
The First Degree
683 episodes — Page 5 of 14
Episode 306: Samantha Marie Young
On April 19, 2015, a 21-year-old mother fails to turn up to work not far from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. After her sister calls the police, the young woman’s body is found in a shed at the rear of a local residence. Despite fighting for her life, she has been brutally stabbed almost 50 times. It’s only a matter of time before the perpetrator is apprehended, and sadly, it’s the worst nightmare come true for the young woman’s family when they learn who’s responsible. But as the days and weeks pass, the full extent of what went on behind the scenes in the lead-up to the attack - and the potential for other victims - is revealed, as the ugliness of the case is laid bare. In episode 306, Jac and Alexis revisit the horrifying murder of Samantha Young at the hands of Marcus Bordelon and Natasha Stover, and explore how her family has been dealing with the aftermath of her senseless loss. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: FREE MESO BOOK
The girls and the ginger are back! Today on Killing Time, we’re talking conspiracies in a big way! Then! Today I learned… How the Earth (and Arby’s) got their names, plus, the inspiration behind “No Scrubs” by TLC! Then! The return of On the Stand! We take one call from a listener but ya gotta get to the end to hear it! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 305: Lizzi Marriott
On October 9, 2012, 19-year-old Elizabeth “Lizzi” Marriott leaves a note for her uncle and aunt. Although Lizzi is a Massachusetts native, she is living with her family in Chester, New Hampshire while she attends a nearby university to pursue her degree in marine biology. In the note, Lizzi explains that she is going to a friend’s place after her evening class. Lizzi is never seen again. Two days later, Lizzi’s friend whose place she was going to, 18-year-old Kat McDonough, is questioned by the police. Kat claims Lizzi did not arrive at her apartment that night. However, Kat’s boyfriend, 29-year-old Seth Mazzaglia, says differently. In an eleven hour interview with the authorities, Seth explains his version of events- which are disturbing, senseless and heart breaking. In episode 305, Jac and Alexis unravel the web of lies surrounding the sexual assault and murder of Lizzi Marriott. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: MACAULAY MACAULAY CULKIN CULKIN
It’s Killing Time! This week, the girls and the ginger are discussing new developments with the Long Island Serial Killer case, followed by some general tangents as of course is tradition! Then it’s on to Today I Learned! On deck today: Macaulay Culkin, Sierra Mist, and Costco hot dogs (again!) Here we go! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 304: Leon Laureles
In the late night hours of May 9, 1996, a 30-year-old man leaves his home for his midnight shift in Brownwood, Texas. But he never makes it inside. Just after midnight, his car is found burning near a gun range, and his body is discovered nearby with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Despite the brutality of the man’s death, the police do not take his murder seriously, and the case quickly goes unsolved. In episode 304, Jac and Alexis delve into the life and tragic death of Leon Laureles, exploring the systemic failures that have left his case unsolved for nearly three decades and highlighting his niece's unwavering fight for justice. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: ALEXIS’ WEDDING RECAP
EHello! Welcome back to another very special episode of Killing Time! Today, the girls and the ginger are reminiscing about Alexis and Matt’s incredible “surprise” wedding! That’s it! So much to say about such an incredible weekend celebrating our amazing friends. Oh, also, we got a surprise Pizza Hut delivery mid-episode shout out to the hut! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 303: Ronda Thompson Reynolds, Part 2
Over a decade after Ronda Reynolds was killed, her mother wins the right under state law to have a judge convene an inquest into the death. When a jury determines that in their view the coroner originally got it wrong, the focus eventually pivots to not one but two people in the woman’s life. In episode 303, Alexis and Jac take you through the culmination of the Ronda Reynolds case, and how Barb, Ronda’s mother, joined forces with Ann Rule in the quest to find justice. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: WALKIN & TALKIN
Welcome back to another exhilarating episode of Killing Time! This week, the girls and the ginger are ALL over the place, but eventually, it’s time for everybody’s favorite segment, Today I Learned! On the menu today: the origins of Dungeons and Dragons, Manatee facts, Avocados, and a listener-submitted T-bell grievance! And yes, we know you know Alexis got married this weekend, don’t worry, the episode is coming! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 302: Ronda Thompson Reynolds, Part 1
On December 16, 1998, a 33-year-old woman named Ronda Reynolds is found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside her home in Toledo, Washington. Her death is ruled a suicide. But her mother believes there’s more behind the circumstances of the incomprehensible loss of someone who was one of the first female state troopers in Washington, and had only been married to her new husband of 18 months. In episode 302 Jac and Alexis detail the tragic murder of Ronda Reynolds, her mother’s fight for someone to be held criminally responsible, and how the bizarre aspects of the case catch the eye of famed crime writer, Ann Rule. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: CUTIE CRAZY
The girls and the ginger would like to welcome you back for another week of Killing Time! Today, Jac goes deep into the halls of history with a super extended version of on this day! Then! Today I learned! The 7-eleven logo, the origin of Arby’s name, and chaos on the set of Titanic! Enjoy! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 301: Greg Everett Wells
On January 6, 2002, a 31-year-old pizza delivery driver is bludgeoned to death and has his throat cut after making a delivery to an apartment in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. the brutality of the attack, which police suspect is motivated by robbery, has the community on edge. Within days, a 17-year-old young man, who lives at the apartment where the victim is slain, and his 20-year-old female friend are apprehended. The sheer randomness of the attack is felt far and wide as the suspect’s identities and backgrounds are released to the public. But their subsequent lack of remorse over the violent slaying is what truly chills the community to the bone. In episode 301, Jac and Alexis detail the senseless murder of Greg Everett Wells at the hands of David James Keegan and Brandy Renee Byrd, and the devastating consequences of sheer malevolence colliding with being in the wrong place at the wrong time, leaving a family forever shattered. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: BEEZIN
This week the girls and the ginger return for another fact-filled frenzy edition of Killing Time! Jac has about one million things to say before we get into the good stuff: Today I Learned! This week: Dolphin name tags, Hangover origins, Narlugas? Then back-to-back listener submitted TIL’s about KFC and eyedrops!! Let’s get it on! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 300: Ashleigh Love
EIn the early morning hours of October 6, 2009, a 19-year-old woman is shot in her bed as she sleeps in her family’s Milwaukee, Wisconsin home. Immediately after the gunshot, the woman’s mother awakens to the sound of footsteps outside her door. Upon opening it, she comes face to face with an intruder holding a shotgun in his hand. The intruder flees, and the family rushes to the woman’s room, only to find her tragically deceased. Police immediately determine the murder was targeted, yet they struggle to figure out a motive and the case quickly goes cold. In our 300th episode, Jac and Alexis break down the murder of Ashleigh Love, and her family’s relentless pursuit of truth and justice. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: TATERS
EWelp, here we go again. The girls and the ginger return, and in the most Killing Time fashion ever, proceed to go on about 100 tangents before we get to our favorite new segment, Today I Learned! Our listener submission today is a fun fact about strawberries! Then! Angler fish reproduction, Five Guys fries, and bird flu! What a time to be alive! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 299: John Wayne Gacy, Part 2
EOn December 11th, 1978, a 15-year-old boy disappeared after finishing work at a drugstore in Des Plaines, Illinois. Law enforcement was soon on the case and two days later, a search warrant was executed at a family home in the suburbs. But what investigators uncover in the coming weeks and months is beyond their wildest and most grotesque nightmares, as the public is left aghast when one of the country’s most infamous and prolific serial killers is exposed. Someone who killed not just Robert Jerome Piest, but at least 32 other boys and young men. Including 18-year-old Matthew Bowman, the uncle of Megan, one of two First Degree sources interviewed for these episodes. In part 2, a new voice joins the conversation in the form of attorney and author Karen Conti, who represented Gacy in his final death penalty appeal and wrote a book about her experience. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: IT’S SCIENCE TIME
EHere we go again! The girls and the ginger return for another week of who honestly knows anymore. This tangent-filled episode takes so many twists and turns it’s hard to remember where we started. But one thing remains: this week, you will LEARN! With us! Today I Learned is back, and we’re taking another listener submission about snails! Then! The rejection hotline, horseshoe crabs, and Bill Nye! Let’s go! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 298: John Wayne Gacy, Part 1
EIn the spring of 1977, 18-year-old Matthew Bowman mysteriously disappeared from a suburban Chicago neighborhood. Matthew’s family immediately knew something horrible had happened, yet he was dismissed as a runaway by local police. Soon the arrest of serial killer John Wayne Gacy and the horrors found in the crawlspace under his house made the news. It was only then that Matthew’s family learned what happened to him. In speaking with members of Matthew’s family, this episode demonstrates how the loss of Matthew at the hands of John Wayne Gacy still reverberates today. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: GREATEST FORNICATOR EVER
EWelcome back for another thrilling episode of Killing Time! This week the girls and the ginger are opening up the phone lines for another installment of Today I Learned! Our caller brings another Roald Dahl fact that will definitely surprise you. Then! Nostrils, doorstoppers, and IOS flight tracking. Lots to learn! Plus! Another update on the LISK investigation from who else but our very own Alexis Linkletter! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 297: Andrew Wieman, Part 2
EOn February 10, 2002, authorities announce that they have finally determined the manner of Andrew Wieman’s death, and it comes as a surprise to everyone. Instead of bringing much needed answers, the determination only raises more questions for Andrew’s family and friends. Even after 20 plus years, these questions linger without answers, and the concerns continue to weigh heavily on their hearts. In episode 297, Jac and Alexis detail how authorities arrived at their determination, as well as the emotional impact it had on the family. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: HAMSTER MAN
EWelcome back for another episode of Killing Time! This week the girls and the ginger are reaching into some current topics including an update on the LISK case, Gypsy Rose, and more! Today on Today I Learned: A bizarre autopsy, schizophrenia in blind people, the origin of the Guinness Book of World Records, and a listener submitted famous last words! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 296: Andrew Wieman, Part 1
EOn January 4, 2001, a 20-year-old college student is found dead in his fraternity dorm room on the UC Davis campus. He has suffered 29 stab wounds, two of which are fatal. When authorities look around the room, they find evidence of a possible struggle. But there’s also a piece of paper that appears to be a suicide note. Right away, the campus police rule his death as a suicide. However, the coroner’s office finds the circumstances suspicious and orders a full investigation. Over the following months, authorities struggle to reach a consensus on the circumstances surrounding the student's death. In episode 296, Jac and Alexis break down the investigation into the death of Andrew Wieman, and his family’s fight for answers along the way. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: MOST INTELLIGENT EPISODE EVER
EThis week the girls and the ginger are back for another half-fact-filled episode of Killing Time! In what might be our most intelligent sounding episode, we’re talking about deep ocean aliens, Einstein, space, and so much more that we know nothing about! Then! Today I Learned! We’re talking OJ, Tongues, Eclipses, and a Firstie calls in with another Roald Dahl fact! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 295: Julie Lee Kelin
EOn November 2, 2001, a 40-year-old woman is viciously bludgeoned and strangled to death inside her apartment in San Diego, California. Family, friends, and neighbors of the mother of one and passionate advocate for those living with Alagille Syndrome, are stunned and heartbroken, especially her teen daughter. While the killer is quickly apprehended, this doesn’t lessen the pain when his identity is revealed. If anything, it highlights the tragedy of the victim’s loss and only leads to more questions about the disturbing details of her death, with those left behind mourning the passing of someone who still had so much to give. In episode 295, Jac and Alexis detail the sickening murder of Julie Kelin at the hands of Gabriel John Bradway, the dangers of obsession, and why the safest place for perpetrators of such crimes who fail to respect other’s boundaries in such a malicious way is behind bars. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: DEFINITELY
EThis week the girls and the ginger return and we’re killing time in epic fashion! Jac has some spelling struggles, Lex has safety tips, and Jer has frog facts! Today I learned returns! Then! We’re revisiting our new favorite segment “Chat in the Hat” for some topical tangents! Join us! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 294: Joan Angela D'Alessandro
EOn April 19, 1973, a 7-year-old girl in Hillsdale, New Jersey, goes out selling Girl Scout cookies in her neighborhood. She knows she’s not allowed far, so when she doesn’t come home her family is instantly on high alert, as are the authorities. A widely publicized search for the youngster swings into action. But three days later, a grisly find brings the hunt to a sudden and devastating end. When the identity of the perpetrator emerges and it’s revealed how he assaulted and murdered his helpless victim, it becomes clear that the little girl didn’t even make it to the end of her street. In episode 294, Jac and Alexis detail the heartbreaking murder of Joan D’Alessandro and her family’s fight not just for justice, but for swift and meaningful legislative reform to prevent the horror they lived through from becoming a painful reality for any other family. Please visit http://joansjoy.org/ to learn more about Joan's story and Rosemarie's work. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: NOTHING IS EVERYTHING
EWell well well, look who it is! The girls and the ginger return yet again for another episode of Killing Time! This week we’re bringing you more fun facts with Today I Learned, including a very special listener submission! Famous last words, a pringles coffin, extinct bananas, and… eating mummies? Join us! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 293: The Ripple Effect
EOn June 26, 2009, a 26-year-old college graduate is attacked and stabbed multiple times inside her apartment complex in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The young woman calls 911, and law enforcement arrives on the scene while the assault is in progress. They do their best to gain access and incapacitate the assailant but tragically are unable to save the victim’s life. Her friends and family are shattered when they learn not only how she died, but the identity of the perpetrator. In a twist to the investigation, the attacker attempts to place responsibility for the death with the actions of the officers who responded. In episode 293, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic murder of a young woman by her ex-boyfriend , and discuss how the emotional fallout from fatalities resulting from domestic violence ripples throughout the community in ways that forever change the lives of those whose sole mission is to protect and serve. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: THE BIG BONK
EThis week the girls and the ginger return with another half-fact-filled episode of Killing Time! Join us for a special revival of “On the Stand” featuring animal bonding, street meat, and migraines! Then, we’re jumping into some current events since we procrastinated and recorded this episode yesterday! Yeehaw! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 292: William Rufus Stephens Jr.
EIn the early hours of January 3, 2009, a 29-year-old man is found shot in his truck outside a bar in College Station, Texas. He’s still alive at this point, so first responders rush him to the hospital, where he sadly passes away. Detectives get to work and quickly identify a suspect - a 36-year-old car salesman with a history of violence. However, detectives struggle to figure out a motive behind the shooting. In fact, the victim and the murderer never even exchanged words. In episode 292, Jac and Alexis delve into the tragic murder of William Rufus Stephens Jr., and his killer’s history of “psycho” behavior. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: LAP IT UP
EThis week the girls and the ginger return for a Killing Time of epic proportions! Today I Learned returns for another fact-filled feature including info about the platypus, Robert Pattinson, and more! Then it’s time for chat in a hat! Strap in! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 291: James "Jimmy" Michael
EOn the morning of November 29, 2005, a fire breaks out at a Morgantown, West Virginia home, engulfing the quiet neighborhood in chaos. Amidst the smoke and flames, responders discover the badly burned body of a 33-year-old man, lying in his bed. As investigators sift through the evidence, they quickly realize this is no ordinary house fire - it's arson, and the man had been dead before the blaze began. As the investigation continues, the evidence keeps leading investigators back to one person in particular. Someone very close to the victim who had multiple motives to want him gone. In episode 291, Jac and Alexis unravel the harrowing tale of James “Jimmy” Michael's murder, and his family’s journey to justice, and for some, forgiveness. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: TAMRON HALL
EThis week on Killing Time the girls are joined by true crime royalty, the one and only Tamron Hall. Throughout her career, Tamron has dominated all corners of the media as crime reporter, talk show host and novelist. On today’s episode we share our full interview with Tamron, delving into topics like love, loss, success, and the real life cases that have inspired her writing. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 290: Tamron Hall: Watch Where They Hide
EOn a very special episode of The First Degree, Alexis & Jac talk to award winning crime journalist, talk show host and author, Tamron Hall. Tamron opens up about the true crime cases that have stuck with her throughout her career, and coping with the personal tragedy of losing of her sister. Renate Newton, Tamron’s sister, was murdered on July 11th of 2004, and to this day her killer has not been apprehended. Tamron candidly sheds light on her new novel, Watch Where They Hide, delving into the real life parallels that inspired her work. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: HOLLY MADISON RETURNS
EThis week the girls are joined by our good friend and bombshell Holly Madison for a very special Killing Time! We’re talking hauntings, aliens, conspiracies and more! Plus! Corn cob! Stick around til the end to find out what it means! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 289: Jill Ann Spaulding
EIn this episode, Holly Madison shares a peek behind the curtain of the forbidden world of Playboy. During her time at the mansion she encountered several Playboy hopefuls, looking for a way into Hef’s impenetrable inner circle... women just like Jill Ann Spaulding. As Host and EP of Season 2 of Investigation Discovery’s “The Playboy Murders,” Holly takes us through a story that began in tinsel town and ended in tragedy. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: LEAP DAY
EHello Firsties! The girls and the ginger are back under quite rare circumstances! Today is leap day! Join us as we explore some interesting happenings in history from this bizarre bonus day. Then! A couple new segments today: Today I learned, and Chat in the Hat! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 288: Denise Huskins & Aaron Quinn, Part 2
EWe conclude with part two of our coverage of the Denise & Aaron’s unbelievable story. Delving into the catastrophic failure of law enforcement in this case, the dogged female detective that broke the case wide open, the troubling past of the perpetrator, and the questions that still linger. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: READ IT ON REDDIT
EThis week the girls and the ginger return and dive deep down the rabbit hole of Reddit! Also, we’re banging the gavel yet again. Straight to jail this week: Senior living housing prices, Elon Musk, and bowls! And stick around until the end for a cringe confession from a thrifty thief! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 287: Denise Huskins & Aaron Quinn, Part 1
EIn part one, Lex and Jac sit down with Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, the couple at the center of the earth shattering story that’s captivated the nation. Whether you know them from their book, Victim F. or the explosive Netflix Documentary “American Nightmare,” what you think you know about their story and the bizarre elements of this case is just the tip of the iceberg. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: TIME TRAVELING TRUMPS
EThe girls and the ginger return with another episode of Killing Time! Don those tin foil hats because this week Alexis has uncovered some very bizarre information regarding the alleged time traveling capability of a certain recent US president and his family. Hoo boy. Even for me (hi it’s Jared) this is a lot to process. Also! The introduction of a brand new segment: Cringe Confessions! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 286: Greg Hunter
EOn August 27, 1990, a 19-year-old man is shot and his body concealed inside a commercial freezer at his workplace in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The killer steals cash from the register and flees the scene. The investigation drags on, much to the frustration and distress of not only the victim's family and friends, but the local community which is shaken in the aftermath of the seemingly random and brutal killing. But soon, the much-needed breakthrough comes thanks to the killer’s conscience, who reveals to law enforcement it was a catastrophic case of robbery gone wrong. In episode 286, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic case of Greg Hunter, his death at the hands of Richard James Yarger, and how, when someone is intent on selfish and desperate action, sometimes a dreadful collision of malevolence and circumstances result in the senseless loss of innocent and promising young life. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BONUS: KILLING TIME: APPLE BOTTOM GENES
EWE’RE BACK! Did you miss us? Killing Time returns today, and the gang is back in the studio! Two girls, one ginger, here yet again with more half-facts than ever! Couple new segments today: Straight to Jail and Down the Rabbit Hole. Join us! 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 285: The Hadleys
EOn July 16, 2011, a 54-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife are bludgeoned to death at their home in Port St Lucie, Florida. The community is shocked beyond belief. The couple, who have been married for 25 years, leave behind a shell-shocked and heartbroken family, including two sons, who are left questioning the motivation for such an incomprehensible attack. When the perpetrator is identified, and their rationale for committing such a brutal double murder, those close to the victims are left wondering whether anything could have really stopped such a monstrous act. In episode 285, Jac and Alexis detail the disturbing case of Blake Hadley and his wife Mary-Jo, and how, when someone appears intent on heading down a certain path, sometimes no possible intervention can ever really prevent a person from making the most horrifying decision any of us could ever imagine. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: CRIMINAL EDUCATION
EIn a usually quiet neighborhood in Bakersfield, California, a family of five was murdered in their home on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. At first, police thought a random intruder could be responsible, but then, to the community’s surprise, detectives reveal this murder was not a random killing. Instead, it involved a suspect in another state, a history of abuse allegations and a connection much closer to home. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 284: Teresa Halbach
EOn Halloween, 2005, a 25-year-old woman disappears in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Almost a week later, search parties find her Toyota RAV4 concealed in a salvage yard business where the young woman was last headed for a work assignment. Utimately, the property owner and his young nephew are convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. 10 years later, the documentary series ‘Making A Murderer’ raised serious questions about the men’s guilt, including allegations of police corruption in framing at least one of the killers, who had previously been previously wrongfully convicted. The much-lauded series went on to win awards for what many were led to believe was a balanced presentation of all the facts. But the filmmakers had in fact omitted key evidence contradicting their narrative. In episode 284, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic murder of Teresa Halbach at the hands of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, and how the fallout of exposing unethical media practices proves that consumers of true crime content should always be thinking critically. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: ASHLEY & MIRANDA
EA note for our listeners: The New Year means a brand spankin’ new Killing Time. Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you hanging while we revamp our Thursday episodes. We’re dropping some of our favorite Patreon shows in the feed in the meantime. If you like what you hear join us over there. If not, hang tight, Killing Time will be back before you know it. A young girl vanishes on her way to the bus stop. Two months later, the best friend of the missing girl vanishes under identical circumstances. There’s no doubt about it, the cases are linked, but it takes the investigators months to uncover the cruel truth of what happened to them - revealing the dark family history of the perpetrator. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 283: Leanne Irene Davidson
EOn August 29, 2021, police respond to a 911 call from a home in Peoria, Arizona. Inside the residence, they find a 33-year-old nurse unresponsive on the floor of the bedroom, her estranged husband frantically attempting CPR, and his mother also present. He tells first responders the couple had been out drinking earlier in the evening, and his wife stopped breathing after being put in the shower. It all appears to be a terrible case of accidental death for the mother of two. But when paramedics observe injuries to the victim inconsistent with her husband’s account, things start to unravel, and law enforcement learns that all was not well within the couple’s marriage. In episode 283, Jac and Alexis detail the tragic mysterious death of Leanne Irene Davidson, the questions that linger around the circumstances, and why Leanne’s loved ones are not giving up until they find justice. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: LOOKING FOR LINDA
EA note for our listeners: The New Year means a brand spankin’ new Killing Time. Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you hanging while we revamp our Thursday episodes. We’re dropping some of our favorite Patreon shows in the feed in the meantime. If you like what you hear join us over there. If not, hang tight, Killing Time will be back before you know it. A college student goes on her dinner break in Santa Clara, California. As she walks to her car, a mysterious man attacks the 19-year-old and drives off with her. Decades went by and many gave up hope that the ice cold case would ever be solved. Until a new revelation connects her death to a known serial killer along with a list of other victims. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Episode 282: Kimberly Kaye Jones Wallace
EOn December 13, 1990, 27-year-old Kimberly Kaye “Kim” Wallace travels to her estranged husband 62-year-old Dr. Jack Ray Wallace’s home in Cobb County, Georgia to grab Christmas decorations. She is never seen alive again. Hours later, a small airplane lands 300 miles to the south near the Okefenokee Swamp. Those piloting the Cessna 172 aircraft did not turn on the radio-activated runway lights while landing, and an onlooker calls the authorities. When the officers arrive, they find Kim’s nude body on board the plane stuffed into a large, black toolbox with a plastic bag tied over her head. Piloting the plane is Dr. Wallace’s divorce attorney, 53-year-old Michael Glean, and his former neighbor, 43-year-old Frederick Steven Speas. Both men, along with Dr. Wallace and a fourth co-conspirator, are arrested, charged, and tried for orchestrating Kim’s murder. In episode 282, Jac and Alexis reveal how an elaborate murder-for-hire plot unraveled through sheer chance. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: FOR THE THRILL OF IT
EA note for our listeners: The New Year means a brand spankin’ new Killing Time. Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you hanging while we revamp our Thursday episodes. We’re dropping some of our favorite Patreon shows in the feed in the meantime. If you like what you hear join us over there. If not, hang tight, Killing Time will be back before you know it. A student murder becomes the center of speculation at Hofstra University in New York. The sophomore was missing from campus for three weeks. The case had hit a standstill. But investigators found out that was because the killer was burying their tracks across Long Island. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices