Motherhood is Murder

Welcome to episode 34. We dive into the aftermath of the Smuttynose murders, the trial of Louis Wagner, theories, modern interpretations, and a discussion on antisocial personality disorder. There is lots to explore here! SOURCES: https://www.seacoastnh.com/why-louis-wagner-was-smuttynose-slayer/?showall=1#:~:text=Maren%20Hontvet%20went%20berserk%3F,Wagner%20was%20the%20guilty%20man .  https://www...

We are back! I am excited to bring you a historical two-parter for the month of December. We take it back to 1873 on a cold evening in March on an island far away from everyone else off the coast of Portsmouth, NH. Here a family of a fisherman were brutally murdered one evening. The facts of the case of dismal and shocking. Part One covers a brief history of Smuttynose Island on the Isle of Shoals...

Hi All! After a bit of a hiatus, we are returning on Tuesday, December 5. I am excited to offer you a 2-part episode exploring The Smuttynose Murders. What happened, why are we still fascinated by this case today, and what does that say about us then and now. See you all then! Support for Motherhood is Murder is so greatly appreciated! Website: https://motherhoodismurder.weebly.com/ Patreon: http:...

Welcome to Motherhood is Murder 1st Annual Halloween Special. This week we will break format (once again!) to explore three lesser-known stories of New England lore. I will also share a scary story from my childhood that is a lesson in be care what you wish (or ask) for. Have a happy & safe Halloween season!  Stories: Headless Skeleton of Swampton (RI) Haunted Blood Forest of Lancaster (MA) Do...

Hi All! This time around I am trying out a new format with an unscripted episode. Our featured author is the every spooky Shirley Jackson whose works have scared the pants off of readers in the 1940's. We'll also cover a missing persons case that happened in the small college town in VT where Shirley lived and wrote.  SOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jackson  https://en.wik...

This week we continue our exploration of Spooky Authors for October. This prolific author has created an array of horror pieces all of which have hit the publication charts and many of which have been adapted for movies and TV shows.  Born in Maine, Stephen King has created worlds that have entertained and truly frightening millions. This week we explore his life, history, works and process. Enjoy...

It is officially Spooky Season! October will have a slightly different format to usher in the spookiest month of the year. We will explore horror and spooky authors in New England throughout the month studying their background, works and influence.  This week we dive deep into the cosmic world of H. P. Lovecraft. A native of Providence, RI who struggled with mental illness, H. P. Lovecraft began w...

After a short hiatus, I am back! This week we will discuss crimes on campus at UMass Amherst from the 1990's when I attended to today. Please note that these crimes depict cases of sexual assault. If this would be upsetting please skip this episode as there is some great content ahead! We will also discuss the UMass campus response to these crimes, ask the question "can they do more?&quo...

Welcome to episode 27, the one with all the bugs and workarounds. Persistence has paid off and although this episode is a pretty much a rough cut with no music and just enough editing, it’s a good one. You will not be sorry you listened, but… you may have to turn up the volume.  This week we discuss the murder of Trang Phuong Ho who was murdered by her room mate Tadesse Sinedu. The case brought up...

New month, new topic! September we will discuss crimes on college campuses in New England. We will also discuss psychological attributes of the offenders.  This week we discuss the Wayne Lo School Shooting at Simon's Rock College in Great Barrington, MA in 1992. Wayne Lo was a gifted violin prodigy that went on to murder 2 people and injure 4 others in a school shooting that seemed to come wi...

Welcome to Motherhood is Murder, a podcast about crimes in New England taking on the perspective of community involvement.  In this episode, we will wrap up our month on Family Killers by discussing the profile of the family killer and the adolescent family killer. We will look at our cases to see what fits and what does not. We will also discuss ways you can protect your house and family from hom...

This week I will cover one of New England's most notorious historical cases. The horrific axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden stunned the mill town of Fall River. Immediately investigators had their eye on one suspect,  the Borden's youngest daughter Lizzie. Was Lizzie capable of committing the crime? And if not, who was?  Join me for a journey back to the 1890's as we discuss Vic...

Welcome to episode 23. In this episode we discuss the curious case of John William McGrath, a brilliant and successful high school Senior who appeared to have it all before one winter night when his actions would change everything. Let's head back to 1962 and ask the question, "Do we every really truly know anyone?" SOURCES: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/john-mcgrath  https...

As we are officially in the new month of August we start on a new monthly topic. This month we will discuss family annihilators. Whether the offender is a member of the family or an "outsider" we discuss three notorious cases in New England that made headlines and in some cases changes to the criminal justice system. This week we will discuss the Cheshire Family Murders. When 3 members o...

Do adults run away? And if they do, why? And what about death hoaxes? This week we wrap up the cases of Joan Risch and Maura Murray with a discussion on adults who run away and the psychology behind escape fantasy. We will also discuss faking a death, death hoaxes, and whether or not Joan and Maura exhibited signs of either adults who simply left it all behind, or staged their own deaths to disapp...

When we left off, Maura Murray a nursing student at UMass Amherst had disappeared after a single car accident on snowy roads in New Hampshire in February. In Part 2, we will discuss the timeline of her search and developments in her case, current events in the case, and theories of what happened to her and why she went missing. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, snuggle up, and get ready for a wild ride...

Maura Murray was a nursing student at UMass Amherst when she went missing following a car accident in Haverhill, NH. The reason why she was on that distant, winding road and where she went following the accident remain a compelling mystery to this day. For all intents and purposes it appears as if Maura just disappeared into thin air. In Part One we will discuss the events leading up to Maura&apos...

Welcome to episode 18 of Motherhood is Murder. For the month of July, we will discuss mysterious murders and missing persons in Massachusetts. This week we dive into the Case of Joan Risch. Joan Risch was an at-home mother of 2 who went mysteriously missing one afternoon leaving a trail of blood in her kitchen. With very little answers and lots of questions, this case remains unsolved to this day....

On this week's episode, we wrap up our month of discussing cases of captivity. We will discuss the psychological impact of captivity to both the victim, and the families. Although the cases covered in this podcast included abduction, POW/war crimes, and wrongful conviction, it is important to distinguish that there are many types of captivity states. Domestic abuse situations rank high in the...

This week we will discuss the wrongful conviction of Victor Rosario, his exoneration, and why wrongful convictions occur. How can someone who was trying to help children out of a burning building be charged with arson and murder?  SOURCES: https://innocenceproject.org/states/massachusetts/ https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/wrongfully-convicted-massachusetts-man-gets-13m-settlement/3036997/ http...

This is the story of a woman, a mother, who was taken captive, and who murdered her captors before returning to her family. It is also a story with a lot of questions, and one that has stirred a nation to this very day.  SOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Duston   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gruesome-story-hannah-duston-american-colonist-whose-slaying-indians-made-her-folk-he...

It is officially June, and we are diving into the topic of Captivity. This week I will cover the kidnapping and captivity of Abby Hernandez. Abby was just 14 when she was abudcted by her kidnapper Nate Kibby while walking home from school. Her captivity would last a harrowing 9 months and it is with a little luck and a ton of smarts that Abby returned home. Listen for her story. SOURCES https://bl...

We have all seen the movie: "bad" guy vs. "good" guy. But is it really that simple? Do we really only have good guys and bad guys? And what happens when the "good" guy becomes the bad guy? This week we review our cases as we consider what is meant by being "out of character". We'll look at a case study and a couple of books that have explored the topic....

This week we continue to discuss the murder of Jane Toppan, and the murders that ultimately brought her to trial. We will also discuss what constitutes "not guilty by reason of insanity" today and how this relates to Jane's actions back in the late 1800's. This is an interesting deep dive so I hope you will check it out. If you are interested in learning more about this case or...

This week we will discuss our first historical true crime story. I will cover the murders of "Jolly" Jane Toppan, a nurse in Massachusetts who experimented with her elderly patients, then went on to commit at least 31 murders, perhaps as many as 100. Deemed America's first female serial killer, Jane had an illustrious life of crime. In this first part, we will discuss early life the...