Our True Crime Podcast

Listener warning: this case is extremely disturbing. It is our final day of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. In May 1981, on the outskirts of Chicago, a hotel maid went to work like she did every day. For the most part, the day was uneventful, except when she noticed a horrible smell. The Moonlit Hotel wasn’t exactly a five-star place to stay. It was known as a place for drug deals and quick se...

Here is day 11 of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. After the American Civil War, the U.S. government decided it would be delightful to shuffle the Osage Indians from Labette County, Kansas, to what would soon be the state of Oklahoma—because who doesn’t love a good game of human chess? As they cleared the land, they rolled out the red carpet for homesteaders, luring them in with shiny promises...

We are on day ten of the 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. On a freezing cold night in December of 1977, two women in their mid-thirties were leaving the Forker’s Café at 64 Union Street in Newark, Ohio. At 2:30 a.m., Joyce Vermillion, a barmaid at the café, and Karen Dodrill (dod-rill), a patron and friend of Joyce’s, were preparing to call it a night. Karen had been out celebrating her birthday an...

It is day 9 of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. On a sweltering June 26, 1957, Margaret Harold, a vibrant young woman, and her boyfriend, a U.S. Army sergeant, were enjoying a rare weekend getaway. As they were making their way, a green Chrysler came barreling toward them. Without warning, the car swerved, forcing them off the road. The driver, a tall, dark-haired man, stepped out with a sinist...

It is day eight of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. At 5:45 a.m. on May 12, 2005, Michael Ross woke up and got out of bed as usual. It was a partly cloudy morning in Somers, Connecticut, and the day would be warm and pleasant. At 6:00 a.m., Michael had oatmeal for breakfast, then watched television and read the newspaper. After reading for a while, he received communion from a Catholic priest....

As we start this episode, it is day seven of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. On Sunday, February 16, 1997, around 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., an employee arrived at Captain D’s restaurant on Lebanon Road in Donelson, Tennessee, ready to start another routine day. But as he approached the establishment, an unsettling sight greeted him: the doors were firmly locked, which should not have been the case s...

It is day six of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, and we are headed to Germany. After World War II, Germany was divided into four Allied occupation zones, with the Soviet Union controlling East Germany and East Berlin, while the United States, France, and the U.K. managed Western Germany and West Berlin. By 1949, Europe had transformed dramatically, symbolized by the creation of two Germanies....

For the fifth day of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, we are headed north to Anchorage, Alaska, where we meet 52-year-old Mindy Schloss. Mindy had moved to Anchorage back in the 1980s by accident. Mindy came for a visit and never left. Mindy worked as a nurse practitioner in Fairbanks' psychiatric department. The commute from Anchorage to Fairbanks was a long one-hour flight, but Mindy had to m...

It is day four of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, and we are headed to the Midwest. Every city has trouble with crime. Just watch the news for an hour, and it’s pretty evident that violence occurs even in small communities, no matter how many disbelieving residents claim otherwise.  However, some cities statistically have a higher crime rate than others, and many reasons and factors contribute...

It is day 3 of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. In December 1995, 19-year-old Conan Wade Hale and his accomplice, Jon Susbauer, unleashed a wave of terror in Oregon. It began on December 4, when they ransacked a woman’s home, stealing valuables worth thousands and slashing furniture before fleeing. Days later, on December 16, they drove a stolen silver Chevrolet Suburban through Eugene and enco...

We are headed west on day two of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. It was pitch black on a gorgeous night in the middle of the Arizona desert in October 2003. There was not a cloud in the sky, but billions of stars were observable by the naked eye because Bumble Bee Road is in the middle of nowhere. In every direction, there was nothing but 90,000 acres of rolling hills dotted with Saguaro cactu...

On the first day of our Seventh Annual "12 Nightmares Before Christmas," we are heading just north of us to Fairfield, Iowa.  On November 2, 2021, the community of Fairfield, Iowa, was devastated when beloved Spanish teacher Nohema Graber, 66, went missing. She hadn’t been heard from since she set out for her daily walk in Chautauqua Park. Just one day later, on November 3, her badly beaten body w...

We’re heading to Hinckley, Utah—a remote place tied to one of the most heinous crimes in Utah’s history. It was October 14, 1979, a crisp autumn afternoon in Salt Lake City, when four-year-old Alonzo Daniels was last seen playing in the courtyard of his apartment complex. When his mother checked on him, he was nowhere to be found. Alonzo had simply disappeared.  Desperation set in as relatives and...

The summer of 1975 found the United States obsessed with Magic 8 Balls, mood rings, and disco music. People partied and danced to ”The Hustle,” all while wearing their hip-hugging bell bottoms. The movie Jaws dominated the box-office, and a new horror writer named Stephen King had just appeared on the scene, scaring anyone who dared to read his books. The people of Florida were going through a rea...

On June 10th, 1983, the decomposing body of a well-dressed man was found in a desolate canyon near Los Angeles. John Doe #94 would soon be identified as missing variety show producer Roy Radin. He'd last been seen after meeting with a mysterious woman in a gold dress. Her name was Lanie Jacobs. Jacobs and Radin were obsessed with becoming Hollywood movie producers. And when their paths collided, i...

The Memorial Day weekend brought swarms of tourists to Niagara Falls, eager to celebrate under the sun. Just an hour away, a group of local teens gathered at Wayne Fleet Quarry, diving into the water and marking the unofficial start of summer. Alison and her friends, thrilled to leave the school year behind, decided to up the ante by jumping from an old bridge spanning the quarry. But as they reac...

It was frigidly cold in January of 1994, with snow drifts a foot high, as twelve-year-old Rebecca Savarese made her way to Notre Dame Middle School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Suddenly, there was a man at her elbow. She was completely taken off guard because he had approached her from behind. She gave a startled jump, and the man said to her, “Do you see this gun I have?” Rebecca said that she h...

Like many Americans, Thanksgiving is a cherished occasion—a time to gather with family, indulge in turkey and stuffing, and celebrate the bonds that hold loved ones together. This Thanksgiving event hosts three generations of family ready to enjoy a day of food and good company. After a busy day of food preparation, the guests all take their seats to eat the giant feast.  A tradition that the fami...

A listener requested episode.  Thank you, Katherine! Thank you to Ana, who helped me with some pronunciations. I'm still not sure I got it right. By the time twenty-four-year-old Stephen Anderson stood in the doorway of the dining room on the 8th of February 1997 and announced, “I’ve had sex with a dog,” paused, and then added, “And a cat, too.” It was already too late for any intervention. The fa...

In the heart of Albuquerque, Pastor Greg Griego often stood before the fire department and the local jail, sharing his powerful testimony of redemption. Once entangled in the world of gangs in California, he had found a new path through faith, a transformation that resonated with those who listened. He was well-known and well-liked in the community.  Greg Griego. Once a soldier in the 82nd Airborn...

This case is shocking. Shocking in many ways and I can't believe it's not talked about. The only place I've seen this is on Southern Gothic from our friend Brandon. When he first saw a small blurb about it in a book, he didn't even think it was true so he asked Lauretta to do some research. Sure enough, it is 100% true. As sensational as it was and is, I can't believe it's been forgotten. So after...

It is  January 8, 1981, and we going to Lassen County, California, where we encounter 21-year-old Kevin Thorpe. After completing high school, Kevin enlisted in the Navy, serving for three years before returning to his hometown of Ridgecrest, California. Upon his return, he met a young woman named Laura Craig at a social gathering. Laura, a mother to a young child, captivated Kevin, who was undeter...

In Logan County, West Virginia, there have been sightings of the ghost of a murdered woman that haunts 22 Mine Road. But underneath the spooky legend and sightings is a chilling story about the free-loving, warm-hearted Mamie Thurman who knew too much. It was the height of the Depression, and America saw the lowest numbers recorded on the stock market exchange. Prohibition was in full swing, and s...

Today we are headed to Laurelwood, Oregon where we meet a young woman named Margo Compton.  Margo grew up in Solano County, California. She was a bright child who made good grades and had good friends.  Things started to change for Margo. Margo ended up getting married in August of 1969 to Doug  Compton at just 16 years old. At first, all seemed good in their marriage. Things changed when Doug met...

On a frigidly cold night in 1976, in a western suburb of Chicago, sixteen-year-old Pamela Maurer was hanging out at her friend’s house in Woodridge, Illinois.  Around 9:45 p.m., Pam decided she needed a pick-me-up and told her friends she was heading out to get a soda. Pam put on her plaid coat and headed out into the frozen night, her breath billowing and catching on the wind. She pulled her coat...