1st, 1932.

Oct 20, 2020 • 1:13:26

172: The "Cafe Society Murder" of Patricia Burton w/ Allan Levine - A True Crime History Podcast

172: The "Cafe Society Murder" of Patricia Burton w/ Allan Levine - A True Crime History Podcast

In October of 1943, socialite and heiress Patricia Burton Lonergan was brutally beaten with a candelabra by her estranged husband Wayne Lonergan in her New York City apartment. The case exploded onto the front pages of New York papers, in large part because of rumors that Wayne Lonergan was secretly homosexual, living a lifestyle considered highly taboo in the 1940s. My guest is author Allan Levine, and he shares fascinating details from his newly published book, "Details Are Unprintable: Wayne

Oct 12, 2020 • 1:11:02

171: The Original "Co-Ed Killer" John Norman Collins w/ Gregory A. Fournier - A True Crime History Podcast

171: The Original "Co-Ed Killer" John Norman Collins w/ Gregory A. Fournier - A True Crime History Podcast

In the late 1960s, a serial killer terrorized the city of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Once John Norman Collins lured young women into his car or onto the back of his motorcycle, they would never be seen alive again. My guest, Gregory A. Fournier, has a personal connection to this case. Collins tried to abduct his girlfriend, right in front of him, over fifty years ago. He shares the tragic stories of the seven women brutally murdered by Collins, and how the killer was finally caught. His book is calle

Oct 5, 2020 • 1:08:47

170: Tammany Hall's Boss Tweed w/ Kenneth Ackerman - A True Crime History Podcast

170: Tammany Hall's Boss Tweed w/ Kenneth Ackerman - A True Crime History Podcast

Arguably the most corrupt politician in American history, William "Boss" Tweed bilked New York City for millions of dollars in the 1860s, before finally suffering a spectacular downfall. Attorney and historian Kenneth D. Ackerman, author of "BOSS TWEED: The Corrupt Pol who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York" talk about this notorious and often misunderstood giant in American political history. Kenneth Ackerman's website is https://kennethackerman.com/ Become a Most Notorious patro

Sep 28, 2020 • 1:13:27

169: Gunfighter Tom Horn & the Murder of Willie Nickell w/ John W. Davis - A True Crime History Podcast

169: Gunfighter Tom Horn & the Murder of Willie Nickell w/ John W. Davis - A True Crime History Podcast

In the southeastern corner of 1901 Wyoming, cattle ranchers were furious that sheep were destroying valuable range land. When Willie Nickell, the son of a local sheep rancher was found murdered near his home, legendary gunman Tom Horn was one of the first men suspected of the lowdown crime. My guest is John W. Davis - retired Wyoming attorney, historian and author, who joins me to share stories about the arrest, trial and execution of one of the Old West's most fascinating and dangerous charac

Sep 25, 2020 • 54:24

168: Detroit's Notorious Purple Gang w/ Gregory Fournier - A True Crime History Podcast

168: Detroit's Notorious Purple Gang w/ Gregory Fournier - A True Crime History Podcast

Through most of the 1920s the Bernstein Brothers, known more colorfully as the Purple Gang, ran Detroit's underworld with an iron fist. Partnering with Chicago's Al Capone, they were responsible for much of the liquor that came into the United States from Canada. They were involved in other shady rackets as well, and didn't hesitate to murder any rivals who stepped on their toes. Gregory Fournier, author of "The Elusive Purple Gang: Detroit's Kosher Nostra", joins me to talk about this notorio

Sep 18, 2020 • 1:01:25

167: The Hindenburg Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy - A True Crime History Podcast

167: The Hindenburg Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy - A True Crime History Podcast

"Oh the humanity!" were the famous words spoken by news reporter Herb Morrison when on May 6, 1937, the Nazi-funded airship Hindenburg burst into flames and crashed into a New Jersey airfield. My guest is best-selling author Michael McCarthy, and his new book is called "The Hidden Hindenburg: The Untold Story of the Tragedy, the Nazi Secrets, and the Quest to Rule the Skies." He tells the fascinating story of the development of Germany's zeppelin program, headed by the colorful Hugo Eckener, sh

Sep 7, 2020 • 1:08:03

166: Was Charles Lechmere Jack the Ripper? w/ Edward Stow - A True Crime History Podcast

166: Was Charles Lechmere Jack the Ripper? w/ Edward Stow - A True Crime History Podcast

No historical true crime case is more hotly debated around the world than the one involving the near-mythical serial killer "Jack the Ripper". My guest, Edward Stow, believes the killer was a man named Charles Lechmere, a local East End resident who murdered in the early morning hours while on his way to his work. Stow, creator and host of the YouTube series "The House of Lechmere", shares evidence that he believes implicates Lechmere in not only the murders of the Canonical Five, but of other

Aug 31, 2020 • 1:08:38

165: The "Potato Masher Murder" of Cecilia Ludwig w/ Gary Sosniecki - A True Crime History Podcast

165: The "Potato Masher Murder" of Cecilia Ludwig w/ Gary Sosniecki - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, Gary Sosniecki, shares the story of the horrific murder of his great-grandmother, Cecilia, at the hands of her husband Albin Ludwig in Mishawaka, Indiana in September of 1906. After beating her head with a potato masher, he put her body in their bedroom closet and then lit it on fire. At least that is what prosecutors believed happened - Albin had a very different version. His book is called "The Potato Masher Murder: Death at the Hands of a Jealous Husband". Become a Most N

Aug 23, 2020 • 1:07:53

164: The Murder of Hogan's Heroes Star Bob Crane w/ John Hook  - A True Crime History Podcast

164: The Murder of Hogan's Heroes Star Bob Crane w/ John Hook - A True Crime History Podcast

By June of 1978, the once massively popular television star Bob Crane (of Hogan's Heroes fame) was relegated to doing dinner theater in Scottsdale, Arizona. In between shows, he and hanger-on John Carpenter spent much of their time trying to pick up women, and Bob would use the latest video technology to film his sexual exploits. When Bob was discovered bludgeoned to death in his apartment on the morning of June 29th, Carpenter almost immediately became the police's primary murder suspect. My g

Aug 16, 2020 • 1:16:36

Smoke Screen: Fake Priest

Smoke Screen: Fake Priest

For 30 years, a man claimed to be a priest. He performed baptisms and took confession. Every time he ran into trouble, Father Ryan would move on to another small Midwestern town and start his scheme all over again. Followers who once worshiped him, now accuse him of exploitation, fraud and abuse. Multiple prosecutors have charged him, but he’s never been imprisoned for his crimes. Investigative reporter Alex Schuman, who hails from a small Iowa town himself, set out to find out how Father Ryan g

Aug 13, 2020 • 8:28

163: America's Most Notorious Hurricanes w/ Eric Jay Dolin - A True Crime History Podcast

163: America's Most Notorious Hurricanes w/ Eric Jay Dolin - A True Crime History Podcast

Hurricane season is now upon us, and with it potential dangers to the coastal populations of the United States. But the continent has survived centuries of devastation and death, the result of some truly ferocious hurricanes. My guest, bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin, is very familiar with both the history of America's hurricanes and the science behind them. His new book is entitled "A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes", and he joins me to share some fascinati

Aug 9, 2020 • 1:18:37

162: Pennsylvania's Massacre of the Conestogas w/ Jack Brubaker - A True Crime History Podcast

162: Pennsylvania's Massacre of the Conestogas w/ Jack Brubaker - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1763 Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the last surviving members of the Conestoga Indian nation, numbering less than two dozen (mostly seniors and children), were housed in the town's workhouse and under protection of local authorities. Just days after their arrival a group of Scots-Irish vigilante frontiersmen known as the "Paxton Rangers" rode into Lancaster, found them and slaughtered them all, meeting no resistance from the Indians' supposed protectors. My guest, Jack Brubaker, a long-time Lanc

Aug 2, 2020 • 1:03:32

161: Chicago's SS Eastland Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy - A True Crime History Podcast

161: Chicago's SS Eastland Disaster w/ Michael McCarthy - A True Crime History Podcast

On July 15th, 1915, a steamship with a checkered past called the SS Eastland docked at a wharf on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, ready to transport 2500 Western Electric employees and their families across Lake Michigan to a company picnic. Once boarding completed, however, terrible tragedy struck when the ship tilted over and into the river, killing over 800 people -mostly women and children- in a horrific, chaotic scene. My guest is Michael McCarthy, author of the New York Times Best

Jul 26, 2020 • 1:04:36

160:  Florida's "Headless Miser" Murder w/ Andrew Fink - A True Crime History Podcast

160: Florida's "Headless Miser" Murder w/ Andrew Fink - A True Crime History Podcast

When the headless and mutilated corpse of an eccentric orange farmer named Sam McMillan was discovered submerged in a Florida lake in October of 1882, suspicion pointed to a young Englishman, Archie Newton, recently forced to flee London due to a titillating scandal. My guest is Andrew Fink, author of "Murder on the Florida Frontier: The True Story Behind Sanford's Headless Miser Legend". He utilized his unique perspective as an attorney to research and document this little known but fascinati

Jul 19, 2020 • 1:24:04

159: American Outlaw Butch Cassidy w/ Charles Leerhsen - A True Crime History Podcast

159: American Outlaw Butch Cassidy w/ Charles Leerhsen - A True Crime History Podcast

When the name "Butch Cassidy" is mentioned, it conjures an image (for many of us) of Paul Newman, who along with Robert Redford joked their way through the classic 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". But that movie was almost entirely fictional, and as often typical, Hollywood ignored the far more interesting factual historical account of the legendary outlaw and his vast criminal resume. Charles Leerhsen, author of "Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw", is my guest

Jul 12, 2020 • 1:03:38

158: The "In Cold Blood" Clutter Murders w/ Gary McAvoy - A True Crime History Podcast

158: The "In Cold Blood" Clutter Murders w/ Gary McAvoy - A True Crime History Podcast

Most of us probably know at least the basics of the 1959 Kansas Clutter family murders case, in large part because the story was dramatically detailed by Truman Capote in his best-selling 1966 non-fiction novel entitled "In Cold Blood". But was Capote's book as factual as he claimed it was? The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says so, but my guest, Gary McAvoy does not. Gary, along with Ronald R. Nye, collaborated to write the book "And Every Word Is True", based on the personal notes and files

Jul 1, 2020 • 51:31

157: Murder & Scandal in Beverly Hills w/ Barbara Schroeder & Clark Fogg - A True Crime History Podcast

157: Murder & Scandal in Beverly Hills w/ Barbara Schroeder & Clark Fogg - A True Crime History Podcast

Beverly Hills, California is not all glitz and glamor. The city has had more than its share of shocking true crime over the last one hundred years, often involving famous figures like Lana Turner, Lupe Vélez, Jean Harlow and Bugsy Siegel. Murder and scandal seem to follow the rich and famous, and my guests - investigative reporter Barbara Schroeder and forensic science specialist Clark Fogg - are experts at not only documenting these stories, but also occasionally writing their final chapters,

Jun 12, 2020 • 1:11:29

156: The Tulsa Race Massacre w/ Tim Madigan - A True Crime History Podcast

156: The Tulsa Race Massacre w/ Tim Madigan - A True Crime History Podcast

June 1st, 2020 marked the 99th anniversary of one of the most despicable acts of mass murder in American history. A mob of 10,000 white vigilantes descended on an African-American suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma - looting, burning houses and businesses, and killing men, women and children. Black business owners put up a fierce resistance, but were soon beaten back by sheer numbers and firepower. My guest, Tim Madigan, is the award-winning author of "The Burning: Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa R

Jun 6, 2020 • 44:23

155: The Boston Massacre w/ Serena Zabin - A True Crime History Podcast

155: The Boston Massacre w/ Serena Zabin - A True Crime History Podcast

The city of Boston was put to the test when occupying British soldiers opened fire into a crowd of rioters on March 5th, 1770. Known forever as the Boston Massacre, it later became a rallying cry for the American Revolution. My guest is Carlton College's Professor Serena Zabin, author of "The Boston Massacre: A Family Affair". Her research into the pivotal event breaks some longstanding myths on the Massacre, including introducing evidence that suggests that many of the British soldiers who oc

May 30, 2020 • 53:47

154:  The Kelayres Massacre w/ Stephanie Hoover - A True Crime History Podcast

154: The Kelayres Massacre w/ Stephanie Hoover - A True Crime History Podcast

On November 5th, 1934, in the small coal mining town of Kelayres, Pennsylvania, Republican political boss Joe Bruno took an extreme and shocking step. Worried and agitated about a possible loss in the following day's elections, he and his family used his large weapons arsenal to fire into a Democratic parade. My guest, Stephanie Hoover, author of "The Kelayres Massacre: Politics & Murder in Pennsylvania's Anthracite Coal Country", outlines the political tensions leading up to the terrible even

May 23, 2020 • 53:13

153: The Murder of Philip Barton Key II w/ Chris DeRose - A True Crime History Podcast

153: The Murder of Philip Barton Key II w/ Chris DeRose - A True Crime History Podcast

As political factions battled in pre-Civil War Washington D.C., a sensational sex and murder scandal suddenly grabbed the nation's attention. New York Congressman Daniel Sickles, having learned that his wife Teresa was in the midst of a torrid love affair with U.S. Attorney Philip Barton Key II, angrily confronted him in a park with fatal consequences. My guest is Chris DeRose, New York Times bestselling author, historian and former law professor. He shares details from his meticulously resear

May 15, 2020 • 51:11

152:  The Radium Girls w/ Kate Moore - A True Crime History Podcast

152: The Radium Girls w/ Kate Moore - A True Crime History Podcast

In the years following World War One, thousands of young women were hired to paint radium on watch and clock dials so they would glow in the dark. As a result, many of the women would suffer the excruciating effects of radiation poisoning, which often lead to their deaths at an early age. My guest, Kate Moore, is author of the New York Times bestselling book "Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women". She joins me to talk about this terrible tragedy (which would be covered up by

May 6, 2020 • 56:14

151: The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter w/ Adam Courtenay - A True Crime History Podcast

151: The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter w/ Adam Courtenay - A True Crime History Podcast

In early 19th century Australia, escaping from a penal colony was not an easy task, mostly because there was no where to go. Six foot five William Buckley did just that, however, wandering though the wild Australian bush before being taken in by a tribe of aborigines, close to death. For the next thirty-two years he would live with the tribe, before finally meeting famed bushranger and bounty hunter John Batman. My guest, Adam Courtenay, is an Australian author and historian, and he joins me t

Apr 25, 2020 • 52:00

150: The 1931 Leavenworth Prison Break w/ Kenneth LaMaster - A True Crime History Podcast

150: The 1931 Leavenworth Prison Break w/ Kenneth LaMaster - A True Crime History Podcast

Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas was once home to some of the most notorious criminals in America, including Carl Panzram, Robert "the Birdman" Stroud, Frank Nitti and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. Part of its history includes one of the most exciting prison breaks in U.S. history, when the "Leavenworth Seven" kidnapped Warden Tom White in December of 1931 White and busted out, only to face one wild obstacle after another. My guest, Kenneth LaMaster, is not only a Leavenworth prison historian

Apr 18, 2020 • 1:10:58

149: The Life & Mythology of Calamity Jane w/ Linda Jucovy - A True Crime History Podcast

149: The Life & Mythology of Calamity Jane w/ Linda Jucovy - A True Crime History Podcast

Calamity Jane is without question one of the most iconic figures in Old West history. She's been portrayed innumerable times in film and television, most recently in the HBO series Deadwood as Wild Bill Hickock's loyal buckskin-wearing friend and sidekick. Her reputation proceeded her wherever she went, as a master bullwhacker, an excessive drinker, a riveting storyteller, and as a woman who found herself in some of the most pivotal moments in American western history. But how much of her larger

Apr 10, 2020 • 46:46

Deadly Diseases in Early 20th Century America w/ Gail Jarrow - A True Crime History Podcast

Deadly Diseases in Early 20th Century America w/ Gail Jarrow - A True Crime History Podcast

Black Death. Typhoid fever. Pellagra. In the early 1900s they invaded the United States, killing thousands. One of the most notorious historical figures associated with disease was "Typhoid Mary", who unknowingly infected untold numbers of people with typhoid fever while cooking in kitchens along the east coast.  My guest, Gail Jarrow, is the author of three books which she calls her "Deadly Diseases Trilogy". They are "Bubonic Panic: When Plague Invaded America", "Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typ

Apr 1, 2020 • 1:04:50

The 1918 Influenza (Spanish Flu) Pandemic w/ John Barry - A True Crime History Podcast

The 1918 Influenza (Spanish Flu) Pandemic w/ John Barry - A True Crime History Podcast

Just over a hundred years ago, the world suffered through a brutal influenza pandemic, which infected up to a quarter of the world's population. It was nicknamed the Spanish Flu, and killed millions of people.  My guest, John Barry, is an historian, adjunct faculty at Tulane University, and author of the New York Times bestseller "The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Greatest Plague in History". He joins me to offer some historical perspective on the disease, in an effort to shed some ligh

Mar 30, 2020 • 53:31

148: The Murder of Carol Thompson w/ William Swanson - A True Crime History Podcast

148: The Murder of Carol Thompson w/ William Swanson - A True Crime History Podcast

While the Coen brothers refuse to confirm it, many believe that their movie "Fargo" was inspired by the Carol Thompson murder case. She was viciously killed in her comfortable Saint Paul home by a hitman hired by her eccentric husband, T. Eugene Thompson, in March of 1963, leaving behind four small children. It was an absolutely sensational case, one not only covered extensively by local press, but by national and international press as well. Longtime journalist William Swanson covers the case

Mar 11, 2020 • 58:03

147:  The "American Sherlock Holmes" Dr. Edward Oscar Heinrich w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

147: The "American Sherlock Holmes" Dr. Edward Oscar Heinrich w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

Some of the most notorious cases in American history were solved by the masterful techniques of forensics expert Dr. Edward Oscar Heinrich. He was known as the "American Sherlock Holmes" for his use of science and deduction to solve what many considered unsolvable cases, including Oregon's infamous 1923 Siskiyou "train robbery"/multi-murder, and San Francisco's 1921 Fatty Arbuckle murder case. My guest, once again, is Kate Winkler Dawson. She talks about Heinrich's pioneering crime-solving tec

Mar 4, 2020 • 59:47

146: The Mysterious Death of "Furnace Girl" Elfrieda Knaak w/ Kraig Moreland - A True Crime History Podcast

146: The Mysterious Death of "Furnace Girl" Elfrieda Knaak w/ Kraig Moreland - A True Crime History Podcast

In late October of 1928, authorities in the small town of Lake Bluff, Illinois discovered a grisly scene in the village hall basement. They found a young woman named Elfreida Knaak, naked, horribly burned and barely clinging to life, next to a furnace. From that point on, investigators would uncover a bizarre story, including a secret affair, mystical Christian rituals, and contradictory deathbed confessions. My guest is historian Kraig Moreland, who has researched this hometown mystery for yea

Feb 27, 2020 • 1:20:12

145: The Smuttynose Ax Murders w/ J. Dennis Robinson - A True Crime History Podcast

145: The Smuttynose Ax Murders w/ J. Dennis Robinson - A True Crime History Podcast

On March 6th, 1873, a brutal double ax murder took the lives of two Norwegian women living on the isolated Smuttynose Island, one of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. My guest is J. Dennis Robinson, a prolific writer, historian and steward of Smuttynose Island, and author of "Mystery on the Isles of Shoals: Closing the Case on the Smuttynose Ax Murders of 1873". He not only tells the story of the murders of Karen and Anethe Christensen, the harrowing escape by Karen'

Feb 20, 2020 • 1:11:03

144: Oklahoma's Osage Murders (Killers of the Flower Moon) w/ David Grann - A True Crime History Podcast

144: Oklahoma's Osage Murders (Killers of the Flower Moon) w/ David Grann - A True Crime History Podcast

David Grann, author of the New York Times Bestselling "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI", is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious. He talks about his research into a spree of murders of oil-rich Osage Indians in 1920s Oklahoma. Dozens and dozens of people were being murdered in a crime wave that became so sensational that J Edgar Hoover and his fledgling F.B.I. were forced to intercede. A team of agents, led by famed lawman Tom White would event

Feb 13, 2020 • 58:31

143: The "Babes of Inglewood" Murders w/ Pamela Everett - A True Crime History Podcast

143: The "Babes of Inglewood" Murders w/ Pamela Everett - A True Crime History Podcast

In the summer of 1937, in an idyllic neighborhood of Los Angeles called Inglewood, the unspeakable happened. Three little girls were lured from a park, assaulted and murdered. The sensational case, known as the "Babes of Inglewood" Murders, would shake Depression-era America. My guest, Pamela Everett, is not only an attorney with the InnocenceProject and a UNR professor of criminal justice, but also the niece of two of the girls who were killed that day, Madeline and Melba Marie. She draws som

Feb 8, 2020 • 1:12:09

142:  Alvin "Creepy" Karpis w/ Julie Thompson - A True Crime History Podcast

142: Alvin "Creepy" Karpis w/ Julie Thompson - A True Crime History Podcast

Alvin "Creepy" Karpis could claim many things in his life. He was not only the brains behind the Barker-Karpis Gang, but the last public enemy of the 1930s, one of J. Edgar Hoover's most hated adversaries, and the longest serving inmate in Alcatraz history. Julie Thompson, author of "The Hunt for the Last Public Enemy in Northeastern Ohio: Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and his Road to Alcatraz" is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious. She reveals fascinating details about this brilliant, c

Jan 31, 2020 • 1:17:15

141:  The Salem Witch Hunt w/ Mary Beth Norton - A True Crime History Podcast

141: The Salem Witch Hunt w/ Mary Beth Norton - A True Crime History Podcast

In this episode, we examine the most notorious witch hunt in American history, in Salem, Massachusetts. Hundreds of women and men were accused of witchcraft by young, "afflicted" girls, and many were executed. My guest is Mary Beth Norton, award-winning historian and professor of American history at Cornell University. She joins me to talk about her book, "In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692". Besides explaining the details on how the crisis unfolded, she dispels some of

Jan 24, 2020 • 1:04:00

140:  The Texarkana Phantom Serial Killer w/ James Presley - A True Crime History Podcast

140: The Texarkana Phantom Serial Killer w/ James Presley - A True Crime History Podcast

In early 1946, a serial killer nicknamed "The Phantom Killer" (aka the "Moonlight Killer") terrorized the citizens of Texarkana (Arkansas and Texas). It was one of the most sensational series of murders in post-war America. Dr. James Presley is my guest, and the author of "The Phantom Killer - Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town In Terror". He walks us through the terrible slayings and builds a case for who he thinks the real killer was. He also te

Jan 17, 2020 • 1:11:48

139: Tom Dooley & the Murder of Laura Foster w/ Charlotte Corbin Barnes - A True Crime History Podcast

139: Tom Dooley & the Murder of Laura Foster w/ Charlotte Corbin Barnes - A True Crime History Podcast

Most of us are probably familiar with the Kingston Trio song, "Tom Dooley", but fewer may realize that it was based on the true life murder of Laura Foster in 1866 North Carolina. Charlotte Corbin Barnes is an unapologetic supporter of Tom Dooley's innocence, and explains the crime, the complications of the trial due to the intense political climate in North Carolina in the era of Reconstruction, and her suspicions on what might have really happened. Her book is called "The Tom Dooley Files: M

Jan 10, 2020 • 1:08:48

138: The Murder of Percy Thompson & Execution of Edith Thompson w/ Laura Thompson

138: The Murder of Percy Thompson & Execution of Edith Thompson w/ Laura Thompson

In October 1922, a sensational murder gripped the city of London. While on a walk home after a show, Percy Thompson was stabbed by Freddy Bywaters, the lover of his wife, Edith. Passionate love letters written by her, including mentions of the desire to murder Percy, helped send not only Bywaters to the gallows, but her as well. My guest is bestselling author Laura Thompson, and she joins Most Notorious to talk about her book, "A Tale of Two Murders: Guilt, Innocence and the Execution of Edith

Jan 3, 2020 • 1:03:04

Midnight Potboiler: The Doctor & the Devil, or the Midnight Adventures of Dr. Parkhurst

Midnight Potboiler: The Doctor & the Devil, or the Midnight Adventures of Dr. Parkhurst

In March of 1892, a private detective named Charles Gardner was hired by the Reverend Doctor Charles Parkhurst, moral crusader and social reformer, as an escort through the seediest, vilest slums in New York City. The purpose of this slumming tour was so that Dr. Parkhurst could gather evidence to present to a grand jury to aid in their investigation of municipal corruption and neglect. Included here are allegedly truthful, highly colorful, and likely embellished excerpts from Gardner's 1894 boo

Dec 23, 2019 • 47:13

True Crime Tripper: The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum

True Crime Tripper: The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum

True Crime Tripper is the second of three new shows I'm trying out on Most Notorious. If launched in 2020, it would be a travel show that focused on historic sites, hotels, restaurants and museums related to true crime history. In this first pilot episode I chat with Sue Vickery, tour guide at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. She talks about the history of the house, gives a refresher on the murders, and offers details on how someone can stay in the very sa

Dec 19, 2019 • 18:07

Aghast at the Past: December 17th, 1901

Aghast at the Past: December 17th, 1901

In this first trial episode of "Aghast at the Past", a possible new weekly addition to Most Notorious, I narrate true crime stories I've culled from North American newspapers dated December 17th, 1901. They include the murder of a young woman by a burglar in Pittsburgh, a bar fight gone wrong in Sioux City, Iowa, and a mysterious man nicknamed "Jack the Squeezer" who terrorized unsuspecting women with hugs and kisses in Vancouver, Canada. If you would like to hear more Aghast at the Past episode

Dec 18, 2019 • 22:21

137: The Gitchie-Manitou Murders w/ Phil Hamman - A True Crime History Podcast

137: The Gitchie-Manitou Murders w/ Phil Hamman - A True Crime History Podcast

On the evening of November 17th, 1973, five teenagers, enjoying a campfire at the Gitchie-Manitou State Park in Iowa, were terrorized by three sociopathic brothers, who would end up murdering the four boys in brutal fashion. The lone survivor, Sandra Cheskey, was raped and released, and not surprisingly deeply traumatized by what she'd witnessed and experienced. She would become known from that point on as the "Gitchie Girl", and shunned by classmates and her community. Ultimately she w

Dec 10, 2019 • 1:04:00

136: Cowboys Vs. Gangsters w/ Samuel Dolan - A True Crime History Podcast

136: Cowboys Vs. Gangsters w/ Samuel Dolan - A True Crime History Podcast

While much is written about Prohibition-era gangsters and bootlegging, the focus is typically in places like Chicago, Kansas City and New York City. Far less known, but very compelling, is the history of the Mexican-American border in the Southwest in the 1920s, and the battles between Old West-era lawmen and the dangerous gangsters who were intent on smuggling booze into the United States. Samuel Dolan, author of "Cowboys and Gangsters: Stories of an Untamed Southwest" joins me to tell to exp

Nov 29, 2019 • 54:22

135:  Jack the Ripper: New Clues & Theories w/ Tom Wescott - A True Crime History Podcast

135: Jack the Ripper: New Clues & Theories w/ Tom Wescott - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the world's most preeminent Ripperologists, Tom Wescott, author of "The Bank Holiday Murders" and "Ripper Confidential" is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious. His extensive research into Jack the Ripper/Whitechapel murders give his a unique perspective into this truly iconic true crime cold case. Focusing on some of the more intriguing peripheral players in the events, including a suspicious prostitute named "Pearly Poll", he offers a fresh take and new theories on who mig

Nov 21, 2019 • 1:08:29

134: The 1919 Chicago Black Sox Scandal w/ Charles Fountain - A True Crime History Podcast

134: The 1919 Chicago Black Sox Scandal w/ Charles Fountain - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1919, eight players on the Chicago White Sox baseball team, including "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, were implicated in what would go down in infamy as the Black Sox scandal. In exchange for money, members of the team agreed to intentionally throw the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. New York underworld gangster Arnold Rothstein is widely suspected of being the primary fixer in the sensational crime. My guest is Charles Fountain, journalist, professor, baseball historian and author of "The Bet

Nov 15, 2019 • 57:04

133: Texas Gunfighters Ben Thompson & King Fisher w/ G.R. Williamson - A True Crime History Podcast

133: Texas Gunfighters Ben Thompson & King Fisher w/ G.R. Williamson - A True Crime History Podcast

When many of us think about Old West gunfighters, our minds turn to men like Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, and Billy the Kid. But there were others equally as compelling, including the two that are the subject of my guest G.R. Williamson's recent book, called "Texas Pistoleers: The True Story of Ben Thompson and King Fisher". Thompson and Fisher each had their own unique and violent lives, but happened to be together when they were shot to death at the infamous Vaudeville Theater Ambush in San Anton

Nov 7, 2019 • 1:13:33

132: The Murder of Sarah Graham (& the Scandal of Emma Molloy) w/ Larry Wood - A True Crime History Podcast

132: The Murder of Sarah Graham (& the Scandal of Emma Molloy) w/ Larry Wood - A True Crime History Podcast

Emma Barrett Molloy was a well-known Evangelical Christian, temperance and women's rights activist in the 1870s and 80s. But in 1885 she found herself embroiled in a lurid scandal involving a con-artist named George Graham. Graham married Emma's foster daughter, Cora Lee, but without divorcing his first wife, Sarah. When Sarah eventually found and confronted him, Graham murdered her and attempted to cover up the crime. Emma, of course, would be caught up in the drama, front-line fodder for a sca

Oct 29, 2019 • 50:47

131: Capt. Matt Leach Vs. John Dillinger Part 2 w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

131: Capt. Matt Leach Vs. John Dillinger Part 2 w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

My conversation continues with Ellen Poulsen, co-author (with Lori Hyde) of "Chasing Dillinger: Police Captain Matt Leach, J. Edgar Hoover and the Rivalry to Capture Public Enemy No. 1". In this second part of the interview, Ellen explains the struggles Matt Leach continued to face as he tried to prove East Chicago cops were in on the death of Dillinger, J Edgar Hoover's personal crusade to ruin Leach professionally, and the details of Leach's tragic death. She also talks about her feelings on

Oct 15, 2019 • 55:58

130: Capt. Matt Leach Vs. John Dillinger Part 1 w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

130: Capt. Matt Leach Vs. John Dillinger Part 1 w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

Ellen Poulsen is back, this time to discuss her new book (co-written with Lori Hyde), "Chasing Dillinger: Police Captain Matt Leach, J. Edgar Hoover and the Rivalry to Capture Public Enemy No. 1."  She walks us through John Dillinger's rise in 1933 and 34 to gangster infamy, including his Crown Point prison escape, and his intense rivalry with Matt Leach of the Indiana State Police, who was singularly focused on bringing Dillinger down. Ellen's website: https://www.ellenpoulsen.com/ Becom

Oct 15, 2019 • 1:02:29

129:  The Real Dracula: Vlad the Impaler w/ Leif Pettersen - A True Crime History Podcast

129: The Real Dracula: Vlad the Impaler w/ Leif Pettersen - A True Crime History Podcast

Just in time for the Halloween season! This episode explores the real Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century warrior-ruler infamous for his extreme brutality and cruelty. My guest Leif Pettersen, a former travel writer with Lonely Planet, has spent considerable time in Romania, and through his writing, research and wanderings, developed a special attachment to the real life Dracula. His book on the subject is part memoir, part travelogue and part history, and called: "Backpacking with Dracu

Oct 7, 2019 • 59:18

128:  Blackbeard & the Golden Age of Piracy in America w/ Eric Jay Dolin - A True Crime History Podcast

128: Blackbeard & the Golden Age of Piracy in America w/ Eric Jay Dolin - A True Crime History Podcast

Bestselling author Eric Jay Dolin joins me to talk about his book, "Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates". He discusses the Golden Age of Piracy in 17th and 18th century America, explains why pirates were so prolific during this time, dispels some prevailing pirate myths, and tells stories about some of most infamous (like Blackbeard) and the most murderous (like Ned Low). The author's website: https://www.ericjaydolin.com/ Become a Most Notorious pat

Sep 27, 2019 • 1:10:07

127:  The Norco Shootout w/ Peter Houlahan - A True Crime History Podcast

127: The Norco Shootout w/ Peter Houlahan - A True Crime History Podcast

In May of 1980, a brazen group of four heavily armed men, in an attempt to rob the Security Pacific Bank in Norco, California, ended up responsible for one of the most violent criminal events in American history. It would be a massive shootout against an underarmed police department, and would fundamentally change how law enforcement departments across the country dealt with crime. My guest, author Peter Houlahan, summarizes the events detailed in his book, "Norco '80: The True Story of the Mo

Sep 21, 2019 • 1:01:07

126:  1860s "Spirit" Photographer William Mumler w/ Peter Manseau - A True Crime History Podcast

126: 1860s "Spirit" Photographer William Mumler w/ Peter Manseau - A True Crime History Podcast

In the aftermath of the American Civil War there was a sharp rise of interest from Americans interested in communicating with the dead, and the Spiritualism movement grew increasingly popular. This, combined with the new technology of photography, gave rise to a scam called "spirit photography". The main perpetrator of the fraud was William H. Mumler, who convinced many that he could capture images of lost love ones alongside the living in portrait photographs. Eventually he would face a sensati

Sep 13, 2019 • 54:44

125: The Murder of Jennie Bosschieter w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

125: The Murder of Jennie Bosschieter w/ Kimberly Tilley - A True Crime History Podcast

In October of 1900, four men accompanied a young woman named Jennie Bosschieter to a New Jersey saloon, where one of them slipped a large amount of chloral hydrate into her drink. She was then taken on a ride to a remote place, sexually assaulted, and eventually died from the overdose. My guest is Kimberly Tilley, author of "The Poisoned Glass", and she tells the disturbing story of the murder, the investigation, the trial and its aftermath. More about the author and her work can be found here

Sep 6, 2019 • 59:45

124: Prohibition's "Bootleg King" George Remus w/ Karen Abbott - A True Crime History Podcast

124: Prohibition's "Bootleg King" George Remus w/ Karen Abbott - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of "Sin in the Second City", "American Rose", and "Liar, Temptress, Soldier. Spy". She discusses her new book, "The Ghosts of Eden Park", and the wild story of George Remus, the most powerful bootlegger in early Prohibition-era America. It's a roller-coaster tale - his rise, his fall, and the strange love triangle he shared with wife Imogene and Prohibition Agent Franklin Dodge, which would ultimately drive him to such rage that he wo

Aug 11, 2019 • 47:27

123: Harper Lee & Murderer Willie Maxwell w/ Casey Cep - A True Crime History Podcast

123: Harper Lee & Murderer Willie Maxwell w/ Casey Cep - A True Crime History Podcast

Harper Lee, author of "To Kill A Mockingbird", famously accompanied Truman Capote as he investigated the murder of the Clutter family; ultimately writing about the terrible events in his true crime classic, "In Cold Blood". Years later, Lee tackled her own multi-murder investigation, with the goal of writing her own true crime book. My guest is Casey Cep, author of "Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee". She not only discusses Harper Lee's involvement, but goes into de

Aug 1, 2019 • 1:11:25

122:  Arthur Conan Doyle Investigates the Murder of Marion Gilchrist w/ Margalit Fox

122: Arthur Conan Doyle Investigates the Murder of Marion Gilchrist w/ Margalit Fox

While Arthur Conan Doyle is recognized as the creator of one of the most famous characters in literary history - Sherlock Holmes- fewer people know that Doyle used his Holmesian skills of deduction to help solve actual real-life true crime cases. One in particular had to do with Oscar Slater, a Jewish immigrant gambler who was convicted for the brutal beating death of a wealthy woman named Marion Gilchrist in Glasgow, Scotland in late December of 1908. My guest, Margalit Fox, is author of the

Jul 19, 2019 • 1:03:04

121:  Los Angeles' Bizarre "Blackburn Cult" w/ Samuel Fort - A True Crime History Podcast

121: Los Angeles' Bizarre "Blackburn Cult" w/ Samuel Fort - A True Crime History Podcast

Cults are certainly not a new phenomenon - in fact one of the strangest ones existed in Los Angeles in the 1920s. The "Blackburn Cult", also known as the "Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven", was the brainchild of a grifter named May Otis Blackburn. She, along with her daughter Ruth, in need of money, suddenly claimed that the archangel Gabriel had visited them with orders to write books that revealed the mysteries of life, death, and a post-apocalyptic world that would be ruled

Jun 26, 2019 • 1:20:15

120: The Sacco and Vanzetti Murder Case w/ Susan Tejada - A True Crime History Podcast

120: The Sacco and Vanzetti Murder Case w/ Susan Tejada - A True Crime History Podcast

In April of 1920, two payroll guards were gunned during a robbery in Braintree, Massachusetts. Police immediately honed in on two Italian-born anarchists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, and charged them with murder. My guest, Susan Tejada, author of "In Search of Sacco and Vanzetti: Double Lives, Troubled Times and the Massachusetts Murder Case That Shook the World", dives into the case in detail. And it's fascinating - from a questionable police investigation, including confusing balli

Jun 19, 2019 • 1:21:21

119: New York City's "Gangster Pirate" Albert Hicks w/ Rich Cohen - A True Crime History Podcast

119: New York City's "Gangster Pirate" Albert Hicks w/ Rich Cohen - A True Crime History Podcast

Long before Dutch Schultz, "Lucky" Luciano or even Monk Eastman ran rackets in New York City, a man named Albert Hicks terrorized lower Manhattan. He'd made his living as a murderous pirate, and became one of the worst criminals to ever wander the notorious Five Points, a wretched slum made famous in Asbury's (and Scorsese's) "Gangs of New York". Rich Cohen, bestselling author of "The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, A Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation" is my guest this week. He

Jun 12, 2019 • 1:01:06

118: The Murder of Helen Potts w/ George R. Dekle Sr.  - A True Crime History Podcast

118: The Murder of Helen Potts w/ George R. Dekle Sr. - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is George R. Dekle Sr., former prosecutor and prolific author. He discusses his book, "Six Capsules: The Gilded Age Murder of Helen Potts", and draws comparisons between the Helen Pott's husband, Carlyle Harris (who would be tried and convicted for her 1891 murder in a sensational New York case) and Ted Bundy, whom Dekle was responsible for prosecuting in Florida. More about the author here: https://www.bobdeklebooks.com/Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/m

Jun 5, 2019 • 1:03:09

117: The Robison Family Murders w/ Mardi Link - A True Crime History Podcast

117: The Robison Family Murders w/ Mardi Link - A True Crime History Podcast

In June of 1968, a wealthy Detroit-area family was gunned down in their northern Michigan cabin. It would become one of the most famous cold cases in the state's history. Mardi Link, author of "When Evil Came to Good Hart", shares the tragic story of the Robison family, and the police suspect who was never convicted but almost certainly committed the terrible crime. The author’s website: https://www.mardilink.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most

May 25, 2019 • 54:05

116:  The Last Duel  w/ Eric Jager - A True Crime History Podcast

116: The Last Duel w/ Eric Jager - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1385, a bitter feud between two French courtiers came to a terrible head when Marguerite, the beautiful young wife of Norman knight Jean de Carrouges, accused her husband's enemy, Jacques LeGris, of outraging her. After a long legal fight, Parliament finally determined that God would produce the verdict. A judicial duel to the death would decide the outcome. And the risk was great - if Carroughes was killed, Marguerite would also die. My guest is Eric Jager, professor of medieval literature

May 10, 2019 • 1:11:12

115: The Apache Wars w/ Paul Andrew Hutton - A True Crime History Podcast

115: The Apache Wars w/ Paul Andrew Hutton - A True Crime History Podcast

Paul Andrew Hutton, best-selling author of "The Apache Wars: The Hunt For Geronimo, The Apache Kid, And The Captive Boy Who Started The Longest War In American History", is my guest on this episode of Most Notorious. He tells the story of a mixed-blood warrior and Apache scout named Mickey Free, whose capture as a boy is considered the catalyst for the Apaches Wars. They were wars that spanned over two decades in the American Southwest, and led by famed Apache leaders like Geronimo, Cochise an

Apr 30, 2019 • 1:08:32

114:  Al Capone, the Secret Six, & the 1933 Chicago World's Fair w/ William Hazelgrove

114: Al Capone, the Secret Six, & the 1933 Chicago World's Fair w/ William Hazelgrove

Most of us have grown up thinking that Elliot Ness and his famed "Untouchables" were the crimefighters who brought down the notorious Al Capone in Chicago. But instead, it was a group of millionaire businessmen called the "Secret Six" who were the real reason for the Capone Outfit's demise. In his book "Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago", my guest, William Hazelgrove, makes the argument that in order for the city to successfully host their second World

Apr 20, 2019 • 52:46

113:  Alice and Gerald: A Homicidal Love Story w/ Ron Franscell - A True Crime History Podcast

113: Alice and Gerald: A Homicidal Love Story w/ Ron Franscell - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1974, a young woman named Alice killed her abusive husband. Then she met and married a man named Gerald Uden, who was having financial issues with his ex-wife, Virginia Martin. Not long after, Gerald would murder Virginia and her two sons, Richard and Reagan, and hide their bodies in the vast Wyoming wilderness. Best selling author Ron Franscell is my guest, and he talks about his research into 40 year old murder investigation, along with his beliefs about Gerald Uden as a sociopathic murde

Apr 12, 2019 • 1:31:02

112: Milwaukee's Newhall House Fire w/ Matthew J. Prigge  - A True Crime History Podcast

112: Milwaukee's Newhall House Fire w/ Matthew J. Prigge - A True Crime History Podcast

On January 10th, 1883, the famed Newhall House hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, caught fire. Made worse by a series of blunders by hotel staff and a poorly trained and equipped fire department, seventy five people would ultimately lose their lives in the horrific, raging inferno. My guest, historian Matthew J. Prigge, is author of “Damn the Old Tinderbox! Milwaukee’s Palace of the West and the Fire That Defined An Era”. He tells the harrowing stories of the guests and the staff who both perished

Apr 3, 2019 • 1:09:22

111: Frank Hamer vs. Bonnie and Clyde w/ John Boessenecker - A True Crime History Podcast

111: Frank Hamer vs. Bonnie and Clyde w/ John Boessenecker - A True Crime History Podcast

In part two of this episode, John Boessenecker continues his tale of Frank Hamer, including his days as a Prohibition agent in the 1920s, a cold-case investigator, and his famous hunt of notorious Depression-era outlaws and murderers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. John Boessenecker is the New York Times bestselling author of "Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, the Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde". More about the author here: https://us.macmillan.com/author/johnboessenecker Becom

Mar 22, 2019 • 55:24

110: Frank Hamer: Texas Ranger and Gunfighter w/ John Boessenecker - A True Crime History Podcast

110: Frank Hamer: Texas Ranger and Gunfighter w/ John Boessenecker - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is John Boessenecker, former police officer and New York Times bestselling author of "Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, the Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde". In this first part of the episode, he talks about Hamer's wild and bloody career in Texas law enforcement from 1906 until 1920, and makes the case that Hamer was the greatest American lawman of the twentieth century. More about the author here: https://us.macmillan.com/author/johnboessenecker Become a Most Notorio

Mar 22, 2019 • 42:09

109: Altamont, The Rolling Stones, the Hell's Angels & the Killing of Meredith Hunter w/ Joel Selvin

109: Altamont, The Rolling Stones, the Hell's Angels & the Killing of Meredith Hunter w/ Joel Selvin

On December 6th, 1969, The Rolling Stones headlined a free concert at Altamont Speedway outside of San Francisco. It quickly turned ugly, culminating with the stabbing death of eighteen-year-old Meredith Hunter by a member of the Hell's Angels, who were acting as security. My guest, Joel Selvin, long-time music critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times bestselling author, explains how the concert came into being and offers details on the terrible night, including his thoughts on

Mar 13, 2019 • 59:35

108: The Murder of Stanford White w/ Simon Baatz - A True Crime History Podcast

108: The Murder of Stanford White w/ Simon Baatz - A True Crime History Podcast

In June of 1906, famed architect Stanford White was murdered by an obsessive millionaire's son named Harry Thaw at the roof garden theater of Madison Square Garden. His attorneys would claim in the sensational court case that followed that he'd done it because his young wife, model Evelyn Nesbit, had been raped by White when she was only sixteen. My guest is award-winning historian and author Simon Baatz, and his book is called "The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex Murder and Madness at the Dawn o

Mar 6, 2019 • 1:08:20

107:  Wartime Melbourne's "Brownout Strangler" Serial Killer w/ Ian W. Shaw - A True Crime History Podcast

107: Wartime Melbourne's "Brownout Strangler" Serial Killer w/ Ian W. Shaw - A True Crime History Podcast

In early 1942, as World War II raged and Japan threatened Australia, tens of thousands of American servicemen arrived in Melbourne to provide assistance in the Pacific Theater. One young U.S. soldier, however, named Eddie Leonski, used the browned-out city as a hunting ground to strangle and murder women. My guest is Ian W. Shaw, author of "Murder at Dusk: How US Soldier and Smiling Pyschopath Eddie Leonski Terrorized Wartime Melbourne". He shares details of the serial murders and their consequ

Feb 25, 2019 • 1:09:31

106:  The Murder of Walter Brooks w/ Virginia A. McConnell - A True Crime History Podcast

106: The Murder of Walter Brooks w/ Virginia A. McConnell - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1902 New York City, a group of wealthy young men, known as the Bedford Avenue Gang, spent their free time terrorizing their neighborhood - including drinking, stealing, fleecing businesses and seducing women. After gang member Walter Brooks, began dating one of the gang's groupies, a badly behaved young woman named Florence Burns, he ended up murdered in a seedy downtown hotel. Virginia A. McConnell, author of "The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-C

Feb 20, 2019 • 1:20:48

105: The  Murder of Nora Shea w/ Kim Briggeman - A True Crime History Podcast

105: The Murder of Nora Shea w/ Kim Briggeman - A True Crime History Podcast

In February of 1921 in Missoula, Montana, a wife and mother of two named Nora Shea was gunned down near some railroad tracks. The main suspect was a local hoodlum named Joe Vuckovich, but a recent piece of surfaced evidence points the finger at her husband, Jerry Shea, as the real killer. My guest is history writer and journalist Kim Briggeman, whose article in the Missoulian newspaper brought the nearly one-hundred year old murder back to local attention. Become a Most Notorious pat

Feb 18, 2019 • 46:55

104: "The Man From the Train" Serial Killer w/ Rachel McCarthy James - A True Crime History Podcast

104: "The Man From the Train" Serial Killer w/ Rachel McCarthy James - A True Crime History Podcast

For decades, the 1912 Villisca, Iowa axe slaughter of the Moore family has been one of the greatest unsolved family massacres in American history. Many believe that it was a local townsperson, but others believe it was the work of a transient serial killer. From the late 1890s until possibly as late as the 1920s, Paul Mueller, a German sailor, rode the American rails, murdering entire families with the blunt edge of an axe, according to my guest, Rachel McCarthy James. She, along with her co-au

Feb 6, 2019 • 57:38

103:  The Murder of Cremer Young Jr. w/ William L. Tabac - A True Crime History Podcast

103: The Murder of Cremer Young Jr. w/ William L. Tabac - A True Crime History Podcast

In August of 1965, the idyllic little community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, was shaken to its foundation when housewife Mariann Colby shot to death her neighbor boy, eight-year-old Cremer Young Jr.. Attorney and professor William L. Tabac, author of "Insanity Defense and the Mad Murderess of Shaker Heights: Examining the Trial of Marian Colby", tells the story of the crime and her defense's bold strategy in claiming that the seemingly sane woman was actually insane at the moment she pulled the tri

Jan 29, 2019 • 54:18

102: The Black Dahlia Murder Revisited w/ Piu Eatwell - A True Crime History Podcast

102: The Black Dahlia Murder Revisited w/ Piu Eatwell - A True Crime History Podcast

The 1947 Los Angeles Black Dahlia murder case has long been one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in American history, and many suspects have been accused over the years of being the slayer of Elizabeth Short. In this second Most Notorious episode about the subject, I talk with Piu Eatwell, author of "Black Dahlia, Red Rose: The Crime, Corruption and Cover Up of America’s Greatest Unsolved Murder". In her book, she makes a convincing case that the murderer was a man being pursued in a separa

Jan 22, 2019 • 1:17:22

101: The Murder of President James Garfield w/ Candice Millard - A True Crime History Podcast

101: The Murder of President James Garfield w/ Candice Millard - A True Crime History Podcast

On July 2nd, 1881, a disappointed and mentally unstable office-seeker named Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield in a Washington D.C. train station. Over the next weeks, Garfield would linger, bedridden, as infection set in, caused by poor medical treatment, and America would wait with bated breath over whether their beloved president would survive. Meanwhile, Guiteau, the most hated man in America, would face trial and possible execution. My guest is Candice Millard, New York Times

Jan 14, 2019 • 54:57

100: "Mad Dog" Coll vs. Dutch Schultz w/ Rich Gold. - A True Crime History Podcast

100: "Mad Dog" Coll vs. Dutch Schultz w/ Rich Gold. - A True Crime History Podcast

Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll grew up quickly, from Irish tenements to enforcer for Bronx bootlegger and gangster Dutch Schultz while still in his teens. Soon the two split, and began gunning for each other in a bloody feud that left a trail of dead hoodlums in its wake. My guest is Rich Gold, co-author with Breandán Delap of the book, "Mad Dog Coll: An Irish Gangster", and tells the story of this vicious gangster, including his violent end in a New York City drugstore. Become a Most Notorious

Dec 28, 2018 • 56:04

99: Marjorie Congdon and the Glensheen Murders w/ Sharon Darby Hendry - A True Crime History Podcast

99: Marjorie Congdon and the Glensheen Murders w/ Sharon Darby Hendry - A True Crime History Podcast

In this special interview episode from the files of Where Blood Runs Cold, I interview Sharon Henry Darby, author of "Glensheen's Daughter", about the notorious Minnesota murderer and arsonist Marjorie Congdon, who besides allegedly conspiring to murder her mother Elizabeth Congdon at the famous Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, also left a trail of fire and death for the next three decades across the country. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notoriou

Dec 18, 2018 • 49:46

98: WWI-Era French Serial Killer Henri Landru w/ Richard Tomlinson - A True Crime History Podcast

98: WWI-Era French Serial Killer Henri Landru w/ Richard Tomlinson - A True Crime History Podcast

The subject of today's episode is Henri Landru, the most notorious serial killer in French history. He placed advertisements in Paris newspapers in the late 1910s, preying on lonely women left behind as French soldiers marched off to war. While he would eventually be tried and convicted on twelve counts of murder, Richard Tomlinson, the author of "Landru's Secret: The Deadly Seductions of France's Lonely Hearts Serial Killer", believes the actual murder count to be higher, and he explains why.

Nov 20, 2018 • 1:21:16

97: The Assassin Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee w/ Ann Marie Ackermann - A True Crime History Podcast

97: The Assassin Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee w/ Ann Marie Ackermann - A True Crime History Podcast

Ann Marie Ackermann is my guest on this episode, author of the book "Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee". In 1835, a German mayor is murdered at night as he approaches his own front door. After an extensive investigation, including the first forensic ballistics test in history, the case goes cold until 1871, when it is finally solved in the United States. To make the story even more strange and compelling, the murderer of the mayor ends u

Nov 2, 2018 • 1:05:09

96:  Chicago's Accused Murderess Sabella Nitti w/ Emilie La Beau Lucchesi

96: Chicago's Accused Murderess Sabella Nitti w/ Emilie La Beau Lucchesi

My guest is Dr. Emilie La Beau Lucchesi, author of "Ugly Prey: An Innocent Woman and the Death Sentence That Scandalized Jazz Age Chicago". She discusses the case of Sabella Nitti, a poor Italian immigrant woman accused by police of murdering her husband with help from her farmhand lover in 1923. Dr. Lucchesi's investigation offers new evidence that she helps further exonerate Nitti, who is probably most well known in modern day culture as one of the characters in the Chicago musical and film.

Oct 25, 2018 • 1:00:29

The 1901 Saint Paul Louis Arbogast Murder Part 1, from Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold

The 1901 Saint Paul Louis Arbogast Murder Part 1, from Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold

I'm pulling a switcheroo this week - in blatant shameless effort to get listeners to try my new podcast, Minnesota's Most Notorious: Where Blood Runs Cold, I'm putting part one of the first episode from that show up here, a mystery surrounding the murder of Louis Arbogast in 1909 St. Paul, and putting a brand new interview (about Duluth's Glensheen murders) on the new podcast. Part two of the Arbogast story is there too, by the way, should you care to finish the tale. Back to the regular Most No

Oct 18, 2018 • 29:19

95:  The Murder of Kitty Genovese w/ Catherine Pelonero - A True Crime History Podcast

95: The Murder of Kitty Genovese w/ Catherine Pelonero - A True Crime History Podcast

Catherine Pelonero, author of "Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences", is my guest. She walks us through the murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, New York in 1964 and its aftermath. The horrific crime is especially infamous because no one called police or stepped in to help, despite being witnessed by dozens of people. The author's website: https://catherinepelonero.net/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious

Sep 27, 2018 • 1:01:36

94:  The Murder of William Morgan & Other Tales of the Erie Canal w/ Jack Kelly

94: The Murder of William Morgan & Other Tales of the Erie Canal w/ Jack Kelly

Author Jack Kelly joins me to discuss his book, "Heaven's Ditch: God Gold and Murder". He shares some stories of early 19th century murder and mystery surrounding the great engineering marvel known as the Erie Canal. The author's website: https://jackkellybooks.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1 Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choi

Sep 20, 2018 • 50:36

93:  Mobster Frank Costello w/ Anthony M. DeStefano - A True Crime History Podcast

93: Mobster Frank Costello w/ Anthony M. DeStefano - A True Crime History Podcast

Mafia historian and Pulitzer-prize winning reporter Anthony M. DeStefano is my guest this episode. He offers insight into gangster Frank Costello, underboss to Lucky Luciano, whose role and influence in the growth of organized crime in America was immense. DeStefano's book is called "Top Hoodlum: Frank Costello, Prime Minister of the Mafia". More about the author and his work here: https://www.tonydestefano.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most

Sep 13, 2018 • 1:03:49

92:  New York's Notorious Blackwell's Island w/ Stacy Horn - A True Crime History Podcast

92: New York's Notorious Blackwell's Island w/ Stacy Horn - A True Crime History Podcast

Stacy Horn, author of "Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad and Criminal in 19th-Century New York", joins me to chat about the infamous New York City island, which housed the women's notorious lunatic asylum that continued to operate for decades, despite the horrendous abuses committed against the inmates. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Sep 6, 2018 • 59:21

91:  The Race to Save the Romanovs w/ Helen Rappaport - A True Crime History Podcast

91: The Race to Save the Romanovs w/ Helen Rappaport - A True Crime History Podcast

Even today, the world is still utterly fascinated with the Romanov family, the last Tsar and Tsarina of Imperial Russia and their famous daughters and son. My guest is Helen Rappaport, a world-renowned expert on the subject. She joins me to discuss her third book about the Romanovs, called "The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue the Russian Imperial Family", which answers lingering questions about why the world couldn't save the family from their terrible deat

Aug 30, 2018 • 59:31

90:  Frank Oldfield vs. the Black Hand w/ William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce

90: Frank Oldfield vs. the Black Hand w/ William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce

In the early 1900s police were stymied by a series of murders of Italian grocers and fruit vendors in midwest America. Witnesses refused to cooperate, which made the crimes impossible to solve. Enter the United States Postal Service. Postal Inspector Frank Oldfield finds a man willing to testify, and suddenly the organization is knee-deep in a massive investigation which leads them to one of the first crime rings of Sicilian gangsters in American history. For the first time, law enforcement agen

Aug 22, 2018 • 57:33

89:  The Murder of Dr. George Parkman w/ Paul Collins - A True Crime History Podcast

89: The Murder of Dr. George Parkman w/ Paul Collins - A True Crime History Podcast

In November, 1849, Dr. George Parkman, Boston businessman and Harvard Medical School benefactor, disappeared. While many believed he might have been done in by an Irish immigrant, the discovery of his dismembered body in a privy eventually led investigators to a Harvard faculty teacher, John Webster. Paul Collins, English professor at Portland State University and author of "Blood and Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard", shares this story of debt, greed and rage at one of America's mo

Aug 16, 2018 • 1:00:28

88:  The Murder of Buddy Schumacher w/ Paul Hoffman - A True Crime History Podcast

88: The Murder of Buddy Schumacher w/ Paul Hoffman - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, author and journalist Paul Hoffman, discusses the July 1925 abduction and murder of little Buddy Schumacher in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He wrote the book, "Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher." The author's website: https://paulhoffmanauthor.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1 Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about y

Jul 18, 2018 • 57:09

87:  Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Dodge City  w/ Tom Clavin - A True Crime History Podcast

87: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Dodge City w/ Tom Clavin - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the most violent old west towns in the late 19th century was the legendary Dodge City, Kansas. Among the notable lawmen and gunfighters who called it home were Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, who formed an unlikely friendship to do battle with gunmen, horse thieves, and desperadoes. New York Times best-selling author Tom Clavin joins me to talk about his book, "Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West". The author's website: https://www.tomclavin

Jul 4, 2018 • 56:32

86:  The Murder of Adolph Coors III w/ Philip Jett - A True Crime History Podcast

86: The Murder of Adolph Coors III w/ Philip Jett - A True Crime History Podcast

In this episode of Most Notorious, I chat with Philip Jett, author of "The Death of an Heir: Adolph Coors III and the Murder That Rocked an American Brewing Dynasty”. He discusses the attempted kidnapping and eventual murder of Coors Brewery heir Adolph Coors III in 1960 Colorado, and the personal involvement of J. Edgar Hoover in this sensational case that drew international interest. More information about the author can be found here: https://philipjett.com/ Become a Most Notorious pat

Apr 27, 2018 • 1:13:36

85:  Liver-Eating Johnson w/ Nathan E. Bender - A True Crime History Podcast

85: Liver-Eating Johnson w/ Nathan E. Bender - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is Nathan E. Bender, who wrote the introduction for the most recent edition of the 1958 classic "Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson". Johnson, (who was the basis for Robert Redford's character in the "Jeremiah Johnson" film), is known in history for hunting down members of the Crow Indian tribe to avenge his wife and child's death, but much of our modern knowledge of this now legendary figure was made up by the original authors of the book, Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker.

Apr 15, 2018 • 56:23

84: The Witch of Delray  w/ Karen Dybis - A True Crime History Podcast

84: The Witch of Delray w/ Karen Dybis - A True Crime History Podcast

Rose Veres, known as "The Witch of Delray", was tried in 1931 for murdering one of her tenants in Detroit, and has been suspected of killing others throughout the 1920s. Karen Dybis, author of "The Witch of Delray: Rose Veres and Detroit's Infamous 1930s Murder Mystery" is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious, and not only tells Rose's story, but helps separate legend from the true-life, historical account of her story. The author's website: https://www.karendybis.com/ Become

Apr 5, 2018 • 1:17:17

83: Lucky Luciano's 1930s NYC Prostitution Trial w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

83: Lucky Luciano's 1930s NYC Prostitution Trial w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1936, New York City prosecutors, desperate to put infamous Murder Inc. boss Charles "Lucky" Luciano behind bars, decided to arrest him on tenuous charges for running the Big Apple's largest prostitution racket. Ellen Poulsen is my guest, and author of "The Case Against Lucky Luciano: New York's Most Sensational Vice Trial". She talks about the case, the trial, and the state of prostitution and organized crime in 1930s New York City. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.

Mar 29, 2018 • 1:01:57

82: The Pied Piper of Tucson Killer w/ Lisa Espich - A True Crime History Podcast

82: The Pied Piper of Tucson Killer w/ Lisa Espich - A True Crime History Podcast

Fifty years after the brutal murders of three Tucson women, an inside account of killer Charles Schmid, aka "The Pied Piper of Tucson" is published - written by Schmid's former friend Richard Bruns not long after the tragic and terrible events. The author's daughter, Lisa Espich joins the Most Notorious podcast to share the fascinating details from her father's book, called "I, a Squealer: The Insider's Account of the Pied Piper of Tucson Murders". Become a Most Notorious patron: https://

Mar 22, 2018 • 1:09:22

81: The New Orleans Axeman Serial Killer w/ Miriam C. Davis - A True Crime History Podcast

81: The New Orleans Axeman Serial Killer w/ Miriam C. Davis - A True Crime History Podcast

The Axeman has become a figure of American folklore; a jazz-loving serial killer preying on Italian grocers in 1910s New Orleans. Miriam C. Davis, the author of "The Axeman of New Orleans", chats with me about the series of murders that terrified the Big Easy, and helps separate myth from fact. The author's website: https://miriamghost.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your

Mar 15, 2018 • 1:14:11

80: Indiana Serial Killer Belle Gunness w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

80: Indiana Serial Killer Belle Gunness w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is the prolific true crime author Harold Schechter, who returns to talk about his latest book, "Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men". He tells the story about the legendary Norwegian immigrant serial killer who lured men to her Laporte, Indiana farm and murdered them, before a fire finally destroyed the farmhouse and killed her children, and allegedly her as well. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious websi

Mar 8, 2018 • 1:04:48

79: The Natchez Goat Castle Murder w/ Karen L. Cox - A True Crime History Podcast

79: The Natchez Goat Castle Murder w/ Karen L. Cox - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is Karen L. Cox, author of "Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South". She tells the story of Jennie Merrill, an aged Southern belle who was murdered in her home in 1932 Natchez, Mississippi. Two of the main suspects against her were her neighbors: Octavia Dockery (aka " Goat Woman") and Dick Dana (aka "Wild Man"), who lived in the notorious ramshackle mansion nicknamed "Goat Castle". The author's website: https://karencoxhistorian.com/ Become a Most Notor

Feb 22, 2018 • 55:57

78: NYC Crimefighter & Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt w/ Richard Zacks - A True Crime History Podcast

78: NYC Crimefighter & Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt w/ Richard Zacks - A True Crime History Podcast

True crime history enthusiasts are devouring TNT's "The Alienist", the television show based on the popular Caleb Carr novel. Richard Zacks, the author of "Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York" joins me to talk about this crazy era in the New York City's history, and how reformer and newly minted police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt attempted to curtail the power of corrupt Tammany Hall politicians and police officers, who profited from the lax law enforcemen

Feb 14, 2018 • 57:34

77:  Austin's "Midnight Assassin" Serial Killer w/ Skip Hollandsworth - A True Crime History Podcast

77: Austin's "Midnight Assassin" Serial Killer w/ Skip Hollandsworth - A True Crime History Podcast

From December of 1884 to December of 1885 a serial killer terrorized the city of Austin Texas. He had multiple nicknames: the Midnight Assassin, the Intangible Nemesis and the Servant Girl Annihilator. Journalist Skip Hollandsworth, author of "The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer", shares the story of this brutal murderer's killing spree, the suspects, the hapless police department who pursued him, and the rumors that the killer was none other than Jack the Ripper.

Feb 8, 2018 • 53:30

76:  The Kidnap & Murder of Marion Parker w/ James L. Neibaur

76: The Kidnap & Murder of Marion Parker w/ James L. Neibaur

Historian James L. Neibaur, author of "Butterfly in the Rain: The 1927 Abduction and Murder of Marion Parker", talks about the horrific kidnapping and murder of little Marion Parker in Jazz-age Los Angeles.Also, Mark Lee Gardner joins me for a chat about the latest rash of Billy the Kid photographs that have surfaced and their legitimacy. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotoriousMost Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1Most Notorious website:

Feb 1, 2018 • 1:07:24

76: The Kidnap & Murder of Marion Parker w/ James L. Neibaur

76: The Kidnap & Murder of Marion Parker w/ James L. Neibaur

Historian James L. Neibaur, author of "Butterfly in the Rain: The 1927 Abduction and Murder of Marion Parker", talks about the horrific kidnapping and murder of little Marion Parker in Jazz-age Los Angeles. Also, Mark Lee Gardner joins me for a chat about the latest rash of Billy the Kid photographs that have surfaced and their legitimacy. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1 Most Notorious

Jan 31, 2018 • 1:20:09

75: Serial Killer John Reginald Christie & the Great London Smog w/ Kate Winkler Dawson - A True Crime History Podcast

75: Serial Killer John Reginald Christie & the Great London Smog w/ Kate Winkler Dawson - A True Crime History Podcast

1952 post-war London was a city in the throes of tragedy. Thousands were sickened and killed from a great filthy smog that choked the city. In the meantime a serial killer named John Reginald Christie was lurking in Notting Hill, murdering multiple women over years and burying their bodies in his backyard, under floorboards and behind walls. Author Kate Winkler Dawson tells these two parallel stories and their ultimate repercussions for the country in her book "Death In the Air: The True Story o

Jan 24, 2018 • 1:14:13

74: Chicago Murderer H.H. Holmes w/ Adam Selzer - A True Crime History Podcast

74: Chicago Murderer H.H. Holmes w/ Adam Selzer - A True Crime History Podcast

Perhaps the most notorious killer in 19th century America was H.H. Holmes, a man who committed fraud and murder with cold abandon across the United States. His infamous Chicago "murder castle" is legendary in true crime lore. My guest, Adam Selzer, author of "H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil", tells Holmes' story and breaks some myths about the murderous scoundrel. More about the author here: https://adamselzerchicago.wordpress.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: http

Jan 17, 2018 • 1:00:31

73: The Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen w/ Mark Shaw - A True Crime History Podcast

73: The Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen w/ Mark Shaw - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is former criminal defense attorney Mark Shaw, author of "The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen". He talks about the life of Pulitzer nominated reporter and television star Dorothy Kilgallen, who was allegedly on the brink of breaking wide open a story about John Kennedy's assassination before her mysterious and suspicious death abruptly ended her investigation. The author's website: https://markshawbooks.com/

Nov 9, 2017 • 1:05:38

72: The Revenge of Hannah Duston w/ Jay Atkinson - A True Crime History Podcast

72: The Revenge of Hannah Duston w/ Jay Atkinson - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, Jay Atkinson, author of "Massacre on the Merrimack", tells the notorious and controversial story of Hannah Duston. After members of the Abenaki tribe captured her and her newborn infant in March of 1697, they killed her baby on a forced march north. Duston got her revenge by killing and scalping ten of her captors, including six children, and fleeing by canoe back to her home in Haverhill, Massachusetts. More about the author: https://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/people/writing-program-f

Oct 8, 2017 • 1:09:01

71: Mob Hitman Frank Sheeran, the Kennedys and Jimmy Hoffa w/ Charles Brandt

71: Mob Hitman Frank Sheeran, the Kennedys and Jimmy Hoffa w/ Charles Brandt

My guest is Charles Brandt, the author of bestselling book "I Heard You Paint Houses". He tells the story of Frank "the Irishman" Sheeran, a hitman who goes to work for famed mob boss Russell Bufalino and Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa in the 1950s and 60s. According to confessions by Sheeran to Brandt, he was involved in three of the most famous murders of their era - President John Kennedy, Jimmy Hoffa and "Crazy" Joe Gallo. More about the author here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut

Sep 3, 2017 • 1:07:41

70: Chicago's Sausage Vat Murder w/ Robert Loerzel - A True Crime History Podcast

70: Chicago's Sausage Vat Murder w/ Robert Loerzel - A True Crime History Podcast

In the spring of 1897, Chicago sausage tycoon Adolph Leutgert's wife Louisa went missing. Police soon suspected her body had been dissolved in a vat in Adolph's factory. My guest, Robert Loerzel, author of "Alchemy of Bones: Chicago’s Luetgert Murder Case of 1897", tells the sensational true crime story of murder, sex and sausage on this week's episode of Most Notorious. More about the author here: http://www.robertloerzel.com/books/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/m

Aug 13, 2017 • 1:03:46

69: Nazi Berlin's S-Bahn Serial Killer w/ Scott Andrew Selby - A True Crime History Podcast

69: Nazi Berlin's S-Bahn Serial Killer w/ Scott Andrew Selby - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1941 Berlin police were on the hunt for a serial killer who stalked women on the S-Bahn at night, bludgeoning victims to death before throwing their bodies off of the train. Scott Andrew Selby, author of "A Serial Killer in Nazi Berlin: The Chilling True Story of the S-Bahn Murderer" details the terrible rape and murder spree of railway worker Paul Ogorzow.The author's website: https://www.scottselby.com/Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotoriousMost Notori

Jul 30, 2017 • 1:28:40

68: Scotland's Serial Killing Duo Burke & Hare w/ Lisa Rosner - A True Crime History Podcast

68: Scotland's Serial Killing Duo Burke & Hare w/ Lisa Rosner - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1828 two friends named William Burke and William Hare killed sixteen people in Edinburgh, Scotland and sold their bodies to an anatomist named Dr. Robert Knox. Dr. Lisa Rosner, author of "The Anatomy Murders", tells the story of this notorious duo of serial killers and the nefarious business of body selling in early 19th century Scotland. The author's website: http://burkeandhare.com/anatomymurders.htm Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious o

Jul 18, 2017 • 1:22:25

67: The Murder of Oilman Jake Hamon w/ David R. Stokes - A True Crime History Podcast

67: The Murder of Oilman Jake Hamon w/ David R. Stokes - A True Crime History Podcast

Oklahoma oilman and multi-millionaire Jake Hamon had just helped elect Warren Harding President of the United States and had a fast track to become Secretary of the Interior - but under one condition. He had to break things off with his mistress of ten years, Clara Smith. That was when things went terribly wrong. David R. Stokes, author of "Jake and Clara: Scandal, Politics, Hollywood and Murder". tells this remarkable story of loyalty, deception and murder. More about the author here: https://

Jul 9, 2017 • 55:34

66: New York's Mad Bomber w/ Michael Greenburg - A True Crime History Podcast

66: New York's Mad Bomber w/ Michael Greenburg - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is historian Michael Greenburg, the author of "The Mad Bomber of New York, The Extraordinary True Story of the Manhunt that Paralyzed a City". He tells the story of serial bomber George Metesky, who terrorized New York City in the 1940s and 50s over a grudge with a utility company. More about the author: https://www.michaelgreenburg.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1 Most No

Jun 26, 2017 • 56:02

65: Jack the Ripper 101 w/ Donald Rumbelow - A True Crime History Podcast

65: Jack the Ripper 101 w/ Donald Rumbelow - A True Crime History Podcast

The number of theories surrounding the Jack the Ripper murders in 1880s London are too staggering to mention. At least 200 suspects have been considered over the decades and spirited debate over his true identity has preoccupied the time of many a true crime history buff. Donald Rumbelow is my guest on this first Jack the Ripper-themed episode of Most Notorious. He is a world renowned expert on the subject, and gives us an introduction to the infamous series of murders, and also discusses some o

Jun 4, 2017 • 1:09:18

64: The Kidnap & Murder of Bobby Greenlease w/ John Heidenry - A True Crime History Podcast

64: The Kidnap & Murder of Bobby Greenlease w/ John Heidenry - A True Crime History Podcast

On September 28th, 1953, Bobby Greenlease, six-year-old son of millionaire Robert Greenlease, was kidnapped and then murdered by two grifters named Carl Austin Hall and Bonnie Brown Heady. John Heidenry, author of "Zero at the Bone: The Playboy, the Prostitute, and the Murder of Bobby Greenlease" tells the disturbing story of this notorious crime, which included corrupt cops and Saint Louis mobsters. More about the author here: https://us.macmillan.com/author/johnheidenry Become a Most No

May 21, 2017 • 1:05:19

63: Crime & Punishment in Puritan New England w/ Juliet Mofford - A True Crime History Podcast

63: Crime & Punishment in Puritan New England w/ Juliet Mofford - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest is Juliet Mofford, author of "The Devil Made Me Do It! Crime and Punishment in Early New England". She discusses a variety of topics, including scarlet letters, witches, and the methods that Puritans dealt out punishments to law-breakers. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MostNotorious1 Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon

May 6, 2017 • 54:55

62: Alaska's Soapy Smith w/ Catherine Spude - A True Crime History Podcast

62: Alaska's Soapy Smith w/ Catherine Spude - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest today, Catherine Spude, author of "That Fiend in Hell: Soapy Smith in Legend", tells the story of the renowned con-man, crime boss and murderer Soapy Smith, known in history as the "King of Skagway". She also helps separate the fact from the fiction and dispel some myths about the most notorious man in Alaskan history. More about the author and her work here: https://www.oupress.com/author/catherine-holder-spude/Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotori

Apr 22, 2017 • 52:03

61: The Cleveland Torso Murders w/ James Jessen Badal - A True Crime History Podcast

61: The Cleveland Torso Murders w/ James Jessen Badal - A True Crime History Podcast

In a rough part of Cleveland Ohio called Kingsbury Run, twelve decapitated bodies, some mutilated and dismembered, were discovered from 1934-1938. My guest, Dr. James Badal, author of "In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland's Torso Murders", discusses the details of the crimes and the investigation, including the involvement of legendary lawman Elliot Ness. More about the author and his work here: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/author/badalj/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https

Apr 8, 2017 • 58:29

60: The Real Rasputin w/ Douglas Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

60: The Real Rasputin w/ Douglas Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

There are many myths surrounding Grigori Rasputin, known in popular history as the "Mad Monk" and the "Holy Devil". His influence on Tsar Nicholas II and his family in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Russia is well known, but my guest, Douglas Smith, author of "Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs" sheds new light on his life, his motives and where the legends end and the actual man begins. The author's website: https://douglassmith.info/ Become a Most Notorious pat

Mar 18, 2017 • 48:15

59:  Dillinger Gang Gun-Molls Part Two w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

59: Dillinger Gang Gun-Molls Part Two w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

Dillinger historian Ellen Poulsen, author of "Don't Call Us Molls", completes her interview with me about the role of women in Depression-era gangs of the Midwest. Included in this episode, girlfriends of the Barker-Karpis and Dillinger Gangs, Mrs. Babyface Nelson and Bonnie Parker of Bonnie and Clyde fame. The author's website: http://www.dillingerswomen.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn

Mar 12, 2017 • 58:57

58: Dillinger Gang Gun-Molls Part One  w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

58: Dillinger Gang Gun-Molls Part One w/ Ellen Poulsen - A True Crime History Podcast

In this first part of my two part interview with Ellen Poulsen, author of "Don't Call Us Molls", we discuss the many women involved with notorious 1930s Public Enemy #1 John Dillinger, including Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, Anna Sage and Polly Hamilton, and the role that molls played in the lives of bank-robbing Depression-era gangsters. The author's website: http://www.dillingerswomen.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: htt

Mar 4, 2017 • 53:44

57:   Paris's Rue Montaigne Murders w/ Aaron Freundschuh - A True Crime History Podcast

57: Paris's Rue Montaigne Murders w/ Aaron Freundschuh - A True Crime History Podcast

In March of 1887 a high-class prostitute and two others, including a child, were found stabbed to death in a luxury apartment on the upscale Avenue Montaigne. Police settle on a mysterious immigrant gigolo as their main suspect, named Enrico Pranzini. My guest, Aaron Freundschuh, author of "The Courtesan and the Gigolo: The Murders in the Rue Montaigne and the Dark Side of Empire in Nineteenth-Century Paris" tells the story of the crime, the investigation, the trial, and the role that xenophobia

Feb 21, 2017 • 1:01:47

56:  Captain Kidd w/ Richard Zacks - A True Crime History Podcast

56: Captain Kidd w/ Richard Zacks - A True Crime History Podcast

Richard Zacks, bestselling author of "Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" is my guest, and he tells some stories (and breaks some myths) about a man considered one of the most infamous pirates in American history. More about the author here: https://www.echonyc.com/~rzacks/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 2017 • 52:16

55: Boston's Millen-Faber Gang w/ Nathan Gorenstein - A True Crime History Podcast

55: Boston's Millen-Faber Gang w/ Nathan Gorenstein - A True Crime History Podcast

The 1930s were filled with news of midwest bank-robbers like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie & Clyde, but few know that Boston had its own gang of thieves and killers during the Depression. Murt Millen, a whip-smart but unstable Jewish kid, his mentally challenged brother, Irv, his wife, Norma Brighton (the wayward daughter of a minister), and his MIT graduate friend Abe Faber, formed the Millen-Faber gang in the early 30s. My guest, Nathan Gorenstein, author of "To

Feb 3, 2017 • 1:05:25

54: Wartime Los Angeles's Sleepy Lagoon Murder & Zoot Suit Riots w/ Eduardo Pagán

54: Wartime Los Angeles's Sleepy Lagoon Murder & Zoot Suit Riots w/ Eduardo Pagán

Two events in early 1940s L.A. grabbed newspaper headlines almost back to back- The murder of José Díaz and following trial of 22 boys, and the race riots between American sailors and zoot-suit wearing Mexican-American kids in downtown Los Angeles. Eduardo Obregón Pagán is a professor at Arizona State University and a co-host of PBS's History Detectives, and he talks with me about his book, "Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot in Wartime L.A.". More about the author here: ht

Jan 20, 2017 • 47:38

53: Self-Confessed Serial Killer Carl Panzram w/ John Borowski - A True Crime History Podcast

53: Self-Confessed Serial Killer Carl Panzram w/ John Borowski - A True Crime History Podcast

Carl Panzram was a self-confessed serial killer and rapist, who admitted in his autobiography to over 20 murders just before his execution in 1930. My guest, John Borowski, director of the documentary "Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance" talks about this man, who many consider one of most evil people to ever walk the earth, and how childhood traumas and prison torture might have contributed in transforming him into a monster. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.pat

Jan 13, 2017 • 1:15:26

52: Lynchings, Vigilantism and Murder in 1850s Frontier Los Angeles  w/ John Mack Faragher

52: Lynchings, Vigilantism and Murder in 1850s Frontier Los Angeles w/ John Mack Faragher

Few of us think of 19th century Los Angeles in the same breath as Tombstone, Dodge City, or Deadwood, but in the 1850s it was filled with rampant racism and violent conflict. Vigilantes roamed the streets and lynchings were commonplace. My guest, Professor John Mack Faragher, author of "Eternity Street: Violence and Justice in Frontier Los Angeles" talks about this rough and savage time in California history. More about the author here: https://history.yale.edu/people/john-faragher Become

Jan 7, 2017 • 54:33

51: The Santa Claus Con Artist w/ Alex Palmer - A True Crime History Podcast

51: The Santa Claus Con Artist w/ Alex Palmer - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1913 a PR man named John Gluck successfully petitioned the US Post Office for control of New York City's Santa Claus letters. From that point forward, he not only built the Santa Claus Association into a major holiday organization, but also found ways to steal large amounts of money in the process. Alex Palmer, author of "The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas In New York", talks about one of the great Christmas cons in American history.

Dec 30, 2016 • 47:22

50: The 1920s Murders of Two Oregon Sheriffs w/ Cory Frye - A True Crime History Podcast

50: The 1920s Murders of Two Oregon Sheriffs w/ Cory Frye - A True Crime History Podcast

Cory Frye, author of "Murder in Linn County, Oregon: The True Story of the Legendary Plainview Killings" is my guest. He tells two stories. On June 21, 1922, Linn County sheriff Charles Kendall and Reverend Roy Healy drove out to arrest a moonshining farmer named Dave West. By the end of the day, all three men were dead. William Dunlap replaced him, but was also killed on duty within a year. Author's publisher page: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467135221 Become a Most Noto

Dec 24, 2016 • 53:36

49: 1930s Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd Part 2 w/ Michael Wallis - A True Crime History Podcast

49: 1930s Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd Part 2 w/ Michael Wallis - A True Crime History Podcast

My interview with Michael Wallis, author of "Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd" continues. We cover the bloody and notorious Kansas City Massacre, as well as the last few weeks, days and hours of Pretty Boy Floyd's life. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 17, 2016 • 53:47

48: 1930s Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd Part 1 w/ Michael Wallis - A True Crime History Podcast

48: 1930s Outlaw Pretty Boy Floyd Part 1 w/ Michael Wallis - A True Crime History Podcast

Pretty Boy Floyd lit up the late 20s and early 30s Midwest with bank robberies, daring escapes from the law, and cold-blooded murder. My guest, Michael Wallis, author of "Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd", talks about his early life, his first forays into crime, time in a Kansas prison, and an audacious bank heist in his hometown cheered by his friends and grandfather in this first part of a two part series on the legendary social bandit. Become a Most Notorious patron

Dec 10, 2016 • 1:08:13

47: The 1970 Murder of Boxer Sonny Liston w/ Shaun Assael  - A True Crime History Podcast

47: The 1970 Murder of Boxer Sonny Liston w/ Shaun Assael - A True Crime History Podcast

Rumors for many years have circulated about the mysterious death of famed boxer Sonny Liston in December of 1970. My guest, Shaun Assael, author of "The Murder of Sonny Liston: Las Vegas, Heroin and Heavyweights" and a former police reporter and sports writer for ESPN Magazine, talks about the suspects and possible scenarios surrounding Lison's demise, and the very strong possibility of his murder. The author's website: https://shaunassael.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.pat

Dec 3, 2016 • 53:10

Mini-Episode - The Hex of Jake Bird w/ Steve Dunkelberger & The Schuch Family Murders - A True Crime History Podcast

Mini-Episode - The Hex of Jake Bird w/ Steve Dunkelberger & The Schuch Family Murders - A True Crime History Podcast

This is a mini-episode of Most Notorious, with a couple of short stories of historical true crime. First, Jake Bird, a serial killer who places a hex on his Tacoma prosecutors and jailers in 1947, told by Tacoma newspaper reporter Steve Dunkelberger. The second story is one that has haunted the citizens of Waseca, Minnesota for decades. Farmer Julius Schuch and two of his children were murdered on their family farm in 1929. This one researched and told by me. Go to www.mostnotorious.com and clic

Nov 29, 2016 • 21:44

46: The 1945 Sodder Family Tragedy w/ Jennie Henthorn - A True Crime History Podcast

46: The 1945 Sodder Family Tragedy w/ Jennie Henthorn - A True Crime History Podcast

One of the most enduring historical mysteries of the 20th century is of the missing Sodder children. After a fire in the family home on Christmas Eve of 1945, George and Jennie escaped with four of their children, however five more never made it out of the house. At first, it was assumed that they died in an accidental fire, but a series of strange clues aroused their suspicions that something more sinister happened to them and their home instead. I'm joined by Jennie Henthorn, granddaughter of

Nov 18, 2016 • 45:21

45: Arnold Rothstein: 1910s & 20s New York Gambler & Fixer w/ David Pietrusza - A True Crime History Podcast

45: Arnold Rothstein: 1910s & 20s New York Gambler & Fixer w/ David Pietrusza - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, David Pietrusza, is the author of "Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius who Fixed the 1919 World Series". He talks about this extraordinary, eccentric man who managed to expertly balance between high society, highbrow intellectual circles, Tammany Hall and the underworld, and had his fingers in just about every racket in Jazz-Age New York City. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.most

Nov 4, 2016 • 1:11:57

44: The Kinck Family Murders in 1869 France w/ G.S. Johnston - A True Crime History Podcast

44: The Kinck Family Murders in 1869 France w/ G.S. Johnston - A True Crime History Podcast

In the outskirts of France in 1869, an entire family is found dead after being stabbed and then buried alive. G.S. Johnston, author of "The Cast of a Hand", talks about France in the 1860s under Napoleon III, and the events that led up to the terrible, tragic murders of Jean and Hortense Kinck and their six children by Jean-Baptiste Troppmann and possible accomplices. The author's website: http://gsjohnston.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most

Oct 28, 2016 • 48:54

43: Top 10 Most Notorious Historical Ghosts w/ Diane Student - A True Crime History Podcast

43: Top 10 Most Notorious Historical Ghosts w/ Diane Student - A True Crime History Podcast

Just in time for some Halloween, Diane Student, co-producer and host of the "History Goes Bump" podcast, joins me to share her list of the top ten most notorious ghosts in American history. We deviate a bit from our regular author /interview format this week to delve into some of the sightings of ghostly activity attributed to many of the subjects we've covered in past episodes, including The Black Dahlia and Jesse James, and some we haven't, like the infamous H.H. Holmes. Become a Most Notori

Oct 21, 2016 • 1:26:33

42: The Murder of Nelson Rehymeyer w/ Shane Free - A True Crime History Podcast

42: The Murder of Nelson Rehymeyer w/ Shane Free - A True Crime History Podcast

In Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, on a November evening in 1928, Nelson Rehymeyer, a local "powwow" practitioner of Christian folk magic, is murdered in his home. John Blymire soon confesses, telling police that he was trying to lift a hex. Shane Free, the producer and director of the documentary "Hex Hollow" is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious, where he explains the details of this strange and terrible crime. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorio

Oct 14, 2016 • 41:02

41: The Murder of Johnny Gill w/ Kathryn McMaster  - A True Crime History Podcast

41: The Murder of Johnny Gill w/ Kathryn McMaster - A True Crime History Podcast

In December 1888, in Bradford, England, a little boy named Johnny Gill disappears and is eventually found murdered, his body mutilated almost beyond recognition. Kathryn McMaster, author of "Who Killed Little Johnny Gill?" tells the tragic story of this most horrific of crimes, and the man who she thinks did the evil deed. The author's website: https://kathrynmcmaster.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotori

Oct 7, 2016 • 1:04:58

40: The Murder of Jane Clouson w/ Paul Thomas Murphy - A True Crime History Podcast

40: The Murder of Jane Clouson w/ Paul Thomas Murphy - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1871, on the outskirts of London, a police constable discovers a young woman, bloodied and battered beyond recognition. She dies, and the police officially have a murder on their hands. They eventually set their sights on Edmund Pook, the son of a wealthy printer, who had employed the woman, named Jane Clauson, as a family servant. Paul Thomas Murphy, author of "Pretty Jane and the Viper of Kidbrooke Lane: A True Story of Victorian Law and Disorder: The Unsolved Murder that Shocked Victorian

Aug 25, 2016 • 48:11

39: Matricide in 1895 London w/ Kate Summerscale - A True Crime History Podcast

39: Matricide in 1895 London w/ Kate Summerscale - A True Crime History Podcast

Bestselling UK author Kate Summerscale joins me to talk about her book, "The Wicked Boy". Two young boys, Robert and Nattie Coombs, conspire to murder their mother in Victorian-era London. While the murder is gruesome and sensational, an uplifting event years later gives hope that rehabilitation can have a positive effect on a young criminal's life. The author's website: https://www.katesummerscale.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious webs

Aug 18, 2016 • 51:13

38: The 1876 Northfield Bank Raid by the James-Younger Gang Part 2 w/ Mark Lee Gardner - A True Crime History Podcast

38: The 1876 Northfield Bank Raid by the James-Younger Gang Part 2 w/ Mark Lee Gardner - A True Crime History Podcast

My conversation with author Mark Lee Gardner continues, about his book "Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape". In the second part of the story, we talk about the James-Younger Gang's flight into the Big Woods of southern Minnesota, and the difficulties that they faced navigating through unknown territory, and also the troubles the local posses had finding them. The author's website: https://songofthewest.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: h

Aug 10, 2016 • 1:13:39

37: The 1876 Northfield Bank Raid by the James-Younger Gang Part 1 w/ Mark Lee Gardner

37: The 1876 Northfield Bank Raid by the James-Younger Gang Part 1 w/ Mark Lee Gardner

Much has been written about Jesse James, including his gang's ill-fated trip to Northfield, Minnesota, a botched bank raid met with death and tragedy, but never told like this. Mark Lee Gardner, author of "Shot All to Hell: Jesse James, the Northfield Raid and the Wild West's Greatest Escape", joins me to tell the story of the James-Younger gang's foray north from Missouri and the chaos that followed. The author's website: https://songofthewest.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://ww

Aug 3, 2016 • 1:10:35

36: The Wolf Family Massacre w/ Vernon Keel - A True Crime History Podcast

36: The Wolf Family Massacre w/ Vernon Keel - A True Crime History Podcast

In April of 1920, neighbors discover the bodies of most of the Wolf Family, killed by shotgun and hatchet, on their North Dakota farm, just outside Turtle Lake. Only the Wolfs' eight month old daughter survived. Vernon Keel, journalist and author, grew up in Turtle Lake, and joins me to talk about the book he's written about the sensational and tragic crime, called "The Murdered Family". The author's website: https://www.themurderedfamily.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.pa

Jul 27, 2016 • 1:18:15

35: New York City's Chinatown Tong Wars w/ Scott D. Seligman - A True Crime History Podcast

35: New York City's Chinatown Tong Wars w/ Scott D. Seligman - A True Crime History Podcast

From the 1870s to the 1930s, New York City's fabled Chinatown was the site of a series of vicious wars between two rival tongs, the On Leongs and the Hip Sings. Scott D. Seligman, author of "Tong Wars: The Untold Story of Vice, Money and Murder in New York's Chinatown" joins me to chat about the origins of the animosity, and how their rivalry escalated into incredible brutality for both sides. The author's website: https://www.seligmanonline.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://ww

Jul 21, 2016 • 47:41

34: Ohio's Celebrity Serial Killer Alfred Knapp w/ Richard O Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

34: Ohio's Celebrity Serial Killer Alfred Knapp w/ Richard O Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

Alfred Knapp, known as the "Hamilton Strangler", left a trail of dead young women through Southern Ohio in the 1890s and early 1900s. My guest, Richard O Jones, the host of the "True Crime Historian" podcast, and author of "The First Celebrity Serial Killer in Southwest Ohio: The Confessions of the Strangler Alfred Knapp", tells the story of the life and death of this notorious killer. The True Crime Historian website: https://www.truecrimehistorian.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https

Jul 15, 2016 • 51:08

33: The 1920s PR Team That Reinvented & Swindled the Ku Klux Klan w/ Dale W. Laackman

33: The 1920s PR Team That Reinvented & Swindled the Ku Klux Klan w/ Dale W. Laackman

Dale W. Laackman, author of "For the Kingdom and the Power: The Big Money Swindle That Spread Hate Across America", tells the story of con artists Edward Young Clarke and Bessie Tyler, who through a brilliant public relations campaign turned the Ku Klux Klan from shadowed obscurity to a structured and powerful organization of millions in late 1910s and early 1920s America, and made a fortune in the process.Author's publisher page: https://ugapress.org/author/dale-w-laackman/Become a Mos

Jul 9, 2016 • 53:19

32: The Murder of Sister Janina w/ Mardi Link - A True Crime History Podcast

32: The Murder of Sister Janina w/ Mardi Link - A True Crime History Podcast

In the small town of Isadore Michigan in 1907, a young nun named Janina disappeared. Ten years later, her body is discovered by a priest intent on building a new church on the foundation of the old one. Mardi Link, author of "Isadore's Secret", chats with me about the terrible circumstances surrounding the death of Sister Janina. The author's website: https://www.mardilink.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious on Facebook: https://www.facebo

Jun 29, 2016 • 54:49

31:  Cannibal and Murderer Alfred Packer w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

31: Cannibal and Murderer Alfred Packer w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

In February of 1874, a group of six men set off through the high mountains of Colorado. Weeks later, only a man named Alfred Packer came out. Packer would later be tried and convicted of robbing, murdering and eating his traveling companions. Prolific true crime writer Harold Schechter returns again to Most Notorious to talk about his bestselling book, "Man-Eater: The Life and Legend of an American Cannibal". The author's website: https://haroldschechter.com/ Become a Most Notorious patro

Jun 22, 2016 • 55:55

30: The Bloody Benders w/ Phyllis de la Garza - A True Crime History Podcast

30: The Bloody Benders w/ Phyllis de la Garza - A True Crime History Podcast

In early 1870s Kansas, a German family named the Benders built a small shack, opened it as an inn, and robbed and butchered travelers who stopped there for a bed or a meal. I'm joined by Phyllis de la Garza, author of "Death for Dinner: The Benders of (Old) Kansas", who tells the story of the murderous family known in history and American lore as the "Bloody Benders". Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Le

Jun 11, 2016 • 55:09

29: The 1947 Black Dahlia Murder (Part Two) w/ Steve Hodel -A True Crime History Podcast

29: The 1947 Black Dahlia Murder (Part Two) w/ Steve Hodel -A True Crime History Podcast

My guest, Steve Hodel, author of "Black Dahlia Avenger" and "Most Evil", and I continue our discussion about the Black Dahlia case. We discuss the evidence he's collected implicating his father George Hodel, including a set of police transcripts that links his father to other unsolved Los Angeles murders from the late 1940s. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotoriousMost Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Jun 5, 2016 • 59:27

28: The 1947 Black Dahlia Murder (Part One) w/ Steve Hodel - A True Crime History Podcast

28: The 1947 Black Dahlia Murder (Part One) w/ Steve Hodel - A True Crime History Podcast

No case in Los Angeles crime history has been more discussed and speculated about than the January 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dahlia. My guest, Steve Hodel, is a private investigator, former LAPD homicide detective, and author of Black Dahlia Avenger. In his book he documents his investigation into the murder, implicating his own father, George Hodel, in the process. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotoriousMost Notorious website: https://w

Jun 1, 2016 • 1:02:07

27:  Con Man "Count" Victor Lustig  w/ Jeff Maysh - A True Crime History Podcast

27: Con Man "Count" Victor Lustig w/ Jeff Maysh - A True Crime History Podcast

My guest on this episode is Jeff Maysh, author of the Kindle single "Handsome Devil", a book that documents the life and death of one of the most talented and charming con artists of the 20th century, Victor Lustig. He was a master of disguise, an escape artist, and the creator of epic swindles in the 1920s and 30s, including "selling" the Eiffel Tower and managing one of the most prolific counterfeiting operations in American history. The author's website: https://jeffmaysh.com/ Become a

May 25, 2016 • 39:01

26: The Bath School Massacre w/ Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

26: The Bath School Massacre w/ Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

May 18th, 2016, marks the 89th commemoration of the Bath, Michigan School Massacre. In 1927 Andrew Kehoe rigged the school with over 600 pounds of dynamite. The explosion killed 38 school children, 6 teachers, and injured dozens more. Arnie Bernstein, author of "Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing", talks with me about the devastating tragedy. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious/ Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more abo

May 18, 2016 • 52:32

25: 1870s Deadwood w/ Barbara Fifer - A True Crime History Podcast

25: 1870s Deadwood w/ Barbara Fifer - A True Crime History Podcast

For those of us who've watched and enjoyed HBO's Deadwood, the town and its characters are absolutely larger than life. But was the show historically accurate? What is fact and what is fiction? My guest, Barbara Fifer, author of "Deadwood Saints and Sinners", helps set the record straight. Her writing partner and co-author, the late Jerry Bryant, was a consultant on the Deadwood TV show, and has passed to her a treasure trove of historical research on both the town, and its biggest vill

May 12, 2016 • 1:00:15

24: Uncle Al Capone w/ Deirdre Marie Capone  -A True Crime History Podcast

24: Uncle Al Capone w/ Deirdre Marie Capone -A True Crime History Podcast

Al Capone is the most infamous gangster in American history, forever associated with Chicago, and known around the world for his connection to the bloody St. Valentine's Day Massacre. But did he really order those murders? A few don't think so. My guest, Deirdre Marie Capone is the granddaughter to Al's brother Ralph, and author of Uncle Al Capone. She offers an inside view into the Capone family, and helps dispel some of the long held beliefs about Al Capone, his actions, and his later life.

May 4, 2016 • 1:00:31

23: Serial Killer Dr. Thomas Neill Cream  w/ A.J. Griffiths-Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

23: Serial Killer Dr. Thomas Neill Cream w/ A.J. Griffiths-Jones - A True Crime History Podcast

Dr. Thomas Neill Cream was a 19th century contemporary of Jack the Ripper, and many claim that they were one and the same. The UK's A.J. Griffiths-Jones, author of "Prisoner 4374", discusses the life of this serial killer, better known as the "Lambeth Poisoner", and the bloody trail he left through Canada, the United States and England. The author on FB: https://www.facebook.com/authoraj66/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https:/

Apr 27, 2016 • 57:00

22: Arthur Koehler & the 1932 Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping-Murder w/ Adam Schrager

22: Arthur Koehler & the 1932 Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping-Murder w/ Adam Schrager

When authorities have difficulties linking physical evidence to Bruno Hauptmann in the Charles Lindbergh Jr. abduction and murder, Arthur Koehler, an expert on wood, helps them connect Hauptmann to the ladder left outside the Lindbergh family estate on March 1st, 1932. My guest is Adam Schrager, author of "The Sixteenth Rail: The Evidence, the Scientist, and the Lindbergh Kidnapping". The author on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aschrager Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.co

Apr 5, 2016 • 53:17

21: The Chicago Haymarket Riot  w/ James Green - A True Crime History Podcast

21: The Chicago Haymarket Riot w/ James Green - A True Crime History Podcast

On May 4th, 1886 in Chicago's Haymarket, a labor rally is interrupted first by a column of police officers, and then by a bomb from the crowd thrown into their ranks. This has major implications for the labor and social reform movement in the US. James Green, author of "Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America", talks about the events leading up to the bombing and the aftermath. Note: James Green died a few months after

Mar 29, 2016 • 47:37

20: The Murder of John Hossack w/ Patricia Bryan - A True Crime History Podcast

20: The Murder of John Hossack w/ Patricia Bryan - A True Crime History Podcast

In the winter of 1900, John Hossack is brutally attacked and mortally wounded with an axe while in bed next to his wife. Patricia Bryan, co-author (along with Thomas Wolf) of "Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland", talks about the murder and the number one suspect, John Hossack's wife Margaret, and the shock of the crime to rural turn-of-the-century Iowa. The author's publisher page: https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/midnight-assassin Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.

Mar 23, 2016 • 1:06:22

19: The Duluth Lynchings w/ Michael Fedo -  A True Crime History Podcast

19: The Duluth Lynchings w/ Michael Fedo - A True Crime History Podcast

in 1920 three African-American men were lynched in Duluth, Minnesota, accused of raping a white woman. Over 10,000 people gathered in the street to watch them hang. Michael Fedo, author of "The Lynchings In Duluth", discusses this horrific moment in Minnesota history, and the questionable accusations that led to it. The author's website: https://www.michaelfedo.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/

Mar 14, 2016 • 46:58

18: The Wineville Chicken Ranch Murders w/ Anthony Flacco - A True Crime History Podcast

18: The Wineville Chicken Ranch Murders w/ Anthony Flacco - A True Crime History Podcast

In the late 1920s, an estimated 20 boys or more are abducted, tortured and murdered at a chicken ranch in Wineville, California. My guest is Anthony Flacco, author of "The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders". He tells the both tragic and inspiring story of Sanford Clark, the nephew of sadistic serial killer Gordon Stewart Northcott. The author's website: https://anthonyflacco.com/Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotori

Mar 7, 2016 • 49:11

17: The Peck Family Poisonings w/ Tobin Buhk  - A True Crime History Podcast

17: The Peck Family Poisonings w/ Tobin Buhk - A True Crime History Podcast

I'm joined by Tobin T. Buhk, the author of "Poisoning The Pecks of Grand Rapids: The Scandalous 1916 Murder Plot". We talk about the charming, devious killer Arthur Warren Waite, who ingratiated himself into the wealthy Peck family through marriage, and then put a plot in motion to kill every member of the family so he could inherit a fortune. The author's website: https://tobinbuhk.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://w

Feb 29, 2016 • 58:44

16: Female Spies in the Civil War w/ Karen Abbott - A True Crime History Podcast

16: Female Spies in the Civil War w/ Karen Abbott - A True Crime History Podcast

Karen Abbott, author of "Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War", joins me to talk about a group of extraordinary women in 1860s America, both Union and Confederate, who become spies to help advance their sides in the Civil War. The author's website: https://karenabbott.net/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice

Feb 22, 2016 • 51:33

15: The 1629 Batavia Mutiny & Massacre w/ Mike Dash - A True Crime History Podcast

15: The 1629 Batavia Mutiny & Massacre w/ Mike Dash - A True Crime History Podcast

Off of the coast of western Australia, the Dutch East India Company's state-of-the-art ship, the Batavia, wrecks on a reef in June of 1629. One of the officers on board, a failed apothecary named Jeronimus Corenlisz, is left in charge of the survivors and begins to slaughter them with terrible brutality. I'm joined by the author of "Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny", Mike Dash, who tells this story in gruesome detail. Become a Most Noto

Feb 15, 2016 • 1:06:16

14: Murder in 1937 Peking w/ Paul French - A True Crime History Podcast

14: Murder in 1937 Peking w/ Paul French - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1937, on the eve of the Japanese occupation of Peking (Beijing), China, a young English woman is found brutally murdered at the base of Fox Tower, and an investigation launches that churns up some disturbing details. Paul French, the author of "Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China", is my guest on this week's episode of Most Notorious. The author's publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/242223/paul-french/ Beco

Feb 8, 2016 • 47:06

13: Texas Gangster & Poker King Benny Binion w/ Doug Swanson -  A True Crime History Podcast

13: Texas Gangster & Poker King Benny Binion w/ Doug Swanson - A True Crime History Podcast

Benny Binion was a larger-than-life character, a gangster who grew up in Texas and built a criminal empire. Eventually he moved to Las Vegas, started the Horseshoe Casino, and began the World Series of Poker. I chat with Doug Swanson, author of "Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker" about the crazy life of this Lone Star legend. The author's publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2212223/doug-j-swanson/ Become a Most Notori

Jan 31, 2016 • 45:47

12: The Wounded Knee Massacre w/ Jerome A. Greene - A True Crime History Podcast

12: The Wounded Knee Massacre w/ Jerome A. Greene - A True Crime History Podcast

December 29th, 2015, marked the 125th Anniversary of one of the most tragic events in American history. My guest Jerome A. Greene, author of "American Carnage: Wounded Knee 1890", talks about the massacre of Lakota Indians by the United States 7th Cavalry. Author's publisher page: https://www.oupress.com/9780806144481/american-carnage/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choice

Jan 25, 2016 • 43:15

11:  Billy the Kid & Pat Garrett w/ Mark Lee Gardner  - A True Crime History Podcast

11: Billy the Kid & Pat Garrett w/ Mark Lee Gardner - A True Crime History Podcast

We're back to Old New Mexico on this episode of Most Notorious. I talk to Mark Lee Gardner, author of "To Hell on a Fast Horse: The Untold Story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett" about this famous outlaw and lawman, forever linked together in history in the early 1880s. The author's website: https://songofthewest.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m

Jan 19, 2016 • 54:23

10: The Portland Torso Murder w/ J.D. Chandler  -  A True Crime History Podcast

10: The Portland Torso Murder w/ J.D. Chandler - A True Crime History Podcast

J.D. Chandler, author of "Murder and Scandal in Prohibition Portland", tells the tale of the Torso Murder in 1946 Portland, Oregon, including his decade long investigation of this very cold case. Note: Note: J.D. Chandler, Portland Oregon's most well-known true crime historian, passed away on May 30th, 2021. I'm so lucky to have had him as a guest. Here is a story on his fascinating life: https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2021/05/jd-chandler-prolific-chronicler-of-portland-murder-and-corrupt

Jan 11, 2016 • 45:53

9: Nazis in 1930s America w/  Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

9: Nazis in 1930s America w/ Arnie Bernstein - A True Crime History Podcast

In this episode, host Erik Rivenes talks with Arnie Bernstein, author of "Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund", about the rise Nazism in the United States in the 1930s under Fritz Kuhn. Famed columnist Walter Winchell, Jewish gangsters like Mickey Cohen and Meyer Lanksy, and even a former Miss America play a part in Kuhn's eventual fall from power. The author's website: https://www.arniebernstein.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://ww

Jan 4, 2016 • 47:04

8: Machine Gun Kelly w/ Joe Urschel - A True Crime History Podcast

8: Machine Gun Kelly w/ Joe Urschel - A True Crime History Podcast

Author Joe Urschel is the Executive Director of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington D.C. He's also the author of "The Year of Fear: Machine Gun Kelly and the Manhunt That Changed the Nation." Joe and Erik discuss the life and times of George Kelly and his adversarial relationship with F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover in the early 1930s. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.mostnotorious.com/ Learn more about you

Dec 28, 2015 • 42:01

7: The Lawson Family Christmas Murders w/ Trudy J . Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

7: The Lawson Family Christmas Murders w/ Trudy J . Smith - A True Crime History Podcast

On Christmas Day, 1929, in Germanton, North Carolina, Charlie Lawson murdered his wife and six children on their rural farm. This horrific crime is part of local lore, and Trudy J. Smith and her father, M. Bruce Jones researched the massacre 25 years ago, conducting interviews with Lawson family members and witnesses. Their original book, "White Christmas, Bloody Christmas" has been revised and expanded in the last ten years, and is now called "The Meaning of Our Tears". The author's website: h

Dec 21, 2015 • 40:41

Harry Hayward: Murder in 1890s Minneapolis  w/  Jack El-Hai - A True Crime History Podcast

Harry Hayward: Murder in 1890s Minneapolis w/ Jack El-Hai - A True Crime History Podcast

Jack El-Hai is a Minnesota author who has written many books, including The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Goring, Dr. Douglas M Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of World War 2.  However, our subject in this episode of Most Notorious is the scoundrel Harry Hayward, famous in Minnesota for murdering Kitty Ging in 1894. Jack El-Hai and I delve into the egotistical mind of Hayward, and discuss the possibility that he was an early American serial killer, preceding H.H. Holmes by f

Dec 14, 2015 • 47:42

6:  Child Serial Killer Jesse Pomeroy w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

6: Child Serial Killer Jesse Pomeroy w/ Harold Schechter - A True Crime History Podcast

Harold Schecter is one of America's most prolific true crime writers. Back in 2001, he wrote about one of the most chilling serial killing sprees in history, a true life account of the notorious "boy-fiend" Jesse Harding Pomeroy in 1870s Boston. Erik Rivenes chats with the author about his fascinating book, "Fiend: The Shocking Story of America's Youngest Serial Killer". Visit the author's website here: https://haroldschechter.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mos

Dec 7, 2015 • 35:58

5: The Notorious Harpe Brothers w/  E. Don Harp - A True Crime History Podcast

5: The Notorious Harpe Brothers w/ E. Don Harp - A True Crime History Podcast

In 1799 Micajah “Big” Harpe and Wiley “Little” Harpe cut a bloody path down the Wilderness Trail in Kentucky and Tennessee, murdering everyone in their path. My guest, E. Don Harp, a descendant of the infamous brothers, argues in "The Last Rampage of the Terrible Harpes" that they were the first serial killers in American history. In our conversation we get the lowdown on these lowdown murderers. Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: http

Dec 1, 2015 • 41:09

4: Los Angeles Gangster Mickey Cohen w/ Tere Tereba - A True Crime History Podcast

4: Los Angeles Gangster Mickey Cohen w/ Tere Tereba - A True Crime History Podcast

Mickey Cohen went from selling newspapers on the streets of L.A. to heading one of the largest crime rackets in the United States. He worked under Bugsy Siegel, rubbed shoulders with Frank Sinatra, Lana Turner and Billy Graham, and cut down enemies with a ruthless passion. Joining host Erik Rivenes is Tere Tereba. A former fashion designer, friend of Jim Morrison and Andy Warhol, she wrote the definitive book of the Los Angeles underworld, called "Mickey Cohen: The Life and Crimes of L.A.'s Most

Nov 23, 2015 • 50:16

3: Lizzie Borden w/ Joe Conforti - A True Crime History Podcast

3: Lizzie Borden w/ Joe Conforti - A True Crime History Podcast

The murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in 1892, and the accusation that sent daughter Lizzie Borden to trial, is one of the most infamous in American history. But did Lizzie Borden really give her mother forty whacks? What is myth and what is fact in this notorious murder case? Erik speaks with Joseph Conforti, author of "Lizzie Borden on Trial: Murder, Ethnicity and Gender" about the woman behind the crime. The author's publisher page: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700620722/ Note: If you're

Nov 17, 2015 • 49:52

2: Leopold & Loeb w/ Simon Baatz - A True Crime History Podcast

2: Leopold & Loeb w/ Simon Baatz - A True Crime History Podcast

Guest Simon Baatz, author of “For the Thrill of It: Leopold and Loeb and the Murder That Shocked Chicago” talks about the infamous and horrific Bobby Franks murder, and the trial of Leopold and Loeb, with famed criminal attorney Clarence Darrow at the defense. Also, Irish mobster Dean O'Banion runs into trouble on Chicago's north side. The author's website: http://www.simonbaatz.com/ Become a Most Notorious patron: https://www.patreon.com/mostnotorious Most Notorious website: https://www.most

Nov 10, 2015 • 53:28

1: Gangsters in 1930s Minnesota w/ Paul Maccabee - A True Crime History Podcast

1: Gangsters in 1930s Minnesota w/ Paul Maccabee - A True Crime History Podcast

In the 1930s, Saint Paul Minnesota was considered a vacation home for some of the most notorious bank-robbing gangsters of the Depression-era, including John Dillinger and the Barker-Karpis Gang. Host Erik Rivenes' guest, Paul Maccabee, wrote the definitive book on the subject, entitled "Dillinger Slept Here: A Crook's Tour of Crime and Corruption In St. Paul", and he shares some of those titillating stories here, on this first ever episode of Most Notorious: A True Crime History Podcast. This i

Nov 2, 2015 • 38:21

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