Criminology

We're discussing the stretch of Interstate 45, between Houston and Galveston, TX, that has become known over the years as "The Killing Fields". Since the early 1970s, at least 30 women and young girls have disappeared or have been found murdered over this 53-mile stretch of land. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this case that has baffled investigators for years. There have been so many victims...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a predator operated in and around Melbourne, Australia. The pressed dubbed this man "Mr. Cruel." Mr. Cruel preyed on younger females around the area and eventually turned murderous. He was very cunning, left few clues, and stalked his victims to know when they would be home alone. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the crimes of the brutal predator known as Mr. C...

In 1966, Charles Whitman climbed the Tower at the University of Texas and began firing on the unsuspecting people below. This mass shooting on a college campus captivated and scared the nation. It would be discovered that Whitman had killed a number of people before he got to the tower, including his wife and his mother. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the life and crimes of Charles Whitman. Th...

In 1979, Terry Chasteen and her three children were living a wonderful life in Indiana. Terry had a new love interest in her life and the two had discussed marriage. On April 28th, Terry loaded up the kids to take them to the babysitter before she went to work. They never made it. Their bodies were found in White Lick creek later that day. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the brutal and senseles...

Just after Thanksgiving, in 1988, six Kansas City, Missouri firefighters lost their lives while responding to a truck fire at a construction site. What they didn't know was that explosive materials, five times the amount used by Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing, were in containers on the site. The resulting explosion was devastating. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this devastating...

In 1975, several young women and teenage girls were found dead in or around canals in Broward and Dade counties in Florida. These murders shared very similar traits but the police were not convinced they were all connected. It turns out that they were correct.  Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what many have dubbed "The Canal Murders". You may also see this series of murders listed as the "Flat...

In this episode, we're headed to Australia to discuss one of that country's most infamous unsolved child disappearances. 3-year-old William Tyrrell disappeared in September 2014, and the pictures of the precious little boy displayed on the media captured the hearts of people from around the world. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the baffling disappearance of William Tyrrell. His biological pare...

Bobby Joe Long was a serial killer who terrorized the area around Tampa Bay, Florida in an eight-month period in 1984. During that timeframe, Long murdered at least 10 women and victimized many more. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this sadistic killer whose MO was to abduct, sexually assault, and then murder his victims. Prior to his murders, authorities believe Long was "The Classified Ad Rap...

In June 1992, Sherrill Levitt, Suzie Streeter, and Stacy McCall vanished from Springfield, Missouri. The three, and their disappearance case, would become known as The Springfield Three. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious case of The Springfield Three. The police had a number of leads and tips that they worked but turned out to be rabbit holes. Law enforcement developed a number of...

Bobby and Sherilyn Jamison, along with their young daughter Madyson, disappeared in Oklahoma in 2009. The family's pickup truck was found in a rural area with a lot of their personal belongings and a large sum of cash still inside. On a cell phone, police found a picture of young Madyson that people have debated for years. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious disappearance of the Jami...

In 1989, Joan Rogers, and her two daughters, Michelle and Christe, left their hometown in Ohio on a Florida vacation. They were packing in as much family fun as they could when they encountered a monster. On June 4th, boaters found the bodies of Joan, Michelle, and Christe. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this terrifying case. The police had some information to go on, including a description of...

For the 100th episode of Criminology, we're tackling two cases of murdered prosecutors that some people may be related. Ray Gricar was a prosecutor in Pennsylvania who was murdered in 2005. Jonathan Luna was a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's office in Baltimore, Maryland who was killed in 2003. Both men were found in rural areas of central Pennsylvania. The investigations into...

In 1982, 3-year-old Rachael Runyan and her two young brothers were playing at the playground just beyond their backyard. Their mother Elaine was watching them through the window of the house as she prepared lunch. Elaine's whole world changed when one of her sons burst in and said that a man had taken Rachael, put her in his car, and sped off. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance a...

Tina Marie Lauser's parents learned early in her childhood that she was deaf. Tina struggled in school, primarily because there were no schools in the early 60s specifically designed to help her. Tina graduated, got a job, and met her future husband at the Wilmington Club for the Deaf. In January 1981, Tina left her job at the Bank of Delaware to drive to get something to eat on her lunch break. S...

In 1990, Marlene Warren opened the front door of her Florida home to find someone dressed in a clown suit holding balloons and flowers. The clown pulled out a gun and shot Marlene to death. Marlene's son was home at the time and raced to the front door and saw both the clown running away and his mother lying in a pool of blood. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the details surrounding the murder...

In 1994, the bodies of 23-year-old Gail Matthews and her 5-year-old daughter, Tamara Berkheiser, were found in their Williamsport, Pennsylvania home. The double murder shocked the community of Williamsport and police were determined to solve it. One man was charged twice with the murders, but both times the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the baffli...

In February 2008, a lone gunman entered the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, Ilinois, and shot six women. Five of the women died that day while the sixth barely survived. The store manager managed to call 911 just before the shooting began. The resulting search for the killer would turn into a massive investigation. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Lane Bryant Murder case. The surviving vic...

Bob Crane was a handsome and charming comedic actor. He rose to fame when he landed the leading role on the hit television comedy Hogan's Heroes. The show ran from 1965 to 1971. After it ended, Bob received income through its syndication but he struggled to find continued acting success. In June 1978, Bob was found bludgeoned to death in his apartment. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the life a...

For this first episode of 2020, we're headed to Ireland to talk about an area around Dublin that has been called The Vanishing Triangle. Between 1993 and 1998, eight young women disappeared in this area. The police investigation resulted in a number of possible suspects but to date, none of the women have been found and no one has been held responsible. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Ireland's...

In this episode, we are discussing three infamous murders that occurred around Christmas. The Lawson family massacre took place in North Carolina in 1929 when Charlie Lawson murdered seven members of his family. The Los Feliz mansion murders took place in California in 1959 when Dr. Harold Perelson murdered his wife and most likely would have murdered his children had they not been able to flee th...

It was 30 years ago this month that 18-year-old Sarah DeLeon was murdered after she left her boyfriend's house in the early morning hours of December 29, 1989. Police had few suspects and little evidence to go on and eventually Sarah's case went cold. Five years later, another woman named Diana Ault was murdered. Again, police struggled to solve the murder, and at the time, they had no idea there...

16-year-old Jamie Grissim disappeared from Vancouver, Washington on December 7, 1971. She has never been heard from or seen since. Jamie is thought to be the first victim of suspected serial killer Warren Leslie Forrest. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance of Jamie Grissim and the life and suspected crimes of Warren Leslie Forrest. Forrest was convicted of one murder, but authorit...

In 1974, 19-year-old newlywed Arlis Perry was murdered inside the Memorial Church on the campus of Stanford University. Her murder was brutal and savage which led many to think it was connected to a satanic cult. Investigators worked the case but couldn't connect anyone to the murder. It took 44 years, and some amazing advances in DNA technology, to put together the pieces of this 44-year-old murd...

In this episode, we're covering three separate murder cases that occurred while the victims were at rest stops. Dexter Stefonek was traveling back home to Wisconsin after visiting family in Oregon. His vehicle was found burning at a rest stop in Montana. A couple later found his body at a trash site. Jane Snow was traveling with her two young sons in 1979 when her body was discovered by her sons i...

In 1978, Rhonda Wicht and her 4-year-old son Donnie were killed inside their Simi Valley, California apartment. Rhonda's on-again/off-again boyfriend Craig Coley was arrested and convicted of the murders. He spent 39 years behind bars before DNA evidence set him free. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this case that is tragic all around. It is tragic due to the loss of Rhonda and Donnie, and it's...