Listen, we get it. These are stressful times. Sometimes we need to break up the doom and gloom with some #GOODCRIMES. This week, Rachel tells the story of the Million Dollar Mermaid, Annette Kellermann. Annette was born in Australia in the late 1800's. As a child, she suffered from polio. Her father got her to start swimming as a way to build up her strength. By the time she was a teenager, Annette was winning swimming competitions. She became a famous professional swimmer and film actress. One ...
Feb 03, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Warning: The case we discuss today involves physical and sexual assault. https://www.thehotline.org If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). On the surface, Rachel Bellesen appeared to be a typical mom of two boys. She was 38 years old, had a great job working for the domestic violence shelter in Kalispell, Montana, and was married to the love of her life. ...
Jan 27, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Coming Soon! https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/joan-little-acquitted/ https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/06/archives/the-joan-little-case-in-a-small-southern-town-the-night-jailer-is.html https://www.aaihs.org/free-joan-little/ https://crimereads.com/joan-little-and-the-killing-of-a-jailer/ https://www.ncpedia.org/listening-to-history/bethea-shields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Little
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Until the late 20th century, women were frequently not included and also able to to opt of jury duty. There was much confusion after women gained the right to vote….what was their role in the justice system? Should they just stay home and do the dishes? The jury was out! Listen to this week’s episode where we dive into the history of women in juries. We discuss the influential cases along the way, including the case of Duren v. Missouri featuring pre-Supreme Court RBG and the case of Gwendolyn H...
Jan 06, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Rachel gives us a rundown of pregnancy and maternal health care in prison.
Dec 30, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 47
"I am not a traitor. I am not a spy. I am somebody who only acted out of love for what this country stands for." - Reality Winner In 2018, former intelligence specialist for the United States, Reality Winner, was given the longest sentence for unauthorized release of government information. Reality had leaked an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Prior to leaking this information, Reality served in the Air Force and had no criminal record. She had also been faci...
Dec 16, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 46
On August 23rd, 2021, the owners of Crumb Together bakery in Eugene, Oregon posted a sign saying, “Because of the unvaccinated, masks required again. Thank you for your support”. After going “mini viral”, their bakery started to receive hundreds of harassing calls and #maskholes attempting to bully Deidre Stirpe and her husband. In early November, two individuals later identified as Amy Verlee Hall and Ricki Collin, entered the bakery WITHOUT masks, knowing full well they would be asked to leave...
Dec 09, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Tylee Ashlyn Ryan and JJ Vallow were reported missing by their grandparents after no one had heard from the children in weeks. Tylee was last seen alive at Yellowstone Park in 2019, JJ was last seen at his elementary school a few weeks later. Their mother, Lori Vallow Daybell was off with her new husband, Chad Guy Daybell. Lori did not know the whereabouts of her children. She claimed they were with a friend but their remains were later found in Chad’s yard. Lori had a history of false reporting...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 44
This week, we continue to take a look at crime in Oklahoma. Rachel tells the story of Robyn Allen, who was profiled in the article, “Why Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rate in the country”, by Allison Herrera. Robyn worked as a cleaner at a hotel when she threw her back out moving a large TV. Robyn was prescribed pain medication and soon found herself addicted. When her prescription ran out, Robyn started smoking meth and dealing drugs in order to pay for her addiction. She was th...
Nov 04, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 43
https://www.thoughtco.com/death-row-inmate-brenda-andrew-profile-973493 https://thecinemaholic.com/rob-andrew-murder-where-are-james-pavatt-and-brenda-andrew-now/ https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5653386/james-pavatt-killer-of-lovers-husband-now-eligible-for-execution...
Oct 28, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 41
This week's episode is a little intense so we are going to include the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD). If you or someone you love is at immediate risk, please call 911. We recognize the importance of sharing stories and experiences to bring awareness to difficult issues. That being said, this was a tough episode to research and might be a tough one to listen to. This week, Rachel begins with the story of Sarah...
Oct 21, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Why is it always Florida? Today we discuss the case of Shirley Wheeler, the the first woman in Florida ever prosecuted and convicted under an abortion law from the early 19th century. Shirley had an unwanted pregnancy and was encouraged by her doctor to get an abortion for medical reasons. The only problem? Abortions for any reason were illegal in Florida. Shirley found an abortionist and had the procedure. Shirley was hospitalized after she began hemorrhaging during a miscarriage. In the hospit...
Oct 14, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 39
The recent ban on abortions falling outside of the 6 week period in Texas has been incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time in history that women and people with uteruses have been denied access to safe abortions. We believe it is important to revisit the cases of people who have fought hard for the right to have control over our own bodies. Nathalie discusses the case of 19th century abortionist, Ann Trow Lohman. Ann provided women with contraception and if a woman had ...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 38
On one evening in 1923, George L. Rheaton stumbled out of a bar in Brookfield, IL. He only made it about two hundred feet before he collapsed. George was dead. The saloon was owned by “Moonshine” Mary Wazeniak, a Polish immigrant and mother of 3. After they performed an autopsy, it was found George died of methanol poisoning. Mary was arrested and sentenced a year to life for killing George. Was Mary actually responsible for George’s death or were there other factors at play? We discuss Prohibit...
Sep 30, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 37
Carrie Nation did NOT like drinking. Carrie’s first marriage was to a physician who fought for the Union, Charles Gloyd. Her parents opposed the marriage because of Charles’ alcohol addiction. Carrie and Charles separated after the birth of their first child and Charles later died from complications related to his alcohol addiction. Carrie became a passionate advocate for the temperance movement. Carrie remarried to David A. Nation, an attorney/minister/newspaper journalist. Carrie also lead pro...
Sep 23, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 36
This week we're mashing up two of our classic cases: DeAnne Stidham's LulaRoe MLM scam & Elizabeth Holmes' Theranos Con. Check our the original episodes for our sources!
Sep 16, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 35
We hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! This week, we cover the disappearance of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip. Sneha was last seen on a department store video feed on September 10th, 2001. She never returned to the apartment she shared with her husband, Dr. Ron Lieberman. This wasn’t unusual considering Sneha had relatives that lived close by and she would sometimes crash at their apartments. The next morning, Ron learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center and rushed back to their a...
Sep 09, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Run, don’t walk, to this week’s episode of Pink Collar! Or take the subway and pretend you ran to this week’s episode. We complete our CHEATERS theme by discussing the story of Rosie Ruiz. Rosie came to the US at a young age and moved around from Florida to Nebraska, eventually ending up in New York City in the 1970s. While there, she submitted a late application to the NYC Marathon claiming to have a fatal brain tumor. The lies didn’t stop there, as Rosie hopped on a subway during the actual ra...
Sep 02, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 33
This week Nathalie kicks off our theme of cheaters! In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck spilled coffee on herself at a McDonald's drive thru in Albuquerque. Stella then sued McDonald's and was awarded $3 million in punitive damages. Although it wasn't breaking the law, in court of public opinion many have deemed Stella to be a cheater of the system. However, this story isn't quite as it appears. Nathalie takes us through what actually happened the day of the incident. Many believed Stella was ir...
Aug 26, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 32
This week we bring you part two of our Wrongful Convictions cases. Rachel tells the story of Rosa Jimenez. Rosa was just 19 years old when she was working as a babysitter to support her family. She had a daughter, Brenda, and was pregnant with her second child. On January 30th, 2003, Rosa was helping watch her neighbor's 21 month old son, Bryan Gutierrez. When she was making lunch, she looked over and saw that Bryan's face was blue and he was grasping at his throat. Rosa tried to remove the obst...
Aug 19, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Sabrina Butler was just 17 when she rushed her nine-month-old son, Walter Dean Butler, to the hospital. The doctors attempted to resuscitate Walter but he passed away that same day. Right after her son’s death, Sabrina was interviewed by the police. She told a story that included a fictional babysitter, she also said she went jogging at 10 PM at night. Although her stories followed a general theme, none of them seemed to add up. It did not look good for Sabrina, but it is important to remember t...
Aug 12, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Lights, camera, CRIME! This we week we cover LA crimes part two. Rachel tells the story of Cheryl Crane, daughter of famous actress Lana Turner. Lana met mobster Johnny Stompanato. Johnny did not disclose his criminal background when the two started to date. Once Lana found out who he really was, she tried to end things. Johnny became enraged, forcing her to stay in the relationship. Johnny was physically and emotionally abusive to Lana, 14 year old Cheryl hated to see her mother so upset. One n...
Aug 05, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 29
We’re back, baby! After some offline discussion, we have decided we are going to start doing one case per week. We absolutely love creating this show and this will allow us to create the best content possible for you. That being said, this week Nathalie is bringing you part one of LA CRIMES. Nathalie tells the story behind madam to the stars, Heidi Lynn Fleiss. At the age of 22, Heidi worked under the notorious Madam Alex, helping to manage sex workers and connecting them with interested parties...
Jul 29, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Hello sports fans! This week Pink Collar is bringing you two sports related cases. Rachel discusses the case of Ruth Ann Steinhagen, a young woman in Chicago who became obsessed with Cubs player, Eddie Waitkus. After Eddie was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, Ruth had to do something. If she couldn't have him, nobody could. She booked a room at the hotel he was staying with when the Phillies were in town and brought a knife and a gun. Listen to hear what happened next... Then Nathalie tells ...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Welcome back! This week, Nathalie takes the reins and we on a single crime: the Slender Man stabbings. Slender Man started out as an internet meme (or creepypasta) that quickly turned into viral, collaborative folklore. The mythology surrounding the fictional creature - an unnaturally tall, faceless entity that lurks in forests and harms children - got the attention of people of all ages: including Morgan Geyser & Anissa Weier. Morgan & Anissa were just 12 years old when they decided tha...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 26
This week we cover the cases of two women sentenced to death for the crime of filicide. Nathalie discusses the case of Melissa Lucio, subject of the 2020 documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa. Melissa was convicted of the abuse and killing of her two-year-old daughter. Melissa was arrested and convicted of murder because of the evidence of abuse…but being responsible for abuse does not necessarily make someone a murderer. While Melissa did admit to some of the abuse, she denied being respo...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This week we cover cases of medical neglect. Rachel starts off with the case of Connell Watkins, an unlicensed psychotherapist, who, along with her team, was responsible for the death of Candace Newmaker. Connell wrapped Candace in a blanket and pillows, her team put their combined weight on her to simulate contracts as a part of re-birthing therapy. After an hour, Candace was dead. Nathalie then tells the story of Sarah Mitchell. Sarah and her husband, Travis, were members of the Followers of C...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Season 2Ep. 24
This week we revisit one of our favorite themes, GOOD CRIMES!! Rachel starts off with the story of the author of the best-selling novel, The Hiding Place. Corrie ten Boom and her family lived in the Netherlands during World War II. Her family were Calvinist Christians in the Dutch Reformed Church and because of their faith they believed all people were created equal. After the Germans invaded the Netherlands, Corrie and her family stepped up to create a safe space for Jewish people. Her and her ...
Jun 17, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Things are really heating up at Pink Collar! Our theme for this week is arson. First, Nathalie covers the case of convicted arsonist, Shirley Winters. Shirley's three siblings tragically died from a carbon monoxide leak when she was just a child. Shirley grew up and went on to have a family of her own. In 1976 her two children were killed in a cabin fire. While authorities blamed an electrical malfunction, it appeared there may have been a more sinister explanation. In fact, just the day before ...
Jun 10, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This week we take a look at musical icon and the focus of the movie, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, now streaming on Hulu. We discuss Billie's childhood and the events leading up to the start of her career. After getting famous, Billie was targeted by Harry Anslinger and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics after she refused to stop singing the song, Strange Fruit, inspired by a poem called Bitter Fruit, written about lynching by Jewish educator and anti-racist activist Abel Meeropol. Since th...
Jun 03, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 21
