Murder In The Rain

In our previous episode, Alisha introduced you to Anna Marie Hlavka. She was a 20-year-old woman who had been living with her boyfriend and sister at the Tudor Arms apartments in downtown Portland. On June 24th, 1979, Anna’s sister Rose Ann returned home from the McDonald’s where both sisters worked, and she discovered her sister had been murdered. Susan was lying across the bed, the power cord fr...

On July 26th, 1979, the front page of the long-defunct Oregon Journal had coverlines “Playboy’s perfect ‘playmate’”, “taxpayers missing the boat” and “Democrats back Carter gas plan”. Just beneath those, the main headline read “Woman, 20, strangled in bed here”. Paired with a photo of a young woman’s face adorned with a now heartbreaking smile.  Her name, was Anna Marie Hlavka. And it would take 4...

We’re back with another update, and it is a doozy! There was a lawsuit settled in the case of Aron Christensen & Buzzo, possibly new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case, a sentencing for the man who put a woman in a cage, and Fiona Apple has new music! Oh, and there might be one VERY BIG change in the show's hosts, but you’ll have to listen to find out! Remastered Releases Out 31 Years After...

A 30-year-old advertising executive was abducted, raped and murdered while walking to her car after work one night in downtown Seattle. Her body was discovered a week later, and a man was arrested in connection with the crimes. He was a state inmate recently placed into a work-release facility who had skipped work the day of the crime and failed to return that night. It should not have been this w...

Last week I told you about the murder of 21-year-old Terri Lea Foster- How she was found- half nude- in David Douglas Park in Vancouver on Christmas Eve, 1977. She had been strangled, raped,,, and dumped in a baseball field. At the time, her nearly 2-year-old daughter was in the custody of family friends, Kenneth and Janice Haynes’. Episode Host: Alisha Holland Follow us on: Instagram https://www....

On Christmas Eve 1977, 47 years ago, a murder took place. There's a bevy of possible suspects, even motives, but no one has been brought to justice. As the years tick on, suspects have passed away, evidence has been destroyed, and the chances of solving the murder of 21-year-old Terry Lee Foster have dwindled. To honor the 47th anniversary of her death, over the next two episodes, I'll be...

We’re back…sort of! In today’s episode, we’ll update you on our personal lives- including a wedding, boobies and bodybuilding. We’ll share some updates surrounding past cases- including a firing out of Seattle and a lawsuit in Jackson County. Most importantly, we’ll give a long-awaited update on the status of the show! Check out OMG Haircare and say hello to haircare that's good for you. You c...

Crime & Updates 9 Part 2 It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on 2017 Portland Oregon Max stabbing case Update on Brian Steven Smith the Alaska Memory Card Killer Update on William Talbott Update on Dennis Day's death Update on Cynthia Hoffm...

It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on Joshua Wade case from Alaska Update on serial killer Harvey Carigan Escaped convict update  Update on Sircharles Marc Anthony Jones case Update on Aaron Christenson case If you’d like more episodes of Murder i...

Several months ago, I received an email from a journalist in Washington. Eric Trent, who works for the Chronicle, informed me he had been working on an unsolved disappearance and he was hoping I could help get the word out. We were FINALLY able to have a conversation about the case and it left me with even more questions and a dropped jaw. Today I’ll be telling you all the information publicly ava...

Last week, Josh detailed the disappearance and likely murder of Gene Bassett, who had vanished soon after arriving in the Pacific Northwest while on a day–trip to sell his car in Seattle. Found in possession of Bassett's vehicle and belongings, DeCasto Mayer and his mother Mary Smith were found guilty only of grand larceny in the case, as the murder of Gene Bassett could not be proven. In part...

In the weeks leading up to an ocean voyage to The Philippines, Gene Bassett listed his brand new Chrysler for sale in local (Seattle) newspapers. He'd decided to sell the automobile rather than have it shipped to him in Manila, having recently accepted a position there. The morning he left on a ferry to meet a prospective buyer was the last time any of his family ever saw him. The brand-new ve...

Part 2: "The Demons Have Taken Over" In last week’s episode, we discussed the 2005 vigilante killings in Bellingham, Washington. A man, haunted by the traumas of his own childhood, was on a mission to hunt pedophiles because he thought he was protecting the public, and more specifically, vulnerable children. He claimed he was inspired to do so by another 2005 case from Idaho, the murders o...

Today, we’ll explore two unique cases where perpetrators took to the internet to bear their souls and how the cases relate; a vigilante killer in Washington state who was so floored by a devastating case out of northern Idaho that he took it upon himself to do the public a service and take justice into his own hands. Then we’ll dive into that northern Idaho case that left the nation holding their...

A Patreon Exclusive As Rob Thomas iconically said in the classic summer jam Smooth ”Man, it’s a hot one”. This summer has seen record temperatures across the country. Speaking of across the country, we’re once again headed out of town, hosting a booth and presentation at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver! Since we’re out and about, we’re sharing one of my favorite Patreon ep...

It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Update on Oregon’s accused serial killer Jesse Calhoun Update on Alaska’s memory card killer Brian Steven Smith Update on Lake Oswego dad Michael Meyden Update on Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton Update on Mia Zapa...

Last week, I told the stories of eight, young Black women trafficked into sex work. All had been murdered in and around North Portland. These cases were presented to the Green River Task Force when no suspects emerged during initial investigations. It was found that none of the murders were connected to Gary Ridgway. Years later, the state would claim five of the women were connected to the same c...

Starting in March 1983 and through June 1993, someone was killing young, black women and girls in North Portland. The victims weren’t acknowledged with much more than a blip in the paper. The killer wasn’t making the headlines as bombastic Ted Bundy was. He wasn’t prolific enough to warrant a task force like Gary Ridgway. He was a mentally ill man with an extensive criminal history, unmanageable a...

Black powder dynamite is both efficient and hazardous. Its general commercial use is to clear land of large debris like boulders and tree stumps. Though it has only 20 to 30 percent of the explosive power of full nitro dynamite, if that power is multiplied and applied to a human body, the effect is devastating.  April 21, 1955, was the last day of Oliver Smith's life. Twelve sticks of black po...

In today’s case we explore a real whodunit in a little unincorporated community in Jackson county called Applegate, Oregon. In 2016 a shocking crime would take place on a local ranch and leave folks reeling when they learned that their little community could be the backdrop for a soon to be infamous crime.  Episode Host: Emily Rowney For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder...

It’s the Murder in the Rain update episode! This is a time for us to give you updates on the cases we cover, share notable news stories, and more! This week, you can expect to hear… Patreon Shoutouts!  Murder in the Rains upcoming events, goings-on, and where to find us Update on Seattle Police Department changes  Update on the accused Oregon serial killer case Update on the officers in the Manny...

Hells Canyon Redux Being that May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I wanted to share a story that would highlight violence against those in the AAPI community, then I remembered one of the first cases I covered, way back in September of 2019; The Hells Canyon Massacre. Since that time, the story has received more media coverage, and my research abilities hav...

A veteran police officer was retired from law enforcement as the result of post-traumatic stress after his involvement in what was once the worst mass shooting in the United States. The next year, after testifying against a fellow officer in a high-profile murder case, he and his family moved from California to a quiet town in Washington. Two years later, he would endure a home invasion that may h...

Today's episode is called Strange Things are afoot at the Circle K. Unlike a regular episode, Patreon allows us to venture out of the Pacific Northwest. And in this case, I will be taking us to Naples, Florida, where 20 years ago, within just a couple months of each other, two men in Naples, Florida disappeared. They didn’t have a ton in common except for both being young, hard working fathers...

In this week’s Murder in the Rain episode, we’ll discuss a case with a complicated list of players. When the body of a 33-year-old father is discovered in the brush off a residential road in Gig Harbor, Washington, an unlikely list of suspects is developed and you’ll end up asking yourself, where is the line when protecting someone you love? Would you lie in court for a friend? For your brother? F...