This week I’ll discuss the Nicole Brown/Ron Goldman murders with my sister, Yolanda. We’ll go over the evidence, timeline, and motivation for the crimes that all point to OJ Simpson as the killer. We’ll also discuss why the jury may have decided to acquit Simpson of the double homicide even in the face of overwhelming evidence of his guilt. Resources: Evidence Dismissed: The Inside Story of the Police Investigation of O.J. Simpson , authors: Tom Lange, Phillip Vanatter, Dan Moldea, ©️1997, 2016....
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 225
In this episode I break down the myths and realities of infamous serial killer, Edmund Emil Kemper, “The Co-Ed Killer”. My special guest is Emerson Murray, author of The Murder Capital of the World. You can find out more about Emerson and purchase the book at www.emersonmurray.com/murder-capital-of-the-world To enter a drawing to receive a copy of Murder Capital of the World sign up for texts from OUAC by texting “OUAC” to 408-676-1770 ( Texting rates may apply. U.S. listeners only are eligible ...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 224
A young girl living outside of New Delhi, India is found murdered in her own bedroom in a high-security apartment building with her parents sleeping mere feet away. Was her murder an inside job or caused by an unknown intruder? Join us for this “whodunit” that has been called the “JonBenet Ramsay case of India”. Resources: “Behind Closed Doors: How a 13-Year-Old’s Murder Ignited Class Warfare” by Nick Schager for The Daily Beast, July 14, 2019. “Arushi murder case: A timeline of events”, The Hin...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 223
Jamison Bachman spent his adult years being “the roommate from hell”. He destroyed property, bullied his housemates, filed lawsuits for petty complaints, and rarely paid his rent. But, growing more desperate once his history of scamming people was revealed, he crossed the line from annoying to dangerous. Resources: “Worst Roommate Ever” by William Brennan for New York Magazine , Feb 19, 2018. “Philadelphia judge to squatter in viral roommate story: ‘You’re frightening’” by Andrew Parent, for The...
Nov 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 222
The mysterious disappearance of a 4-year-old from her own bedroom takes a bizarre twist and rumors and conspiracy theories soon follow. This case would come to be known as “The JonBenet Ramsey Case of Mexico.” Resources: “Resignation in Mexican missing girl Paulette case”, BBC News, May 26, 2010 “Mexico Shocked by Discovery of Girl’s Body,” CBS News, April 5, 2010 Misterios favoritos en espanol/Unresolved Mysteries, reddit.com - https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/80s8r6/reques...
Nov 01, 2021•27 min•Ep. 221
On this special Halloween episode, I’ll share creepy tales of corpses that were mistaken for Halloween displays. I’ll also share the bizarre tale of a failed outlaw who became a successful carnival oddity…after his death. Resources: “Was a Suicide Mistaken for Halloween Decoration?” by David Mikkelson for Snopes.com , Oct. 28, 2005. “75-Year-Old Marina Man Found Dead on Apartment Balcony” by Vince Echavaria for The Argonaut, October 22, 2009. “Body is Mistaken for a Halloween Display” by Rebecca...
Oct 25, 2021•28 min•Ep. 220
In this episode, a family claims a family member has become possessed by a demon. When a young man challenges the demon in an attempt to save his friend, he may have gotten more than he bargained for. He would later claim that demons drove him to commit a brutal murder. Resources: “By Demons Possessed” by Lynn Darling for The Washington Post , September 13, 1981. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1981/09/13/by-demons-possessed/3479fa6b-eee3-4233-a2fc-b9defa403504/ “The Murder That...
Oct 18, 2021•33 min•Ep. 219
A teenager takes the life of family members as well as a random stranger and then claims his involvement in “satanic rituals” lead him to murder. Was 16-year-old Sean Sellers demon possessed, mentally ill, or simply a cold-blooded killer? Resources: "On Thursday He Dies", The Mirror (London), Jan 30, 1999 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/_/print/PrintArticle.aspx?id=60226483 "Reaching Out as Time is Running Out" by Lois Romano, The Washington Post , Jan 22, 1999. https://www.washingtonpost.com/arc...
Oct 11, 2021•50 min•Ep. 218
In this bonus episode, you’ll hear the live show from CrimeCon UK in London. Esther discusses the motivations and psychology behind mass shooters with Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Sohom Das, host of the YouTube channel A Psych for Sore Minds. Check out True Crime Week on Stitcher where they are kicking off the spookiest month of the year with the creepiest and crawliest True Crime Podcasts. Check out their curated homepage to find your next True Crime Pod obsession. If you’re on your phone you can ...
Oct 04, 2021•35 min•Ep. 363
In this conclusion to our 2-part episode on spree killer, Robert Garrow, I’ll detail Garrow’s killing spree in the summer of 1973, his time as a fugitive, and his arrest and convcition. Resources: The Garrow Manhunt: A Serial Killer in the Adirondacks https://www.adirondack.net/history/garrow-manhunt/ Crime Library: Robert Garrow https://web.archive.org/web/20140403090224/http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/robert_garrow/2.html Sworn to Silence: The Truth Behind Robert Garrow an...
Sep 20, 2021•55 min•Ep. 217
In 1973, a violent sexual predator went on a killing spree in the Adirondack Mountains. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, I detail Garrow’s abusive childhood, history of violence, and the escalation of his crimes from theft, to kidnapping and assault, and ultimately to rape and murder. Resources: Robert Francis Garrow, Jr: American Spree Killer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu5e4RJKp9s&t=1235s Murderpedia.com : Robert Garrow https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/garrow-robert-photos.htm The Garr...
Sep 13, 2021•29 min•Ep. 216
In 1969, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy was the front runner to become the next Presidential candidate on the Democratic Party ticket. But, decisions he would make one fateful night on Chappaquiddick Island would result in the death of a young woman and leave his reputation in tatters. Did Ted Kennedy get away with murder? Resources “‘Kennedy Passenger Dies in Car Plunge’: How Chappaquiddick was covered by The Washington Post”, by Richard Harwood and Paul Blackwell for The Washington Post, July 18, 20...
Sep 06, 2021•45 min•Ep. 215
A billionaire heiress kills her friend in a “freak accident”. Was Eduardo Tirella’s death actually an accident or did Doris Duke commit murder? Resources: Doris Duke: Facts, Death and Mansion, Biography.com : https://www.biography.com/personality/doris-duke Homicide at Rough Point by Peter Lance for Vanity Fair , July 16, 2020 https://bit.ly/2VHjXC7 The Fatal Crash that Plunged Doris Duke into a Scandal by Samantha Todd for Forbes Magazine , Oct 18, 2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthatodd...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 214
The wealthy son of a New York real estate family leaves town to avoid investigation in the decades-old disappearance of his wife. A year later, he will be the number one suspect in the murder of an elderly man in Texas. This is the first chapter in the series “Getting Away with Murder”, the case of Robert Durst. Resources: Books: A Deadly Secret: The Bizarre and Chilling Story of Robert Durst by Matt Birkbeck, Berkeley Books, 2005. He Killed them All: Robert Durst and my Quest for Justice by Jea...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 213
In 1967, a double murder shocked a small town in Virginia. A suspect was quickly rounded up, but the case wasn’t truly resolved until decades later when a chance encounter led to a series of events that would ultimately bring about a deathbed confession. Resources: “Thomas Free on Bond; Hearing Slated Oct 27”, The News Leader , Oct 17, 1967. “Prosecution Rests in Thomas Hearing”, The News Leader , April 10, 1968. “Getting away with murder? Former cop has serious questions about why Staunton’s mo...
Jul 26, 2021•54 min•Ep. 212
In this series I share cases where people on their deathbeds finally confess to terrible crimes. In his episode you’ll hear about a brutal murder that went unsolved for over a dozen years when the perpetrator confessed before meeting his maker. But, this story ends with a twist when fate intervenes. Resources: State of Tennessee v. James Murray Washington, Direct Appeal from the Criminal Court for Davidson County, July 15, 2014 The Crime Reel: A Brutal Murder and a Deathbed Confession, YouTube.c...
Jul 19, 2021•29 min•Ep. 211
In this series "Deathbed Confessions" I share cases that went cold and the perpetrator was only revealed when they made a deathbed confession. In this first episode, a dying woman reveals a long-held secret to her children, leading to a shocking discovery. Resources: “Slaying Victim had Fled a Troubled Past”, The Boston Globe , November 20, 2004. “John’s in the Freezer”, What Lies Beyond, August 31, 2014. “Deathbed Confession Leads to Slain Husband”, Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times , Nov 2...
Jul 12, 2021•27 min•Ep. 210
In this final chapter of “Buried Truth” I share a story of one of the most rare categories of criminal - the female serial killer. Behind her grandmotherly exterior, Dorothea Puente was hiding some very dark secrets very close to home. This is the case of “The Killer Landlady”. Resources: Newspapers.com : Dorothea Puente by Julia Scheeres for TruTV.com , Jailed Landlady: I Didn’t Kill Anyone - The Sacramento Bee - Nov 18, 1988, Puente Guilty of Killing 3 - The Sacramento Bee - Aug 27, 1993, Murd...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 209
A teenage boy goes missing in 1984. Authorities would quickly decide that he was a runaway, but his family didn’t agree. Fourteen years later his fate would be learned in a shocking and unusual way. Resources: The New Detectives: Grave Secrets - Season 8, Episode 7, The Discovery Channel Articles (Jackson Vallarta/Christopher Denoyer/Dale Vallarta) from The Californian newspaper, Feb 17 1998 to Feb 10, 2000 - Clipped from Newspapers.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...
Jun 27, 2021•38 min•Ep. 208
In this month’s series “Buried Truth” I share cases where a person goes missing never to be seen again. Just when it seemed their fate would remain a mystery, the truth would be uncovered. This time, a neighborhood menace harbors dark secrets in his own backyard. This is the case of Russell Tillis and The House of Horrors. You can now receive texts from Once Upon a Crime! Text OUAC to 408-676-1770 to opt-in! Links: www.truecrimepodcast.com Resources: https://www.thedailybeast.com/womans-body-fou...
Jun 14, 2021•46 min•Ep. 207
This is a double episode to conclude the month-long miniseries where I detail the case of serial killer David Carpenter, known as “The Trailside Killer”. Carpenter stalked and killed men and women on the hiking trails of Marin County, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Other suspected victims would disappear from San Jose and Daly City, California. Resources: The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate by Robert Graysmith, Penguin Books, (1990) People v. Carpenter, Supreme Court of...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 206
In Part 2 of this 3-part mini-series, I’ll continue the story about a random series of attacks that took place on hiking trails in northern California beginning in 1979, soon after David Carpenter was released from prison for an earlier violent crime spree. After three women were found murdered on Mount Tamalpais, investigators began to suspect that a serial killer was on the loose and targeting local hikers. This is the case of “The Trailside Killer”. Resources: The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside...
May 17, 2021•30 min•Ep. 205
This month I’ll be sharing a 3-part miniseries. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Northern California was terrorized by a series of random murders that took place on hiking trails in state parks, national forests and coastal lands. The public began to suspect that a serial killer was lurking among them and the media began referring to him as “The Trailside Killer”. In this first part, I’ll detail some of the Trailside Killers earliest victims and describe how he was allowed to slip through the ...
May 10, 2021•36 min•Ep. 204
In 2002, two paintings were stolen from The Van Gogh Museum worth $30 million dollars. The investigation into this crime would involve law enforcement in several countries. Special investigators in both art crimes and organized crime units would also be brought in to solve the case of the missing Van Goghs. Resources: Documentary: Stealing Van Gogh (2018) , Julian Hendy, Director. “How 20 Stolen Van Gogh Paintings were Recovered” by Erik Shilling for Atlas Obscura , Sept. 30, 2016. https://www.a...
Apr 26, 2021•25 min•Ep. 203
Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright begins an affair with Martha “Mamah” Borthwick. When the scandal threatens his career and reputation, he builds a home near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Called “Taliesin”, it was supposed to be a place of peace and refuge for the couple, but in 1914, it became the site of a horrifying massacre. Resources: “Soulmate Stunt Loses its Zest”, Kokomo Daily Tribune , August 3, 1910. Frank Lloyd Wright by Jan Adkins, published by Penguin Random House, 2008 “Cook massacres ...
Apr 19, 2021•40 min•Ep. 202
To celebrate reaching 200 episodes we created a bonus episode to answer listener questions. Thanks everyone for submitting them! Links: www.Patreon.com/onceuponacrime To listen to our "haunted" episode go to Episode #108 - Haunted Homicides: The LaLaurie Mansion. Some hear a "ghost" at minute 20 or so. The Scott Peterson episodes with my sister, Yolanda is #71 and #72 - The 12 Crimes of Christmas - Laci Peterson, Part 1 and 2. Special thanks to Lorena Garcia for co-hosting this episode with me a...
Apr 14, 2021•59 min•Ep. 363
A contemporary artist is murdered in broad daylight in Washington D.C. Conspiracy theories about who was responsible begin to swirl after her close connection to John F. Kennedy is revealed. Resources: “The Last Painting of Mary Pinchot Meyer” by Maria Hummel for Counterpoint , June 5, 2019. https://crimereads.com/the-last-painting-of-mary-pinchot-meyer/ “The forgotten female artist who may have been murdered by the CIA” by Alina Cohen for Artsy.net , May 16, 2019. https://www.artsy.net/article/...
Apr 12, 2021•33 min•Ep. 201
A young widow opens her own restaurant in Macon, Georgia in the 1950s. Suspicions arise when the people closest to her begin falling ill and dying. Was Anjette Lyles a serial killer? Resources: Lyles v. The State, Supreme Court of Georgia, (1959) "Anjette Lyles, Restauranteur of Death" by Ciaran Conlittle for Headstuff.org , Sept 28, 2017. "Criminal History: Anjette Lyles poisoned 4 family members for money" by Chelsea Beimfohr, 13wmaz.com . Links: Podcasts We Listen To: https://podcasts.apple.c...
Mar 22, 2021•46 min•Ep. 200
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay enters London's Brixton Prison in 2012 in an attempt to teach a group of inmates to run a successful bakery. Would he succeed or would the men return to a life of crime once the cameras stopped rolling? Resources: "Mad for It" by Lynn Barber for The Guardian, May 13, 2001 . "From criminal to trainee cook: 'I owe Gordon Ramsay a lot'" by Erwin James for The Guardian , Aug 14, 2013. " Gordon Ramsay's Embarrassing Arrest Inspired Him to Set Up a Prison Bakery for London...
Mar 15, 2021•40 min•Ep. 199
In this series we'll take a look at the restaurant industry to ask "What happens when good cooks go bad?". In this episode, a restaurateur in Southern California is suspected of murder when his wife disappears. What detectives discover would shock and horrify the community. Resources: "Witness: Cliff Jumper Threatened to Kill Wife", Nicole Mooradian for The Patch , Sept 14, 2012. "Did California Chef David Viens Kill, Then Cook Wife?", 48 Hours , May 13, 2013. "Los Angeles jury finds chef guilty...
Mar 08, 2021•41 min•Ep. 189
