True Crime Campfire

In the series premiere, radio DJ Fred Heckman (Jon Hamm) receives an unexpected call from a listener that turns his life upside down. Follow American Hostage on Amazon Music, to hear all 8 episodes right now: wondery.fm/TCC_AmericanHostageBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the old Hans Christian Anderson tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, the emperor was the kind of clothes horse who’d make Anna Wintour look like a frump in a burlap sack. This guy was all about the fashion, and the more extravagant the better. So one day, a couple of con men came blazin’ into town, pretending to be the best tailors in the biz. They swept into the emperor’s castle, bragging about the spectacular wardrobe they could make for him…for the right price. And it got even better than that. These tailors had magic powers. They could create a fabric that could only be seen by those who are good enough, smart enough, and powerful enough. Well of course our boy and his ego couldn’t resist, and he set the two “tailors” to work, creating the kind of threads that would blow the roof off of any room he strutted into. Of course the tailors weren’t tailors at all, and they had no magic powers. They just wanted the cash…and the cache. So when the day of the big reveal came along, they finessed it. Rolled in a fancy garment rack full of empty hangers, and presented them as the finest wardrobe in the land. When the emperor saw the empty rack, of course, his first thought was…oh no…oh God…I can’t see it! I’m not good enough! Presumably everybody else was thinking the same thing—oh no, why can’t I see it? There was a moment of panicky silence. And then, the emperor gasped the fakest gasp he’d ever gasped, and said “I LOVE IT!” And later that day, the whole kingdom was treated to the sight of their ruler, catwalking down the main street in the buff. And everybody clapped, and everybody had something to say about how beautiful the clothes were. Better that than admit ya got got. This is one of those stories that never goes stale. We see it every day, that essential human urge to save face, even at great personal expense. Today we’ll tell you about a fraudster who knew this all too well, and decided to try his hand at faking out one of the wealthiest, most discerning crowds in the world: the wine snobs. Sources:2016 Documentary "Sour Grapes" by Jerry Rothwell, Reuben AtlasCNBC's "American Greed," episode "Vintage Wine Fraud"The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/11/the-great-wine-fraud-a-vintage-swindleFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we left you at the end of part 1, we had just learned one of Bart Corbin’s best-kept secrets: that, 14 years before the murder of Jennifer Corbin, his ex-girlfriend Dolly Hearn had died from a gunshot wound to the head. A gunshot wound eerily similar to Jenn’s—and a death that had been ruled a suicide, to the disbelief of the people closest to the victim. Now, Dolly’s parents were determined to make contact with the investigators in Jenn Corbin’s case, and finally bring to light a truth they had always been sure of: that Bart Corbin killed their daughter. Join us now for part 2 of this twisting tale.Sources:Ann Rule, Too Late to Say GoodbyeCBS "48 Hours," episode "Love and Lies"https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15253153https://www.oxygen.com/a-wedding-and-a-murder/crime-news/dentist-bart-corbin-pleads-guilty-murdering-girlfriend-wifehttps://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/archive/dentist-gets-life-for-killing-two-women/article_4b206d69-70ac-5cfc-9555-22cfe9e0c145.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A little mystery can be fun in a relationship. It keeps things interesting. You don’t have to share every thought that passes through your head, or tell all your best stories on the first or second date. Keeping your partner guessing about a few things can add a little spice. You shouldn’t feel like you have to make your life an open book. But if you end up with someone who won’t even let you take a peek at the very first page, that’s a red flag. This is the twisting, turning story of a marriage built on secrets—some of them so potent, so poisonous, that they began to eat at the relationship from the inside out. Some secrets can be harmless, but some you take to the grave. Join us for the story of Dr. Bart Corbin, a dentist whose charming exterior hid a dark past, and a smoldering rage so powerful that it swallowed the lives of at least two women.Sources:Ann Rule, Too Late to Say GoodbyeCBS "48 Hours," episode "Love and Lies"https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15253153https://www.oxygen.com/a-wedding-and-a-murder/crime-news/dentist-bart-corbin-pleads-guilty-murdering-girlfriend-wifeFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I always loved the old “Twilight Zone” series. In most of the stories, ordinary people would wake up one morning and find themselves in a world that had changed in some crucial, baffling way. Everybody else would be in on the change, going around like nothing had happened, and the hero would have to figure out how to navigate this scary new reality. It’s fun to watch, when it’s fiction. But what if you woke up one morning and realized you were living your own version of that story? That all the trappings of your comfortable life were as flimsy as a sheet of painted canvas, hiding a nightmare underneath? What if the person you loved and trusted most had been in on the joke all along…and the joke is on you? Join us for the story of Paul Curry, a Mensa member and two-time Jeopardy champ whose charms were only skin deep.Sources:https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/timeline-investigating-the-death-of-linda-curry/11/https://www.grunge.com/493987/the-truth-about-the-jeopardy-winner-who-murdered-his-wife/https://www.leagle.com/decision/incaco20170629061CBS's "48 Hours," episode "To Catch a Genius"CNBC's "American Greed," episode "Recipe for Murder"Investigation Discovery's "Charmed to Death," episode "A Life in Jeopardy"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve said it before on True Crime Campfire: We’re nerds. And so are most of our friends. Nerds can be the very best people. All most of us want to do is to read our comics or cosplay our favorite characters from Final Fantasy VII, or learn to speak Klingon. We’re harmless. Most of us. But every category of person has its dark element. And for some people, fantasy is anything but harmless. For them, it can fuel a sense of superiority and separateness from ordinary life—provide a sort of storyline for them to follow, where they become the dark hero of their own little movie. When two such nerds come together, it can make for some toxic dynamics. Especially since human beings tend to do things in groups that they might NEVER have the nerve to do alone. Join us for the story of one of the Seattle area's most horrifying multiple murders--the 1997 slaughter of the entire Wilson family, by a pair of teenage killers who just...kinda wanted to see what it felt like.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love, hate and obsession have always been pretty close relatives. Anybody who’s ever picked up a Harlequin romance novel or watched a ridiculous rom-com knows that we don’t really get the best guidance from society on how to manage our love lives. Some of us just kinda wing it until we figure it out. Some of us go from train wreck to train wreck, and some decide we’d rather skip the whole thing and focus on hobbies and pets and learning how to keep indoor plants alive. But then there are the ones who—so desperate to latch on to another person that they feel empty without it—weave an elaborate fantasy of the Perfect Love. And when they meet someone who seems to match the dream, they latch on. Even if it turns out that the object of their desire doesn’t want to be latched anymore. The more the dream-partner pulls away, the more feverish the fantasy becomes. And things can get dangerous, fast. Join us for the strange true story of Diane Schaefer, a woman whose obsession with a famous cancer doctor took over her life, and the lives of many others. Sources:Marie Brenner, "Erotomania: The Haunting of Dr. Brennan," Vanity Fair, Sept. 1991The Village Voice: "Stalking the Stalkers" https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/07/03/stalking-the-stalkers/Investigation Discovery's "Tabloid," episode "Love You to Death"Lifetime, "Obsessed," 2002Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Stranger than fiction” is one of our guiding forces here at True Crime Campfire. We always try to find the kind of stories that will live rent-free in your head for the rest of your life. But of all the weird stories we’ve encountered in our decades of true crime obsession, there are a few that stand out far above the crowd. In our first case, a quirky professor known for his unorthodox views on fast food comes home from a conference and walks into a nightmare. A day later, detectives walk in on the weirdest, most brutal crime scene they’ve ever seen. And in the second, a teenage boy is forced to confront a kind of betrayal worse than he ever could have imagined—and investigators will have to puzzle through a maze of bizarre clues to work out what happened. Sources: https://archives.law.virginia.edu/dengrove/writeup/appledorfhttps://www.gainesville.com/story/news/education/campus/2018/04/04/35-years-after-murder-appledorfs-memory-lives-on-in-popular-uf-course/12823197007/Investigation Discovery's "Tabloid," episodes "Deadly D-List" and "Devils in Disguise"https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/22/us/2-sentenced-in-slaying-of-professor-in-florida.htmlhttp://truecrimediscussions.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-assault-of-charles-hardeman.htmlhttps://www.actionnews5.com/story/17590194/teen-recovering-after-surviving-fire-car-crash-and-attempted-drowning/https://wreg.com/news/sister-of-kidnapping-victim-arrested-in-case/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we left you at the end of part 1, Omaha homicide detectives had just put a new suspect on their radar for the brutal murders of Tom Hunter, Shirlee Sherman, and Roger and Mary Brumback: Dr. Anthony Garcia, a former resident in the pathology department at Creighton University Hospital. Garcia had been terminated from his residency after a series of bad evaluations. Now, years later, the doctors who fired him were in the crosshairs, and investigators were desperate to find him before he struck again. Join us now for part 2 of this bizarre true story.Sources:Pathological by Cordes and CooperVarious articles: https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/garcia-anthony.htmCBS' "48 Hours," https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthony-garcia-case-was-revenge-motive-behind-omaha-double-murders/NBC's "Dateline," episode "Haunted"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2008, a tranquil neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska was stunned by the vicious double murder of an eleven year old boy—the son of two prominent local doctors—and their much-beloved housekeeper. No one could imagine who was behind the killings, and the case went colder and colder…until the same thing happened again, five years later, and the motive became clear. Join us for a classic whodunnit, the story of a desperate race to uncover the secrets behind these brutal and seemingly senseless murders. Sources:Pathological by Cordes and CooperVarious articles: https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/garcia-anthony.htmCBS' "48 Hours," https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthony-garcia-case-was-revenge-motive-behind-omaha-double-murders/NBC's "Dateline," episode "Haunted"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the era of some of the most heinous serial killers of all time, one murderous family went curiously unnoticed: The McCrarys. Led by a psychopathic patriarch and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country robbing, kidnapping, and killing up to 20 people, most of them taken from donut shops. “Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders” recounts the wild and deeply disturbing story of an unhinged American family and the terrible brutality they unleashed. The podcast features the taped confessions of one of the killers, given when he was serving a life term in Colorado.Listen Here: wondery.fm/DSM_TCCampfirePodBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In every great love story, there’s some degree of risk. We risk our hearts, at the very least. We risk getting hurt. But one thing we DON’T usually risk is prison time. This is the story of one of America’s tricksiest con men. An ingenious thief, a master impersonator, and the most prolific prison escapee in U.S. history. One of the fascinating things about him is the motivation behind his many crimes and escapes. Not so much money…but love. Or so he claims. Join us for a made-for-Hollywood tale of obsessive love and intricate fraud--the subject of the movie "I Love You, Phillip Morris" with Jim Carrey and Ewan MacGregor.Sources:I Love You, Phillip Morris by Steve McVickerEsquire Magazine, The Great Escapee by Alex HannafordThe Guardian, Elizabeth Day: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/sep/06/steven-russell-elizabeth-day-jim-carreyTodayIFoundOut.com, Karl Smallwood: King Con: The Con Man Who Simply Walked Out of Prison Four TimesFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since it's the holidays and we both have family to see and things to bake, we decided to give everybody another peek at one of our past Patreon-exclusive episodes. Sometimes these patron-exclusives are just regular TCC episodes—extra cases. But sometimes we like to mix things up and do something a little different. In this episode, we decided to walk our patrons through some of the most common, most classic cons and scams—we’ll give you a little history on each, tell you how they work, and how to avoid them. Just about anybody can get got, so this is good info to have. So put on your pjs, grab your snacks, and let’s hang out and talk about griftin’.Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Scandal is a podcast from Wondery that explores the darker stories that have shaped the United States. From the Unabomber to Bernie Madoff, these are stories that reveal the underbelly of America: ruthless, secretive, and power-hungry. The new season of American Scandal looks at the controversial decision made by a young government official named Daniel Ellsburg to leak the Pentagon Papers, the documents that led Americans to demand an end to the catastrophic Vietnam War. Once Ellsburg realized this terrible truth, he made the bold decision to leak the documents, and the consequences altered the course of American history. This is just a preview of American Scandal, but you can listen to the full episode at wondery.fm/AS_TCCampfireBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a Danish proverb that says, “If envy were a fever, then the whole world would be ill.” It’s probably true. I mean, everybody feels that poisonous little pang now and then. We all occasionally want something that somebody else has, maybe even resent them a little for having it. We learn to get past it, focus on the good in our own lives instead of obsessing about everyone else. But sometimes, envy can take over—spread through the soul like a kudzu vine, smothering and strangling and covering everything else. You can get trapped in it. And you can convince yourself that the only way out is destruction. Join us for a Southern gothic tale for the social media age: a story about love, family, betrayal, envy and manipulation. Sources:Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee by Dennis BrooksMedium: https://medium.com/serial-napper/jenelle-potter-the-killer-catfish-51c0626cec7ABC's 20/20, Episode "Unfriended"Investigation Discovery special, "Too Pretty To Live"https://www.timesnews.net/one-of-three-facebook-murder-convictions-overturned-mother-granted-new-trial/article_4aea9524-0618-11ec-a093-8b71991a842d.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all think of charm and good looks as a good thing, right? Something we all wish we had goin’ on. But for some people, a silver tongue and a knockout bod are nothing more than tools to help them hurt and manipulate. Tools that make it easier for them to wreak six kinds of havoc on the lives of everyone they meet. Some people are just forces of destruction, determined to take everything they can get their hands on and not worried about who they destroy in the process. We’ve covered some bad bitches on this show before—Dante Sutorius, Tracey Richter—and we think this li’l English rose we’re about to tell you about could hold her own with the worst of them. Join us for a twisting tale of fraud, outrageous deception, greed, attempted murder and murder, all at the hands of one of our worst "bad bitches" yet: Dena Thompson.Sources:BBC Channel 4 documentary "Black Widow"The Argus: https://web.archive.org/web/20140907164935/http://www.theargus.co.uk/archive/2003/12/16/5099453.Black_Widow__Inside_the_mind_of_a_predator/https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5060737.interpol-hunt-for-missing-lover-of-sussexs-black-widow/Guy Toyn: https://web.archive.org/web/20140704134021/http://www.courtnewsuk.co.uk/c_murderers/a_dena_thompson/crime_vaults/Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257751/Black-Widow-new-probe-vanished-lover.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few things are more devastating than a loved one going missing. On The Vanished podcast from Wondery, host Marissa Jones tells stories of missing persons that have gone overlooked by mainstream media. In a recent episode, Marissa looks into the disappearance of James Foster Chance. The 48-year-old man from Texas went missing in March of 2021. Devastated and without any leads, James’ family began searching for him. But in their search they began uncovering clues that James was not the man they thought he was. And worse -- that he may have disappeared on purpose. Listen to The Vanished at wondery.fm/TV_truecrimecampfireBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marriage. It might not be for everybody, but for a lot of us, it’s great stuff. You get to join up with your best friend, the love of your life, somebody you can just be you around, somebody who feels like home. And of course most of us begin that journey with a wedding: a beautiful ceremony where you pledge to hang together for better or worse, then throw down and join your best buds for some cake. Most of the time, the worst case scenario with all this stuff is divorce. But in the stories we’re about to tell you, that would have been a walk in the park. First, a startling case from Brazil in which a brand-new groom murders his bride and best man during the wedding reception--then the story of a new bride who pushed her husband off a cliff just eight days after they wed. Sources:Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-brazil-groom-who-killed-his-wedding-partyCBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rogerio-damascena-shoots-his-bride-best-man-then-self-at-brazilian-wedding-after-announcing-surprise/NPR NewsUniversity of Sao PaoloFlathead Beacon, Justin Franz: https://justinfranz.com/writing/a-murder-in-glacier-park/Oxygen's "Snapped," episode "Jordan Graham"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Nina's podcast, "Twisted Mirror:"https://www.twistedmirrorpodcast.comFacebook @twistedmirrorpodIG: TwistedmirrorpodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since it's Thanksgiving, we're giving you a sneak peek at one of our Patreon subscriber exclusive episodes this week! This one is the story of one of New York City's most notorious murders: A beautiful, privileged young woman brutally strangled in Central Park after a night out with friends. The crime initially looked to be sexually motivated, but the experienced detectives felt something was amiss--the scene was almost a caricature of a sex crime, as though the killer had staged it to look that way. What was this murder really about? Join us for a story of envy, greed, revenge and ego--one that illustrates the way media narrative can shape a murder case, for better or for worse. Sources:https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/news/a7587/jennifer-levin-robert-chambers-preppy-killer/#:~:text=Thirty%20years%20ago%20today%2C%20on,Central%20Park%20by%20Robert%20Chambers.&text=They'd%20walked%20into%20Central,marks%20of%20a%20violent%20struggle.https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a29712185/robert-chambers-preppy-murder-central-park/https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/the-preppy-murder-how-robert-chambers-defense-victim-blamed-jennifer-levinDocumentary: "The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park"CBS "48 Hours," "The Preppy Killer"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran journalist Joe Nocera’s neighbor in the Hamptons was a therapist named Ike. Ike counted celebrities and Manhattan elites as his patients. He’d host star-studded parties at his eccentric vacation house. But one summer, Joe discovered that Ike was gone and everything he’d thought he’d known about his neighbor -- and the house next door -- was wrong. From Wondery, the company behind Dirty John and Dr. Death, and Bloomberg, “The Shrink Next Door” is a story about power, control and turning to the wrong person for help for three decades. Written and hosted by Joe Nocera, a columnist for Bloomberg. The Shrink Next Door is now an Apple Original series, starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd. Watch now only on Apple TV+. Listen to the Shrink Next Door now! https://link.chtbl.com/shrink_next_door?sid=Audio-Shrink_Next_Door_2021-True_Crime_CampfireBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parenthood, or so we hear, is full of a kind of transcendent joy, the kind you can only experience by watching your offspring learn and grow. That is, when they’re not making you want to hop in the car and keep driving until you run out of road. There are some ups and downs, for sure. But you’ll hardly ever find a parent who wouldn’t do almost anything for their kids. Notice we said “almost” anything. Because there have to be limits, right? Well…for the parents in today’s story, not so much. First we have Texas mom Wanda Holloway, who in 1990 tried to hire a hit man to take out her daughter's cheerleading rivals. Then we have French dad Christophe Fauviau, who dosed his kids' tennis opponents to make sure his little angels won every match. Sources:Texas Monthly, Mimi Swartz: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/the-cheerleader-murder-plot/ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=1680047&page=1https://www.wistv.com/story/4609148/eight-years-in-prison-for-dad-who-drugged-his-kids-tennis-rivals/The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/mar/01/france.mainsectionWashington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2006/03/04/for-french-tennis-dad-deadly-obsession-to-win/2b80701d-a3fe-442c-a72d-08f858f9eee5/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1997, a 26 year old woman named Sarah Smith went in for a routine breast augmentation procedure. It should have been an easy, outpatient surgery for this healthy young woman, but it didn't turn out that way. Sarah went into cardiac and respiratory arrest on the operating table, slipped into a coma, and died a few days later. Investigators soon discovered that Sarah wasn't the first of cosmetic surgeon Dr. Anthony Pignataro's patients to die after routine surgery. And the more they investigated this flashy, Lamborghini-driving, safari-hunting doctor, the more skeletons they found in his closet--from a long list of butchered patients to an audacious fraud. Pignataro would face justice for Sarah Smith's death, but that wouldn't be the end of his story. There was an even darker chapter still to be written, this time much closer to home. Join us for a twisting tale reminiscent of "Dr. Death," a stark example of what happens when narcissism and recklessness meet greed. Sources:Ann Rule, Last Dance Last ChanceBuffalo News: https://subscribe.buffalonews.com/e/limit-reached-bn?returnURL=https://buffalonews.com/news/pignataro-a-profile-in-deceit-how-the-failed-west-seneca-surgeons-disastrous-professional-life-brought/article_3ec7b800-b1d0-5287-a981-c9790c18380f.htmlWSVN News: https://wsvn.com/news/investigations/disgraced-doctor-who-poisoned-wife-spotted-on-elder-care-website/Oxygen: https://www.oxygen.com/license-to-kill/crime-news/anthony-pignataro-surgeon-resurfacess-florida-new-nameForensic Files Now: https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/anthony-pignataro/Oxygen's "License to Kill," episode "Killer Surgeon""Forensic Files," Episode "Bad Medicine"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Killer Psyche is a new weekly true crime podcast from Wondery that explores the minds behind infamous killers and criminals. They cover high-profile cases that have shocked the world, and host Candice Delong uses her five decades of experience as a clinical psychiatric nurse and FBI Criminal Profiler to dissect the motivations and behaviors of the most terrifying felons in history. In a recent episode, Candace examines the mind of Ed Gein, the notorious murderer who inspired the movies "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." Candace dives deep into Gein’s mind — and how his mental illnesses led to his obsession with grave-robbing and murder. This is just a preview of Killer Psyche, but you can listen to the full episode at http://wondery.fm/KP_TCCampfireBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1998, South Yorkshire residents Howard Walmsley and his wife Kathy were on top of the world. After years of financial struggle as they tried to get Howard's painting and decorating business off the ground, they finally hit a stroke of luck: Howard won the lottery. Kathy was thrilled at the thought of being able to get out from under their bills, take a lavish holiday, and spoil their friends and family. But there was one thing that plucked at the back of her mind: Howard would never be specific about how much he'd won. Why was that? Well, campers, Howard was lying through his teeth. He hadn't really won a single pound. He was about to drag his wife along on a bizarre, years-long con, a lie that got bigger and bigger by the day before finally crashing down around them. Join us for the story of one of England's most audacious scammers, a man who is currently a fugitive, wanted by the South Yorkshire police for fraud. Sources:Documentary film "The Lottery Liar"https://www.lottoexposed.com/lottery-conman-john-eric-wells-continues-pursuing-the-easy-life-in-vietnam/https://www.itv.com/thismorning/articles/i-was-conned-out-of-my-life-savingshttps://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10015394/lotto-faked-jackpot-hunted-conning/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7515013/Lottery-conman-accused-tricking-three-grandmothers-400-000-living-Vietnam.htmlhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-70362/Three-years-liar-invented-8m-lottery-win.htmlhttps://www.lottoanalyst.com/howard-walmsley-the-man-who-faked-winning-the-lotteryFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1997, 20-somethings Anu Singh and Joe Cinque were an up and coming young couple--Joe a successful civil engineer, Anu a law student at Australian National University, both smart and gorgeous. From the outside looking in, they seemed to be on top of the world. But there was a storm brewing behind the scenes. Anu was becoming more and more obsessed with a myriad of health problems that no doctors seemed to be able to find any evidence of. She was becoming more and more controlling and needy, demanding more than any partner could possibly provide. And the more she perceived Joe falling short of her expectations, the angrier she got. And when she got wind that he might be thinking of leaving her, a poisonous rage bubbled up inside her. This is the story of one of Australia's most bizarre murder cases, one that you'll be tempted to think we made up. But unfortunately, we didn't. Join us for a story of love, betrayal, revenge...and the starkest example of the "bystander effect" you may ever see. Sources:VICE: https://www.vice.com/en/article/nneypm/why-a-beautiful-promising-law-student-killed-her-boyfriend-by-forced-heroin-overdoseMurderpedia: https://murderpedia.org/female.S/s/singh-anu.htmNZ Herald: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/joe-cinque-murder-law-students-chilling-warning-before-fatal-canberra-dinner-party/IIMCHOGQTVRCLOZ52BJYHESMOY/TV show "Poisonous Liaisons," Episode "Toxic Affairs"TV show "Crimes that Shook Australia," Episode "Anu Singh"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s one of the most haunting murder cases you’ll ever hear about, and it takes place in a small town in Israel. Tair Rada was only 13-years-old when her body was found inside a locked bathroom stall. She was viciously murdered during a school day, and yet no one saw or heard a thing. The police arrested the janitor, Roman Zadorov, and he eventually confessed, but this was far from being the end of it. Based on the hit true-crime series from Netflix, the podcast "Shadow of Truth" will take you on a journey into one of the wildest and most contested murder cases in the history of Israel, as it reaches its final resolution, 15 years after it all started. Listen to Shadow of Truth http://wondery.fm/SOT_TrueCrimeCampfirBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our third annual Halloween special, we have the gorgeous and talented Shelby Scott, velvet-voiced host of Scare You to Sleep, a podcast that, while beautifully produced and hugely entertaining, might just make you wet yourself a little bit. Just a little bit, no big deal. It’s worth it. Shelby’s show is the gold standard in horror podcasts, but she’s also a true crime buff. So since it’s Halloween, and we have the Princess of Darkness gracing us with her presence today, we decided to pick two extra-terrifying cases to do together. We’re not gonna lie to you, campers. These are dark. First is one of the most horrifying cases we've ever heard of--a ritualistic, random double murder in one of the most tranquil neighborhoods in Hollywood. Next is the still-unsolved abduction and murder of Dorothy Jane Scott. Dorothy disappeared from a parking lot after weeks of creepy phone calls from a stalker who threatened to "cut her into bits." You also get a bonus at the end of this episode: A peek at our "TCC Unplugged" post-show chat, normally for Patreon subscribers only. It's unedited, unscripted--just Katie and Whitney recapping the episodes.Sources:Reelz' "Demons in the City of Angels," Episode "The Studio Steps"https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152966332/morley-hal-engelsonhttps://www.dailybreeze.com/2008/04/05/ex-marine-sentenced-to-life-for-slayings/https://www.hermistonherald.com/news/suspect-in-grisly-murders-had-troubled-history/article_f57e82d9-2487-5616-b602-e73a79d616f5.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-04-05/former-marine-jailed-for-beheading-screenwriter/2393828https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Leeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dorothy_Jane_Scotthttps://www.crimetraveller.org/2020/10/the-tragic-death-of-dorothy-jane-scott/https://www.talkmurderwithme.com/blog/2020/2/22/dorothy-jane-scotthttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/10010932/dorothy-jane-scott/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_John_BardoShelby Scott's shows:Scare You to Sleep: https://open.spotify.com/show/2sNFsS8B0qvIg1jK0Vo7Ns?si=d31eb69f48f14d97&fbclid=IwAR0bnwXFmuZdAbWgavvZpQfa246OFQITjVu_mnLU7T0mIp4P0tZyKso4iWM&nd=1Mediums: https://open.spotify.com/show/3uxUNb7B8L8IMyywbkmUdL?si=ac1a1bb1e9f340f8&fbclid=IwAR1vos1y_QA_FEIOtId_al-s9owKRiRSmxsOykPWx-aXo-2vHk4zV-OIs6M&nd=1Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we left you at the end of part 1, taxidermy enthusiast, landlord and former bullfighter Charles Albright had begun living a double life. By day, a loving and gentlemanly boyfriend, a considerate friend and a fun-loving softball teammate. By night, a regular in the red-light districts of Dallas—sometimes kind and generous to the sex workers he encountered, sometimes cruel and sadistic. And in December of 1990, the brutal murder of one of those woman had just rocked the community to its core. Mary Pratt had been beaten and shot, and her killer had left a disturbing signature: He’d removed her eyes with surgical precision. As Dallas investigators began their hunt for the killer, they had the sinking feeling that a monster like this doesn’t tend to stop with just one. And they were about to find out how right they were. Join us now for part two of this bizarre true story.Sources:Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/see-no-evil-3/Mara Bovson, Daily News: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/dallas-eyeball-killer-murdered-women-removed-eyes-article-1.3769218https://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/albright-charles.htmhttps://www.oxygen.com/mark-of-a-killer/charles-albright-eyeball-killer-serial-killer-sex-workersdallas-texas-90sBritish true crime show "Born to Kill," episode "Charles Albright"Oxygen's "Mark of a Killer," episode "An Eye for Murder"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Albrighthttps://www.audacy.com/krld/articles/news/dallas-historys-notorious-killer-of-prostitutes-has-diedhttps://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/dallas-eyeball-killer-murdered-women-removed-eyes-article-1.3769218https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/lucille-baller-rapping-dallas-police-lt-regina-smith-suspended/2070872/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A small town cop known as “GI Joe” is gunned down in a swamp in the summer of 2015 and quickly becomes a martyr in the national media. But when a dogged investigator and his team set out to get justice, they uncover unsettling secrets about Joe, the local police department, and the village of Fox Lake. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes the third season of Over My Dead Body: Fox Lake. Hosted by Matt Baglio.Listen to Over My Dead Body: https://wondery.com/shows/over-my-dead-body/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 90s, the city of Dallas was thrown into a nightmare. Women started turning up murdered, with a bizarre signature facial mutilation unlike anything detectives had ever seen before. As fear grew in the streets, the killer moved confidently among his pool of potential victims—savvy but vulnerable women who had turned to sex work to survive. No one could have predicted that the predator they were hunting was anything but the typical profile of a killer. A Renaissance man, a brilliant pianist and painter with a reputation as an old-school gentleman…and an astute student of human anatomy. This is the story of one of the most unexpected monsters in U.S. history. Sources:Skip Hollandsworth, Texas Monthly: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/see-no-evil-3/Mara Bovson, Daily News: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/dallas-eyeball-killer-murdered-women-removed-eyes-article-1.3769218https://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/albright-charles.htmhttps://www.oxygen.com/mark-of-a-killer/charles-albright-eyeball-killer-serial-killer-sex-workersdallas-texas-90sBritish true crime show "Born to Kill," episode "Charles Albright"Oxygen's "Mark of a Killer," episode "An Eye for Murder"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_AlbrightFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the winter of 2002, Dennis White suddenly found himself in a bizarre predicament. His prominent Long Island psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Karpf, seemed to be unraveling: showing up to appointments looking disheveled and distracted. Dennis was concerned about the doctor he'd come to trust over the past six years. But he had no way of knowing what would happen when, one afternoon, he offered Dr. Karpf a listening ear. Seething over a recent conflict with a female patient--and still angry about a whole series of grudges from his past--Karpf began to pull Dennis into an elaborate and terrifying revenge plot involving a gun, a silencer, a murderous dinner party, ravenous sharks, and a bizarre theory of murder as a therapeutic tool. Sources:NBC's "Dateline," Episode "Murder on the Mind"NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/10/nyregion/authorities-say-li-psychiatrist-told-patient-of-plot-to-kill-6.htmlhttp://psychwatch.blogspot.com/2008/05/NY Post: https://nypost.com/2004/07/02/psycho-shrink-guilty-l-i-doctor-avoids-jail-in-slay-plot/https://psychrapereporter.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/ny-state-refuses-to-reinstate-psychiatrist-richard-karpf/https://www.legalrightsadvice.com/psychiatrist-threatens-rampage/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few things are more devastating than a loved one going missing. On The Vanished podcast from Wondery, host Marissa Jones tells stories of missing persons that have gone overlooked by mainstream media. She gets the story from friends and family of the missing person, and frequently talks with law enforcement and others close to the case. This is just a preview of The Vanished, but you can listen to the full episode at https://open.spotify.com/show/2yOiTki10BkHXkDisfTPT9Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're giving you a sneak peek at another one of our Patreon-exclusive episodes! This was our patrons-only from July. Usually we just do regular TCC episodes for our Patreon extras, but sometimes we like to mix things up and do something different. For this episode, we decided to let Katie take a dive into her very favorite pool--weird internet drama. We bring you two true crime-adjacent stories: Tumblr blogger Sixpenceee, who got into hot water with her fans for an array of reasons, including offering unqualified mental health counseling, and admitting that her family owned child slaves in India. And a dust-up in the online witch community that participants ended up calling Boneghazi--a New Orleans witch picking up actual human remains at a local cemetery and offering to ship the bones to anyone who might be interested in using them for "curse work." Wow.The internet is a mad, mad world, innit?Sources: ●https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/boneghazi-tumblr-witch-arrested-human-bones/●https://www.saveourcemeteries.org/●https://www.nola.com/news/courts/article_c0486bc0-2698-5dae-a810-0713f75d8db3.html●https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/stealing-human-bones-boneghazi●https://softyuri.tumblr.com/post/135415156346/no-i-am-not-digging-up-fucking-graves-jfc●https://www.vice.com/en/article/vv7mk3/tumblr-devolves-into-literal-witchhunt-over-alleged-bone-thief●https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/03/cops-bust-tumblr-witch-over-boneghazi.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nineteen year old Martre Coles was an aspiring artist with dreams of designing video games and making a life with his girlfriend Ashlynn. He'd had a rough few years since the sudden death of his mom, but things started looking up in the spring of 2017, when he found out he'd been accepted to a prestigious art and design program at Florida's Full Sail University. Martre was ready to leave home and take off full speed in the direction of his dreams. But then, on the day he was scheduled to leave, he disappeared without a trace. As the investigation unfolded, it became increasingly clear that someone had been luring Martre into a trap. Secrets were about to come to light that would stun everyone who knew and loved Martre, and reveal one of the strangest, most elaborate murder plots the state of Virginia had ever seen. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Killer Motive," Episode "The Art of Death"Investigation Discovery's "Deadly Women," Episode "Dangerous Liaisons"https://roanoke.com/13-year-old-witness-testifies-in-case-where-victim-was-suffocated-and-stuffed-in-rubber/article_6e3ac164-5356-553e-87dd-8cbfeadaeae0.htmlhttps://www.oxygen.com/killer-motive/crime-news/denise-gay-kills-and-dump-body-of-boyfriends-son-martre-colesFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fall of 2011, Jason Hachmeister came home to find his 58 year old mother, Sheila, brutally murdered on her bedroom floor. Detectives quickly discovered that Sheila had been living something of a double life over the past few months, chatting with a much-younger online boyfriend who seemed almost too good to be true. She had also been seeing another boyfriend in real life--one her family much preferred to the mysterious Mr. Perfect from the internet. But Sheila couldn't seem to tear herself away from her online love. As they began to unravel Sheila's personal life, investigators would have to determine which part of her life had turned deadly: her internet romance, or the "real" people around her. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Web of Lies," episode "Divorced and In Danger"https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Advance%20Sheets/SupremeCourtVol311No3.pdfcjonline.com/article/20150721/NEWS/307219789https://www.kake.com/story/34846002/kansas-supreme-court-hears-convicted-killers-child-porn-appealFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gallaudet University is one of the world’s most prestigious schools for the deaf and hard of hearing. For the gifted few who pass the exclusive admissions process, Gallaudet is an oasis—a center of learning, a place of infinite possibilities, a home away from home. It’s a place where they can celebrate deaf culture, network with some of the best minds in the country, and feel a deep sense of belonging. But during a four-month period in the fall and winter of 2000-2001, that sense of security was shattered, as a brutal killer stalked the dormitory halls. Everyone at Gallaudet was forced to confront the terrifying possibility that the killer was one of their own. Before the nightmare ended, two students would be dead, lives and reputations would be ruined, and a killer no one saw coming would be unmasked. Sources:David Van Biema, Time magazine, "Murder in a Silent Place": http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,130940,00.htmlJeff Truesdell, People Magazine, "Who Killed Two Students at a Famed College for the Deaf?"Investigation Discovery's "People Magazine Investigates," episode "The Sound of Silence"Investigation Discovery's "Murder U," Episode "Signs of Murder"Investigation Discovery's "On the Case with Paula Zahn," episode "Gallaudet Murders"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A big Halloween party at an apartment complex in Redmond, Washington. Themed rooms and costumed partygoers. But by the end of the party, one of the hosts is dead. The police look to the partiers as the prime suspects: was it the guy in the devil mask, the bank robber, the construction worker? As investigators comb through forensic evidence, witness testimony, DNA, and even consult with a psychic, they zero in on one suspect in particular. But for what reason? Host and reporter Matthew Shaer (Over My Dead Body) returns to the scene of the crime, speaks with everyone about a night that still haunts them years later. It’s a series about race and policing, mislaid justice, cutting-edge science, and the kinds of weighty choices that cops and prosecutors make every day -- choices that, once made, are difficult to reverse.https://wondery.com/shows/suspect/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, campers, today we’re excited to have a special guest with us. I’m sure most of you are familiar by now with the “Dirty John” story, either because of the six-part LA Times podcast or the TV series with Eric Bana and Connie Britton. They tell the story of con man and serial predator John Meehan, who seems to have devoted his entire life to using and abusing other people, especially women, to satisfy his drug addiction and his sadistic desire for control. Today we’re joined by Debra Newell, whose life with John Meehan inspired the podcast and the miniseries. Debra has written a new book, along with veteran true crime writer M. William Phelps. It’s called Surviving Dirty John: My True Story of Love, Lies, and Murder, and Debra is a woman on a mission: To educate us about predators like John and how to protect ourselves from them. That is a goal that is dear to our hearts here at True Crime Campfire, so we’re thrilled to do what we can to help her get her message out. Sources:Surviving Dirty John: My True Story of Love, Lies, and Murder by Debra Newell, with M. William PhelpsPodcast "Dirty John," LA TimesDocumentary "Dirty John: The Dirty Truth"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a Latin phrase, “Fortune favors the bold.” Con artists understand that better than anyone, I think. It always takes some degree of boldness to do what they do, from Bernie Madoff’s billion dollar Ponzi scheme to the three-card Monte guy on the street. But once in a while, we get ourselves a true master of the art—a con artist so audacious, so arrogant, so bold that they leave everyone they meet feeling like they just got swept up in a hurricane. We’re about to tell the story of one of the most outrageous con games ever played in this country—an unlikely con made even more bizarre by how completely people fell for it. Sources:Mark Seal, Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/how-the-fake-saudi-prince-anthony-gignac-was-exposedhttps://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/he-actually-believes-he-is-khalid-the-odyssey-of-a-counterfeit-saudi-princeTom Huddleston Jr. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/06/how-fake-saudi-prince-anthony-gignac-conned-investors-out-of-millions.htmlCNBC's "American Greed," Episode "The Fake Prince's Royal Scam"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1930s Philadelphia, men all over town were dying—some in strange accidents, and some of a swift, excruciating illness. Their widows were devastated, of course—but it being the Great Depression and all, they were somewhat comforted by the substantial payouts they received from their late husbands’ life insurance plans. In medical examiners’ offices across the city, one death certificate after another was stamped “Natural Death” or “Accident.” One family doctor after another signed off: So sad, but these things happen. Nothing suspicious here. And in the cellar of one tailor shop, candles and skulls lined the walls. Incantations whispered through the air as little glass vials were carefully filled with deadly poison. The City of Brotherly Love? Not today. Sources:Poison Widows by George CooperRachel Snyder: https://vtuhr.org/articles/10.21061/vtuhr.v5i1.43/print/David Lohr, True TV, "Philadelphia's Poison Ring"Jim Goad, Thought Catalog: https://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2019/12/witchs-brew-how-the-philadelphia-poison-ring-exploited-unhappy-wives-and-killed-100-people/https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bolbermorris1.htmInvestigation Discovery's "Most Evil," Episode "Gangs"Investigation Discovery's "Deadly Women," Episode "Brutal Brides"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington, D.C. has a long history of frauds and fantasists, people who showed up out of nowhere claiming to be somebody important, somebody rich, somebody royal. And people believed them—let them into the inner circle, invested money with them, gave them a seat at the table—only to find out later that they’d been had. That’s bad enough when all you lose is money, or a little bit of your pride. Far worse when your heart is involved. This is the bizarre story of Viola Drath, one of D.C.’s most respected players, a brilliant woman who was ahead of her time. Not the sort of woman you’d expect to fall victim to a breathtaking fraud. But as we’ve seen before on True Crime Campfire, even the smartest people can be taken in by clever acting and relentless charm. Join us for this true story, recently made into the movie "Georgetown" with Annette Bening, Vanessa Redgrave and Christoph Waltz.Sources:NY Times, Franklin Foer. The Worst Marriage in Georgetown. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/magazine/albrecht-muth-and-viola-drath-georgetowns-worst-marriage.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Herms_DrathInvestigation Discovery's "Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall," Episode "The House on Q Street"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the mid-90s, a spate of bizarre robberies caught the attention of police in Houston, Galveston, and Las Vegas. The perpetrators were a pair of 30something women who met their victims through dating ads. The women forced the men to strip at gunpoint, handcuffed or tied them up, then ransacked their homes. In only two months' time, they amassed nearly a quarter of a million dollars in cash and stolen goods. Who were these lady bandits, and what motivated them to drop their seemingly normal lives for a secret life as outlaws? Join us now for a wild story of robbery, revenge, and rebellion. Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/13/us/unlikely-suspects-are-sought-in-thelma-and-louise-robberies.htmlhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-03-mn-41917-story.htmlhttps://www.houstonpress.com/news/thelma-louise-and-sybil-6572010Canadian Broadcasting Service (CBC), "72 Hours True Crime," Episode "The Game"Investigation Discovery's "Tabloid," S1, Episode "Dressed for Revenge"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Bernard Shaw once said that it’s not really power that corrupts people. It’s the other way around. Well, he said it fancier than that, but that was the gist. We all want power, to some degree. Physical strength, sexual prowess, political sway. Most of us don’t let it control our lives, eat away at our humanity to the point where it’s all we care about. But for some of us, power is kinda like steroids. It makes us big and strong, but it’s addictive and the side effects can be murder. Sources:Scoundrels to the Hoosegow by Morley Swingle, chapter "Millionaire Murderer"https://law.justia.com/cases/missouri/court-of-appeals/1994/17970-1.htmlInvestigation Discovery's "Killer Bods," episode "Fit for Murder"Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anger is a double-edged sword. When it’s justified, and properly channeled, it can be a powerful force for positive change. But often, anger is like a strangling vine, winding its way around us, choking us with rage until we can’t see straight, can’t think straight, can’t tell right from wrong. It’s powerful stuff. And when anger flames out of control, it doesn’t matter how smart we are, or how much good we may have done in our lives up til now. If we let it overtake us, we’re going to leave ashes in our wake. Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Sins and Secrets," Episode "Fresno"Lifetime's "Deadly Wives," Episode "Acid Lady"Oxygen's "Snapped," Episode "Larissa Schuster"https://www.nydailynews.com/true-crime-justice-story/ny-acid-queen-murder-larissa-schuster-20201203-l3sgjjhjf5htnj3ponl2k76zva-story.htmlhttps://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1557281.htmlhttps://murderpedia.org/female.S/s/schuster-larissa.htmFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So campers, when we left you at the end of part 1, college-bound Jennifer Bailey, her boyfriend, high school senior, reincarnated executioner and wannabe vampire Paul Henson, Jr., and best friend Merrilee, were hatching a plot to murder their parents. In their minds, this was the only way for them to stay together in this life and the next—and y’know, avoid homework and chores. Hardworking single mom Susan Bailey had no idea what they were planning as she worked double shifts to pay for Jennifer’s school. Join us now for part 2 of this bizarre true story.Sources:Let's Kill Mom by Donna FielderInvestigation Discovery special, "Let's Kill Mom'https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/affidavits_4_teens_planned_to_kill_n_texas_mom/1838185/https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/lets-kill-mom-behind-the-disturbing-susan-bailey-murderFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adolescence is a pretty wild ride. On the one hand, we’re starting to move past childhood, where make-believe takes up a ton of our time. But we’re still far enough out from adulthood that we can still get pretty wrapped up in fantasy. And when you combine a child’s ability to blur the line between real and make-believe with a young adult’s hormonal grumpiness and frantic desire for independence, you can end up with a recipe for nastiness. Sources:Let's Kill Mom by Donna FielderInvestigation Discovery special "Let's Kill Mom"https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/affidavits_4_teens_planned_to_kill_n_texas_mom/1838185/https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/lets-kill-mom-behind-the-disturbing-susan-bailey-murderFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Osho said of enlightenment, “You have to walk, and create the way by your walking; you will not find a ready-made path. It is just like the sky: the birds fly, but they don't leave any footprints. You cannot follow them.” I think this is probably true. But that doesn’t stop us from trying our damnedest to find that ready-made road to the truth. And as we’ve seen before on True Crime Campfire, there’s no shortage of self-proclaimed gurus, teachers and self-help experts who claim they can lead us there. Sometimes, following them is harmless. Sometimes it’s even beneficial. But sometimes, if we get swept up in the teachings of the wrong kind of person, we can end up following the leader right over a cliff. Sources:Documentary "Enlighten Us"Oxygen's "Deadly Cults," Episode "Spiritual Warriors"Investigation Discovery's "Deadly Devotion," Episode "Fatal Healing"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Rayhttps://nypost.com/2009/10/19/mystics-past-is-guru-some/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our neighbors. We see them every day, usually just for a few moments—long enough to say hi as we head inside with our groceries, or out to walk the dog. For those of us who live in apartments, we’re sometimes uncomfortably close to each other’s lives: sharing cooking smells, overhearing intimate moments, getting annoyed by small inconveniences. Such close proximity, for total strangers. And as much as we may come to know about the small details of our neighbors’ lives—which night of the week they make curry, which day they wash their clothes—we have no way of knowing what’s going on behind closed doors. Or behind their eyes. Usually it’s nothing to worry about. But sometimes…Sources:https://abovethelaw.com/2011/08/the-collected-writings-of-stephen-mcdaniel/https://www.macon.com/news/special-reports/lauren-giddings-murder/article28616875.htmlhttps://abovethelaw.com/2011/08/the-plot-thickens-say-hello-to-hacksaw-mcdaniel/?rf=1https://abovethelaw.com/2014/04/you-are-the-devil-law-grad-pleads-guilty-to-dismembering-classmate/?rf=1https://www.wvgazettemail.com/ga-police-seek-remains-of-dismembered-law-grad/article_5a7a38c9-d8b5-59aa-ab38-ee9ac93758bc.htmlhttps://www.macon.com/news/special-reports/lauren-giddings-murder/article28616902.htmlhttps://www.macon.com/news/local/crime/article222386260.htmlFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you believe in love at first sight? What about love at first sound? The sound of a soft, sexy voice, that is. There's something uniquely intimate about a phone conversation, especially when you're having it late at night. There's anonymity because you can't see each other, but there's intimacy too. You can bond quickly, share secrets you'd be too scared to share face to face. How many of us have had one of those marathon, up-til-dawn phone sessions with a new love interest? How many of us have fallen asleep while still on the line? Soo sexy. Sexy enough, perhaps, to cloud your judgment. The guy in tonight's story found that out the hard way. Join us for a wild story about a manipulator who was years ahead of her time.Sources:Investigation Discovery's "Evil Stepmothers," Episode "Deadly Role Play"https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1988-11-02-8803040310-story.htmlhttp://miamiheraldstore.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1980532&CategoryID=58643&ListSubAlbums=0Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today you get a sneak peek at what our Patreon-exclusive episodes are like. This was last June's patrons-only offering. We do one of these every month, just for our Patreon angels!Today we've decided to zero in on a subject that comes up all the time on our show: Intuition. That “gut feeling” that tells us our best friend’s new boyfriend is a wrong ‘un, our kid’s new basketball coach is creepy, we should have this Uber driver pull over and let us out…right now. I’m sure you’ve heard us mention former Secret Service agent and security expert Gavin de Becker’s book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence. It’s basically the True Crime Campfire sacred text, and today’s episode will be a sort of “Cliffs Notes” version, with some true crime tie-ins and personal stories mixed in.Sources:The Gift of Fear by Gavin de BeckerFollow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfireFacebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://gramha.net/profile/truecrimecampfire/19093397079Twitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: [email protected]: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/true-crime-campfire/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices