Halloween Week: Alice Killings

Ladies, gentlemen, Theays and Dems. It's officially the eve of Halloween. My name is Jacko, and for the remaining two days I will continue to be your master of ceremonies here for Halloween Week with Wicked and Grim, the tales have turned and twisted through urban legends, haunted places, and of course murders. However, today we have a tale that will twist and turn even more than you can expect.

Stay to the end.

To heed just how this will upset every aspect of your mind and what your perspective is on this murderous case. Before we dive into the details that will lead us to such resolve, I must introduce your illustrious hosts, without further ado, introducing Ben and Nicole.

Welcome back to Halloween Week. My name's Ben.

And I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked and.

Grim, a true crime podcast, and today I'm drinking tea.

Yeah, we're both drinking tea. It's very nice.

We did a Halloween live for carving pumpkins on Instagram.

Yeah, that was awesome and we.

Had some drinks there and so now it's a it's a calmer evening with us.

Yeah, yeah, we announced a contest actually while we're carving pumpkins, we do want to share about.

That, sure, so over on Instagram. If you go ahead and post a picture of your carve pumpkin in an Instagram story and tag us, we'll check it out and that'll immediately enter you into a giveaway. Do you want to tell them the prize and the giveaway?

It's actually a pretty ep at prize. We're doing a Jacko blanket to the way, like that is so cool.

So a big old fluffy blanket that you can curl up with with a big old picture of Jacko on the front.

Yes.

So it's not a skill based pumpkin carving contest. It's just a you enter your pumpkin and your name's in the draw. As simple as that.

Fun.

Yep. Yeah, So anyone can enter as long as you carve a pumpkin and tag us in an Instagram story. Simple as that. Perfect, And then we'll announce the winner on Halloween, which is tomorrow when we do another Instagram live.

Wow, it's just like getting close, hey it is.

This has been a whirlwind. Halloween week is always super busy for us, of course, episode after episode, but we love doing it. It's so fun. So thank you guys for amazing support this whole way.

It's an awesome week. This afternoon, we also watched The Shining.

We did.

We did look at Us watching? Was is that considered a horror movie?

I think it's a psychological thriller technically.

Look at us go, well, look at me go. You're more into that than I am.

I mean, they're they're cool movies regardless.

Yeah, it was actually good. I enjoyed it.

It was here's Johnny gotta love it.

Classic, classic, and see I didn't really know where that was from before.

Have you not seen The Shining?

No?

Really?

Yeah, I haven't watched many spooky films. Really, we should.

Watch another one tonight, let's do it. Which which one should it be?

I don't know.

I'm gonna have to think on that, think of a good classic one to throw on. Yeah, maybe like a Friday the thirteenth. Have you seen those ones?

I feel like I've seen because there's more than one right, Oh yeah, yeah, so I feel like I've seen some. Okay, like just just look at the list that we put out last year. I'm like the movies and maybe pick one off there because we did we did a list last year of the best I.

Forgot all about that list. Oh did you I think we should have done one this year too, Yeah, did one last year.

That's okay. Yeah, we can even re share that.

Yeah, we'll take a look at that list and see what else we should watch. Yeah, well, I think we should get onto this case. We shouldn't BLib lab too much. If that's even a word, I don't know, but I think we carry onto this case. It's a Wicked and Graham terminology. Official in the dictionary. It means blabbing, if you blid blab.

To blab onwards and onwards.

Oh, it means to blab excessively on the introduction of your podcast episode. That's what it's official definition.

Let's dictionary, let's do it.

So, yeah, no more blid blabbing. Let's get into this case.

Let's dive in.

You ready, I am so. As Jacko alluded, there is a bit of a twist at the end of this, so be prepared for that.

And he said stay till the end.

Yes, So yeah, without further ado, let's let's let's do this. So. This is known as the Alice Killings, and it takes place in Japan. Oh, okay, so this took place between nineteen ninety nine and two thousand and five. Now, a series of five murders occurred. Sorry, I gotta like it.

Just my microf out here. Wasn't actually that long ago?

No, it wasn't. So the five killings on their own didn't seem really connected in any way to authorities. They may never have actually drawn a line from one to the other because they were so different, really, had it not been for a calling card that was left behind at each of the crime scenes. So the killer would leave a random playing card at each scene in a very conspicuous location. Now, that in itself is probably enough. But the card had something very specific pick tying them all together.

Okay.

In fact, it was written right on the face of the card, and it would contain the name Alice, and it would be written in the victim's blood.

Oh my gosh, gross, I hate that.

Yeah. So if that's not and of course that's where it gets the nickname the Alice Killings.

Oh my gosh. So it would just say Alice in the victim's blood, correct, Wow, Okay, as simple as.

That, just just Alice. And then people were asking who the fuck is Alice? I think that went over yet.

That's a song I know, Alice, Alice. I was thinking, Alice, are you okay? I made it better? Alice, are you okay?

I can't remember who sings it, but the song goes Alice Alice?

Who the fuck is Alice? I have living.

Next door to Alice Alice? Yeah yeah, so so yeah, left police wondering who the fuck is Alice? So well, this story starts, out of course with our first victim. Now, this victim was twenty nine year old restaurant to her and like I said, this is Japans. These are Japanese names. Sasaki Megumi, okay. Now, she was known for being a great cook and chef and dedicated to her work as a restaurant owner. So those who knew her described her as headstrong with a short temper and sharp tongue when

That's fair.

Yeah, I can't judge anyone for that. I mean, if you're sitting here trying to run a business and open a restaurant, you wanted to succeed, and then you have like a cook or a server that comes in and they're just being a douche canoo. Yeah, of course you're going to get a sharp tongue towards him, right.

Restaurants like the restaurant in the street's very competitive, right.

Oh yeah, and it's a high rate of failure for a new restaurant to open.

I mean that's stressful.

Yeah. So anyways, one night, Sasaki was attending a party at her friend's house. She was having some drinks, hanging out and most importantly, unloading some of that stress that comes along with being a business owner and entrepreneur.

Okay, very important to do that more often.

I think it's important for everyone to relax in.

Some way shape r I know, but especially like being a business owner. Sometimes it's just it's hard to not be a workaholic.

That's true.

Yeah.

So as the evening went on, the drinks kept coming, and according to eyewitnesses who were at the party who have friends and everything. She was a little bit too drunk to drive. She definitely shouldn't have been driving home, and she probably shouldn't be going home on her own. Regardless of the situation, several people offered to drive her home or a company or on the route home to ensure she made it nice and safe, but for one

So well, honestly that makes sense too. And honestly, terms, if you haven't had a few too many drinks though, you'd think you're still fine when you're not. Oh yeah, yeah, I can make it home, like, yeah, don't worry about me.

So, for one reason or another, she did refuse the offers, and she left the party, walking off into the night by herself at about one am. This was the last time she was ever seen a lot.

Dang saw that coming for sure.

So the following day, her body was found in some woods only about a mile from her house. Shit A couple was walking down the overgrown path when they came across a huge stain of blood in the dirt in front of them. Now, thinking someone may be hurt and in need of assistance or help in some way, they followed the trail of blood a short distance and just

Are you fucking me?

That's what the story says.

Holy shit.

Yeah, so it was not a pretty sight. It was a brutal scene, especially for someone just kind of like on a stroll in the woods.

Right, Yeah, that's brutal and like, oh what she went through? Okay?

Yeah, So after authorities were called and the investigation began, they found a playing card, the Jack of Spades, with the word Alice written in her blood, and the card was found crammed into her mouth.

Oh my gosh, Okay.

This was the only thing the killer left behind. No DNA, no murder weapon, no footprints, no forensic evidence was ever found from this case. Only the playing card.

Tell me this case is a solved one. You don't have to, but please, for the love of God, let it be solved.

I can't say that without giving away the twist at the end.

Kat.

The second victim was a young man named Yamain Akioh now Yumaine was the singer of a small time band that had high hopes of making it to the top, just like any young aspiring artist, right so, currently they mostly played small local gigs like bars and parties, and Yamaine's friends described him as a kind of soul who may have had a loud voice while performing, but would never really raise his voice off stage, right, so he

Holy, Okay, how can you just carry a body in a garbage bag like that? Oat?

Yeah, so there's questions around that for sure.

Well, and then it also seems like this person like he's targeting someone and he knew them.

Well, you will definitely see if there is a there's a correlation to targeting this individual here in a moment, you'll see this. No matter how hard they looked into the footage and asked around, no one is able to identify the strange person, and Jamaine continued to remain missing. A week into the investigation, police got a phone call from a local bar where Yumaine and his band often play. Inside the bar, the owner had found ya.

Mean passed away deceased.

He was found sitting at one of the tables with his vocal cords ripped out, laying on the table in front of him, and he had been shot in the head. Holy, So this individual would have clearly known that this is a place where he performed. Yeah, vocal cords clearly knows he's a vocal artist. So clearly there is something there now in his hands. Authorities found a playing card clasped in his fingers, and the playing card was the King of Diamonds, and on that card in his blood.

It said Alice.

Alice. After his death, the musician group broke up and didn't want to replace their vocal artists, so they just went their separate ways.

Oh that's really sad. This is I mean, not that, I mean for both these victims. It's both of them. Seemed like they just had so much promise ahead of them, right, that just got completely taken away.

That's true. So the third victim was a teenage girl named Kai Sakura. She was kind pretty well liked by her classmates and she was reported missing by her parents and her remains would be found two days after the report was filed. She was buried and discovered in a shallow grave that was marked with a stick stuck out on the fresh dirt that was on top of where she laid. Now, on top of the stick that was stuck into the ground, there was a playing car.

Oh shit, Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

The Queen of Clubs was attached at the top with the bloody name Alice once again written on it. When she was exhumed, it was found that she was brutally mutilated. She had suffered a horrible death, as her eyes had been cut out and was skinned alive.

Wo oh seriously.

On her head a crown had been sewn into place, and a note was left laying on top of her body. Now, most of it was incoherent words and phrases, but a few were eligible, and they read death is a distorted dream. It will always rule, and the one who died is lucky.

Hm.

Who the fuck is doing this? Hey? Because these are just like more than just kills, Like it's quite disturbing. It's very disturbing what this person is doing to these people.

Yeah, so where's your head at on this? Because, like I said, remember, there is a major twist at the end, and I don't think you're going to see it coming.

I know, I know, because like it doesn't really seem like these people are connected and like he's a serial killer, but they're also not very close together necessarily the murders, because this was a span over like five years or so when he did five right.

Correct, six years I believe, nineteen ninety ninety, two thousand and five.

I have absolutely no idea what the twist could be like, I have no idea. Is it that it was like a police officer?

Uh?

No, definitely not.

Huh, I have no idea, no idea, Hey, Like, I mean, I feel like I'm going to be like, oh I should have known.

Well no, because it's so left field. Okay, So that is the first three victims. The next two victims were young Hayoto and hina Oshiro. On April fourth of two thousand and five, the two young brothers oh my, found laying in their beds sleeping brutal but the only problem is their parents couldn't wake them up. It was found that they died in the middle of the night and they were subject to a lethal injection of an unknown substance. Is a puncture wound was found on the back of both of their hands.

Seriously, this see none of these I can't even see connection to any of them. So I'm struggling here. And their bodies were just looked pretty much the same, except that they had this puncture wound and were injected with a poison.

Correct now, of course, like there was a playing card found of the scene too, though, Yeah, the Ace of Spades with the same bloody name written on it was ripped in half and each brother had clasped one half half in their hands.

Oh my gosh. Okay, those poor parents. This is a nightmare.

Well, arguably this there is. You could argue that there's six victims because the trauma and loss of both their children drove the mother to commit suice shortly later. Wow, left the father alone now because.

That's these were their only two children.

Correct?

Holy shit?

It was haunted by the loss of his family and was forced to seek psychological care, hence mental health problems that followed.

That's too much for anyone.

So shortly after the death of the two brothers, police managed to make their first arrest, The first and only arrest, a homeless man by the name of Suzuko Utah who had a history of mental health problems. And he stated that he could not remember where he was during any time of any of these murders. Okay, this, however, isn't grounds for Suzuko to get arrested. Really, Oh, I don't know where I was, right, and I've got some history

Okay, but I feel like it could have just been left on the ground or could have ended up being like less somewhere or donated or something like. I feel like.

That that's the problem. Suzuko swore he never stole the jacket, he claimed, and I quote a demon man dressed in black who had no face, oh, gave it to him.

Okay, Yeah, who had no face? What does that even mean?

Good question?

It sounds horrible. Yeah, Like I'm thinking he was just wearing a mask or something. Maybe well it.

Could be that, or he couldn't have seen his face or who knows what, or maybe he had some scarring or I don't know, but that's that's a quote. A demon man dressed in black who had no face gave it to him.

Okay, And like he was probably giving that away in for a reason, right, for a reason of just throwing the place off.

Could be I mean, that's if that is the case, that's a smart move, right, an individual taking something from the scene, giving it to someone else, ensuring that they can't see my face, they don't know who I am, to throw them off, and being like they're now they have a lead, they're gonna chase this guy.

Yeah, so it's smart.

However, a homeless man might not be the best person, because I mean, only luck would really tie fish or authorities to them.

Yeah, but who else would even necessarily want it? Right?

True? I mean maybe you should plant it somewhere in someone's car.

Or something, I guess, But if I found a jacket just planted in my car, I'd probably just be like, what the frig and donate it.

Or throw in the garbage. I mean, authorities searching a friend's car or something, and they don't even know it's there, Like you know what I mean?

Okay, ye, yeah.

So that's my thought on if I were to throw them off with false evidence, I would probably plant it somewhere rather than just being like random homeless guy who I hope they find it. Yeah, I'd put it somewhere.

Where I betterly was concerned that the homeless person was cold.

Maybe and I was just like, here, that's true. We might have a very forgiving murder, murdering individual with no face on our hands.

Yeah, but he sounds like a plain monster. So I can't think of him doing any good. But I'm just like throwing it out there.

Yeah. Well, at any rate, no claim on how he obtained the jacket was ever able to be proven, whether it be by officials or Suzuka himself. Okay, so police had let him go. They didn't have anything on him at this point. Even still, as it turns out, though, many witnesses were able to confirm Suzuka's whereabouts, even if he couldn't remember himself. Yeah. On one night, for example, one of the murders, he was five miles away at a shelter location.

Okay, so he seems like he's a clear.

Yeah, he's kind of in the clear. Police have nothing on him. It's just kind of like, how did he end up with this jacket? It's kind of strange, right, And his mental problems prevent him from really knowing where he was or recalling any.

Information, which is sad for him.

Yeah. So he was the only suspect ever in the case of the Alice killings, and the case remains a mystery to this day, Oh you're serious.

I thought you were gonna be like in to.

Well, truthfully, here's the twist. You ready for this?

I'm ready? Yeah? I really want to know.

There are no such killings in Japan. There is no such thing as the Alice killings. Huh, these never happened? What or at least nothing where any records are there to prove?

Really?

Really? Now, the problem is there is this story that exists. I researched this story. Okay, yeah, now for a story to not ever have happened. There is some extreme details depicting this case.

Oh yeah, it sounds like this legitly happened.

There are names, there are dates, there are locations, which lead many people to ask questions, how come we know so much? Is it just a completely fabricated story or is there more to it behind it, such as like a cover up? But there are no recorded cases of these ever occurring in Japan?

Can my head hurts? This is confusing? This isn't This is something I would have never guessed.

That's what I was telling you. It's a complete fucking twist.

Yeah, there's no way I would have gotten that. Ever.

Ever, your face is fucking hilarious.

Well, I'm just like what I feel like I need an advilmwds now to trying to figure this out.

Take a sip of tea.

Geez.

Okay, Well, whether or not this case is true or false, the fact remains there is no evidence. I mean basically what it says is there's as much evidence as this case as there is the Lockness Monster. This as as far as right now, it's just an urban legend.

Wow, a very very turban legend.

This is as if the Lockness Monster, we were able to say how long it was, how much it weighed, the color of its skin, color of its eyes, where it lived, what it ate like. That's how comparatible this is.

So this doesn't make any sense.

Well, I mean this this is a bit of a shorter episode today here, but before we do wrap this up, we I do need to mention one more thing, okay, a little bit more of another twist.

Oh my gosh, I don't know if I can take anymore.

There was a murderer in Spain who operated in two thousand and three. He was convicted of killing six people and left playing cards at his crime scene. His name was Alfred or sorry Alfredo Galan, and he is known as the Playing Card Killer. He has since been sentenced to one hundred and forty two years in prison and potentially is the inspiration for the Alice Killings and its story.

Hmm, but he the Alice Okay, So, like the story came out after two thousand and three, basically.

I mean, I can't. I couldn't find anywhere that's said when this story came out. However, the last Alice killing was in two thousand and five, right, yeah, so potentially this whole story did come out later.

Yeah, huh, Okay, It's very odd that there's so much detail. It they sound it sounds believable that these events happened.

Doesn't it. So there is literally no clear indication if it's true, whether that this case of the Playing Card Killer from Spain actually inspired this. There is no clear indication if this is real, false, just an urban legend, or a fucking creepy pasta someone wrote up. All we know is there are stories, consistent stories with consistent names and details on these individuals, and it's called the Alice Killings.

Like even to the extent the one where the two boys died and the mom ends up committing suicide and the dad needs psychiatric help from what he went through. Like, oh my gosh, yep, huh wow, Okay, I feel like you just took us through the ringer here I did. That's through the ringer. I don't know.

Wow, that's the case of the Alice killings. Like I said bit shorter today. Yeah, but I think this is a worthwhile story on discussing, and I kind of want to discuss the idea of urban legends a little bit here, just one on one, unscripted. I don't have any more written down, so I kind of want to discuss urban legends with you. One of the reasons why I wanted to cover this a because when I first heard of

Well, yeah, if you had put this one in there, I would definitely have thought this was true.

I did think about it, yeah, if I'm being honest, because I did discover this while I was researching a bunch of cases to bring up for Halloween. So, but one of the things I wanted to ask you is if there's any urban legends that you know of off the top of your head.

Oh, my gosh, off the top of my head.

Yes, because I know like there's there's lots like there is Lockness Monster, there is Bigfoot, for example, or Sasquatch. We actually have one here in BC, the ogo pogram.

Yeah, that's that. As you were chatting here, that came to my mind.

Yeah, so I kind of I don't know, do you believe in the yoga pogo?

Oh my goodness, there was this Okay, this was just recently in the new Shit. I should have sent it to you, but I think it was Okanagan Lake. And did you see that photo?

I did see it.

Yes, it almost looked like it was like a wolf or something underwater, but it had horns or something.

Yes, So there is a new photo that was taken this month. Yeah, in the Okanagan Lake that people are saying is the yoga pogo. Yeah, there's like horns poking up out of the top of the water.

It's super bizarre. And the face I can kind of see it, I guess in a sense. But then where's the rest of the thing's body.

Well, I think the idea is that it's like it's neck is going down into the water.

And oh, oh my gosh. I mean I did zoom into the photo and it was incredibly alarming. I could hardly look at it. It was a bit much for me.

I think that photo is complete bullshit because to me, those two individuals who took the photo, they're like twenty feet away from it in the middle of the lake, right yeah, and they're like the only capture one photo, and then they just took off like fuck off.

And that's why I think that this thing, they would have been able to see some more of the bottom. Yeah.

Well, the claim was that they were sitting there in the lake, they saw this thing, they took a photo. It wasn't moving, it looked like it was sleeping, so they left because they thought it would be dangerous.

Well, I would probably fuck off. Would you really want to investigate that?

If it's the fucking og pogo, I'm getting right up to it. I'm gonna be poking it with a fucking fishing net fishing pole.

Would you be going the water?

No? No, I would be like ready to drive away in the boat, and I would be like getting close, I'd be filming, I'd be getting all the evidence. I could not just one si I photograph.

It does seem interesting.

The one single photograph makes me say, no, that's not real because you had an opportunity to get so much and you only took one photograph.

Because nowadays, I mean, it's so easy just to take a million photos or a video on your phone.

Right.

I think it was like a piece of wood or something floating in the water and they're like, hey, what is that and took a picture and just happened to catch an angle where it looks odd like it could be the yoga pogo, And then they released it and be like, yeah, we saw the yoga pogo, and they're completely bullshitting. That's my thought, so fuck them. I think it's false.

I don't know. I don't know, but yeah, other than that, off the top of my head, I don't feel like I can really think of any other urban legends.

Well, I do want to kind of point with this Alice killings and just like this photo, isn't it bizarre how something can go viral like this without any concrete evidence? And our imaginations can take us and we'll just fucking believe it. Like we'll just believe it. Like I said, these individuals one photograph and it hit like nationwide news.

Oh yeah it was. It was all over into the.

News because it it looks odd. Yeah, that's it, like.

What I know.

But I also feel like with today's technology, someone should have been able to zoom in enough or figure it out.

Well, there is a theory someone had that it might be like a bird underwater or something like that. I don't know. Again, I also will call bullshit because they would have known that the bird would be swimming, would have disappeared, would have popped up.

But yeah, I have no idea. I love swimming in that lake.

It's a nice light.

Yeah.

But yeah, the fact that these things can go so viral catch your imagination without an ounce or shred of any sort of evidence blows my mind, and people will just believe it and they will wholeheartedly go into it and accept it as fact. Yep. It's crazy.

Yeah, like crazy, well, especially too the amount of details and stuff like, especially in this case that you had that it just does seem believable. I mean, if you were just like yeah, there's like this these five murders and like this calling card and stuff like I'd probably believe you. But it's like the more details, the more believable, right too, But it doesn't take much to create demails else, No, it doesn't.

Like there's a story of Simon Jansen, whereas I think it was somewhere in the Eastern States. He was off on a carnival with a bunch of friends after a high school like dance thing. It was in the evening. They ditched the dance and went off to this carnival. There was three friends they went off. I think they were going to the carnival. It was on the way there they ended up getting hit by a vehicle and

I mean, people are good storytellers nowadays too, right, right, But like that.

Just shows all you need is to just write a story.

Yeah, I thought that you were doing it. You were going to just you're creating it. Not creating another urban legend, but like just recounting one, Well, it.

Just made up. I was just making it up, and that's all it takes. So when you guys are looking at tails, when you are listening to stories, question these things. That's part of what we do here with a lot of the research is really trying to define the truth.

Yeah, because there is even with real life cases and cases that happened, there's a lot of misinformation out there too.

Oh yeah, it's easy to get misinformation. I'm not saying that we're perfect either, Oh.

No, I'm sure we've mess some things up definitely.

So Yeah, anyways, I just want to have the little urban legend chat at the end there.

M hm.

So let us know if you guys have a favorite urban legend, what you think of this, if you think these alice killings could potentially be true, because like I said, there's not a shred of evidence to say it is unless you connect it to the one in Spain.

Hmm, that's crazy. Wow, you just blew our minds. Thanks for that.

Yeah, sorry, I want to have a little bit of fun with that one, so, oh my gosh. Yeah, don't forget about a little pumpkin carving contest. Yeah, we got that over on Instagram. I want to give them the breakdown on it real quick on what they have to do again.

Yeah, it's honestly super simple and it's probably something you're already doing. So any pumpkin that you've carved, snap a foe it, put it on your story tag us, and you're entered into a draw to win a jackal blanket, which is pretty dang cool.

Yeah, you can snuggle up with it and give it to your dog, take a camping, put it on your bed, you couch for those movie nights when you're watching those epic horror movies. Perfect.

Yeah, it's awesome. And we'll also post about this too, because yeah we're gonna do the draw. We're all going live on Halloween night and yeah, we'll do the draw at.

That time exactly. Until then, we've got a lot of socials on our description. You can go ahead check all those out Instagram, so you can go join that contest Facebook, we got a website, YouTube, you name it. It's all down below. And also we do ask that you go ahead and give our podcast a rating if you have the time and if you so feel so that you want to do that, you'd appreciate.

It, Yeah, we absolutely would.

So that's the episode. We'll see it tomorrow when it's officially Halloween. Wow.

I can't believe it's already here.

Right, So until then, stay Wicked.

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