On February 18th, 1992, the decomposed body of a man was discovered in the waters near the Black River parkway in Cape Town, South Africa. As the area is rife with gang activity it was initially theorized that the man was yet another victim of gang gun violence, but they soon discovered he had a very unique wound; a crossbow through his head. Using a new technique to help identify the body, they were able to identify him as Victor Graham Chatburn from Kraaifontein, a northern suburb of Western C...
Jan 31, 2023•39 min•Ep. 125
Today’s case was one that was requested. Unlike most that are sent to us, we received many requests for it to be covered, and for good reason. When Aron left his camping party to go on a solo hike, it was nothing out of the ordinary. His friends started to worry when he wasn’t back in time for dinner, something very out of the ordinary. Things only got worse from there when he and his puppy were found dead on a trail. Confessions have been made and stories told, yet no one has been arrested and ...
Jan 24, 2023•52 min•Ep. 124
There were so many active serial murderers in the Pacific Northwest and their often cross-jurisdictional crimes demanded the development of a system called HITS, designed to make connections between reported crimes, in order to better pinpoint suspects and make arrests. In 1991, this system made a match in Seattle, where HITS was based, to a murder in Portland, Oregon. This link would lead them to a man, who for years had worked the highways of the American West as a trucker, and possibly a seri...
Jan 17, 2023•47 min•Ep. 123
Part 2: “Screwdriver” In last week’s episode, I introduced you to a man named Dayton Leroy Rogers, who was known by local sex workers as a creepy character they called “Steve the Gambler”; a man who enjoyed bondage had a foot fetish and enjoyed inflicting pain on women. Rogers was arrested for the murder of Jennifer Lisa Smith in the summer of 1987. Shortly after his arrest, while they prepared for his upcoming murder trial, authorities made the gruesome discovery of several bodies hidden in the...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 122
Part 1: "Steve the Gambler" Oregon has seen its fair share of serial rapists and killers, but few have gained the term prolific. One, in particular, earned that title in the late 1980s. In today’s case, we discuss the origin story of a man who was known on the streets as “Steve the Gambler”, a man who had a wife and child at home, who owned a successful business, and who cruised the streets at night looking for a vulnerable female to be his victim. This is the story of the Molalla Forest Killer ...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 121
Part 3: “Multnomah County Manson” For the past two weeks, I’ve told you the stories of the Street Kids of Portland that fell prey to the power of The Family- Led by Grant Charboneau and Greg Wilson. They had a hand in the killings of Hal Charbanou, Misty Largo, and Leon Stanton. One of their murderous helpers was James Nelson. While Grant and Greg spent their time behind bars, James finished his, was released, and soon found himself on the streets yet again. Finally, he could fulfill his desire ...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 120
Part 2: “Fantastic Army of the Night” Last week I introduced you to Grant Charboneau, Greg Wilson and the Family of street kids they ruled over. They had their own rules and if they were broken, there would be ramifications. Which was what happened to Misty Largo; a teenage girl who was murdered after a brutal 36 hours of torture, brought on after the family decided she was not abiding. Grant, as XO or the leader of the family, was starting to feel paranoid that his henchman, or hench-boy, 15-ye...
Dec 20, 2022•50 min•Ep. 119
Part 1: "Rambo Games" Homeless rates have skyrocketed across the country over the last few years. But it isn’t anything new. But back in the 1980s there was a new scene brewing in the houseless community- street kids. While many of the street kids of Portland were simply looking for a new home, a new sense of community where they could feel safe away from abusive homes, others were finding opportunities to take leadership positions that would allow them to take control over the kids. Creating “F...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 118
Part 2: Red Circles Last week I told you the story of Harvey Carignan- a man who took to using a want ad to lure young women into his grasp. Today, I'll be telling you about his continued violence after a move to Minnesota, a series of unsolved murders he was suspected of committing in California, his many trials for his endless crimes and how Harvey, responsible for attacking, raping and killing as many 180 girls and women, was brought down by a traffic stop. For photos and sources for today’s ...
Dec 06, 2022•49 min•Ep. 117
Part 1: Nickel-Sized Holes In 1972, Laura Brock, a college student in Washington, went missing while hitchhiking; her body was found hours later. She had been beaten, raped, and murdered. Eight months later, 15-year-old Kathy Miller got into a stranger's car and vanished. When her plastic-wrapped body was discovered, the beating death she suffered and the circumstances surrounding the murders pointed to a man with the strength of ten and a chilling criminal record. A man named Harvey Carignan. F...
Nov 29, 2022•49 min•Ep. 116
In the 1970 and 80s, a serial rapist plagued Portland, OR and surrounding areas. His modus operandi was that he would jog through neighborhoods in east Portland scouting for potential victims. When he found a young girl or woman that captured his attention, he would watch them, sometimes for days, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When she was alone, he would break in, attack her, hide his face, and rape her before slipping back out into the night. It would take nearly a decade for polic...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 115
Last week we told the story of Mandy Stavik who was kidnapped and murdered while on a jog in her hometown. Years went on and her case went cold. Then detectives, inspired by a case in England, decided they would do a DNA sweep of the area. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about the lengths detectives and even a good samaritan went to in an effort to put a killer behind bars. Armed with a DNA match, the prosecution seemed poised for an open and shut case, but when the defense went after Mandy, her ...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 114
When Mandy Stavik went missing while jogging during the Thanksgiving holiday, her family was terrified they were going to live through the loss of yet another child, after her brother Brent had been tragically murdered years prior. Soon, those fears were realized when Mandy’s body was discovered in a river. Desperate to solve her case, detectives followed the trailblazing steps of British detectives who used a “DNA sweep” to catch a killer of their own. But even if a DNA match was found, would M...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 113
In this week’s episode, we get to hear two Murder in the Rain Patreon exclusives. First up, “Monster Under the Bed”, the frightening case of Zacharias Adrian Cavasos who repeatedly exploited a child. Next, First up, “H.O.M.I.C.I.D.E”, the tragic story of Mouseketeer Dennis Day. For images and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain episode blog . Episode Host “Monster Under the Bed”: Emily Rowney Episode Host “H.O.M.I.C.I.D.E”: Alisha Holland If you’d like more episodes of ...
Nov 01, 2022•55 min•Ep. 112
This is the case of Corinna Mullen, a 20-year-old woman who was violently murdered in her small town of Central City, Kentucky. Her case went unsolved for nearly two decades, but was who killed her really a secret all those years? Today’s case is from the “Welcome to” series where we feature cases from the cities our Patreon listeners live in. If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the rain, Patreon members of at least $5/mo, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, ...
Oct 25, 2022•44 min•Ep. 111
In today’s episode, Alisha shares two of her favorite Patreon episodes. First up is “Fear”. Can everyone feel fear? What scientifically happens when you feel fear? Can you be scared to death? This is the case of Mary Parnell whose life was cut short by a random turn of events that would quite literally leave her scared to death. Next up, “Section 490”, the story of Manbir Kajila, Samandeep Gill and the importance of following protocol. When a newlywed couple is involved in a fender bender, the t...
Oct 18, 2022•43 min•Ep. 110
Many neighbors reflected that the Bever family kept to themselves and never really mingled with any of the people in the neighborhood. The family was such a mystery that the neighbors didn’t know their first names until news of a horrific tragedy of what happened to them would be plastered all over the media. If you are interested in listening/watching to Michael Bever's interrogation with detectives you can watch it on YouTube: YouTube - Michael Bever Interrogation For photos and sources from t...
Oct 11, 2022•27 min•Ep. 109
In this week’s episode, Josh shares the story of Mabel Monohan. When 64-year-old Mabel answered the rapid knock on her front door from a woman calling for help, she had no idea the nefarious plan the strangers on the other side of the door had planned. Two days later, on March 11th, 1953, Mabel’s gardener would find her dead in her ransacked Burbank, California house. For photos and sources for this week’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain episode blog . Come see us at PNW True Crime Fes...
Oct 04, 2022•34 min•Ep. 108
In the days before April 27th, our instagram, along with others, were posting phone numbers and information about how to contact Texas’ Gov. Abbot, requesting he grant clemency to Melissa Lucio- a woman who was set to be put to death. The outcry and calls worked and her life has, thus far, been spared. There’s additional good news- not only will she not be murdered by the state, but her appeals are being reviewed which could lead to a new trial and possible release! So, before her next hearing, ...
Sep 27, 2022•54 min•Ep. 107
In the early 1980’s medical personnel at Bexar County Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, noticed that patients in the pediatric intensive care unit were dying at an accelerated rate. They suffered seizures, ceased breathing, some had their hearts completely shut down, and others would bleed uncontrollably after being given a shot or IV. After one nurse looked into the issue, she found that most of these deaths occurred during a single shift, the night shift, when one particular nurse was work...
Sep 20, 2022•28 min•Ep. 106
In this week’s episode, we explore a real case that was inspired by the cult classic movie Scream. This is the story of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart who was brutally murdered by two classmates; Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik. For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain episode blog . Episode Host: Josh McCullough Come see us at PNW True Crime Fest October 8th & 9th! Murder in the Rain listeners can use promo code MURDERINTHERAIN15 for 15% off tickets This e...
Sep 13, 2022•38 min•Ep. 105
In the episode “Nowhere to be Found” we told the stories of Wallace Guidroz and Lenoria Jones, two toddlers who disappeared while in the care of and possibly at the hands of their guardians. Today, We have two more stories regarding missing children whose cases have never been solved. First, Teekah Lewis, a two-year-old who was abducted during a family night out over 20 years ago. Next, Shausha Henson and Shaina Kirkpatrick, two babies who left home with their mother on a road trip and haven’t b...
Sep 06, 2022•57 min•Ep. 104
Part 2: "The Hatchet Man" In last week’s episode “Leave Us Alone” we discussed the Cline Falls Axe Attack from 1977. College students Terri Jentz and Avra Goldman were in Oregon starting their summer cycling trip across the TransAmerica trail. A few days into their trip they were attacked while camping in Cline Falls State Park. The attacker drove his vehicle to the women’s tent, got out, and hacked at the girls with a hatchet. Miraculously, both women survived. After three years, the case was e...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 103
Part 1: "Leave Us Alone" The 1970s was a decade where women lobbied and protested and people enjoyed the fashion and musical freedom the decade could offer. More than ever, women were going to college and breaking into careers that used to be solely for men, trying new things, and even going on new adventures. In 1977 two Yale University coeds embarked on the adventure of a lifetime when they decided to dedicate their summer to cycling the TransAmerica Trail. Terri Jentz and Avra Goldman had no ...
Aug 23, 2022•54 min•Ep. 102
There are at least 63 available billboards along the 84. As cars travel along, and drivers and passengers' eyes wander across those billboards, that equates to 1.5 million impressions per week, and over 6 million impressions per month per billboard. After you hear today’s episode I hope we’ll be much closer to filling one of those billboards with the face of a beloved father who has been missing since November 2021; Charles Keller. For photos and sources for today’s episode, please visit the Mur...
Aug 18, 2022•38 min
There seems to be no heavier pain to carry than the loss of a child. It’s hard enough to lose a child to a health issue or accident, but when a stranger and violence are involved, it seems unimaginable how a parent or any family member could get through the day when their heart has been shattered by the loss or worse when they don’t know where or what happened to their child. Today, I’ll be telling two stories of young children who went missing under bizarre circumstances. These cases are consid...
Aug 16, 2022•49 min•Ep. 101
"By nightfall, the buildings were burning; the commissary had been looted, blankets and bedding were brought to the yard by the inmates. Small make-shift tents sprang up. Convicts were seen eating fresh bread by the loaf, and sheet cakes by the dozen. They drank milk by the gallon and cooked meat and steaks over large bonfires built from the wreckage of the prison. The loud strains of steel guitars played in the background as a night of destruction…occurred. There were many assaults, several kni...
Aug 09, 2022•51 min•Ep. 100
Last week, I told you about Bruce Nickell, a man who mysteriously collapsed and died. Then, just a few days later, also in Auburn, Washington, 40-year-old mother and banker Sue Snow also collapsed and died. When her death was ruled a homicide via cyanide poisoning, her husband Paul was looked at as a suspect and the country was terrified to hear there might be another murderer tampering with capsules. With a nationwide recall, those who had bottles of Excedrin at home were checking the bottles s...
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 99
The Tylenol murders of Chicago in 1981 brought a flurry of change. They inspired a total redesign of medical packaging, to hinder tampering and it spawned the creation of a new anti-tampering federal law. The ripple effect of change went as deep as homes and individuals. Some were so fearful there would be another attack by the uncaptured perpetrator, or perhaps a copycat, they wouldn’t even buy medication in capsule form. Which was why it was so shocking to find Sue Snow, someone who was worrie...
Jul 26, 2022•45 min•Ep. 99
In December of 2011, the tiny city of Deer Park, Washington, was shaken by the horrific news that a local mother of five was found murdered in her own bed. Over the course of the investigation, police pieced together a grim scene. A man broke into her home and laid in wait for his opportunity to strike. He then violently murdered her and left her body in a state to humiliate and degrade her. To this day, there is a line drawn in the sand, and a family is divided on who that man was. Was it a str...
Jul 19, 2022•57 min•Ep. 97
