This week, Rachael covers the shocking murder of Tracy Mondabough, which occurred as a result of a love-triangle gone wrong. Because the murder happened right around the start of Covid, the defense had some pretty interesting arguments for why the perpetrator might have committed the crime... Sources: 1) https://www.chillingcrimes.com/blogs/news/tracy-mondabough 2) https://www.rfh-ia.com/obituaries/Tracy-ThrogmartinMondabough?obId=14125426 3) https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/appeal-denied-for-iow...
Mar 19, 2024•26 min•Ep. 95
This is one of those cases that is solved, but justice was unfortunately never served. Today on Small Town Mysteries, hear about the murder of Cathy Sposito, which was solved 36 years (!!!) after it occurred. Support the show
Mar 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 94
Despite there being a good amount of circumstantial evidence in the murder of Jan Kruse, a mom of two who is known in town for being extremely kind and friendly, this is sadly a case that is not solved. Though many people believe they know who committed the crime - is it really that simple? Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewster,_Minnesota 2) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/nbcs-dateline-features-southwestern-minnesota-murder-case/89-135ae613-2a94-496d-baec-579ceac5fdec 3) ...
Mar 05, 2024•36 min•Ep. 93
This week, Rachael dives into two shocking murder cases - both technically still unsolved! George Carroll Sources: 1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/12/13/he-was-told-his-father-walked-out-then-he-started-digging-up-basement/ 2) https://www.fresherslive.com/latest/articles/george-carroll-disappearance-1961-what-happened-to-george-carroll-was-george-carroll-found-1555224839 3) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195154157/george_gaffney-carroll 4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...
Feb 27, 2024•36 min•Ep. 92
When a woman is found in tarp off the side of the highway in 1968, she remains unidentified for over 30 years. This was a case that took decades to get to the bottom of - and even now, there are still so many questions remaining. Sources: 1) https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-barbara-ann-hackman-taylo/24013583/ 2) https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19980423&id=9PEaAAAAIBAJ&pg=6796,2875583 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Ann_Hackmann_Taylor 4) http...
Feb 20, 2024•28 min•Ep. 91
Thirteen year old Jayme Closs witnesses her mother and father being murdered, and is then abducted by their killer, who had been carefully planning her abduction for a long time. Jayme is held in captivity for 88 days before she bravely escapes. Listen to Rachael cover this heartbreaking story this week on Small Town Mysteries. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon,_Douglas_County,_Wisconsin 2) https://www.foxnews.com/us/jayme-closs-jake-patterson-new-documents.amp 3) https://www.nbcn...
Feb 13, 2024•31 min•Ep. 90
Natalee Holloway is a name that many people within the true crime circle have heard of and are familiar with - but just how much do you know about Natalee and what happened surrounding her disappearance? This is sadly a case that is still not resolved, despite law enforcement and the general public having a very good idea who likely committed the crime. Sources: 1)https://www.newsweek.com/cracking-holloway-case-93881 2)https://web.archive.org/web/20100609034708/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,293...
Feb 06, 2024•48 min•Ep. 89
This week, Christine highlights the devastating story of Relisha Rudd, an 8-year-old girl who disappeared from a Washington, D.C. homeless shelter in 2014. What did her family know? Why didn't anyone report her missing for 18 DAYS? And most importantly, why was no one taking care of this vulnerable child? Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Relisha_Rudd 2) https://charleyproject.org/case/relisha-tenau-rudd 3) https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/relisha-tenau-rudd Support the...
Jan 30, 2024•34 min•Ep. 88
A group of three young men befriend and then brutally torture 19-year-old Chester Poage, with the only motive seeming to be to rob him. This is just one of those cases that make you wonder - how do these horrible people find each other?! Sources: 1) https://medium.com/@Charlie_OBrien/the-horrifying-kidnap-and-murder-of-chester-poage-d131d77cb1f1 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Chester_Poage 3) https://www.kotatv.com/2021/03/02/murder-victims-mother-shares-thoughts-on-potential-bill/ 4...
Jan 23, 2024•33 min•Ep. 87
In this case, what was thought to be a case of religious fanaticism gone wrong might have actually just been a crime of passion. Hear about the brutal murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter on this episode of Small Town Mysteries. This case inspired the recent series: Under the Banner of Heaven. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints#:~:text=The%20Church%20of%20Jesus%20Christ%20of%20Latter%2Dday%20Saints%2C%20informally,the%20Latter%2...
Jan 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 86
This week, Christine talks about a horrifying case in which 2-year old DeOrr Cruz vanishes from a campground. Little information on this case exists, but what information does exist causes people to be skeptical of those who were on the camping trip with DeOrr. Sources: 1) https://www.eastidahonews.com/2020/07/deorr-kunz-vanished-5-years-ago-today-heres-where-the-investigation-stands/ 2) https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/regional/8-years-since-deorr-kunz-jr-disappeared-at-timber-creek-campgroun...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 85
The murder of 6-year-old Eli Hart by the hands of his mother was tragic and entirely preventable. There were many missteps taken by social workers assigned to the case - it's safe to say that the foster care system failed Eli Hart. Sources: 1) https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-eli-hart-child-red-protection-failures/89-a0878e1a-f655-48bc-96ce-b25114aef1ac#:~:text=Sometime%20on%20the%20morning%20of,pizza%20as%20police%20interrogated%20her.\ 2) https://www.fox9...
Jan 02, 2024•42 min•Ep. 84
Micki Kanesaki and Lonnie Kocontes were seemingly working on re-igniting their former marriage, which had previously ended in divorce. As such, they booked a beautiful Mediterranean cruise for May of 2006. However, what Micki was not aware of was the fact that Lonnie had booked that particular cruise, as well as the particular room they stayed in, for a very nefarious reason. Can you get away with murder in international waters? Is there legal grey area with cases like these? Tune in to find out...
Dec 12, 2023•26 min•Ep. 83
Susan Powell believes that she found the perfect opposite to her outgoing personality - Joshua Powell. They marry quickly and have children. But as their marriage progresses, Susan learns that Joshua is far from the man she thought he was. This case involves a dangerous obsession, a couple of different heart-wrenching tragedies, and a family who seemingly lies (and potentially kills) for each other. Sources: 1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powell#:~:text=Susan%20Marie%20Po...
Dec 05, 2023•42 min•Ep. 82
On March 15, 1989, Tracey, only 17 at the time, was found at her job laying in a pool of her own blood. It was the first time that Tracey had closed the store on her own. After decades of leads that have never fully panned out, the case is still unsolved to this day. Who murdered Tracey Kirkpatrick? Sources: 1) https://www.intothesilentland.com/ 2) https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tracey_Kirkpatrick 3) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9588951/tracy-lynn-kirkpatrick 4) https://thecine...
Nov 28, 2023•39 min•Ep. 81
This week, Kate talks about the case of Ellen Rae Greenberg, which was ruled a suicide early on in the investigation. However, the physical evidence points toward homicide... Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Rae_Greenberg 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manayunk,_Philadelphia 3) https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/ellen-rae-greenberg-death-court-ruling/ 4) https://gavinfish.com/cases/ellen-greenberg/ (all primary documents) 5) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/philadelphia-teach...
Nov 21, 2023•32 min•Ep. 80
This week, Christine talks about the mysterious deaths and disappearance of the Yuba County Five - a friend group of 5 young men. This group attended a basketball game one night in 1978, and were later found either dead or missing - in a very puzzling place. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuba_County_Five 2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/ 3) https://www.historicmysteries.com/yuba-county-five/...
Nov 14, 2023•38 min•Ep. 79
It took 40 years for investigators to find out the identities of a Jane and John Doe, only to discover that they had an infant at the time of their deaths...but where was she? In this episode of Small Town Mysteries, find out what happened to Baby Holly, where she is now, and how this case involves a cult. The murder of her parents, Harold Dean Clouse Jr. and Tina Gail Lin, is still unsolved and currently an open investigation. Sources: 1) https://abcnews.go.com/US/baby-holly-speaks-1st-time-aft...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 78
This case takes place in Napa, California, in the early morning hours of November 1, 2004, when a young woman was woken around 2AM by the sound of breaking glass and a blood-curdling, terrified scream. When she heard whoever was in the house exit, she went to investigate, and found both of her roommates lying in a pool of blood. Who did this, and why? The answer to both of these questions is shocking. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa,_California 2) https://loriajohnston.medium.com/...
Oct 31, 2023•27 min•Ep. 77
During the last Spooky Szn episode of October 2023, Christine talks about a haunted tunnel in Massachusetts and the story of Eunice Cole, a woman in New Hampshire who was accused of (and tried for) being a witch 3 TIMES throughout her life. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosac_Tunnel 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida,_Massachusetts 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha 4) https://hoosactunnel.net/hauntings/ 5) https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/eunice-cole-the-witch-of...
Oct 27, 2023•33 min•Ep. 76
In the first case, Rachael talks about a man who killed the woman he was seeing...over halloween candy. In the second case, we cover the murder of Timothy O’Bryan, a young boy who was killed by his father on Halloween night. Sources: 1) https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Resources/0c5a6fb2-702d-4961-ad07-c4763daa4ea7/1161735_R23.pdf 2) https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/woman-stabbed-over-halloween-candy-dies-ledell-peoples-maria-adams/1914915/ 3) https://idoc.illinois.gov/offender/inmatesearch.h...
Oct 24, 2023•44 min•Ep. 75
On this spooky season episode, Kate talks about the real-life stories that The Conjuring series are based on! Sources: 1) https://allthatsinteresting.com/true-story-of-the-conjuring-perron-family-enfield-haunting 2) https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/07/22/conjuring-true-story-perron/2457209/ 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_and_Lorraine_Warren#cite_note-ProvidenceJournal-15 4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Arne_Cheyenne_Johnson 5) https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/c...
Oct 20, 2023•33 min•Ep. 74
This week, Christine takes on the heartbreaking (and still unsolved) abduction of Morgan Nick. In 1995, Morgan was a vibrant 6-year-old girl who was enjoying an evening catching fireflies with her friends at a little league baseball game. After going toward her mom's car to empty sand from her shoes, Morgan is never seen of or heard from again. There are a couple of people of interest that police have investigated throughout the years within the case, and we go over each one, as well as the 4-pa...
Oct 17, 2023•43 min•Ep. 73
Spooky Szn Episode 2 is OUT! Learn about the spookiest stories from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine in this episode. We talk about a college, a couple of cemeteries, and even an Inn. At the end, we discuss a book club we will be starting up in January. Let us know @smalltownmysteriespod (on Instagram) if you have any suggestions (true crime or mystery/thriller genre) that you want us to read and discuss in an episode at the end of the month! Sources: 1) https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/maine/ha...
Oct 14, 2023•44 min•Ep. 72
1922 - When a family and their maid are all found dead on their farm in Germany, there are far more questions than answers. Unsolved to this day, learn about the Hinterkaifeck murders and the different theories surrounding the case. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinterkaifeck_murders 2) https://medium.com/the-mystery-box/the-hinterkaifeck-murders-germanys-oldest-unsolved-massacre-17dea740e031 3) https://curiouscaseof.com/the-hinterkaifeck-murders/ 4) https://www.mentalfloss.com/artic...
Oct 10, 2023•35 min•Ep. 71
ALERT, ALERT!!! FIRST EPISODE OF SPOOKY SZN!! This Spooky Szn, we are covering cases in New England. Today, Christine talks about The Lady in Black (a famous New England Ghost story) and all about VAMPIRES. No, not the ones who sparkle in the sun. No, sadly not the ones who are brothers pining over a doppleganger of their ex-gf (hello, fans of Vampire Diaries?). No, no, no. We're talking about the OG vampires here. The ones who existed in a time where Tuberculosis was a very real threat in the U...
Oct 06, 2023•30 min•Ep. 70
In 1969, a body is discovered in the brush off of Mulholland Drive in LA California. The murder was extremely gruesome -- the woman was stabbed over 150 times. This unidentified woman became known as “Sherry Doe” or “Jane Doe 59.” It took 46 years for this woman to get her name back. Jane Doe #59 is actually a woman named Reet Jurvetson, who was murdered at the young age of 19 years old. Though there are some persons of interest, the amount of time that has passed between the murder and discover...
Oct 03, 2023•33 min•Ep. 69
Today, Kate explores the kidnapping of Carlee Russell, which recently EXPLODED on social media. Carlee was missing for about 2 days before she suddenly re-appeared. What might have led Carlee to make the choices she made? This case is still very much unfolding, and if there are any major developments, we’ll be sure to cover them! Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover,_Alabama 2) https://www.vox.com/2023/7/22/23804086/carlee-russell-missing-black-woman-hoover-alabama-social-media-hoax ...
Sep 26, 2023•29 min•Ep. 68
This case will leave you enraged. When twin sisters Dannette Millbrook and Jeannette Millbrook go missing, nothing happens. They are labeled runaways by the primary investigator (despite clear evidence that points to the contrary) and no actual investigation is conducted until years later. If it weren't for the horrendous lack of investigation in this case, as well as numerous errors on the part of the lead investigator and on the police reports, Dannette and Jeannette might have been found, but...
Sep 19, 2023•35 min•Ep. 67
In this episode, Rachael covers the heinous crimes committed by two teenage girls, Holly Harvey and Sandra Ketchum, which includes the murder of Holly's grandmother and grandfather. What drove them to do this? Sources: 1) https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/killer-couple-murderous-lesbian-teens-holly-harvey-sandra-ketchum 2) https://murderpedia.org/female.H/h/harvey-holly.htm 3) https://thecinemaholic.com/sarah-and-carl-collier-murders/ 4) https://heavy.com/news/2015/08/holly...
Sep 12, 2023•34 min•Ep. 66
