Cafecito & Crime

On Halloween night in 1973, 9-year-old Lisa French left her home just before 6 pm to go trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. Her mother had only given her an hour, so she needed to get as much candy as she could. What little Lisa didn’t expect was that she wouldn’t make it out of one of those houses alive. When Lisa didn't make it home by her curfew, her family quickly reported her missing....

In today's stories, we tried to find a theme: Halloween! These three Reddit stories will take you on a whirlwind of emotions, from being completely petrified of the actors and team behind a La Llorona play to the unease in the pit of your stomach that comes from realizing you're being set up by two randoms you run into while on a run. Lastly, the second story, which is the longest, will...

When 27-year-old James Ricks decided to decompress in his car for a little while after work, he had no idea it would lead to his murder. As he sat in his vehicle on a late summer night in June 1967 in Little Rock, Arkansas, he was startled by a tap on his window. Sadly, James was shot and killed, and his body was left in a rural part of Jackson County, where it was found two months later, in Augus...

In May 2010, when Steve Herr, Sam's father, hadn't heard from his son in over 24 hours, he went to Sam's apartment to look for him. While Steve didn't find Sam, he did come across a heinous scene. In the bedroom was the body of a deceased woman. The woman was 23-year-old Julie, a friend of Sam's. However, Sam was nowhere to be found.  As the investigation into Julie's...

When Lorena Gallo married John Bobbitt on June 18, 1989, she believed they were going to live happily ever after. However, the honeymoon stage didn’t last long and over the years she suffered abused at the hands of John. Things finally came to a head on the night of June 23, 1993, when, according to Lorena, John came home that night and raped her. After he fell asleep, Lorena went to the kitchen f...

For today’s reddit with cafecito episode, we unintentionally tell four random stories involving young women in danger of being harmed. They involve violent knocks/kicks to the house doors, a possible sex trafficking man looking for a woman to sublet a room to, a friend turned stalker fantasizing about his friend’s murder, and getting invited to a “house party” which turned to more of a brothel.  J...

In the spring of 1985, 11-year-old Alan Brown was going to spend his spring break at his dad's house. He packed his things, hugged his mom, Brenda, and told her he loved her, then went on his way. Unbeknownst to Brenda, it was the last time she would see her son alive. On Friday, April 12, Alan was reported missing by his stepmother, Rosalind Brown. As the investigation into his disappearance...

In 2022, 23-year-old Kayla Hodgson was living her to the fullest. She was surrounded by family and friends who loved her dearly, and she was also successful in her work life.  One day in July, someone knocked on her apartment door, whom she had no idea would end her life brutally. As the investigation into her murder began, it didn’t take long for investigators to find clues pointing to Kayla’s ki...

In October 1988, 29-year-old Robert Haugen was taking life a little slower. He was on disability due to an accident and unable to work, though he made the most of it. When he woke up on the 24th, he thought it would be like any other day. Sadly, it would be his last day alive. Later that afternoon, firefighters were called to Robert's apartment after a fire and discovered his body in a horrif...

On today’s Reddit with Cafecito episode, we have four wild stories that range from living with a friend who tried to kill you, to running into a girl wielding a knife inside a Jack in the Box, to a hotel guest who may have wanted to harm you, and finally to getting away from a random man on the street who you later found out had assaulted other girls. Again, WILD.  Join us for today’s episode to h...

In the fall of 1994, 18-year-old Christa Pike believed she would be starting a new chapter, leaving behind a life of abuse. She appeared to be on the right path, studying nursing at the Job Corps Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. But meeting fellow student Tadaryl Shipp would lead her down a dark path that included a brutal murder. Join us for today’s case to learn why Christa Pike is the only woman...

In late June 2011, recent college graduate Lauren Giddings was preparing for the biggest test of her academic career, the bar exam. After returning home to Macon, Georgia, from her younger sister's wedding, Lauren planned to focus solely on studying and shut out the outside world. However, after days of unanswered calls and texts, her family grew worried. After learning that her friends also...

On September 20, 1983, 22-year-old Laurie Stout was working as a late-night office cleaner in Austin, TX. That night was like any other, except that this time, Laurie wouldn't make it back home to her one-year-old daughter and husband. As she performed her duties, she was ambushed from behind, sexually assaulted, and then strangled to death. Her body was found the following morning by a tenan...

In today's episode, we cover Reddit stories! In our second episode, we tell four stories that consist of stalkers, being locked in a sauna, and owing a biker gang $260,000.  So, join us for today's episode, grab your cafeicto, and let's get started.  You can keep up with us on Instagram at @cafecitoandcrimepod Or you can send us a nice email to cafecitoandcrimepod@gmail.com

In the very early hours of December 25, 1945, the Sodder family, which consisted of parents George and Jennie and their 10 children, was asleep in their beds when the home caught fire. Georgie, Jennie, and four of their children rushed out of the home, yelling for the other five to run out too, but they didn’t hear them rushing downstairs. Multiple attempts were made to rescue the children and get...

What was supposed to be a regular winter day on February 7, 2015, turned out to be 69-year-old Ron Browning’s last day alive. His wife of just nine months, Rexanna, found it strange that he hadn’t contacted her all day, as she had spent it away from home with her family. When she made it home early evening, she stumbled across the most brutal scene with Ron lying on a massive pool of blood, dead. ...

On July 15, 1976, school bus driver Ed Ray was driving a bus full of children home from a fun summer day trip to the pool. However, just after 4 pm, the unexpected happened that would change their lives forever. Three men with nylon stockings covering their faces and guns hijacked the bus, which carried children ranging from the ages of 5 to 14. The following 36 hours after the kidnapping were har...

In this episode, we'll be trying out a new segment on the podcast where we will read crime-related, creepy, ominous stories from people who experienced them (supposedly).  The first story is about a young woman who a friend almost killed because of a boy she had been obsessed with for years. The second is about another young woman who was picked up on the side of the road by someone trying to...

When 15-year-old Kirsten Costas left her home on the night of June 23, 1984, she was attending a secret initiation dinner for the Bobbies, a philanthropic school club. However, she soon found out that was not the case, when another member of the Bobbies picked her up to attend a party instead. The two girls made a stop at a church parking lot before heading there, but things soon took a turn which...

In July 2022, 20-year-old Jay Lee was living his life to the fullest. The popular University of Mississippi student was openly gay and well-liked in the LGBTQ+ community. But when Jay disappeared without a trace on July 8, it was believed to be due to his sexual orientation. As the investigation began, detectives found leads pointing to someone who didn’t want people to know he and Jay had some so...

When Yingying Zhang arrived in Illinois as a visiting scholar from China, she was filled with excitement, knowing that this opportunity would help advance her academic career. After arriving in late April 2017, she concentrated on her research and began to settle into a routine. However, what was meant to be a wonderful opportunity turned into an unimaginable tragedy.  On June 9, after Yingying di...

In the afternoon of January 13, 2010, 16-year-old twin sisters, Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah, ran out of their home and flagged down a passing police car. They informed the officer that their mother appeared to be dead. Inside the home, 34-year-old Nikkie appeared to have been the victim of a brutal attack and was, in fact, deceased. As the investigation into the murder began, there were a couple of stro...

On Friday, May 11, 2007, the Haines family spent quality time together, having dinner and watching a movie before they all went to bed. What they were unaware of was that just hours later, 3 of its 4 members would be brutally killed. For weeks into the investigation, there were no leads or suspects, but then, out of seemingly nowhere, the killer confessed.  Join us for today’s case to learn what h...

On February 24, 2020, 911 dispatch received a call from 42-year-old Sarah Boone informing them that her boyfriend was dead and that she needed help. When officers arrived at the scene, they had no idea what they were about to walk into. Not only was 42-year-old Jorge Torres dead, but he had died due to being left inside a suitcase after the couple decided to play hide and seek. During the investig...

When 41-year-old chef Joe Vuli didn't show up for work on Monday, April 6, 2004, his business partner and nephew, Marash Gojcaj, wasn't too concerned. His uncle, Joe, tended to take a breather when things got too hectic at their restaurant, Gusto. After a couple of days of not hearing from Joe, he was reported missing by Marash and Joe's brother on April 8. The investigation into hi...