Authors: Gabriella Smallwood and Amorae Lyles In 1828, two men named William Burke and William Hare drunkenly murdered 17 people and donated their bodies to The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This episode will explore the details of this case and the importance of asking questions when things seem off. Were they truly evil, or were they just in desperate need of money? Thank you so much for listening, we hope you enjoy! Sources: Episode 152: Live at the O2 Academy in Glasgow presented b...
Feb 22, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Authors: Adrian Ihle and Ella Kalinowski On February 24th, 1978, five young adult men would go on a road trip to a California State University basketball game, only to disappear 70 miles off course into the Plumas National Forest, never to be seen alive again. Theories rise as the case still remains unsolved and unclosed, bringing wild accounts to the table. Join us as we retell and theorize the mysterious case of The Yuba County Five. Sources (TW: some sources do include slurs due to the time p...
Feb 22, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Authors: Kelsey Hamm and Lindsay Nagy In this episode, we will be discussing the tragic life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard that ultimately led to the murder of her mother, Clauddine Blanchard, and the subsequent conviction of both Nicholas Godejohn and Gypsy herself. We'll also focus on her recent release from prison and how the media reacted to her release. Sources- https://people.com/gypsy-rose-blanchard-people-cover-story-exclusive-interview-8423037 https://www.biography.com/crime/gypsy-rose-blanch...
Feb 22, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Authors: Lauren Dusek, Katelin Leibin, and Jennifer Sycz In this episode, we explore two similar killers taking advantage of their status and occupation to commit medical malpractice. The first is that of Dr. Harold Shipman and the second is Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Dr. Harold Shipman took advantage of over 200 patients and led them to their death unknowingly. To Shipman, he believed he was saving these patients from suffering, but to the horror of the patients’ families, he was a murderer. On the ot...
Feb 22, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Authors: Mia DiPerna and Grace Meuleman In this episode of Madness and Murder podcast, we dig deep into the case of Mary Bell, an 11-year-old who murdered two young boys. We look at her life, the murders, and the trial, and then discuss how her accomplice, Norma Bell, was treated in comparison. Was Norma Bell innocent? We consider this and more in this episode. Sources: https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/bell-mary-flora.htmLinks to an external site. https://allthatsinteresting.com/mary-bellLinks...
Feb 22, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome back! I'm Danielle French, and this podcast is a class project for my sections of Freshman Honors Colloquium at Kent State University. Once again, we're analyzing true crime media this semester, and these brilliant students have an incredible season of new episodes for you. This season, students use this podcast as a space to create the media they think should be generated about a true crime case of their choosing. Students chose their partners for this assignment and have worked togethe...
Feb 22, 2024•2 min
Authors: Lily Stenroos and Gavin Douglas In this episode we explore the kidnapping of Elizabeth Fritzl by her own father and compare the harsh realities of her case vs what media, specifically the lifetime movie “girl in the basement” portrays her story as. Sources: Lifetime movie: “Girls in the basement” Director: Elisabeth Röhm: Big Dreams Entertainment https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisabeth-fritzl#:~:text=Elisabeth%20 Fritzl%20 spent%2024%20 years,the%20 whereabouts%20of%20her%20daughter h...
Feb 23, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Authors: Addie Hopkins and Gabby Kennedy Thanksgiving Eve of 1971, 37 unsuspecting passengers boarded flight 305 to Seattle that would soon be taken over by a hijacker. Hijacker Dan Cooper or incorrectly named D.B. Cooper by sloppy reporters was the first man to ever hijack a U.S. plane for ransom that didn’t result in any casualties. Today we will dive into the specifics of the case as well as why this case still remains unsolved decades later in addition to what effects this case had that can ...
Feb 23, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Authors: Sydney Roche and Rebecca LaGuardia In this episode, we discuss the mystery of Philadelphia's unsolved Boy in the Box murder. We discuss some of the holes in the case, the details that do not add up, and the information that is still missing. We also discuss some of the advancements of forensic genealogy and how these advancements impacted this case, and will continue to impact many criminal cases in the future. This case continues to remain unsolved but authorities are hoping for advanc...
Feb 23, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Authors: Faith Angiocchi and Moira George Sphere of Influence: Charles Manson’s Familial Commune In this episode, we will be discussing the famous Manson Family cult, focusing on how cults are formed and manipulate their prospective members rather than the wrongdoings of Charles Manson. We explore his ideology, motivation, and ability to influence young people with the intent of expanding his supremacy. Articles Referenced: Manson Family: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manson_Family Cult Backgrou...
Feb 23, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Authors: Hannah Rieger and Virginia Doherty In mid-19th century Scotland, the trial of Madeleine Smith shocked and scandalized the upper echelons of society. Smith, coming from affluence, got involved in a secret affair with a poor warehouse clerk. This led to his untimely death when Smith allegedly poisoned his hot chocolate with arsenic. What led Smith to kill? How was it covered in the media? How did Victorian culture at the time influence the trial? We hope you enjoy listening! Sources: Indi...
Feb 23, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Authors: Ella Katona and Meghan Haddow Elizabeth Short was a 22 year old woman who came to Hollywood to become an actress in 1947. In her time there, she was kidnapped and murdered. The murder has yet to been caught. During that time, the case attracted the public and media attention's significantly. With her popularity, she was dubbed the nickname of the Black Dahlia due to the 1946 film called the Blue Dahlia. In this podcast, we discuss the events leading up to her murder, what happened after...
Feb 23, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Authors: Alayna Reynolds and Tyla Chatman In this episode of our HONR: Madness and Murder podcast, we will divulge into the case that stopped the Dating Game Killer once and for all. This is the story of Robin Samsoe, 12-year-old victim of Rodney Alcala, and how she is overlooked, exploited, and remembered by the world. We will be discussing how the media tends to cover only what they deem important and the idolization of the killer. Articles references: A Close Call: How Serial Killer Rodney Al...
Feb 23, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Authors: Elle Airhart and Morgan DeBoo A 2 year-old boy seemingly vanishes from his home in Leesburg, Florida. With many suspects to scope out and many possible theories, this case with throw you in for a wild ride. Along with media involvement that makes the death of a suspect, turn this case cold. If you have any information about the case please call 1-800-THE-LOST. Or If you want to help other missing and exploited children click the link below. Donate: https://www.missingkids.org/HOME Sourc...
Feb 23, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Authors: Abby Prusha and Zach Graves August 8th, 1969–10050 Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills, California–midnight, friends Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski, and Jay Sebring were planning on having a restful evening at their picturesque rental property. Tate was pregnant, and she had her friends over to stay with her while her husband, Roman Polanski, was away on business in Europe. At about midnight on August 9th, those individuals were gruesomely murdered inside the home by the Manson Fa...
Feb 23, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Authors: Ambar Wallace and Maeve Ross Description: On July 24, 1984 Allen Lafferty walked into his Utah home to find his wife, Brenda Wright Lafferty, and his 15 month old daughter, Erica, brutally murdered. Time would determine that the men responsible for the murder were Allen Lafferty's brothers. Although this case has been solved, the question remains whether or not the Lafferty brothers were truly evil or if they were motivated by their faith. Sources: Brenda Lafferty's story — Her brillian...
Feb 23, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Authors: Ray Brennan and Hannah Ferguson In this episode, we will discuss the disappearances of three young women: Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus. Each one went missing about a year apart from each other, with no connections between any of them. This episode will explain how these three girls went missing, who was responsible for kidnapping and holding them captive for a decade, and how they found their way back to their families. References: https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-li...
Feb 23, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Authors: Jack Drinan and EmilyJo Jaeger This podcast covers the unsolved disappearance of Brian Shaffer and the timeline of most information currently available. Timeline provided by Uncovered.
Feb 23, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Authors: Mel Hackney and Isabella Rosette In this episode of madness and murder, we looked into the LaBianca murders. Gave information about why the Manson Family Cult was doing these horrible things, what was going through Rosemary’s head that day, what makes this murder different, and how the crime was acted out. Instead of doing simple storytelling, while we give the facts of what truly happened we also take some time to reflect and give our own personal thoughts and opinions to prompted ques...
Feb 23, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Authors: Mira Momayez and Betty Sterling In this episode of our class podcast we will be discussing the Cleveland Torso Murders that occurred from 1934 to 1938 in Kingsbury Run and Cleveland’s East side. During this time, the still unidentified Torso Killer murdered and dismembered three identified victims and ten other victims that remain unidentified to this day. This is a story of a dark time in Cleveland’s history during the Great Depression. The thirteen victims that were terrorized by the ...
Feb 23, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Authors: Clara Butcher and Mackenzie Eversole On June 16, 1959, the Man of Steel was found naked in his bed with a bullet wound on the right side of his skull. Unfortunately for actor George Reeves, he was not as invincible as his leading role Superman. Was his death suicide, as it was officially ruled, or did something more sinister befall the beloved actor? Articles Referenced: George Reeves: The Death of Superman from The Unredacted ( https://theunredacted.com/george-reeves-murder-the-death-o...
Feb 23, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In the first episode, I cover the alleged and confirmed victims and survivors of serial rapist and murderer, Ted Bundy. Instead of detailing his entire life, I focus on the innocent people, children and adults, he attacked without any provocation across seven states. I rely heavily on my sources, which include 2019 Heavy article by Jessica McBride, titled “Ted Bundy Victims List & Photos: How Many Women Did He Kill?,” Ann Rule’s tome, The Stranger Beside Me , originally published in 1980 but...
Jan 26, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Here's a quick intro into what's to come from this podcast for the first season of Madness and Murder by my sections of Freshman Honors Colloquium at Kent State University. I hope you'll come back to hear all the incredible work students share this spring!
Jan 23, 2023•4 min
