Bloodshed & Breadcrumbs

In this episode, we peel back the layers of Jim Jones and the tragedy of Jonestown—tracing how a charismatic preacher transformed a movement for justice into one of the deadliest cult catastrophes in modern history. Through survivor accounts, archival audio, and a clear-eyed look at the psychology of control, we follow the path from Indiana revival tents to a remote Guyanese jungle where over 900...

In the sweltering September of 1934, textile workers across the South rose up in one of the largest labor strikes in American history. In Honea Path, South Carolina, their demand for dignity was met with bullets. This episode reconstructs the day National Guard-backed forces opened fire on unarmed strikers, killing seven and wounding dozens more. We trace the complicity of mill owners, the silence...

On Friday the 13th, 1995, a teenage girl was lured into the woods by classmates she thought she could trust. What followed was a ritual of jealousy, obsession, and unimaginable cruelty. Colleen Slemmer begged for her life—again and again—and was punished for speaking. This episode unpacks the murder that made Christa Pike the youngest woman ever sentenced to death in the U.S., tracing the trauma t...

In the late spring of 1985, 17-year-old Shari Faye Smith vanished from her family’s driveway in broad daylight—just days before she was set to sing at her high school graduation. What followed was a week of torment: cryptic phone calls, a heartbreaking handwritten goodbye, and a killer who used the telephone as a weapon of psychological warfare. Two weeks later, 9-year-old Debra May Helmick was ab...

In this episode, we unravel the chilling legacy of Georgia Tann, the woman who turned child trafficking into a state-sanctioned business. From 1920s Tennessee to Hollywood adoptions, Tann exploited poverty, forged documents, and tore families apart—all under the guise of benevolence. We center the voices of survivors, trace the complicity of judges and politicians, and ask: how many lives were rew...

On April 15, 2021, tragedy struck at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis when 19 year old Brandon Scott Hole opened fire, killing eight people before taking his own life. In this episode of Bloodshed & Breadcrumbs, I walk you through Brandon's troubled past, the countless red flags that were ignored, and how a mother's desperate pleas for help were met with a system that failed -- with devastatin...

When we think of serial killers, the names Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer usually come to mind. But serial murder isn’t just a thing of the past. In this episode of Bloodshed & Breadcrumbs, we dive into the chilling case of Kenyel Brown — the Metro Detroit Serial Killer. Between 2019 and 2020, Brown terrorized Wayne County, Michigan, leaving multiple victims in his wake. What makes this case eve...

In this chilling episode, we gather around the campfire to unravel the grotesque legend of Joe Metheny—a Baltimore serial killer whose crimes blurred the line between urban myth and unspeakable reality. With a voice that flickers like firelight and storytelling that crackles with dread, we trace Metheny’s descent from neglected child to confessed murderer, exploring the twisted motives behind his...

In this harrowing episode of Bloodshed and Breadcrumbs, we descend into the twisted saga of Alvin and Judith Ann Neelley—a married couple whose crimes shattered communities and exposed the darkest edges of manipulation, violence, and systemic failure. Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bloodshed-breadcrumbs--6711032/support Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/mryhyx8s PayPal: paypal.me/an...

When a successful South Carolina realtor built his empire on charm and coercion, no one saw the cage behind the contracts. In this episode, we unravel the chilling double life of Todd Kohlhepp—a man who weaponized trust, buried truth beneath property lines, and left a trail of silenced voices in his wake. Through survivor testimony, systemic critique, and poetic closure, we trace the architecture...

In this chilling deep dive, we unravel the twisted legacy of Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins, South Carolina's most notorious serial killer. From his early years steeped in violenc and manipulation to the decades-long reign of terror that earned him the nickname "The Meanest Man in America," this episode explores how charm, cruely, and unchecked power collided in one man's horifying path. Facebook: @bloo...

A quick introduction to my all new true crime podcast. Listen now for the details! Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bloodshed-breadcrumbs--6711032/support Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/mryhyx8s PayPal:  paypal.me/andrea123171 CashApp: $reinventingandrea2 Intro Music: Courtesy of Pixabay.com