The Misery Machine - podcast cover

The Misery Machine

The Misery Machinethemiserymachine.podbean.com
There’s a problem with True Crime. Creators idolize perpetrators, shame victims, or are completely checked out on cases while they focus on other things. However, we can’t forget there are victims who lost their lives and families who are still grieving to this day. Furthermore, many True Crime outlets spend their time focusing on themselves or rambling, instead of getting right to the facts of the case. We hear you, this is frustrating. The Misery Machine focuses on cases the media fails to give proper attention to. We want to help give those a voice that never got to have one, to begin with. We also cover aspects of cases that other podcasts might look the other way on, and the way that these cases impact their communities for generations. It’s not enough to simply cover a case, our platform must be used to make a difference.
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Episodes

The Men Who Hunt Sex Offenders

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the story of Stephen Marshall - a young man from Nova Scotia, Canada, who decided to take the law into his own hands, and hunt down known predators that he found listed on the Maine Sex Offender Registry, whilst visiting his father in Northern Maine. Also discussed at the cases of Patrick Drum and Cain Velasquez, who decided to take this same path. We also touch on YouTube's censorship of channels who make it a point to expose predators, and the challenges fac...

May 16, 202221 min

Banita Jacks: The DC Horror House

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss a tragic case of Banita Jacks, a Washington, DC mother who held her four daughters hostage, believing them to be demons. This case highlights the failure of DC social services agencies that had reasonable suspicion and urging from a caseworker that the girls were in danger, but ultimately did nothing. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine Pa...

May 09, 202222 min

Andrea Yates: A Case That Changed How We View Mental Health

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss tha case of Andrea Yates, a woman from Houston, Texas, who confessed to drowning her five children in their bathtub on June 20, 2001. She had been suffering for some time from severe postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and schizophrenia. Her case placed the M'Naghten rules, along with the irresistible impulse test, a legal test for sanity, under close public scrutiny in the United States. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsN...

May 02, 202224 min

Mother Believes Her Son is The Devil

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the tragic death of Karvell Stevens, an adorable six year old boy from Kansas City, Missouri, who met his fate in February of 2022, at the hands of his mother, 35 year old Tasha Haefs. Even more troubling? Tasha thought little Karvell was the devil. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our...

Apr 25, 202212 min

Adrian Jones: The Boy Who Was Fed To Pigs

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the heartbreaking case of Adrian Jones, an 8 year old boy that was severely abused by both his father and stepmother, and failed by social services in both Kansas and Missouri. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagr...

Apr 18, 202222 min

Cherish Perrywinkle: Stolen From Walmart

This week, Drewby & Yergy discuss the tragic story of Cherish Perrywinkle, a beautiful 8 year old girl from Jacksonville, FL, who met her fate at the hands of a convicted sex offender, Donald Smith, who posed as a kindly old man who wanted to help Cherish's mother. We also discuss how the state of Florida allowed Smith to go free despite numerous offenses and reviews from doctors declaring that he was beyond rehabilitation. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls...

Apr 11, 202221 min

Mary Bell: The 11 Year Old Serial Killer

This week, Drewby and Yergy step back in time and discuss the case of Mary Bell, an English girl, who at the age of 11 years old started her reign of terror in Scotswood, an inner suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1968. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 I...

Apr 04, 202218 min

The Amber Bobo Case | Mom Leaves Daughter Alone With A Man She Just Met

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the case of Amber Bobo, a New Jersey mother who left her 23 month old daughter, Ariana Smyth, alone with her boyfriend of 2 weeks, Michael Disporto - and of course, tragedy ensues. But did Amber help her daughter? Or did she find going shopping at the mall more important? Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/th...

Mar 28, 202214 min

Peter Scully is a Monster (Daisy’s Destruction)

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the case of Peter Scully, and Australian man that fled to the Philippines to avoid prosecution for fraud. While living in the island nation, Scully formed an evil video empire through the dark web, and created films so horrific, that those who ultimately captured Scully for his crimes lobbied for the reinstatement of the death penalty for him - which had been abolished years earlier. Go to shop.analuisa.com/misery this sale is too good to be true, and won't la...

Mar 21, 202219 min

The Worst Parents in Ohio’s History: The Takoda Collins Story

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the horrific story of Takoda Collins, and ten year old boy from Dayton, Ohio, who lost his life after he was horrifically tortured by his father, his father's girlfriend, and her sister. RIP Takoda Go to shop.analuisa.com/misery this sale is too good to be true, and won't last long! Enjoy 20% OFF the entire Ana Luisa's website today! Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://ww...

Mar 14, 202228 min

My Friend Decapitated His Girlfriend: The Chad Gurney & Zoe Sarnacki Story

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the local case of 27 year old Chad Gurney, who in early summer of 2009, killed his partner, 18 year old Zoe Sarnacki, in one of the most horrific ways possible. The case horrified the city of Portland and the local music scene due to the graphic and ritualistic nature of the killing. But was this due to pure psychopathy? Or severe mental illness brought on by injuries suffered in an automobile accident? This case hits close to home as we both knew Chad to vary...

Mar 07, 202241 min

These Parents Put Their Children In The Oven... Alive

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss 5 chilling cases of parents killing their young children by another unlikely weapon - a kitchen stove. Why are parents killing their kids in such a horrific manner? Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagram: miseryma...

Feb 28, 202220 min

Microwaves as Murder Weapons: This Has Got To STOP

China Arnold wasn't the first... and she wasn't the last...This week, Drewby and Yergy continue their coverage of infanticide by microwave - a horrific phenomena that's been taking place over four decades. The perpetrators? The children's own parents. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic...

Feb 21, 202216 min

China Arnold Microwaves Daughter, Then Frames Her Nephew

This week, Drewby & Yergy discuss the case of China Arnold, a Dayton, OH mother of four who did the unthinkable with a very unusual weapon of choice - something I’m sure you too have in your own home. Check out Hollie's masks here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HollsNDolls Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 Instagram: mise...

Feb 14, 202215 min

Rhode Island Protects Child Killers

This week, Drewby and Yergy focus on the state of Rhode Island - a state we very much love to visit. But behind the quaint façade lurks something more sinister than anyone could even imagine. Why are Rhode Island parents killing their kids? And why isn't child protective services doing more to prevent this? Michele Rothgeb is in prison. Olalekan Olawusi and Arinola Olawusi are still at large. Please direct any information regarding their whereabouts to the Rhode Island State Police at (401) 444-...

Feb 07, 202217 min

Otty Sanchez Ate Her Own Child

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the case of Otty Sanchez, a 33 year old mother from San Antonio, Texas, that did the unthinkable. When police responded to the Sanchez family home just before dawn, they discovered a scene so gruesome that they were left shaken. Sanchez was found screaming that the devil made her kill, mutilate and eat parts of her only child, including his brain. She had butchered her baby boy using a steak knife and two samurai swords while her sister and two nieces, ages 5 ...

Jan 31, 202213 min

The Murder of Skylar Neese: The REAL Mean Girls

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the case of Skylar Neese, a teenage girl who disappeared from her home in Star City, West Virginia, around midnight on July 6, 2012. Her body was found on January 16, 2013, in Wayne Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania. Skylar was kidnapped and murdered by two of her high school best friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. On January 3, 2013, Shoaf told authorities that she and Eddy planned and carried out Skylar's murder. Skylar's disappearance led to new Wes...

Jan 24, 202223 min

Gabrielle Swainson + Adriana Laster: Kidnapped in the Midlands

Gabrielle "Gabbiee" Swainson disappeared without a trace from her family home in Columbia, SC on August 18th, 2012 during a 3 to 4 hour period when her mother was at work. Her mother returned home that morning to find Gabbiee's beeping alarm clock, but no sign of her daughter. From the very beginning of the case, there was one lone suspect - 53 year old Freddie Grant, the onetime boyfriend of Gabbiee's mother, who still possessed a key to the family home. Furthermore, how does Gabbiee's disappea...

Jan 16, 202212 min

Missing: Harmony Montgomery Went Unreported For TWO YEARS

In December of 2021, police in the city of Manchester, NH received a missing person complaint by the Division for Children, Youth & Families regarding a 7 year old girl by the name of Harmony Montgomery. According to an affidavit, Manchester Police initially received a call from Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey regarding her whereabouts on November 18th, 2021. The police contacted DCYF to obtain previous addresses for Harmony’s father, Adam Montgomery, but none of those leads panned out, and ...

Jan 10, 202218 min

Shane Cheetham: A Family’s Quest For The Truth

This week, Yergy and Drewby discuss the case of Shane Cheetham, who grew up across the street from Yergy. In 2018, at the age of 43, Shane committed suicide at the home he shared with his estranged wife, Heather - or did he? Shoddy police work, as well as discrepancies between the police and medical examiners reports gave Shane's family pause, and for the last three years, they have been looking for answers. Check out our friends at: https://www.murdershetold.com http://murderific.com/ Support O...

Jan 02, 202248 min

The Kidnapping & Murder of Polly Klaas

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 12 year old Polly Klaas, a young girl who was take from her mother's home in Petaluma, California, during a sleepover with two of her friends. Polly's murder sparked the legislation for California's controversial Three Strikes Act, which was signed into law in 1994, as well as the formation of the Polly Klaas Foundation, a non-profit organization which has helped reunite over 10,000 missing children with their families. Suppor...

Dec 26, 202116 min

Bruce MacArthur: The Toronto Ripper | The REAL Bad Santa

This week, Drewby and Yergy head to the Church and Wellesley in Toronto to discuss the shocking crimes of Bruce MacArthur, a middle aged landscaper and mall Santa, who preyed upon men, in particularly South Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants, whom he had met in Toronto's gay village. We discuss the case with a special focus on the victim' stories, and shine a light on how police could have prevented his murder spree. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For Mo...

Dec 20, 202141 min

Found in Separate Landfills: We Still Have Questions (Jessica Lurvey + Matthew Schofield)

Yergy and Drewby follow back up on the case of Jessica Lurvey and Matthew Schofield, a New Hampshire couple found in separate landfills in different states. We discuss the NH Attorney General's findings, as well as some of the questions that still need answers. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https...

Dec 18, 20219 min

Kids for Cash: The Tragic Death of Cornelius Fredrick

Drewby and Yergy are taking an extended stay in Michigan this week to discuss the the tragic case of Cornelius Fredrick, a 16 year old boy that was murdered under the care of Lakeside, a facility for at-risk youth in Kalamazoo, while being restrained by 7 grown men. The offense that warranted the restraint that ended Cornelius's life? Playfully throwing a sandwich at another resident during lunch. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content...

Dec 13, 202122 min

Delphi Update: Kegan Anthony Kline - Is He Bridge Guy?

Yergy and Drewby bring you a midweek update on the Delphi case out of Indiana - have the police uncovered a new suspect? Or this this just another red herring... Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Instagram: miserymachinepodcast Twitter: misery_podcast Discord: https://di...

Dec 07, 20218 min

Mitchelle Blair: Who Tortures and Locks Their Kids in a Freezer?

This week, Drewby & Yergy travel to Detroit to discuss the chilling case of Mitchelle Blair, a mother of 4 who shook the Motor City after the bodies of two of her children were found locked in a chest freezer in her living room during a routine eviction - which turned into anything but routine. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/D...

Dec 05, 202120 min

The Arroyo Grande Jane Doe Has Been Solved

Drewby and Yergy bring you a midweek special update regarding the positive identification of the Arroyo Grande Jane Doe, who was found deceased in Henderson, Nevada in 1980. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine Join Our Facebook Group to Request a Topic: https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1 PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine Instagram: miserymachinepodcast Twitter: misery_podcast Discord...

Dec 03, 20218 min

URGENT: Lateche Norris Missing - Just as Important as Gabby Petito

Lateche Norris, a beautiful 20 year old TikToker and aspiring tattoo artist from Indiana has gone missing after flying to San Diego just after Halloween to be with her boyfriend, 25 year old Joseph "Joey" Smith. The couple apparently got into another fight on the evening of November 4th. Lateche then called her mother at 5:00 in the morning on November 5th using a stranger’s cell phone. Lateche promised to call back the following day but never did. Cheryl has not heard from her daughter since No...

Dec 01, 20215 min

Why Are New York Parents Killing Their Kids?

This week, Drewby and Yergy discuss two tragic cases out of New York City in which two girls, Nadine Lockwood and Nixzmary Brown, were systematically abused and starved. Despite DHHS involvement, both young girls died at the hands of those who were supposed to be caring for them. Levi's Fundraising Page: https://gofund.me/6b9e4f07 Support Our Patreon For More Unreleased Content: https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine Buy Us A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/miserymachine Join Our Facebook...

Nov 28, 202115 min

PLEASE HELP: There is Nothing More I Can Do For the Ludger Belanger Case

Ludger Belanger has been missing 46 years - please help us bring him home for his family. Ludger lived in Washington, Maine with his wife Linda at the time of his disappearance. Ludger was allegedly murdered for a deer he had shot to help feed his family for the winter. His disappearance is still unsolved. They had three daughters - Michelle, Traci, and Angel, whom was only four months old. Our episode from last year on Ludger's case goes into much more detail about the circumstances surrounding...

Nov 25, 20216 min
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