Love Marry Kill

The Dolly Oesterreich case is one of the most bizarre and sensational true crime stories of the early 20th century. Walburga “Dolly” Oesterreich was a Milwaukee housewife married to a wealthy textile manufacturer, Fred Oesterreich. On the surface, she appeared to live a conventional life, but behind closed doors, her world was anything but ordinary. Dolly had a complicated personal life that event...

When Susan Kuhnhausen came home from work on a September evening in 2006, she noticed something felt…off. Minutes later, a man charged at her from the shadows with a hammer in hand. What followed was a shocking and harrowing fight for survival—and an investigation that uncovered a dark and twisted plot involving betrayal, manipulation, and a hitman with a violent past. This week, we tell the story...

On the night of November 8, 1983, David Hendricks returned home from a business trip to find his wife, Susan, and their three young children brutally murdered in their beds. They had been killed with an axe and a butcher knife—both from the family home. Investigators quickly turned their focus to David. There were no signs of forced entry, the burglary attempt seemed staged, and there were no othe...

On the night of November 8, 1983, David Hendricks returned home from a business trip to find his wife, Susan, and their three young children brutally murdered in their beds. They had been killed with an axe and a butcher knife—both from the family home. Investigators quickly turned their focus to David. There were no signs of forced entry, the burglary attempt seemed staged, and there were no othe...

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of domestic violence, mental illness, suicide, and graphic violence that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Katherine Knight was known in her small Australian town in New South Wales, Aberdeen, as tough, unpredictable, and deeply troubled.  She had a history of violent relationships, a fierce temper, and...

On Friday, May 30 2025, Travis Decker failed to return his three daughters—Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5) after a court-ordered visit in Wenatchee, Washington. Days later, their bodies were found at a remote campground. Decker, a 32-year-old Army veteran with PTSD and BPD, vanished. He’s now wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. A nationwide manhunt is underway, wi...

In October 1999, 48-year-old librarian Gail Fulton was shot and killed outside the Lake Orion, Michigan library where she worked. What initially appeared to be a cold-blooded, random attack soon revealed itself as something far more personal—and far more calculated. At the center of the case: a crumbling marriage, a secret affair, and a woman named Donna Trapani who refused to be cast aside. The i...

In October 1999, 48-year-old librarian Gail Fulton was shot and killed outside the Lake Orion, Michigan library where she worked. What initially appeared to be a cold-blooded, random attack soon revealed itself as something far more personal—and far more calculated. At the center of the case: a crumbling marriage, a secret affair, and a woman named Donna Trapani who refused to be cast aside. The i...

In January 1999, Miriam Illes was gunned down in her kitchen while on the phone with a friend. There were no witnesses. No fingerprints. And the few pieces of physical evidence—an oversized shoe print, a cigarette butt, and a homemade silencer—seemed to point nowhere. Her estranged husband, Dr. Richard Illes, was a respected heart surgeon with a thriving career, a new girlfriend, and a bitter cust...

Jennair and Mark Gerardot had been married for 24 years and together for 28, with a relationship marked by its share of highs and lows. Mark, often passive, contrasted sharply with Jennair, who could be more assertive, even aggressive at times. The couple, without children or much family nearby, were content to focus on their pets, which they both adored. However, when Jennair lost her job and str...

This is the story of a single mother, a twisted teenage romance, and a crime so brutal—and so personal—it left a community stunned and a family shattered. Susan Bailey, 43, a hardworking single mother in Roanoke, Texas, was brutally murdered in her own home on September 25, 2008. The crime was shocking not just for its brutality, but for the identity of the perpetrators—her teenage children,  Jenn...

Jennair and Mark Gerardot had been married for 24 years and together for 28, with a relationship marked by its share of highs and lows. Mark, often passive, contrasted sharply with Jennair, who could be more assertive, even aggressive at times. The couple, without children or much family nearby, were content to focus on their pets, which they both adored. However, when Jennair lost her job and str...

Ben Novack, Jr. was the heir to a fortune built on an iconic American institution – The Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. Benji was an eccentric and abrasive millionaire who managed to alienate nearly everyone he met. With a drug habit, multiple mistresses, and a jaw-dropping collection of jewelry and pop culture memorabilia, he lived a life of excess. There was a long list of people who might h...

Ben Novack, Jr. was the heir to a fortune built on an iconic American institution – The Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. Benji was an eccentric and abrasive millionaire who managed to alienate nearly everyone he met. With a drug habit, multiple mistresses, and a jaw-dropping collection of jewelry and pop culture memorabilia, he lived a life of excess. There was a long list of people who might h...

Amy and Stephen Allwine were a happy, devout Christian couple living in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Amy was a successful dog trainer; Stephen, a church elder and IT specialist. Shockingly, in 2016 the FBI came to Amy and warned her that someone had tried to hire a hitman to kill her through a dark web site called Besa Mafia. Who could possibly wish this wonderful, kind woman dead? Months later when...

The Marshall family seemed to have it all—wealth, status, and a picture-perfect life in Toms River, New Jersey. But on Thursday, September 7, 1984, tragedy struck when Maria Marshall, a beloved 42-year-old mother of three, was murdered in a parking area off the Garden State Parkway. What first appeared to be a random robbery quickly unraveled into something far more sinister. As investigators dug...

In November 2015, three people were brutally murdered in the small town of Pembroke, Kentucky – Pamela and Calvin Phillips, and Ed Dansereau. The police quickly homed in on a suspect, Major Christian “Kit” Martin, who lived across the street. Martin was set to be tried in a court martial hearing in just two weeks, and Calvin Phillips was a key witness. But Kit had recently been through an ugly sep...

In November 2015, three people were brutally murdered in the small town of Pembroke, Kentucky – Pamela and Calvin Phillips, and Ed Dansereau. The police quickly homed in on a suspect, Major Christian “Kit” Martin, who lived across the street. Martin was set to be tried in a court martial hearing in just two weeks, and Calvin Phillips was a key witness. But Kit had recently been through an ugly sep...

Autumn Klein, 41, was a respected neurologist who lived and worked in Pittsburgh with her husband, Robert Ferrante, 64, a well-known research scientist. She collapsed suddenly in her home on April 17, 2013 and died shortly after. As investigators searched for answers, they uncovered her shocking cause of death and a web of secrets that pointed to someone close to her. What seemed like a tragic and...

Ted Binion was Las Vegas royalty—the heir to a casino empire with wealth, power, and a dangerous lifestyle. But when he was found dead in 1998, the city buzzed with speculation. Was it suicide? An accidental overdose? A mob hit? Or something even more sinister? His girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, was devastated—or was she? While she claimed heartbreak, others saw deception. Was she a grieving lover or a...

Ted Binion was Las Vegas royalty—the heir to a casino empire with wealth, power, and a dangerous lifestyle. But when he was found dead in 1998, the city buzzed with speculation. Was it suicide? An accidental overdose? A mob hit? Or something even more sinister? His girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, was devastated—or was she? While she claimed heartbreak, others saw deception. Was she a grieving lover or a...

In the early hours of Thursday, June 14, 2007, just before sunrise, 32-year-old Christopher Vaughn was found limping along a rural road near Channahon, Illinois searching for help after he had sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his left thigh and left wrist. Vaughn, a devoted husband to his wife, Kimberly, 34, and a loving father to their three children—12-year-old Abigayle, 11-year-...

In the early hours of Thursday, June 14, 2007, just before sunrise, 32-year-old Christopher Vaughn was found limping along a rural road near Channahon, Illinois searching for help after he had sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his left thigh and left wrist. Vaughn, a devoted husband to his wife, Kimberly, 34, and a loving father to their three children—12-year-old Abigayle, 11-year-...

Valentine's Day bonus episode. Stacey and Richard Schoeck were a loving couple, but their Valentine's Day plans in 2010 took a deadly turn. Richard was found murdered at a secluded park, and what initially looked like a robbery soon unraveled into something far more sinister. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a tangled web of secrets, betrayal, and a shocking motive. In the end, the trut...

Joan Robinson Hill and her husband, Dr. John Hill, were the darlings of Houston’s high society in the 1960s. Joan was a champion equestrian from one of Houston’s wealthiest families, and John was a successful plastic surgeon with a love for classical music. They were young, attractive, and seemed to have it all—a picture-perfect couple moving through a world of horse shows, charity events, and fan...