This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). During Thanksgiving break in the fall of 1969, 22-year-old Betsy Aardsma returned early to the campus of Penn State University to finish an important English project. Shortly after Betsy and her roommate walked to the library on campus, the sound of falling books and bookshelves startled those in the building. As people rushed to the middle of the library to see what had happened, Betsy was found lying under the pile of books that had crashe...
May 15, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 49
I'm a taking a break this week to spend time with my family and loved ones... But I do have a BIG announcement! Actually, a couple of announcements. Check out this week's update for more details. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/campus-crime-chronicles/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy...
May 08, 2023•5 min
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale ). On a freezing cold winter day in December of 1996, the body of a 21-year-old University of Oklahoma dance student was found at a nearby lake in the Oklahoma City metro. The student, Juli Busken, had been kidnapped and bound before she was raped and then ultimately shot in the head execution style. For nearly 8 years, her killer remained at large, but in 2004, law enforcement said DNA positively identified the killer as Anthony Sanchez. Now,...
Apr 24, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 48
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). In March of 2003, 20-year-old community college student Megan McDonald was severely beaten and murdered, and then her lifeless body was dumped in a remote area. Like a real-life “Criminal Minds” story, the Behavioral Analysis Unit, or the BAU (a branch of the FBI), put together a profile of her killer, whom police have never publicly identified. But they do know who he is, and exactly what he’s capable of. The BAU determined that Megan’s mur...
Apr 10, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 47
I'm taking a break this week, but I want to introduce my listeners to a podcast that I personally listen to on a weekly basis! It's one of my all-time favorite podcasts, Military Murder, hosted by Mama Margot. This particular episode covers the murder of a nursing student at Minot State University, Angila Wilder, who was discovered dead in her Minot, North Dakota, home while her son was sleeping in the next room. Listen to Part 1 of Angila Wilder's story here and check out Military Murder for Pa...
Mar 27, 2023•54 min
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). In 2016, a man by the name of Charles Dean Bryant stalked and harassed one college student, before his actions escalated and he ended up taking the life of a different student. This is the story of how Bryant’s infatuation with his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin Mathis, turned into the brutal attack and murder of an innocent stranger, Jackie Vandagriff. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/campus-crime-chronicles/exclusive-content Adverti...
Mar 13, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 46
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). In September of 2015, UCLA senior Andrea DelVesco lay in her bed, peacefully sleeping, when an unexpected visitor broke into her off-campus apartment in the wee hours of the morning, for no apparent reason or motive other than to assault and murder her. Even though an upstairs neighbor heard the commotion, saw a suspicious man near the apartment, AND called 9-1-1 twice to report what she heard and saw, police initially arrived to the scene, ...
Feb 27, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 45
This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale). On Oct. 22, 2017, Darian failed to show up for her shift as a server at Chili’s restaurant, and her friends could not get in touch with her. For several days, her friends tried contacting Darian, but to no avail. So, they called Darian’s mom on Oct. 25 to fill her in. The next day, Darian’s parents immediately jumped in the car and drove from their home in Kansas to Oklahoma to file a missing persons report, but Darian was never found. She w...
Feb 13, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 44
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). On December 4, 1998, 21-year-old Yale student Suzanne Jovin was stabbed 17 times and left for dead in an upscale neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. Police zeroed in on one and only one suspect: Suzanne’s thesis adviser and a lecturer at Yale University, Dr. James Van de Velde. But Dr. Van de Velde was never arrested. At least two prominent and very experienced investigators determined that there was no way he was involved in the murder,...
Jan 30, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 43
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). On December 4, 1998, 21-year-old Yale student Suzanne Jovin was stabbed 17 times and left for dead in an upscale neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. Police zeroed in on one and only one suspect: Suzanne’s thesis adviser and a lecturer at Yale University, Dr. James Van de Velde. But Dr. Van de Velde was never arrested. At least two prominent and very experienced investigators determined that there was no way he was involved in the murder,...
Jan 23, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 43
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). As a disclaimer, I must warn listeners that this is an extremely tough case to hear because it involves the brutal murder of a minor. In April of 1998, the body of a 13-year-old girl, Tiffany Sabourin, was found on the campus of Lindenwood University, a private institution in St. Charles, Missouri. After an extensive search involving bloodhounds, it was ultimately a tip from a fellow Lindenwood student that would help bring her killer to jus...
Jan 09, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 42
On Nov. 13, 2022, four students from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home shared by five female students. The victims were 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. It's been over a month, and police have yet to publicly identify a suspect(s), and they have not located the probable murder weapon, which they describe as a large fixed-blade knife. Press Release (Moscow Police Department): ...
Dec 26, 2022•15 min
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). In 1993, Sophie Sergie, a young woman visiting the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, was found raped and murdered in an on-campus dorm. After 29 years of investigators working the case but never really having any particular suspect to zone in on, justice has ultimately prevailed. This year, in 2022, investigators were finally able to hold Sophie’s killer accountable thanks to advancements in DNA technology, proving once again that you can cert...
Dec 12, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 41
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). I'm dropping into your feed today to give you a special bonus episode of Campus Crime Chronicles. On Nov. 13, four students from the University of Idaho were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence shared by five female students. Police and investigators have yet to identify a suspect(s), and the murder weapon, described as a large fixed-blade knife, has not been located either. In this short, concise episode, I provide you with al...
Dec 05, 2022•17 min•Season 2Ep. 40
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). After years of considering her college roommate as one of her best friends, 21-year-old Alexis Crawford had no idea that, deep down, her so-called friend was not really ever her friend at all, but rather, her ultimate foe. This is the heartbreaking story of Alexis Crawford, a young woman with a promising future attending Clark Atlanta University whose life was tragically taken at the hands of her longtime best friend and roommate Jordyn Jone...
Nov 28, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 40
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). When Ally Kostial, a 21-year-old junior attending Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, texted her on-again-off-again romantic interest Brandon Theesfeld and told him she might be pregnant, he did not take the news well, to say the least. Ultimately, Theesfeld would prove to be the coward that he is and take Ally’s life, but not before months of icing her out and deflecting the situation at hand. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ca...
Nov 14, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 39
This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of Cindy Song, a 21-year-old senior at Pennsylvania State University, more commonly known as simply Penn State. On Oct. 31, 2001, Cindy went out with a couple of girlfriends, dressed in a bunny costume for Halloween. But when her friends dropped her off at her apartment in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2001, it would be the last time anybody saw Cindy… ever. To this day, there is still no trace of Cindy, and her case rema...
Oct 31, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 38
This episode is rated a 3 (on my Serious Crime Scale). Now, I do want to give you a heads up that although this episode has a Serious Crime Scale rating of 3, it still includes some sensitive and controversial content, specifically involving race and racial discrimination. You see, at its surface, this story involved three Black college students, one who was arrested for robbery of a local bakery and two who were arrested for the assault of an employee at that bakery. But at its core, there is m...
Oct 17, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 37
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). When an 18-year-old young woman from Portland, Oregon, went to Austin, Texas, to study her life-long passion of dancing, her education and life were tragically cut short after she was the target of a random attack and murder on campus. This is the story of Haruka Weiser, a dance and theater major at the University of Texas. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/campus-crime-chronicles/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https:...
Oct 03, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Hello, Campus Chronies! I've decided to take a two-month break from recording and producing new episodes of Campus Crime Chronicles. But I WILL be back on Monday, October 3, 2022, with ALL NEW episodes, starting with Chronicle 36. Until then, feel free to go back and listen to your favorite true crime stories I've covered, and you can keep checking out my social media where I'll continue to post and be active. ALSO, please keep sharing it with your friends and family, OR take this time to rate a...
Aug 01, 2022•4 min
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). So, I’m sure you’re familiar with the tragedy associated with one of America’s oldest and most famous road races, the Boston Marathon. On April 15, 2013, two brothers detonated a pair of homemade bombs in the crowd of spectators watching the race, ultimately killing three people and severely injuring at least 260 others. It took law enforcement an impressive 102 hours to identify, pursue, and arrest the suspects, from the moment the bombs we...
Jul 18, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 35
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). On Oct. 7, 1998, a teenager was riding his mountain bike in some fields just outside of Laramie, Wyoming, when he discovered what he thought was a scarecrow that had fallen off its post. Or, perhaps it was some type of Halloween gag, a dummy lying on the ground, maybe? It WAS October, after all. But when the teen got closer, he realized it was a person. The person was still alive, but barely breathing. It was 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, a U...
Jul 04, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 34
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). On Oct. 7, 1998, a teenager was riding his mountain bike in some fields just outside of Laramie, Wyoming, when he discovered what he thought was a scarecrow that had fallen off its post. Or, perhaps it was some type of Halloween gag, a dummy lying on the ground, maybe? It WAS October, after all. But when the teen got closer, he realized it was a person. The person was still alive, but barely breathing. It was 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, a U...
Jun 27, 2022•28 min•Season 2Ep. 34
This episode is rated a 4.5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s another one of those stories that DOES involve homicide, but under what some might call extenuating circumstances… and, honestly, you’re probably going to be left scratching your head or maybe even questioning the justice system at the end of it. In my opinion, there were TWO victims in this case. There were TWO wrongs that clearly DID NOT make a right… and no, I’m not sure justice has been served, even though there was a court trial ...
Jun 13, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 33
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). Eleven days after the shootings at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard, Jackson State College (which is now Jackson State University) in Jackson, Mississippi, faced a similar tragedy, where two young people were killed by Jackson police officers and Mississippi state troopers. The two campus shootings by America’s own were so close together in time, and circumstances appeared so similar (at least in the public eye, that is), tha...
May 30, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 32
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). May the 4th is a significant date for numerous reasons. For some, it’s more of happy date on the calendar that represents a nod to the iconic Star Wars franchise and a play on words for "May the Force Be with You." But for Kent State University in Ohio, May 4th has a much more serious, significant, and somber meaning. On May the 4th of 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired shots into a crowd of students who were protesting the Vietn...
May 16, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 31
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of Humboldt State University student David Josiah Lawson. In 2017, Josiah, who was commonly known by his middle name, was stabbed to death at a house party off campus. Even though there are TONS of witnesses from the scene who can testify about exactly what they saw happen, nobody has been convicted of Josiah’s murder. In fact, the one person police suspected of the crime was arrested and released after only five days of testi...
May 02, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 30
This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of 18-year-old Anita Knutson, a freshman at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota. In June of 2007, Anita was killed in her off-campus apartment. Initially, police had a very large circle of suspects, and none of those suspects were ever officially cleared, which means police could never build what they would consider a provable case against any particular person… that is, until now, nearly 15 years after Anita’s murde...
Apr 18, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 29
This episode is rated a 2 (on my Serious Crime Scale). This story is partially what sparked the conspiracy theories (AKA rumors) that the coronavirus was developed in a lab in China. While the man in this story was found guilty of blatantly lying to the IRS about millions of dollars and his ties to China, he was NOT found guilty in any way of developing the coronavirus or even charged with anything of the sorts. It's the story of 62-year-old Harvard University professor Dr. Charles Lieber, who c...
Apr 04, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 28
This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the story of Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old Indiana University student who seemed to disappear without a trace. But THIS story, this episode, has several possibilities of what might have happened to her. You see, in the summer of 2011, Lauren went out one night with some friends, but the last time she was seen seems to have left more questions than answers, especially among the group of friends she was last seen with. Support this podcas...
Mar 21, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 27
