Female Criminals

In 2015, a quiet Texas neighborhood became the backdrop for a mother’s worst nightmare. Samantha Wohlford, a mother of five and YouTuber, told police a harrowing story: three masked intruders had stormed her home, tied her up, and kidnapped her husband, Ernie Ibarra. The search for Ibarra ended in tragedy just 24 hours later when his body was discovered in a remote location. However, as detectives began to pull at the threads of Wohlford’s "chilling" testimony, her story didn't just fray—it completely collapsed. Get the full story on this episode of Female Criminals with Elizabeth Millner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a high-speed collision into a brick building left two young men dead, the community of Strongsville, Ohio, initially mourned a horrific accident. However, investigators soon uncovered a chilling trail of digital evidence and a toxic relationship that transformed a tragic crash into a calculated double murder. This documentary explores the harrowing 100-mph impact and the "hell on wheels" conviction that saw 19-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla sentenced to life in prison. Get the full story on this episode of Female Criminals with Law&Crime’s Elizabeth Millner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decorated hero Rebecca Sayegh went on a midnight rampage that shattered more than just her ex-boyfriend’s front door. Fueled by a toxic love triangle and the sight of her replacement, the off-duty officer "snapped," launching a violent home invasion and issuing a chilling threat to burn the house to the ground next. Sayegh’s story serves as a haunting reminder of how quickly a protector can become a criminal. Get the full story on this episode of Female Criminals with Law&Crime’s Elizabeth Millner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The arrest of a sixth-grade teacher at Las Brisas Academy shocked the community of Goodyear, Arizona in 2018. Brittany Zamora, a seemingly normal teacher, had a dark secret that came to light. Zamora was confronted by a student's father, claiming they had an inappropriate relationship. What investigators would later uncover was much worse. Get the full story on this episode of Female Criminals with Law&Crime's Elizabeth Millner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young mother’s routine day took a tragic turn when she believed she was meeting her new lover in a parking lot. Instead, 30-year-old Ashley Bocanegra arrived to find two women waiting for her. Seventeen-year-old Janine Gonzalez and 27-year-old Antonetta Stevens had allegedly lured her there. Bocanegra had reportedly been involved with Gonzalez’s brother, who was also Stevens’ fiancé. When she pulled into the apartment complex, a confrontation unfolded and was recorded on video. Find out what happened next on this episode of Female Criminals, hosted by Law&Crime's Elizabeth Millner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, assassination-aiding King of Poisons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In South Carolina, legend tells of a woman who lured weary travelers to their deaths — turning her inn into a murder house. But there’s more to Lavinia Fisher’s story than bodies beneath floorboards. Was she really America’s first female serial killer? Or was she really only guilty of raising a little hell? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After marrying the heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1862, Sarah Winchester was seemingly set for life. But while her finances never despaired, Sarah did — experiencing a string of tragedies that would haunt her. She built a strange and sweeping mansion to try and escape her ghosts, but in the process, built an even bigger legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She was a singular woman in Gold Rush-era San Francisco: an entrepreneur, an abolitionist, and extraordinarily wealthy. But Mary Ellen Pleasant’s mere presence was enough to rattle her neighbors, and the accusations levied against her were enough to shock: she practiced black magic; she murdered a business associate; she cursed a family. Now she’s rumored to haunt a park in the very city that helped her swim, then watched her sink. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 17th century, a middle-aged woman remakes her life in New England. But her fresh start turns sour after her neighbors decide she’s a witch. Jailed several times over, Goody Cole is never quite able to reclaim her reputation... so a new crop of townspeople do it for her, hundreds of years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners, we’re back with the finale of The Candy Box Killings from Solved Murders: 44-year-old Cordelia Botkin was the sole suspect in a murder-by-mail case that killed two sisters and involved two jurisdictions on two different coasts. Authorities knew she had an affair with the husband of one of the victims. But could they find enough evidence to prove it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners, this week we’re sharing an episode of Solved Murders we think you’ll love: The Candy Box Killings. In the summer of 1898, two sisters died after eating chocolates they received in the mail. Their suffering was inexplicable — until their father discovered a sinister clue. We’ll be back soon with new Female Criminals episodes. In the meantime, enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the deaths of Jacob and Jane Young, Nancy Clem became a prime suspect. As a business partner of Young's, she had the motive. But at the time, it was unheard of for a woman to participate in a pre-meditated murder. And that's precisely what Clem hoped the jury would think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She became financially stable after her husband’s death by loaning out money to friends in return for high-interest repayments. Once remarried, Nancy Clem went into business with two locals who ran a confidence game. But when one of them wanted out, he wound up dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people would do anything for family. Seventeen-year-old Abby Catt was one of those people. So when her dad and brother said they needed her for a bank heist, she said she would help. But her sense of loyalty would be tested when her dad tried to get her to take the fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1950s Texas, a teenage runaway sets clubs ablaze with her improvisational dance style. Then she starts making headlines. In today’s episode: the traumatic — and whirlwind — origins of her career, how a club owner manufactured her image as a gun-toting stripper, and the sting operation that some claim was a conspiracy to take her down. Who really was the woman behind the stage name? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices