Murderous Roots is not just another true crime podcast. While Denise and Zelda do go through the crimes committed, they explore family history of the criminals, and sometimes the victims, too. What made these men and women commit horrendous crimes? Was it how they were raised or were they born this way? We get to the heart of their murderous pasts and roots.
In the early evening hours of November 13, 1974, a young bearded man burst into a local bar in Amityville, New York in a panic. He believed his parents might have been shot, and he didn’t know what to do. Several patrons at the bar followed him home in order to help. What they found would horrify the community. In the home on 112 Ocean Avenue, six bodies lay dead, all shot to death. The police were called and the investigation began. It didn’t take long for detectives to come to the conclusion t...
Listen to our latest episode as we discuss the murder Harry T. Hayward arranged, his later confession to his cousin, and what happened to his family after his death. Then continue listening as we explore a tree that goes back to the Mayflower, New Netherland, a murdered family member, and how a member of his family was tied to the Springfield Race Riot of 1908.
Between 1982 and 1984, over 20 bodies of young men were found in fields, often near near interstates, murdered. All of the victims had stab wounds at the chest and abdomen; several victims disemboweled after death. Who was the monster killing these men?Well-known in the gay community of Indianapolis, Larry Eyler was considered a good guy, but he had a dark, sadistic streak in his sexual relations. It would be a past lover’s suspicions that would help lead to his arrest.In this episode, we discus...
In 1872, young boys were lured away and attacked. The perpetrator sent to a reform school for boys. Soon after he was released, in 1874, it happened again. First a young girl went missing then a young boy was found murdered. Who would do these crimes? 14-year-old Jesse Harding Pomeroy. In this minisode, we discuss his crimes and his ultimate punishment. Then we find out what happened to his family and go back into his deep Massachusetts roots.
The List family seemed perfect from the outside: three active children in the community, a mother who stayed at home, a doting, involved professional father, and a grandmother living with the family. But all was not as it seemed, something that became readily apparent in December 1971 when friends realized they had not seen or heard from the family for nearly a month. When the police arrived, they were horrified to discover the bodies of the entire family, save one, the father, John List. Listen...
TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode we discuss issues that may serve as a trigger for those suffering from eating disorders. If you want to avoid this content, skip ahead to the 30 minute mark. Linda Burfield Hazzard did not go to medical school, but she called herself a doctor. Despite her lack of degree, Linda, along with her husband Samuel Hazzard, opened a sanitarium offering simple cure for all those who were ill, fasting. Her "cure" led to death as she enriched herself....
Accused of murdering Belle Starr, Edgar Artemus Watson went before a judge to face the charges. Ultimately, though, the charges were dismissed and the murder never solved. Little did the judge know, Edgar had murdered before and would murder again. Growing up in South Carolina to an abusive father likely shaped Edgar into the man he became. Despite the efforts of his mother to take him and his sister away from that violence, Edgar would become even more violent than his father. In this episode, ...
In April 1908, authorities responded to a fire in LaPorte, Indiana, and what they found in the ashes horrified them. Three children dead, and 11 more bodies buried around the property, a pig farm. In this minisode, we discuss the crimes of Belle Gunness and learn more about her family as well as the shocking discovery involving a family member and another serial killer. XwtqxddAB7xJLHsXjpSy
It was called the Crime of the Century in San Francisco, California. Everyone was shocked. The papers couldn’t get enough. How could a nice Sunday school teacher, a man attending medical school, kill two women in the church? Listen as we discuss The Demon in the Belfry, William Henry Theodore Durrant. We discuss his life before the crimes, the crimes themselves, then talk about his family, particularly his sister, Maud Allan, who found fame and controversy years later.
Clyde grew up poor, the very definition of dirt poor. Perhaps that’s why he followed his older brothers into a life of crime. Then one day, he met and fell in love with Bonnie, right before being sent to prison. Prison would change him. When he got out, Bonnie and Clyde would hold the attention of the country. Listen to this episode to learn more about Clyde and his family as well as where they came from and what happened to his relatives after his death....
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was a young married woman from Texas when she met outlaw Clyde Barrow. When the two got together, the combination ignited into robberies, murder, and more until they were ambushed in 1934. In Part I of Bonnie & Clyde, Denise and Zelda discuss Bonnie Parker from her birth to her death. Then, they go back further into her family tree and to find out what happened to her family after the ambush.
Summer 2004. A serial killer is on the loose in Kansas City. The police are hunting the killer with the cameras of The First 48 following them. By September, they have the killer in custody, Terry Anthony Blair, a man on parole for the murder of his wife. What drove him to kill? Was it genetic given that he came from a family of killers? Or is it something more?
Wherever Terry Peder Rasmussen went, death followed in his wake. Yet, no one knew he was a serial killer. Using multiple aliases, Terry was able to evade capture until his dead wife was found buried in cat litter. And, even then, the police didn't discover the depth of his depravity until after he died. Listen as we discuss his crimes and dig deep into his murderous roots.
One of the most famous legends to come out of the Wild West was Belle Starr! She rode side saddle and always carried a six-shooter. Though she never killed anyone, the mystique around her grew as she became known as an outlaw. And, like most outlaws, Belle died young, on her horse, after being shot by an unknown assailant. So, who was Belle? What parts of the legend are true and what is false? Listen as we search for answers and learn about the origins of her family and what happened to her chil...
Five children dead by their mother’s hands. But no one suspected a thing. Two husbands dead. No one flinched. Then, when her fifth husband, Ronald Martin, ended up in the hospital, the authorities finally took notice. It wasn’t bad luck. It was poison. Listen to this latest episode as we dive into her family tree to find some answers to why Rhonda Belle Martin would do such heinous acts.
In this episode, we finish exploring the family tree of The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. We discuss his father’s side of the family which was filled with drama and even more murder.
Gary Ridgway had everyone fooled from his brothers to his wife to his son. They saw him as a good man. Little did they know about his secret life picking up sex workers, sometimes murdering them. He was the man the Green River Killer Task Force had been hunting for nearly 20 years. In Part I of The Green River Killer, listen as we discuss Ridgway’s crimes then learn about his immediate family and his mother’s family line.
On this historic day, Zelda and Denise are sharing their special election episode about President Joseph R. Biden again. It didn’t feel right to share anything else on Inauguration Day.
In part two of The Clutter Family murders, they discuss what led Perry Edward Smith to join Richard "Dick" Hickock in the robbery, and later murder, of Herbert Clutter and his family. Then, we discuss his family as well as his ancestors. This may be one of the most interesting trees yet!
In our latest podcast episode, we discuss the Clutter family murders, the murders made famous by Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood . This first of two parts covers the background of Richard Eugene Hickock and his family tree.
This week, we decided to take a break from death and mayhem, and instead put our focus on our new president-elect, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. We wanted to know, how did he get that name? (Besides the obvious) And who were his ancestors? Listen as we go deep and find the stories of his ancestors.
In this special Halloween episode, Zelda and Denise discuss Charles Manson, the cult he led, then Manson’s biological family. Manson’s family had deep Kentucky roots, large families, young brides, and relatives who not only overlap with Jim Jones and Dorothea Puente, but were involved in historically significant events.
In this episode, we finish our discussion of Jim Jones’s family tree. When we left off last week, we talked about his uncle, Lester Clyde Jones. Now we start with another uncle, Ernest H. Jones. Then discover how deep his roots go as well as a few surprises.
The world was shocked when it was learned of the mass suicide of over 900 people in Jonestown, Guyana. How could this happen? At the center of it all was Jim Jones, the charismatic leader, who convinced most everyone to drink the Kool-Aid. But who was he? Where did he come from? Listen as we explore the events leading to Jonestown and begin our exploration of his family tree.
Elderly and disabled people found a home with Dorothea Puente, but once they moved in they never moved out. Listen as we explore the murders committed by Dorothea then move on to the discoveries we made in her family tree.
Over 30 women and girls dead or missing. Who was this man in a Volkswagen last seen with them? The world would come to know him as Ted Bundy, but he started out life as Theodore Robert Cowell. Listen as we explore his crimes and family history.
In the Fall of 1995, a man joined the FBI's Most Wanted List after his crime spree began on September 28 of that year. While he was convicted for killing two women, he likely killed many more. Listen as we delve into his murders as well as a family history filled with violence and murder.
Denise and Zelda delve into the tragic story of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, exploring her family history, the sensationalized media coverage of her murder, and the key suspects in the unsolved case. The hosts discuss Elizabeth's life, the backgrounds of suspects Dr. George Hodel and Dr. Patrick O'Reilly, and reveal Elizabeth's surprising Mayflower ancestry. This episode sheds light on Elizabeth's life and the lasting impact of her unsolved murder.
