Part 3: We see Connie Quedens ensnaring Fred Wilderson in her web, entangling finances, escalating demands, culminating with Fred abruptly vanished, leaving his beloved daughter and son behind. Who had a life insurance policy on Fred? Connie. But nothing tied her to his disappearance. 17 yrs later, Clay Bryant begins to investigate this cold case, and he finds a witness that sets the case on fire! Hear justice arrive in all it’s glory, and the truth of who Connie Quedens is comes out, with many ...
Aug 03, 2023•59 min•Ep. 79
A horrendously abused wife, Gwendolyn Moore, is found at the bottom of an old well in 1970. The investigation deliberately went nowhere, for 32 years. Pt 2 tells the story, begun in 2003, with a chance phone call that brought the case to the attention of Investigator Clay Bryant, who not only recalled the case; he watched her body being recovered that terrible day, as a teenager!! Delving in, Clay would go to extremes to get the evidence to charge her killer, a chance to set the record right. Ju...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 78
Part 1: Back in 1970, the beaten body of a young wife and mother was lifted from an old well just outside Hogansville, Georgia. The victim, Gwendolyn Moore, had long been married to her violent and abusive husband, Marshall Moore. Yet, mysteriously, this homicide investigation went cold the day Gwendolyn died, with Hogansville Chief of Police, Buddy Bryant, haunted by the case for decades. 32 years later, Buddy Bryant’s son, Clay Bryant, following in his father’s steps, would delve into a new in...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 77
Pt 3: What happens when you are on Death Row? How does the appeal process work? What is the human toll? Is it justice? We will follow Velma’s loved ones as they struggle with new revelations and hear from the families of the victims as human endurance is tested. Jill walks you through Velma Barfield’s maze of appeals, arguments for a new trial, and the final emotional outcome. And Jill tells you what she thinks of Velma Barfield, the Death Row Granny (of course she does!) Sources, show notes, ph...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 76
In Part 2, on trial for premeditated murder, Velma Barfield’s attorney, Bob Jacobson has an uphill battle—she confessed to poisoning Stuart Taylor- and 3 other people. With the defense team facing the “World’s most deadly prosecutor” Joe Freeman Britt, only Velma could explain herself. Was she too impaired from her drug abuse to understand what she was doing? Would she sway the jurors? Could this risky decision save her life? Or was she a cold-calculating serial killer as the Prosecution present...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 75
Part 1: After a childhood of poverty and abuse, 17-year-old Margie Velma Bullard eloped with Senior Thomas Burke while they were both in high school. Building a happy life, they welcomed a son and daughter, becoming a normal American family. That is, until addiction reared its ugliness, triggering a cascade of painful, inexplicable deaths. Why did so many people around Velma die? Then, the world imploded with devastating shock—Velma was arrested for murder, and the investigation would reveal- it...
May 25, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 74
Part 4: Jill chats with the author of She Married the Green River Killer, Pennie Wood. The women speak of serendipity in forging friendships and healing, while uncovering lost memories from Judith Ridgway’s life that enabling the construct the book. Truth revealed, they delve into the normality of Gary Ridgway’s dual life, the roots of his murderous deviance, and a marriage made in deception. Do not miss the insights, peeling back layers to expose truths, and how one woman survived catastrophic ...
May 10, 2023•52 min•Ep. 73
Part 3: Denial shattered forever, Gary Ridgway confesses and is sentenced, enveloping wife Judith with the incomprehensible reality- Her Prince Gary did it. Ridgway best friends, Jim and Linda Bailey share their remembrances; then Gary Ridgway shares, providing disturbing insights. What did he tell Judith, who emerges from the Dark Ages, reborn as she builds a new life, her personal Renaissance. AND: Who were the young women strangled by the Green River Killer? All 49 are remembered in this tril...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 72
Part 2: Happily married, Judith Ridgway settles into being the wife of her Prince, Gary Ridgway, nurturing their dogs and cats, her daughters, grandchildren, and Gary’s son. Living the American dream, Judith gardens and Gary works hard and attends union meetings, life is good—until it all abruptly ends: Gary is arrested for killing 48 women. World imploding, with him denying he is the killer, Judith is thrown into years of heartbreak, fear, and dismay. Where there signs she missed? Red Flags? Wh...
Apr 12, 2023•54 min•Ep. 71
Part 1: This story begins on the worst day of Judith Ridgway’s life, when detectives came to her home after her husband of 14 year, Gary Leon Ridgway, was arrested. DNA evidence would tie him to victims of the notorious Green River Killer, murdering for over 20 years. Completely shell shocked, Judith goes is in denial. How had she gotten here? Jill examines Judith’s life, difficult childhood, marriage and children while in the Sea-Tac area of Washington, bodies of strangled women are being disco...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 70
Part 3: Convicted in the Natalie Kirov case, Joel Courtney is finally extradited to Oregon to stand trial for the murder of Brooke Wilberger. With no body, Prosecutors knew this was not the easiest case to win. What shenanigans will Courtney pull? Police and the media begin examining other cases that could possibly be linked to Courtney- Katie Eggleston, Stephanie Condon, Leah Freeman, and Kristin Smart. Was Courtney a serial killer? New, updates on these cases are presented. Check out Jill's bl...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 69
Part 2: Brooke Wilberger is missing. The eager public cooperates fully, sending in over 4500 tips that need investigating, with critical evidence buried in the pile. Of the number of suspects, the most viable is Sung Koo Kim, a man with an underwear fetish, and a trove of evidence on his computer. But then, a phone call from New Mexico changes everything! There was a similar case in Albuquerque, and a man, Joel Patrick Courtney, had been arrested. He’d recently lived in Beaverton, Oregon, which ...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 68
Part 1: 19-year-old Brooke Wilberger lit up the room when she walked in. She’d just completed her 1st year at Brigham Young University and coming home to her big LDS family in Veneta, Oregon. May 24, 2004, while cleaning lampposts at the apartment complex her sister managed, Brooke vanished. The resulting investigation would unify the town of Corvallis, Oregon in their determination to find Brooke. The police investigation unfolds as persons of interest are investigated for similar crimes, the v...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 67
Part 3: The murder count continues to rise, as killing spreads to San Antonio, Gainesville, and all the way to London, England, where 5 women are slaughtered. With fallout impacting every aspect of society, devastating secrets are revealed, leading to shocking trials, which have electrifying legal and political consequences for the people of Austin and their leaders that last through the next two centuries. Who is the Midnight Assassin? Jill has a theory- you know she does! Note: This story is s...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 66
Part 2: Like phantoms, a killer or killers walks among the people of Austin, Tx. Desperately seeking solutions, blood hounds, private detectives, and the famous Chicago Pinkerton Detective Agency are employed to catch the ‘remarkable ghoul’, who slaughters women, vanishing in the inky darkness. Fear continues to rise as the victims shift from black servant women to white society wives, death the great equalizer. Who is the Midnight Assassin? Can he be stopped? Note: This story is set in the late...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 65
Part 1: It is 1884 and Austin, Tx is poised at the precipice of a new Golden Age, shifting from a frontier town to a cosmopolitan city of culture and prosperity. Until a shadow grows, threatening everything as the slaughter of black servant women begins. Terrified, the community demands the murderous gang be caught, but with multiple arrests of suspects, the jail remains empty. Who is the servant woman annihilator? When will the carnage end? Note: This story is set in the late 19th century and r...
Jan 05, 2023•59 min•Ep. 64
Merry Christmas, Murder Bookies! UPDATE on Ep 40-44! This is a very special Christmas mini-cast! We met Russ Faria, convicted of murdering his wife, Betsy Faria in 2011 when we covered the book, Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth and Joel Schwartz, Epi 40-44. Eventually, Russ was exonerated, as the case took a major twist! Now, the case continues to turn once again, with a new announcement by Lincoln County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney, Mike Wood! Source material is found on Jill's blog at www.murd...
Dec 23, 2022•8 min•Ep. 63
Part 3: The fate of the five Jurgens kids falls to the court to determine, as another trial that creates the legal foundation of battered child syndrome takes place. This eases the way for murder charges against Lois Jurgens, as family ties and memories are tested. Does justice for Dennis Jurgens happen after 22 years? How has society changed after all this? Has it? Sources, notes, photographs, links, recipe and drink info are found on Jill’s blog- www.murdershelfbookclub.com, Nov 2022. ANNOUNCE...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 62
Part 2: With Lois's mental health deteriorating, a hearing explores the question, should Lois and Harold Jurgens keep custody of their 5-year-old adopted son, Robert after the death of this brother, Dennis. Meanwhile, as more children die, three medical professionals' team up to try to understand why children were being killed by their seemingly loving parents, founding the medical concept of “battered child syndrome” as Lois and Harold adopt again. What could possibly go wrong? Sources, photogr...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 61
Part 1: White Bear Lake, a picturesque American town where kids freely ride bikes, play two-square and parents throw neighborhood BBQs—and where 3 ½ year old Dennis Jurgens died on Palm Sunday 1965. WHAT happened? Family members immediately begin whispering “she killed him”, referring to his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens. Others ask how Lois and Harold Jurgens were ever allowed to adopt a child, let along two! The silence is profound, until as Dennis’ birth mother, Jerry Sherwood, presses police...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 60
Part 4: In 2012, serial killer Israel Keyes confessed to investigators he’d disposed of a body in a frozen Lake in Alaska, a dangerous recovery. FBI Agent Bobby Chacon and the underwater forensics team he founded were notified. On the case, Bobby now shares the behind-the-scenes story with Jill of how this occurred, plus insight into the investigation, and much more. Listen in to get the details that left Jill speechless in admiration and appreciation. Source material for the American Predator s...
Nov 03, 2022•43 min•Ep. 59
Part 3: 1996, Colville, Washington, 12 yrs. old Julie Harris went missing, and then, the following year, 12 yrs. old Cassie Emerson--with 18 yrs. old Israel Keyes living nearby. The investigation expands overseas as the police and FBI interview those who knew Keyes. But did anyone know Keyes, who was determined to maintain control over these proceeding, using any and all methods, no matter what the cost was. Sources, notes, photographs, links are found on Jill’s blog- www.murdershelfbookclub.com...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 58
A killer in custody toys with law enforcement, who are desperate to locate missing Samantha Koenig, taking them into unchartered waters. As they begin to unravel the ‘who is’ Israel Keyes, his childhood rearing takes center stage, as the teenage Izy begins to understand, he isn’t like everyone else. Keeping Keyes’s transitory cooperation in finding other victims, scattered across the United States, is a battle, as horror after horror is revealed and victims are identified. Be warned, this is a -...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 57
Part I: February 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska, a mystery unfolds as a young barista goes missing. Where was Samantha Koenig? The search for the truth takes us to Lufkin, Texas, where an enigmatic suspect, Israel Keyes, begins telling a horrendous tale of violence, rape, and murder at a level never seen before by the FBI profilers. Sources, notes, photographs, links are found on Jill’s blog- www.murdershelfbookclub.com, Sept 2022 . VERY GLAD to be back, Murder Bookies! ANNOUNCEMENT- JAN 2025: My new...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 56
UPDATE #2- Ep 21-23- A Wilderness of Errors: On New Years Day 2008, Amina and Sarah Said were gunned down in the their father's taxi, Sarah calling 911 and saying "My father shot me!". Twelve years later, we have a verdict in his trial. Don't miss the update on this tragic example of a family annihilator, and the fight for justice. From The Wilderness of Error by Errol Morris trilogy, episodes 21, 22 & 23, plus the May 14, 2012 mini-cast update #1. Sources, photographs, charts, diagrams, foo...
Aug 12, 2022•8 min•Ep. 55
Ep 45: Jill and special guest, one of our own Murder Bookies, Rebecca Rae Catalfu, reflect on Bone Deep and our favorite true crime podcast- the Murder Shelf Book Club! Articulate, insightful, Rebecca and Jill do not hold back as they discuss the case, delve into past book episodes, and what the future holds for Jill's podcast! Fun, pithy, and something not to be missed! ENJOY! All sources, photographs, links, and show notes are posted on Jill's blog- www.murdershelfbookclub.com ANNOUNCEMENT- JA...
Jul 28, 2022•35 min•Ep. 54
Part 5: Recorded at CrimeCon 2022, Jill chats with Russ Faria, fiancée Carol McAfee, and cousin, Mary Anderson, who detail what went on in the background after Betsy Faria’s murder, and how wrongful arrest and conviction impacts a family. Open, honest, passionate, holding nothing back, the conversation just ROLLS! WHAT can you do to help? Russ, Carol and Mary make some excellent suggestions! Source material, photographs, show notes, and snack and wine recommendations are on Jill's blog- www.murd...
Jul 14, 2022•56 min•Ep. 53
Part 4: A free man, Russ Faria moves on with his life, as suspicion is thrown in Pam Hupp’s direction. A twisted plan is unleashed, attempting to prove Russ Faria is a danger to society and certainly to Pam Hupp. Deadly consequences follow, as Louis Gumperberger is killed. Who is Louis and how did he get thrust into Pam Hupp’s orbit? What consequences follow? Will a new Prosecutor see the evidence differently? Where is everyone today? And Jill’s profile of Pam Hupp! Pam Hupp case updates are inc...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 52
In Part 3- The Defense presents its case on why it was impossible for Russ to have murdered Betsy, as the Prosecution presents more and more outrageous theories. A painful, wrongful conviction would trigger appeals, with Russ granted a new trial. Defense attorneys, Joel Schwartz and Nate Swanson remain optimistic that without the evidence prohibitions of the first trial, they would prove Russ did not murder Betsy, AND that there was another viable suspect, with motive and opportunity- Pam Hupp. ...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 51
Part 2: With all the details you never knew…The State presents its case against Russell Faria, for the murder of his wife, Betsy. As tension mounts, an inexperienced Judge prohibits the Defense from presenting alternative theories on the killer. Would the airtight alibi hold up? Leading to more questions than answers; what would the Prosecution’s star witness, Pam Hupp say next? Source material, photographs, show notes, and snack and wine recommendations are on Jill's blog- www.murdershelfbookcl...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 50
