Unlawful Acts

The summer of 1979 turned Richmond, Virginia into a city living in fear. What began as isolated acts of violence quickly escalated into one of the most brutal murder sprees in American history. The killers weren't strangers or drifters—they were brothers. Linwood, James "J.B.," and Anthony Briley hunted victims across Richmond with a level of violence that shocked investigators and terrified an en...

For years, freight trains carried one of America's most terrifying serial killers from state to state without anyone realizing it. Known as The Railroad Killer, Ángel Maturino Reséndiz used the nation's rail system to move undetected, committing brutal murders across Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Illinois, and beyond. Living off the rails and operating under multiple aliases, he evaded authorities for...

What happens when a relationship ends, but one person refuses to let go? In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the case of Michael David McKee and the murder of his ex-wife, Amy McKee. What began as a troubled relationship eventually escalated into a tragedy that left a family devastated and investigators searching for answers. Through witness testimony, forensic evidence, and courtroom pro...

Dorothea Puente appeared to be the last person anyone would suspect of murder. In 1980s Sacramento, she was known as a kind, grandmotherly woman who opened her home to society's most vulnerable people—elderly residents, disabled individuals, and those with nowhere else to go. To neighbors, she seemed caring and generous. To the people living under her roof, she offered shelter, meals, and support....

On August 28, 2003, a pizza delivery driver walked into a bank in Erie, Pennsylvania carrying a cane gun, a handwritten demand note, and a metal collar locked around his neck. Minutes later, he was surrounded by police in a parking lot, desperately claiming that the bomb attached to him was real. Then it exploded. What followed became one of the most bizarre and disturbing criminal investigations...

October 20, 1981. What began as a carefully planned armored truck robbery outside a shopping center in Rockland County, New York quickly became one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Armed members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground ambushed a Brink’s armored truck, stealing $1.6 million in cash. Within minutes, the robbery erupted into deadly gunfire that left a Bri...

America, 1974. Young women begin disappearing from college campuses across multiple states. Witnesses describe the same man over and over — charming, clean-cut, injured, and asking for help before victims vanished without a trace. In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we uncover the terrifying rise of Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. From his manipulative tactics...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen examine the shocking 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of legendary singer Frank Sinatra. What began as a quiet night at a Lake Tahoe hotel quickly became one of the most infamous celebrity crimes in American history. Armed kidnappers abducted the 19-year-old at gunpoint, launching a nationwide manhunt filled with ra...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen break down the horrifying case of the Gilgo Beach murders and the arrest of alleged serial killer Rex Heuermann. For years, the discovery of multiple victims along a remote stretch of Long Island left investigators and the public searching for answers. The case became one of the most infamous unsolved serial killer investigation...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen examine the shocking murder of fashion icon Gianni Versace and the nationwide manhunt for serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Before the world knew his name, Cunanan had already left a trail of violence across multiple states. But on July 15, 1997, everything changed when Versace was gunned down outside his Miami Beach mansion in one...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen examine the chilling murder of New York socialite Irene Silverman, a case involving deception, greed, stolen identities, and an alleged mother-son murder plot. What began as a room rental arrangement turned into one of Manhattan’s most disturbing true crime cases when Silverman vanished without a trace. Investigators soon uncove...

In the premiere episode of Unlawful Acts, Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen dive into one of Los Angeles’ most infamous and brutal crime scenes — The Wonderland Murders. In 1981, four people were found bludgeoned to death inside a small house on Wonderland Avenue, launching an investigation filled with cocaine, organized crime, betrayal, and one name that kept surfacing: John Holmes. Was Holmes...

Unlawful Acts is a weekly true crime podcast hosted by Susan Davis and Jocelyn Frankhuizen, delivering gripping, condensed storytelling that dives deep into some of history’s most fascinating criminal cases. From elusive serial killers and unsolved disappearances to organized crime, corruption, and decades-old mysteries, each episode peels back the layers to uncover truths often left untold. But t...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine one of the most chilling and mysterious cases in modern true crime — the deaths of billionaire pharmaceutical executive Barry Sherman and his wife Honey Sherman. In December 2017, the couple was found dead inside their Toronto mansion under circumstances investigators quickly determined were suspicious. Barry Sherman was the founder of Apotex, one of th...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine one of the most disturbing cases in modern criminal history — Dr. Harold Shipman, a trusted physician who became one of the most prolific serial killers the world has ever seen. For years, Shipman was seen as a respected family doctor in England. Patients trusted him with their lives, families relied on his guidance, and his reputation within the medica...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the disturbing crimes of Robert Ben Rhoades, a long-haul truck driver who used America’s interstate system as his hunting ground. Known as the Truck Stop Killer, Rhoades spent years traveling across the country while secretly abducting and torturing victims inside a specially modified sleeper cab designed for captivity. Authorities believe Rhoades may b...

In the late summer of 1990, the quiet college town of Gainesville, Florida became the center of a nightmare that would shock the entire country. Over the course of just a few days, five University of Florida students were brutally murdered in their own apartments, sending waves of fear through the campus and beyond. In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we break down the horrifying crimes of the man w...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the chilling case of Robert Shulman — the Brooklyn mailroom worker who lived a quiet double life as a serial killer. Known as the “Mailroom Murderer,” Shulman targeted vulnerable women in New York during the mid-1990s, evading detection while maintaining the appearance of an ordinary family man. But when investigators began connecting the dots, the trut...

For nearly two decades, women began disappearing along the Green River in Washington State. Many were young, vulnerable, and living on the margins of society. Their cases were overlooked, their names forgotten—until investigators uncovered a pattern that would lead to one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we break down the crimes of the Gree...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we dive into one of the most shocking mass murder cases in California history. Juan Corona was a quiet farm labor contractor in the small town of Yuba City—until authorities uncovered a gruesome secret buried in the orchards. Between 1970 and 1971, Corona lured vulnerable migrant workers to their deaths, leaving behind a trail of violence that stunned the nation....

On this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the disturbing case of Mark Barton, the day trader whose financial losses and unraveling personal life culminated in one of the most shocking mass shootings in Atlanta history. In July 1999, Barton carried out a brutal series of attacks that began inside his own home and ended in two brokerage offices, leaving multiple victims and a city searching for a...

In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the case of Russell Williams, a man trusted with national security, elite power, and absolute authority — who was living a violent double life in plain sight. Known publicly as “The Base Commander,” Williams was a decorated colonel in the Canadian Air Force, commanding one of the country’s most important military bases. Privately, he was committing a se...

For more than two decades, Los Angeles was haunted by a predator hiding in plain sight. Known as the Grim Sleeper, Lonnie Franklin Jr. murdered women across South Los Angeles while living a seemingly ordinary life as a father, neighbor, and friend. In this episode of Unlawful Acts, we examine the full scope of Franklin’s crimes — from the earliest victims to the long gaps that earned him his chill...

Aileen Wuornos shocked the world when she was arrested for killing seven men along Florida highways in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Branded by the media as a monster and sensationalized as a femme fatale, Wuornos quickly became one of the most infamous figures in true-crime history. But behind the headlines lies a far more complex and disturbing story—one shaped by severe childhood abuse, aband...

For more than 40 years, Joseph DeAngelo terrorized California — committing dozens of home invasions, sexual assaults, and murders while evading every attempt to stop him. Known to the public as The Golden State Killer, DeAngelo operated across multiple jurisdictions, constantly evolving his methods. He stalked neighborhoods, studied victims, taunted law enforcement, and vanished without leaving ev...