Morning Cup of Murder

February 15th: Billie Jo-Jenkins Killed (1997) One can only hope that, when a foster family takes in a young child, they will be the kind and caring parental figures needed. This, we know, is not always the case. On February 15th 1997 a young girl was brutally killed in the backyard of the home she was living in with her foster family. A case that, though it seemed like there was an obvious answer...

February 14th: Charles Walton Killed (1945) Some stories are so strange they seem more fiction than fact. On February 14th 1945 a man was killed in a truly strange case that remains a mystery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Walton_(murder_victim), https://www.vice.com/en/article/3ab7nb/charles-walton-murder-victim, https://www.truecrimelibrary.com/crimearticle/charles-walton/, https://www.s...

February 13th: Thomas Dee Huskey's Trial Declared a Mistrial (1999) Sometimes even a confession isn’t enough to convict. On February 13th 1999 a mistrial was declared in a complicated case that saw a confession but not a conviction. http://murderpedia.org/male. H/h/huskey-thomas.htm, https://911animalabuse.com/thomas-dee-huskey-elephant-trainer-rapist-confessed-serial-killer/, https://www.wbir.com...

February 12th: Kirsten Hatfield Born (1989) Some cases will never get the closure that the family needs and deserves. On February 12th 1989 a young girl was born who would have her life ripped away far too soon. A case where, to this day, no one knows exactly what happened to her and where her body is. https://kfor.com/news/kirsten-hatfields-family-still-searching-for-answers-22-years-after-her-di...

February 11th: Timmy Brent Olsen Plead Guilty (2011) Sometimes the person who holds the key to solving a case remains so tight lipped that it becomes impossible to close. On February 11th 2011 one person involved in a devastating case pleaded guilty to his role in the crime but, with the other remaining silent, a family remains unable to find the closure they so desperately deserve. https://en.wik...

February 10th: Joanna Dennehy Found Guilty (2014) Those who kill without reason and just for the “fun” of it are incredibly dangerous creatures. On February 10th 2014 one such woman was arrested after a 10 day spree that cost 3 men their lives and almost took the lives of 2 more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_ditch_murders, https://allthatsinteresting.com/joanna-dennehy, https://www.d...

February 9th: Eddie Albert Crawford Born (1947) How far can someone go to prove their innocence and save their own life? On February 9th 1947 a man was born who would, later in life, be connected to a truly heinous crime. A crime that he swore he didn’t commit and exhausted every single avenue to try and prove it. https://murderpedia.org/male. C/c1/crawford-eddie-albert.htm, http://www.clarkprosec...

February 8th: LeRoy Carter Jr.’s Body Found(1981) Some cases can have such strange elements that they seem hard to believe. On February 8th 1981 a man’s body was found in a case that saw one person proposing the unbelievable only to be ignored by her colleagues. An act that they would soon come to regret. https://unresolved.me/leroy-carter-jr, https://themorbidlibrary.com/2020/08/16/the-unsolved-l...

February 7th: Jon Dunkle Sentenced (1990) Sometimes, even when investigators know who the killer is, it can take years to actually have enough evidence to arrest. On February 7th 1990 a man was sentenced for his crimes after decades of being a prime suspect. https://murderpedia.org/male. D/d/dunkle-jon.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Dunkle, https://www.killerqueenspodcast.com/child-murdere...

February 6th: Briddell Barber Kills (2017) Anger and jealousy is a deadly combination. On February 6th 2017 a man, furious and jilted, took the lives of 4 individuals outside a club in Mississippi. https://www.wapt.com/article/yazoo-city-man-gets-life-in-prison-in-killing-of-5-people/38160755, https://www.wlbt.com/2021/11/03/yazoo-city-man-sentenced-life-after-pleading-guilty-5-murders/, https://w...

February 5th: Lisa Nowak Attacks Colleen Shipman (2007) One mistake can sometimes erase decades of good. On February 5th 2007 a woman made a decision that, many think, would have cost another person their life had they not acted quickly. A woman who, despite all her accomplishments, will forever be known as the jilted lover who attacked her boyfriend’s new girlfriend. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...

February 4th: Tiago Gomes da Rocha Born (1988) For some dangerous individuals, the urge to kill is so strong that it might never come to an end. On February 4th 1988 a man was born who, seeing himself as a victim, would give in to his urge to kill and take the lives of a staggering 39 or so individuals. https://murderpedia.org/male. G/g/gomes-da-rocha-tiago.htm, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...

February 3rd: Steven Gordon Born (1969) Two is not always better than one. On February 3rd 1969 a man was born who, when paired up with another dangerous man, took the lives of at least 5 young women. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Dean_Gordon, https://murderpedia.org/male. G/g/gordon-steven-dean.htm, https://www.ocregister.com/2017/02/06/steven-gordon-receives-death-penalty-for-kidnapping-k...

February 2nd: Joshua Jenkins' First Murder (1996) One should be able to trust their own family members. This, however, is not always the case. On February 2nd 1996 a boy committed a heinous act against a family who trusted him. https://murderpedia.org/male. J/j/jenkins-joshua.htm, https://thecinemaholic.com/alene-and-george-jenkins-murders-where-is-joshua-jenkins-now/, https://apnews.com/article/8...

February 1st: Janelle Patton's Killer Arrested (2006) Paradise is not always safe. On February 1st 2006, after years of investigation, a man was arrested in connection to a murder that took place on an idyllic island. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janelle_Patton, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36646015, https://www.theage.com.au/national/accuseds-wife-killed-norfolk-island-woman-witness-20060812-g...

January 31st: Eli Washtock Found Dead (2019) One death could lead to another. On January 31st 2019 a young boy found a body in a case that, maybe, is connected to the suicide of an unrelated woman. https://thecinemaholic.com/eli-washtock-murder-how-did-he-die-who-killed-him/, https://www.news4jax.com/i-team/2022/07/21/family-hopes-someone-will-come-forward-to-help-solve-2019-murder-in-st-johns-cou...

January 30th: Gary Hilton Pleaded Guilty (2008) What, exactly, lurks in the woods? On January 30th 2008 a man pleaded guilty to crimes committed in the deep woods of various National Parks. A man who just may have committed more crimes than convicted of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hilton, https://murderpedia.org/male. H/h/hilton-gary-michael.htm, https://people.com/crime/gary-hilton-serial...

January 29th: Priscilla Joyce Ford Dies (2005) A crowded sidewalk in broad daylight isn’t exactly a place where you expect to see a murder. On January 29th 2005 a woman passed away in prison for a crime committed in the middle of the afternoon on the Thanksgiving holiday and took the lives of 6 and injured 24 more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priscilla_Ford, https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2020/1...

January 28th: Linda Cook's Killer Found Guilty (1988) The idea of spending decades behind bars for a crime you did not commit is a terrifying one. On January 28th 1988 a man was found guilty for a crime that he swore he did not commit. One that saw the death of a young woman, a trial that kept some details secret, and a long fight for justice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Linda_Cook, ht...

January 27th: Iana Kasian Born (1986) Loving someone shouldn’t cost you your life. On January 27th 1986 a young woman fell in love with the wrong man and unknowingly placed herself in grave danger. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Iana_Kasian, https://allthatsinteresting.com/iana-kasian-blake-leibel, https://abc13.com/iana-kasian-blake-leibel-torture-woman-killed-west-hollywood-scalp-missin...

January 26th: Diane Whipple Dies(2001) One must have a reasonable amount of responsibility to own a pet. When that isn’t the case, an animal can become dangerous. On January 26th 2001 a woman lost her life in a case that saw an animal as the killer but their humans as the responsible party.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Diane_Whipple, https://dogbitelaw.com/diane-whipple/the-diane-whippl...

January 25th: Billy Bailey Executed (1996) Not every killer has a motive and it leaves a senseless crime feeling even more so. On January 25th 1996 a man was led to the gallows for a crime that even he didn’t know why he committed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bailey, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/01/26/an-execution-in-the-old-way/0fbf3f86-9ecd-4457-bb37-87ffd74018e6/, h...

January 24th: Anthony McKnight Arrested (1986) You never know what someone might be hiding beneath their friendly exterior. On January 24th 1986 a man who was described favorably was arrested for being a serial rapist. A man who, police believed, was actually the serial killer whom they had been looking for. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McKnight, https://murderpedia.org/male. M/m/mcknight...

January 23rd: Athalia Ponsell Lindsley Dies (1974) Not everyone can love their neighbor. On January 23rd 1974 a woman was brutally killed in what may have been a neighborly dispute. A case that, though there seems to be a clear answer, remains unsolved due to some compromising police work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athalia_Ponsell_Lindsley, https://crimecapsule.com/bad-blood-the-murder-of-atha...

January 22nd: Jim Barclay and John Bramford Discovered Missing(1918) Some cases, strange cases, will likely remain unsolved until the end of time. On January 22nd 1918 two men were discovered missing in a case that, though many believe they know what happened, remains a mystery all these years later. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonnangatta_murders, https://peninsulaessence.com.au/who-killed-jim-...