The Alpine Manor Murders

Old age is a gift that is not granted to many. We take for granted the years as they pass by, and it's easy to discount the wisdom that comes with the experience of life. In today's episode, the experience and wisdom that came with old age wasn't the only thing that was discredited, but in fact, their value of their very life seemed to be in question. This is the

My name's Ben and I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked and Grim, a true crime podcast.

Warning the following podcast and material intended for mature I listen, you gave me quite the face with that intro.

I also didn't get the memo to open my drink.

I just went with it for the intro.

I'm sorry, Hey, I'm opening my now because I was like, oh, this sounds like a really nice podcast. I was like, because I actually say that often, that like, aging is a gift basically, right, Oh yeah, definitely, It's not granted to everyone. And so I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm really digging this and then it went real, so reality struck, yeah, real, sel real quick, Well.

Wait till we actually get into the episode, because it's it's dark, it sucks and yay not yea, not yeay whatsoever. Awesome, but we do have a couple of things we want to touch on here before we get into the episode. Particularly last week we said we are going to be airing that as the first video episode. Ever, however, we did have problem with one camera. I think we even talked about it that off. Yeah, we lost half the footage for Nicole's angle, so you would have been just

Yeah awesome.

We also want to thank our patrons because they're signing up, they're supporting us getting behind the scenes and getting an extra episode which airs the last day of the month, which is also tomorrow or today whenever you're listening to it, or maybe yesterday or who knows when.

Right, all depends January thirty.

First, there we go. But we have these people to thank for signing up for Patreon. So we have Chantel Barrio, Tamara Newcombe, Nicole, Mary Gabriel Hill, and Monica Keys. Thank you so much. You guys appreciate it awesome. Yeah, so they get all that good stuff over on Patreon. If you want to find the link links down below, you can go ahead check it out, subscribe, or you can just be here and show with us. That's cool too.

I actually know on Nicole Marie you do, so I'm curious if that's the one that.

I think, if it's the Nicole Marie yeah, or if it's a Nicole Marie yeah, or another min Nicole Marie.

A lot of people have similar earth the same names, right touche.

So, I mean, I've never met another Ben Gibson, but I'm sure there is others out there. There is a Ben Gibbons, Gibbons, a local Ben Gibbons town.

Yeah, And it always I see them comments sometimes and I'm like, I'm like, oh, I don't know, it startles me.

Yeah, not me. That's it. That's the knockoff version of me, or maybe I'm the knockoff version of them. I don't know, but either way.

And then yeah, we should also mention that we're putting this out a smidge late.

Yeah, yeah, well, I mean it's it's not technically late. It's the same day.

It's the same day, but it's not like midnight of that day.

We usually aim to upload the second the day starts, at least on Pacific standard time at midnight the episodes released, but we had some power outage issues and stuff like that, so we're a little bit delayed today.

Yeah. Well, we had quite the storm last night. It was a bit alarming.

Yeah, you could say that again.

And living in a tiny home like during a storm is next level.

You feel much more exposed. That's for sure.

It has its benefits, but it's also kind of weird too at the same time.

Yeah, it's like, I don't know, a camper and RV sort of situation. You're just like very there in the storm. It's like, whoa, we have a tin roof and we live in a little tiny loft where we sleep, so we're just like the storm is right.

There, and shit's hitting the roof and it's really shit.

HiT's the roof. Yeah, definitely, but we are we good to go into this? Ready for the episode?

I think? So?

Okay? Yeah, well, let's dive into the alpine manner murders, shall we?

Let's do ward?

Okay? So in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ed Chambers and his wife, Marguerite were an unbreakable team. Together. They had four children and lived a very successful life with their careers. But their life, however, did take an unexpected turn in nineteen seventy two when Ed began to notice a subtle shift in Marguerite's once vibrant personality. The woman who he had known to have been highly intelligent and quick witted, was

Yeah. I don't know if you do, but I don't have any experience with like any loved ones with that, But it just seems like it would it would just be awful, like just awful for them themselves. But also say if it's like your mom or your dad or whatever and they're slowly like forgetting who you are, Oh, it's heartbreaking.

Yeah, I know for me, Like I forget a lot of shit. You tell me like, hey, we got plans next weekend, I'm like, oh, gotcha, and then I forget it like in five minutes. Other than that, definitely no experience with Alzheimer's or any sort of dementia. Yeah, counter lucky stars so far. Anyways, So, as the years unfolded, Marguerite was left unable to perform the simplest of daily tasks.

Oh that seems perfect.

Yeah, it became a lifeline essentially, right so that Ed could actually even like he could walk to go see her at his leisure Alpine Manor had four wings, each of its own had its nursing stations. The facility, contrary to Ed's preconceived notions of a cold, sterile box, was something much different. It exuded a surprising warmth. The air was tinged with cleanliness, and the staff donned an impeccable attire, and they graced the common areas, mingling within all the residents.

It almost sounds kind of cozy, Like.

I want to go there and like put my self in there, almost like it's like, damn, that sounds like a life, you know.

Yeah, it sounds comfortable and cozy, and that's exactly what they were aiming for, and that's exactly what they're delivering, And that's exactly what Ed was hoping for with Marguerite, to have something like this Not only that, though, the residents even had the luxury of a beauty shop being in house, and there was a dedicated dining room where they could.

Share meals, and it was just like there was even craft activities and the opportunity for social studies classes so they can keep up on like current events and everything. Wow, it was fantastic to say the least. Now, despite the way that guilt set upon Ed's shoulders as they made the difficult transition with Marguerite attending Alpine Manor, the unexpected homely ambiance of the facility perfided a very bittersuite kind of solace to them.

Right.

Yeah, Now, Alpine Manor had actually even earned accolades from Michigan health departments as a standout nursing home. It was a perfect solution for both Marguerite and Ed. Like so, by mid nineteen eighties, Marguerite's deteriorating condition had now confined her to the world where walking and talking were distant memories.

Oh man, that's sad.

Yeah, she's living within the Alpine Manor Home and she's just getting worse and worse as the years goales on. Ed witnessed the heartbreaking transformation as she spent her entire days curled up into a ball, gently rocking back and forth, but undeterred, Ed remained committed. He would visit her every single day.

Okay, I feel that he is like husband.

Of the year, husband of the yeah century, maybe even who.

Knows doing a good job there.

Definitely so in the quiet moments of connection that he had with Marguerite, though, they were able to communicate just a little bit. Whenever he reached out his hand towards her and Ed's voice filled the room, he would sip beside her. Whatever the case. You could kind of see this like fleeting eye contact apparently, where she just kind of got happy again, where she became, even for a moment, the person who she once was.

Oh my gosh, that makes me want to cry.

Ed after these visits would gently tuck Margerite into bed, leaving her in the care of the dedicated staff on his way out. It was a nightly ritual and they would do this every single time.

Oh. I mean, you could only be so lucky to have an Ed.

I feel like everyone should strive to have an edge basically. Now, of course, Marguerite was not the only person living within the walls of Alpine Manor. There were many others, both patients and healthcare professionals like operating within these walls. So this brings us to twenty three year old Kathy Wood. She had harbored dreams of a career in healthcare. Her journey had started with voluntary work as a nursing assistant

Awesome.

Yeah, Kathy found herself aiding individuals with tasks ranging for minor assistance to dressing to showering to providing comprehensive care for high needs residents, encompassing daily activities such as eating, drinking, bathing, turning in bed to turning the patients in bed to prevent pressure sores. Her diligence and good nature basically quickly made her very likable, not only within the residence but also within the staff that she was working with as well.

Okay, because that's not I mean, all those things you described, that's not an easy job.

No, it's not anyone who's doing these sort of jobs. It's difficult, not only physically, but I'm sure mentally as well.

Absolutely, and she was.

She was a very hard worker. She was also said to be very intelligent and easy to talk to as well. She seemingly like seamlessly just integrated in with the rest of the staff and fit in with like the resident community. It swiftly like earned her as a reputation of a valued member of not only working here, but that tight

She sounds kind of like an angel.

Well, yeah, she was doing everything she could, and she was doing really well, and she was thriving, which I think is most important. I think if you can use the word thriving in terms of a home like this, I think it's a good thing.

Oh yeah, through and through well, I mean I volunteered like that at one point, thinking that's what I wanted to do, and then I was like, not for me. So I think people that choose to do that and you know, do a good job are just amazing because it's so necessary. We need them.

Props to them now. An unintended consequence of her of her genuine nature and infectious personality was the attention she garnered from her peers. Colleagues affectionately followed her, hanging on every word she spoke. It was a stark contrast from what she was actually used to. So throughout her married life she became very self conscious with herself. She grappled with her weight, reaching almost four hundred and fifty pounds

That's awesome.

So this made her want to go to work, and it even actually prompted her to take double shifts willingly because she just liked it there that much. Yeah. Now, in the unfolding months, Kathy's transformation became a bit of a concern for her husband, Ken. Days off, which used to be you know, family time, right now saw Kathy immersing herself in with socializing with the Alpine Manner staff, which I mean you get friends at work.

Oh yeah, to get that totally.

But a notable shift began to emerge as Kathy would, who had never really consumed alcohol before, would now return home from these gatherings quite drunk or even high and just kind of like almost in a daze or a stupor sort of thing. Okay, I mean she went from basically a dedicated stay at home wife and mother to now this constantly working individual who then was going out and partying in her spare time and almost not having a family life anymore.

Okay.

She even like displayed little interest in spending any time with her daughter.

Okay, because at first it was like good for her, because I mean, just doing it periodically or whatever.

Is more than Oh yeah, no, enjoy yourself for sure.

Yeah. If it's taking away pretty much all your time from your family, that's not great.

This was was becoming a problem, Okay. Yeah. Tensions escalated at home, and they were marked by frequent fights between Kathy and Ken. Kathy also began sharing with Ken the gossip circulating you know, around the nursing aids at the matter, which that happens. There's gossip at work, you talk, I get it. Yeah. She had hell tales of love triangles, drunken threesomes, altercations, between love rivals, and he was just like people are like fighting, fucking and doing everything else

Yeah? I mean that would probably alarm us spous a little bit.

Right, Yeah, Yeah, for sure. He's basically like, what the hell's going on at outline? Manner?

Yeah? Wow?

But I mean as of right now, like the facility is still operating good. The residents are getting care and that's the important part. As long as it doesn't spill in between that line or crossover. I mean, I think that's important.

Yeah.

Now, on September of nineteen eighty six, only six months after Kathy had joined Alpine Manor, she dropped a bombshell and Ken she had fallen in love with someone else, an eighteen year old fellow nursing aid named Dawn. After seven years of marriage, Kathy wanted a divorce.

Okay, at first, eighteen was a little alarming, but I guess she would have been a bit young on Yeah.

Yeah she was. Yeah, I believe if I'm not mistaken, I think she's about twenty three.

Okay, Okay, So Ken hope.

This was just a passing phase and she would return to him. McAthy was adamant, and so Ken decided to take their daughter and the two of them lived in a hotel while Kathy remained in their family home. Now alone, she was struggling to make ends meet without Ken's financial support, and Kathy found herself in a bit of a pickle. I actually wrote precarious situation, but I just really wanted to say pickle for some reason. In that moment, I was like, no, pickle sounds better.

It does. I enjoyed that.

Who doesn't enjoy good pickle?

No? Dang, yeah, they're good.

So the situation she found herself in was a fellow Alpine Manor staff member who was introduced to her through a nursing head friend was twenty two year old Gwen Graham. Although Gwen lacked prior nursing experience, she had taken on

Okay, yeah, so.

The nursing staff nerthing. Nursing nursing staff at the Manor found amusement in the contrasting appearance in the newly formed couple between Kathy and Gwen. Gwen had an athletic build, stood about five foot two inches tall, weighed about one hundred and forty pounds, had bunch of freckles, and a red haired mullet. Okay, well, In contrast, Kathy stood about six feet tall, possessed her larger frame, striking blue eyes,

Right, Yeah, I mean yeah, it makes sense yep.

Now, beyond their physical appearances, though, the duo found common ground in their troubled upbringings. Cathy's pass was marked by a strict and physical abuse with her father, with her assuming a caregiver role as well for her siblings, and her mother just kind of took a back seat. Meanwhile, Gwen had endured the trauma of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by her own father, leading to self harm as a coping mechanism during her teenage years. Neither of those situations

Ugh, oh that seems terrible.

Yeah, not good.

Yeah.

About a month into Gwen's employment, another new nursing aide joined the night shift. She was in the middle of responding to a residence call because I mean, they have like a call button, right, Yeah, So she's in the middle of responding to a call and entered the dark room because it's the middle of the night. So the resident, you know, laying in bed, pushed the button, gets a call, and to her surprise, she found the resident fast asleep. So she's kind of like, what the hell.

Yeah, that's a bit weird.

So she searched for the mysterious like act like why the button was activated sort of thing. Yeah, did they roll over in the button or whatever. She's standing next to the bed, kind of looking at the resident and maybe searching for the button, and all of a sudden a hand grabbed her ankle from underneath the bed, prompting her to panic. She screamed and fled the room myself. Yeah, and she woke up quite a few of the residents

I mean, I get that, but I also don't like that's maybe a bit too far, especially.

When you're dealing with residents like that, and like you just woke them.

Up and disturbed them, right, Yeah, yikes.

Yeah. So from here, Gwen's practical jokes like this only began to escalate, leaving both staff and residents in a perpetual state of like, is she standing around the corner? What's going to happen next? Right? When she reveled in playing these tricks in our colleagues, she would actually turn beds, Like she'd go into rooms when other nursing aids are aren't around, she'd turn the beds around, so when they come in the room, it's like, what the heck, like

Oh okay, I don't know if I love this.

She even began removing wire screens from windows that backed onto the courtyard, which allowed her swift escape if she needed to, like to get out of there so people don't catch her in the act sort of thing. Seriously, on next level, she would even like wait outside these windows and like bang on the windows really hard to like scare people inside. So, yeah, she was taking a little far.

Yeah, it doesn't really sound like it matches like the description how you describe this place initially, right, Like it seemed like kind of calming.

And that's exactly what it was.

Yeah, she's not.

Yeah, and I mean I understand practical jokes, don't get me wrong, I really do. But there's like you got to kind of, like you said, match that sort of energy of your place. Yeah, And understand who you're playing pranks on, and you got to you got to do it cautiously and carefully and ensure there's no harm done to anyone. Yeah, you're playing pranks on this like with your coworkers, there's there's collateral damage with these residents.

Well yeah, and I just feel like that, like the dark is scary enough. I mean, I don't know, I don't love dark situations. And then also you're kind of in a place where, like people, there's a lot of death and stuff. Yeah, Like I just I think that would make me feel very uneasy, to be honest.

Yeah, no, I can't blame you. Now, the Nighthouse supervisor, Tish PRIs Scott found herself caught in the crossfire of Gwen's antics. So she's kind of in charge, right, and it's like, now this is all happening. It's people are like what the fuck? Yeah, So she's fed up with the Shenanigans, and Tish identified Kathy Would and Gwen as the instigators behind much of the trouble. So these pranks

Okay, this has gone way too far.

No, it's starting to get onto abuse now, yeah, is what it is. Yeah. Now, despite Tish's attempts to separate Kathy and Gwen, all they would do is they would just switch shifts with other nursing aids to ensure they're still back on the same schedule shift with each other, so they could continue doing this.

I'm feeling like Gwen is a bad influence on Kathy potentially, yeah, because it just doesn't really seem like Kathy's mL to me.

No, No, okay, well you do have to remember some of these tendencies that she was starting to do before she was.

Changing a bit. I guess, yeah, okay, because I'm thinking, like the og Kathy, the og Kathy, and this is not like a two point zero version, this is a negative.

Yeah. Now. There were also reports that began circulating that apparently some nursing aids I'm assuming Kathy and Gwen in particular, but it's nursing aids. I'm encompassing all who were sneaking off for romantic encounters in unoccupied beds of the residency. Tish, with this information, took her concerns about Kathy and Gwen to the director of nursing and emphasized the two were jeopardizing the well being of those under their care. In a plea for intervention, she stated, quote, those two are

Well, I mean, they're kind of in a tough position. If they already have a shortage, right, they can need these two.

That's true. Yeah, they were dealing with quite a shortage as well. So yeah, and I don't I think that's a contrast between back in the eighties to now. It's like, yeah, during persons break, like you could go off and get drunk the pub basically and come back and perform your work, whereas nowadays it's like, yeah, no way. It's a lot different from then now it's quite stark. One night now, on December nineteenth, eighty six, this marked a particularly distressing

Hammered like there's yeah, there's no way that she can do her job.

No, she can barely walk, let alone do her job. She supposed to be caring for people. I don't think so. But however, to everyone's surprise, Gwen was back on shift the very next night at four thirty one am without any repercussions.

Wow, I mean I feel bad for that. The supervisor too, I would like lose my absolutely. Oh.

They're in a tough spot because they want something done, but they can't do it themselves without the okay from upper management, and the upper management's like, no, seems good for me.

Yeah, wow, I feel for her for sure.

Okay. In that same faithful month, though, Nancy hand received in life altering call in the early hours of the night. The voice on the other end of the phone identified themselves as a nurse from Alpine manner and they informed Nancy that her mother, who was a resident there, Belle Burkhart, had rapidly been declining and might not make it through the day.

Oh jeez.

Now, Nancy lived three hours away from Alpine Manor and was unable to afford the day off, so she managed to do what she needed to do get through her long shift and then was hoping and in praying that her mother would still be alive when she was driving to the manor.

After one.

Upon reaching Alpine Manor, Nancy rushed to her mother's room to find it empty. Her mom wasn't in there. She went to the nursing station and asked where her mom was, but none of the nurses had any information on where she was. The staff was kind of bewildered, and I mean so was Nancy, and Nancy's like, well, I received this phone call that she was like declining, what's going on?

Well, yeah, so.

She fed her mother dinner, and you know, the whole situation was just like what the fuck in the back of her mind. So she went and talked to the nurses and the nurse in charge, and they checked the records, and they revealed that no one logged a call to Nancy. There were no staff notes indicating any concern for Bell's health, and it became very painfully clear that Nancy was a victim of a cruel prank call orchestrated by someone on the night shift at Alpine Manor.

Okay, that is just fucked.

Yeah, isn't it. Holy shit, prank calling your mom's dying.

That is not okay. Like now I'm just like pissed. Yeah, wow, I would have I would have just lost my absolute mind. Yeah, like I literally would have just like, holy shit, that is beyond.

Okay, But that's exactly what happened.

Wow. Wow. I mean it's good that the Mom's okay, but holy shit, that's just so.

You don't do that to a person. You don't make it all like that.

Well, I mean, she she couldn't afford to get there, so she had to like stress all day while she was trying to work. And then she obviously you know, doesn't have a lot of extra money, and she's spending a gas for six hour drive like with their and back yep, and then it has to probably go to work the next day tires fuck yep. Wow, Okay, yep.

That's all I can say is yep, because everything you said was right. But yet that whoever this person was who made this call doesn't really seem to care. They just think it's funny.

That is an absolute animal.

Yeah. So, concerns, of course, were coming forward, especially regarding the quality of care at Alpine Manner. An anonymous complaint was lodged with Michigan Health Department in late nineteen eighty six, the facility under scrutiny. Disturbing reports surfaced depicting residents who were left in soiled incontinence garments for extended periods of time and received very infrequent baths only once a week. So basically they're just someone called in saying that, like, hey,

Oh my gosh.

The previous diverse craft room was now featured only chill children's coloring books with a handful of crayons, and there was cartoon pictures taped to the walls. Wheelchair bound residents were left unoccupied, all just pushed together with nothing to engage them, while a local radio station blared over the PA systems in an attempt to drownded out the unsettling sounds of residents with dementia.

Wow, and this is all because of Gwen and Cathy. Hey like that many people are leaving because they're just disturbed by I mean, their actions and the environment that it's creating.

Yeah, I do want to say that I believe there was a high turnover rate still before them, but I'm sure they were a contributing factor to the current high rate.

Well, I mean, because all these people like they're in demand, they can easily go somewhere else and get it another job, right, Yeah, definitely. So it's like, if you're not completely happy, why wouldn't you just find another facility to or?

Of course, now, a post inspection report was issued and it found that Alpine Manor was adhering to state guidelines and practicing safely. No further follow up was deemed necessary.

How the fuck was that determined?

I don't know. You got me, okay? Now, Upper management continued to offer their praise to Kathy and Gwen, labeling them as extremely hard workers who often took double shifts to compensate for understaffing. I mean, we know they took double shifts, but I guarantee you it wasn't for understaffing. Gwen in particular, demonstrated her competency by scoring an impressive ninety seven percent on a test administered by the State

Yeah. Well, it's just so interesting the divide that can happen right between like upper management and then people like supervisors or whatever that are actually within the field.

Oh definitely, it's.

Really like alarming and quite disheartening. Really.

Yeah. And I can tell you I've been a supervisor in the field and I've had that disconnection between upper management and it's it's disheartening to the point where, hey, I left that job and I left in a hurry.

Yeah, it's not good.

Yeah. So apparently Gwen's creative approach to care, particularly her use of wash cloths, drew admiration from the department. See Gwen was known for carrying wash cloths, often seen with one flapping out of her back pocket of her pants at all times. So what she would do she would roll all these wash clops cloths into like a log shape and place them in residents clenched hands to prevent fingernails from digging into their skin. Makes sense to me,

Wow. Wow, I mean I don't honestly, just the more I hear, don't blame how many people are leaving there?

Oh, definitely not.

Wow.

And her manipulations were further exposed in another encounter with a difficult resident. So this was a man who was known to yell all day and he would quickly silence just at the sight of Kathy. And whenever she entered the room, she would leaning close and she would whisper in his ear. With that, a look of fear would across his face. And when asked by a nursing aid who witnessed this, Kathy told her what she said, and she said, quote, I said, go ahead, scream one more time,

You.

Scream one more time and I will kill you and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

Hm. Wow.

I think I would shut up and be scared shitless too. Yeah, and I'd be screaming all the time, try and get out of there.

This is like a resident, right, this is a resident. Oh my gosh, this.

Is an elderly resident who is There's clearly something going on with his mental health as well, because he's screaming all day.

Ah oh wow.

Now, the aide who witnessed this didn't know what to do in response, but she was frightened the potential repercussions from Kathy and Gwen because they're known for their bullying and their intimidation. So she chose not to report the incident to management.

I mean, honestly, though, I feel like reporting it may not have even.

Done anything, Probably not, and that's probably part of the reason why she didn't.

Yeah.

Now, one night, nursing aid Lodonna, working the night shift, encountered eighty seven year old Carla Pierce, who had been at the facility for six years at this time and was battling dementia. Carla usually was lucid and was now screaming with terror, claiming that someone was going to kill her. Now, previously, the doctor had ordered Clara's wrist to be tied to the bed due to recent incidences of her wandering the halls. At night. So I mean she was just strapped to sleep, right,

Oh that is this. Okay, this is just so uncomfortable to listen to because it's just so sad. It's so sad.

Well, should I keep going? Are you going to stop here? That's the episode?

Oh no, we have to keep going. But this is just getting worse and worse. It's a little bit scary.

Well that's backtrack just a little bit to someone a little more familiar. Well, we're not going to backtrack. It's the same timeline, but we're going to talk about someone we know about. On Christmas Day in nineteen eighty six, Ed Chambers visited his wife Marguerite at Alpine Manor, accompanied by their daughter Jan. Now. Disturbingly, Jan found Marguerite with

Yeah.

So when Jen attempted to clean her mother's face, Marguerite reacted very oddly. Unable to speak due to her advanced Alzheimer's, Jen noticed a significant change in her mother. A very haunting expression of absolute terror was now on her face. In the week prior, Marguerite had been primarily cared for by Kathy and Gwen. Marguerite's condition deteriorated physically, and on Sunday, January eighteenth, nineteen eighty seven, Ed Chambers returned to find

Wow, okay, oh, I didn't want you to bring her back. I just thought they had this like, well, it wasn't a beautiful life, but I really liked.

Ed and it was romantic sort of size situation.

Then yeah, But I mean, yeah, I mean it was inevitable that she was probably going to pass away, But it does seem like maybe she could have lasted longer if she wasn't neglected. But I don't know. Yet yeah.

Now, following protocol, the charge nurse contacted the on call doctor, who unwillingly her sorry, unwilling to travel through the heavy snow that was currently on the roads and everything, ordered Marguerite to be transferred to the mortuary over the phone. The doctor signed her death certificate citing a heart attack

I don't even know what to say anymore at this point. Holy shit, because Okay, the rolled up washcloth is like an indication that, like when I guess was there or Kathy, I.

Guess Gwen was the one who would do it.

Yes, Oh my gosh, Okay, this is just so disturbing.

Where's your head at? I'm curious.

I think that these two are murdering assholes. Is where my head's at. And I'm freaking pissed about it. Okay, Okay, Like I have an extreme hatred towards them right now, and I hope that I am semi satisfied at the end of this that they get what is coming to them.

Okay. Well, similar to the previous incident with Marguerite, the Alpine Manner, doctor, without examination, sent Myrtle's body directly to the mortuary, listing the cause of death as a heart attack.

Well, I mean, I kind of get the doctor situation, because I mean a lot of people are dying in there, right and.

It's a part of the atmosphere.

Yes, but still it needs to have attention.

He still needs to do his fucking job.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Now, days later, Kathy and Gwen invited Kathy's ex girlfriend Don to their home. This was the girlfriend in between her ex husband and Gwen that lasted like two weeks.

Oh, okay, okay, So he invited.

Don to their home.

Now.

During a casual gathering in their living room, Gwen casually mentioned her responsibility for Myrtle's death, Dawn if she wanted to see.

Proof, just casually yep, like casually mention that I'm a fucking asshole.

Pretty much, okay, cool. So in her bedroom, on a shelf, she had a single sock that apparently belonged to Myrtle. Now, Initially, Dawn struggled to wrap her head around the claim of this I killed her sort of thing, and this sock is hers. She considered the possibility that the parents stolen the sock from Myrtle, or that it actually belonged to Kathy and they were trying to just like basically screw around,

Something like that. Yeah.

On February twenty sixth, Kathy would volunteer to supervise the nurse's station during a break. At three am, Bell would be found dead in her bed. Examination of her remains revealed an odd angle of Bell's arm beneath her body with noticeable bruising. Kathy's nursing friends suggested that the bruising might be a result of an inadequate turning during the night. The matter was dismissed and Bell's body was sent to the mortuary without a doctor's examination.

Once again, Oh my gosh, are they actually beating these people? Oh that is just that makes me just feel so ill, like so ill.

I can't say anything just yet. We'll get there, We'll get there, okay. Cat As the number of sudden deaths at Alpine manor continued to rise, Kathy and Gwen and their associates spiraled further out of control. On their days off, the couples hosted wild parties at their home with drinking and some drug use, where staff and attendants would run up and down the street, popless and it just got worse from there. The disorderly group, for no apparent reason,

Wow.

In April of nineteen eighty seven, the situation reached a new low when Nursing Aid Katherine had a black eye and a sling in her arm and apparently cracked ribs. She initially attributed who injuries to an accident, but the truth emerged and Kathy had lured her to a deserted area with a pretext of hooking up. Gwen confronted Catherine and violently knocked her to the ground and began repeatedly

Wow.

Reports of Kathy and Gwen's toxic behavior flooded management. Yet the manager and friend of Kathy dismissed the bullying reports and decided to separate Kathy from the aids who were making the allegations against her. In another way, instead of addressing the issue, she solved this problem by giving Kathy a promotion.

Okay, that's honestly what I thought you were going to say. Wow.

She was now in charge of the nursing aids on her shift.

Oh my word.

Kathy's promotion to Alpine Manor, however, created a riff in the relationship with Gwen, who believed she deserved the promotion more. I don't think either of them deserve a promotion, but whatever.

They deserve something, but not a promotion.

Uh. Their dynamics at home because of this were deteriorating, leading to frequent arguments fights which like occasionally escalated further into actual physical violence. The walls their home was now rather holy, with fist marks going through drywall as they were punching in fits of rage. And it only escalated even more when Kathy learned about Gwen's affair with another nursing aid, and screams could be heard at other houses down the street.

Man, these two are just wild, man.

Yeah, and Kathy's fury would ultimately leave Gwen with a visible with a bunch of visible like scratches and bruises and stuff as she's coming to work and stuff. People could see that there's definitely domestic violence occurring within their home by nineteen eighty seven. By mid nineteen eighty seven, Gwen decided she had had enough and moved out of Kathy's home. Joining her was Heather Barker, a twenty one year old nursing aid from Alpine, Manor who became Gwen's

Okay.

From there, they both went back to Kathy's home and the two immediately went to the bedroom. Kathy then revealed some restraints she had taken from Alpine Manor, and she began binding Gwen's wrist to the bed. With Gwen now bound, assuming for sexual reasons, Kathy then held a loaded gun, a gun that belonged to Gwen. She took the gun, walked to the foot of the bed, and inserted the loaded gun barrel into Gwen and threatened to kill her.

Oh my gosh, this woman. Okay.

Kathy left Gwen like this, tied up for three hours, with the barrel of the loaded gun still inserted. She returned three hours later and released her. Following this and a discussion, Kathy and Gwen mutually agreed to end the relationship. Gwen reunited with Heather, who questioned, like, Hey, why'd you go back to Kathy, and Gwen could only respond with, quote, Kathy has something over me.

Yeah, well, she seems like she's kind of that type of person, but not that Gwen is an angel either, so.

Well, I want to That's kind of what I thought when I was first researching this, But I really want to break this sentence down. Kathy has something over me. What could something mean? It could mean a lot of things. Our initial response is she has something over me, like she has my heart, or like she just has this way about her that really draws me in. But she has something over me. Could mean a lot of things. Well, now, could mean information.

I was just kind of thinking, maybe Kathy is the one that's getting when to kill these people, and so she has that she has that exactly.

It could mean a lot more than just oh, she has this way about her that draws me in or something like that, you know what I mean. There's much more than this superficial level of what you first hear when you read that sentence or get it read to you or whatever. There's more to it, I think than we could ever know noep So, Gwen and Heather in August of nineteen eighty seven, packed their belongings into Gwen's car and fled Texas. Left with nowhere else to go,

Oh my gosh.

She recounted the story of one of the victims, ninety seven year old Edith Cook, a beloved resident of Alpine Manor for six years. Edith once described the facility as grand and lovely. She had suffered a rapid decline in health, developing pressure sores and painful gangrene. On the night of April seventh, nineteen eighty seven, Edith Cook was found dead in her bed, with Kathy as the assigned night nurse

Oh my gosh, for fun.

She revealed that the idea initially to murder residents rose from boredom and the pair wondered what it would be like to kill. Their first victim was sixty year old Marguerite Chambers. On the night of January eighteenth, nineteen eighty seven. After Marguerite's husband left the night, Kathy and Gwen approached her room, and Kathy kept watching the door. Gwen slipped inside,

Wow.

This, however, was not their first attempt. They had tried the same method a month earlier. Kathy explained to Ken how they aimed to spell out the word murder in the log book by targeting residents with specific initials, so when they recorded individuals' names, they wanted to spell that word with the first letter of their name.

You're shitting me. That's literally how they pitched these people.

It proved too challenging. The residents with the desired actual initials were not ideal candidates. They were often like too active or too lucid, So instead they chose victims who were nonverbal or suffering from advanced dementia, making it less likely for them to communicate with their experiences. They feared that like, okay, if this person whose name starts with a you, for example, they're in too good a health.

Mean because it was such a big facility, right as then there's other people working there, oh the time?

Right, definitely? Yeah, you bet you so yeah. Now, to test the victims reactions, Kathy and Gwen would pinch their nose while in bed, like, is this a good candidate? We'll just pinch their nose. See how they fight off like their nose being pinched, right, And if a resident was too resistant, then they would move on to someone else. Residents who were found with unexplained bruising or bloody noses were the unfortunate subjects of their experiments.

Oh my gosh.

So when it was time to carry out the murders, Gwen use washcloths as a mean to try and prevent visible bruising bruising. According to Kathy, Gwen claimed that killing someone made her feel more relaxed and helped to ease her tension. Both Kathy and Gwen believe that sharing the dark secret of murder would solidify their bond forever. Huh, which is fucked up?

Like I'm just so, they're literally like using one wash cloth on their nose and another one under the chin.

Yeah, So they're holding their hand over their mouth, and then they're holding their other hand on the bottom of their chin to prevent their mouth from opening. So they're holding their mouth clothes and then preventing oxygen from getting in. And they're using wash cloths as cushioning to prevent like them hitting or scratching or scraping.

So, oh my gosh. Yeah, they are both so disturbed. That just is wild. There's more, okay, cool.

We'll touch on some more of the information here a little bit.

I cannot imagine. His name's Ken, right, Yeah, I do not know what I would do if someone was confessing that kind of shit to me.

Want to know the next sentence I have written for this case. Ken struggled with the decision of what to do with the information Kathy had confided in him.

Yeah, because I just don't like, this was someone that you have a child with that you loved, right, love or loved? I just I don't know that would the the emotions that would be going through you.

Oh yeah, yeah, No, Ken had no idea what to do. He's just like, what the fuck?

Also, like, should I fucking run because it's just a murderer now.

He actually kept her confession to himself for over a year and a half while she was still working at Alpine manor.

What. Yeah, I mean that is tough though, because like, but she could be killing more, like because she's the mother of his kid. But then what she could be killing? I know, Well that was my question. Is she killing more people during that time? Because then he's an accomplished almost in my opinion, Yeah, did she kill more people?

We'll get into that.

Oh my gosh, this is too much.

Well, eventually, in October sixth, nineteen eighty eight, Ken made a crucial decision. He was driving past a police station and in that moment, he turned around the vehicle went inside to report Kathy's alarming elevation revolution.

I'm very shocked that it took that long, but okay, that's good.

Well, and they actually questioned him on like why it took him so long to come forward, and he explained that he didn't want to destroy his life or his wife's life. Where's kid's life? Yeah, you bet, but he felt a responsibility to make sure that she wasn't dangerous, which it means like a year and a half, she could have done a lot more damage.

Still, well, she was probably promising to him that she would never do it again kind of thing. Right, Yeah, he's manipulated.

Yeah, she definitely is. We know that for sure. So now the next day, Kathy was at work when a detective arrived at Alpine manorout expressing surprise, whatsoever, we're asking any questions? She has grabbed her coat and accompanied the detective for questioning.

Oh my goodness, yeah, just peace like just just so evil that, you know, that they're there for you.

Yeah. So, with the interview with the authorities, Kathy admitted to her involvement in the murders, confirming the death of five victims, Marguerite Chambers, May Mason Bell, Burkhardt, Edith Cook, and Myrtle Loose. She suggested that there might have been three more victims killed by Gwen, but Cathy claimed not remembering the details or asserting that she wasn't present at work during those instances.

I think she would a remember and be it just dawn on me. These families are now going to have to find this out, like, oh, it's just gut wrenching.

Well, to make it worse, like during when they're interviewing her, she actually openly described planning these these crimes as quote, almost exciting in a way. How do you think a family members is gonna feel when they hear that?

Yeah, wow, because all these family members chose to put their loved ones in there, made that really hard decision. And then like.

That's counting on these nurses.

It's just something that you I don't think, I mean not that you should, but you would feel guilt and you shouldn't and oh, I just okay, this is too much well.

She recalled specific details, such as the night when Gwen

Oh okay, okay, yep.

And she was the one who was found with her arm in a strange position beneath her body.

Yeah.

So Kathy revealed that Gwen explained Belle had resisted fiercely, leading to the bruising on her arm caused by Gwen kneeling on it to restrain her.

Oh my gosh, Okay, like that's pretty like good for her for putting up a fight, because this is oh yeah, it's pretty disgusting when someone is doing this to people that are, you know, like pretty helpless.

Right, Yeah, it's well, I mean that's there's this general consensus within a lot of prison systems that if you abuse women or children, you will get abused in prison because you are you are you're praying on those weaker than you physically, right yep. And I mean that's not every case, but it's generally accepted sort of thing in the prison system that's the case. And so that they look at you as weak and you don't like you're an asshole, you're a piece of shit, like you can't

Oh my gosh, all of a sudden, you're just deciding that you're like a good person for like a brief second.

That's the biggest bullshit, piece of shit statement I've ever heard of my life.

It's so interesting because at first it seemed like Kathy was like a good person. Yeah, So I don't understand what tainted her so bad. I don't know, or if she really actually wasn't a good person ever.

I really don't huh now. Kathy had also claimed that Gwen had kept mementos from each of the victims, as well a sock, a sock from Merla, loose jewelry from Bell Burkehart, an earring from Edith Cook, a key ring trinket from May Mason, and a balloon from Marguerite Chambers. Gwen allegedly stored these items in a shoe box in the bathroom, but when she moved out, she supposedly threw the box away. Okay, so those are alleged items. Oh they were never found.

Oh okay. I was thinking that she did actually keep on to keep a hold of them.

Nope, at least they were never found or recovered.

Okay.

As part of the investigation, police rated Alpine Manner and search files related to the resident's death. During the search, detectives came across a letter written by Kathy, and the letter expressed Kathy's feelings for Gwen and contained lines like quote, I love you, Gwen. I think you are great for this afternoon. I cannot wait. That's when we'll wake up, and that's when I'll kiss you. That's when I'll hold you. Oh, Gwen,

Also, Kathy's poems are shit, like, she's just shit at everything, Like those poems suck. I'm just oh, I'm just so sitting over here, so disturbed and uncomfortable, and I just didn't enjoy those poems at all.

I can't say I enjoyed them either. I like her poems suck your piece of shit? Never write poems again?

Oh my gosh.

Wow, definitely not gonna like snap the fingers at her poem reading now anytime soon never Well. Six days after Kathy's ex husband first approached the police officers, they arrived at Gwen's residence in Texas, although no concrete evidence of murder had been uncovered yet. Gwen was arrested for writing bad checks three years earlier, in the hopes that she might crack while in jail.

Okay.

However, Gwen protested her innocence and even offered to take polygraph test. The results, unfortunately, were inconclusive, and Gwen was released.

Seriously, okay, I'll keep listening because she better not be released for good.

As part of the investigation, Kathy also took a polygraph test. She seemed to play a subtle game during the test, trying to manipulate the results, leading the examiner to believe that Gwen hadn't actually killed anyone, and Kathy being the manipulator, she is being the actual killer instead.

Yeah, but she still knew stuff and was a part of it, so she's non innocent.

Gwen. You mean, yeah, yeah, fair enough, But there is a big difference between accomplishing and actually killing. There is a big difference. But it doesn't mean you're not a piece of shit. You are.

But yeah, but I think Kathy was at like the nurses stations at times when I thought Gwen was murdering, So I don't We'll see.

Yeah, but that's all what Cathy said.

Yeah, very true.

After six weeks of investigation, an excavator was brought to the Rosedale Memorial cemetery to eXeem the remains of Marguerite Chambers and Edith Cook at the okay of family.

Members, I know, but still the family having to be asked that horrible.

There there was I don't think I kept it in here, but there was a a remark by Ed oh not ed about how he had to live through Marguerite's death once and now he doesn't want to do it again.

Oh my gosh. Yeah, or I feel so.

Bad for ed But anyways, Marguerite and Edith were the only two out of the five who had not been cremated. Oh okay, So medical examiners were checking for washcloth fibers and signs of suffocation such as like stippling or whatever and that sort of thing, but due to decay, the results were inconclusive.

Dang.

However, based on circumstantial evidence and the findings during the examination, the cause of death for Marguerite and Edith was changed from heart attack to homicide. On December fourth, nineteen eighty eight, detectives surrounded Gwen Graham's home in Texas, and with an arrest warrant in hand, they knocked on a front door and went unanswered. They were informed that several days earlier,

Is like the best kind of karma in the whole world, right, Like, oh my gosh, I am obsessed with that.

Yeah. Kathy Wood was also arrested just a few hours later. In January nineteen eighty eight, the Michigan Health Department conducted its own investigation, finding that Alpine Manner managed to have actually acted appropriately and had no reason to suspect elder abuse at the time of the murders.

Bullshit.

I I'm on both sides of the fence in this one. I don't know if there was specifically signs of elder abuse per se. There may be some with bruising, but I don't think it was frequent enough to consider abuse because there was other potential attributing factors. Could they have investigated better better, Yes, by far. Could they have done things with their employees better, you fucking bet because they were not doing good. But I'm not certain of abuse

So you don't necessarily you wouldn't necessarily consider neglect abuse.

No, no, no, no care really well no, sorry, that's not what I mean. I'm not saying. No, I don't consider neglect abuse. Yes, I consider neglect abuse, but there is a when is neglect abuse? Yeah, And I don't know if the management would have been aware of the neglect at the extent it was, right, So I don't think they would have been aware to contribute that neglect to be abuse, because it's like, oh, we pushed them in a circle, and like the ones in a wheelchair.

Yeah, Well, I mean those I feel like those management, the upper management, are very guilty.

Oh they're guilty, But I don't think that they had any reason to suspect elder abuse. They were not running the show properly by far. Yeah, but I think they were so out of the loop they had no reason to suspect elder abuse. That's what I mean.

And their problem is that they were out of the loop and they shouldn't have been.

I think they were neglect on their own employees and their own staff, their own facility, which in turn results in neglected elder abuse.

Right.

I think they just had the wolf pulled over their eyes that much, is what I think.

Well, I mean, at one point in time, the place did run really well and was great exactly, and so then I mean eventually you would just probably be like, oh, yeah, that place is fine, like turn a blind eye.

And if they had reason to investigate a death, maybe, but we had death certificates signed by doctor saying hey, heart attack, Oh that happens all the time.

Yeah, because these people were just too busy and just kind of assume.

Yeah. I'm not saying management did right. Management fucking sucked. Okay. Yeah, I just don't know if I would say if I think I might agree that they had no reason to suspect elder abuse. Yeah, I could be wrong. I would have to really go into it to really really say. But Anyways, that aside, prosecutors did face a challenge in building the case against Gwen. There was only enough evidence to charge her with the murder of Marguerite Chambers and

Well, of course she did, of course she did. Yeah.

So this led to additional charges against Gwen, who was now charged with conspiracy to commit murder and the first degree murder of five residents of the Alpine Manor. Gwen's defense team was confidence that she would be acquitted. There was no washcloth fibers or fingerprints linking her to the victims. There's basically just like the case was just too weak. Despite the absence of physical evidence like mementos, for example, that she might have kept right in the defense's argument

Oh my gosh.

The prosecution's final witness was Gwen's ex girlfriend, Heather, who confirmed that the two weren't together anymore, but were at the time when police were looking to arrest her. Heather recounted that Gwen admitted to her that she did, in fact commit murders the day the police came to question her. Okay, it didn't take the jury long to come to a consensus. After only six hours of deliberation, Gwen Graham was found guilty of first degree murder for five victims. And conspiracy

Yeah.

A hairdresser named Maureen have Haverhill received a disturbing or sorry recalled a disturbing encounter with Lucille van Derven, an Alpine Manner resident in late nineteen eighty seven. So you remember how you asked the question did anyone else? Was

Now.

The problem with this, however, it couldn't have been Gwen because she wasn't employed at the time. She had left five weeks prior.

Hmmm, I know the fact that Kathy is getting less time than Gwen is kind of disturbing. Actually.

Now, a former inmate claimed that Kathy would bragged about the murders in prison, showing clippings from newspapers and admitting, quote, I did the murders. I really got that, bitch back. That's what Gwen gets for breaking up with me.

Wow, right, stay should have themted someone in her like stall or something.

No kidding.

I feel like she would be one of those people that would just like divulge all the information bragging way you betcha.

I have a feeling she would have too. M h. Now, in September twenty eighteen, Kathy would applied for parole oh No, facing opposition for family members of victims who believe she showcased no remorse, and concerns about her potential released were heightened by fears that she might seek revenge on those

No.

After serving thirty years in prison, she was released and relocated to South Carolina to live with her sister. No, she's out.

You're kidding me.

She's out.

Oh gosh, that's so disgusting.

A retired detective who worked the case expressed his disagree with Kathy's parole, stating quote, I believe that Kathy Would was the mastermind. She was the one pulling the strings on Gwen. For safety reasons, I wouldn't want my grandchildren or elderly residents around her. She's a serial killer and she could do it again, and most of them do.

M M. Well yeah, that's what literally is going through my head right now. She has she killed more people?

Well, has she killed more people? Let's touch on that one more time.

Are you serious? Ben?

With her parole came the release of court documents that were previously withheld from public's view. With these documents, it was revealed that Kathy and Gwen were under investigation for a total of twelve deaths at Alpine Manor. However, a lack of evidence prevented these cases from proceeding to trial.

HM.

Okay, wow, I want to touch one last thing on this.

I did think, though, that you were going to tell me she had done more sins than out that we know of. Though I know that.

As far as I'm aware, she's just under the radar, just live in life in one way or another.

Yeah.

But the one of the more disturbing things I want to talk about this case that I find disturbing is the reactions of many citizens in the public in regards to the murders at the time. For example, before Kathy was sentenced, her ex husband Ken wrote a letter to the judge expressing this quote, Kathy is guilty of taking lives, or at least not preventing Gwen from taking them, But how much life did she really take? All the victims

Whoa.

This sentiment was shared by the majority of the public at the time of the murders.

Seriously, yeah really yep.

The main point of view for Kathy and Gwen back then was that they didn't deserve harsh sentences for their actions because they targeted weak and sick who are gonna die anyways, I don't give a shit. Yeah, that's to take a fucking life, No.

Because I mean they still a lot of them, did still experience joy to some degree when they saw their family or whatever. And then it's also affecting more than just them, because it's like the families. That just doesn't make any sense.

Those moments when Ed came to visit Marguerite and she seemed to go back to herself even for a moment. You can't tell me that's not living.

No, that's oh gosh.

They took that away from not only Marguerite, but also from Ed and his daughter jan and every other family member of every one of their victims.

Yeah, because they affected so many more people than just the victims. Yeah, holy heck, what a disturbing, fricking case.

I know. So that is the Alpine Manner murders.

Huh sorry, Yeah, I mean I remember right when we started, I did a nurse one. It was in Canada. I can't remember the lady's name, but it's just.

She was one who was injecting people.

Yeah, like I think with like diabetic medicine or insulin.

It was in some sort of insulin. Yeah.

So it's just something about like people who have this sort of authority and like have literally said they're going to like help people. It just makes it kind of worse.

Yeah, it does. Realized our acam is out. Oh oh it would have lasted for a long time though, and this camera is about to die, so we should end this up.

Should wrap this up.

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Yeah, there you go.

Yeah, so thank you for being here. Hopefully with the episode, and until next time, stay wicked.