Murder Sheet

In 1987, a young pregnant woman went to work at an Ohio McDonald's. Her husband followed, brandishing a firearm. Gina Femia Smith never made it home from her shift. And her killer went on the run, leaving a quiet corner of Ohio terrified of what might happen next. Follow the  Murder Sheet  on social media for the latest. Facebook Twitter Instagram And send tips and thoughts to murdershee...

On June 25, 1906, three shots rang out at Mam'zelle Champagne, a musical revue playing in a restaurant space atop Madison Square Garden. Millionaire Harry Thaw had just killed famed architect Stanford White, in front of rows and rows of witnesses and a stageful of chorus girls. The murder became known as the crime of the century, and word of it spread throughout New York society and beyond. Thaw w...

The Delphi murders have become a somewhat controversial topic in true crime circles, with adherents of different theories occasionally clashing online. True Crime Garage's recent run of three episodes on the Delphi murders — titled "Under the Bridge" — added to the controversy. Hosts Nic and the Captain, along with an anonymous Reddit researcher, discussed a theory involving several witn...

What is going on with the sketches in the Delphi murders? In 2017, police released a sketch of an older man. Two years later, they came out with a different sketch, depicting a younger, baby-faced man. This episode takes a break from our focus on restaurant homicides, and is part of our intermittent series of episodes on the Delphi case. We'll go over a timeline of the two sketches, and share our...

Early on the morning of May 25, 2000, a wounded Wendy's worker made a desperate call to 911. Along with his six coworkers, he had just been bound, gagged, and shot in the head during a robbery. The duo who perpetrated the brutal massacre had stolen over $2,000 and disappeared into the night. Listen to this episode of The Murder Sheet to learn more about the vicious crime, the motive behind the kil...

On January 13, 1991, Roderick Clemons clocked in for his shift at a Church's Chicken restaurant in Akron, Ohio. The 26-year-old assistant manager was working hard for a promotion, despite his reservations about the fast food joint's rough neighborhood. Unfortunately, Roderick never made it home that night. And nearly 30 years later, we still don't know who brutally murdered him. This week, listen...

After Chicago police arrested 19-year-old Maurice Harris for the 2017 massacre at Nadia's Fish & Chicken, many assumed that was the end of the story. But truly, it was only the beginning. In this final episode of "In the Shadow of Nadia," we'll discuss the shocking end to the case. Join the Murder Sheet's Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee in the fifth and final episode of "In the Shadow o...

Chicago police announced that they believed 19-year-old Maurice Harris was the culprit behind the 2017 massacre at Nadia's Fish & Chicken. To outsiders, it might have seemed like authorities had an ironclad case against the young man. But Ian Barney — the attorney who represented Harris in his police brutality suit — wasn't so sure. In this episode of "In the Shadow of Nadia," w...

After the Chicago Police Department arrested 19-year-old Maurice Harris for the Nadia's Fish & Chicken murders, prosecutors went about trying to make a case against the teenager. Attorney Ian Barney had initially signed on to represent Maurice Harris in his brutality suit against the cops. Now, the lawyer found himself working to defend his client from murder charges. Barney was convinced of H...

When the Chicago Police Department announced that they'd arrested Maurice Harris for the March 30, 2017 quadruple homicide at Nadia's Fish & Chicken Grill, they made sure to talk at length about the 19-year-old's juvenile record. But they still failed to disclose a few key details. Namely, that their prime suspect was still in the process of suing their department for brutality. Five years ear...

On a spring day four years ago, a gunman burst into a restaurant in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. He opened fire, killing two young men in the eatery, and a pair of brothers attempting to flee the scene. Many questions remain about the murders that occurred on March 30, 2017 in Nadia's Fish & Chicken Grill. The sudden massacre happened in the midst of a spate of killings in the South Sho...

In 1967, two young women working at High's Ice Cream in Staunton, Virginia were shot to death at work. Decades later, one of their coworkers, Sharron Smith, confessed on her deathbed to the killings. But that wasn't the end of the story. For some, it was just the beginning. William "Bill" Thomas, a man who had been acquitted of one of the murders, brought a lawsuit against Staunton itself, after l...

This week, the Murder Sheet will be sitting down to interview one of our favorite true crime Redditors: Bones of Autumn . This'll be the second of two episodes featuring Bones, an Indiana-based true crime researcher and writer who posts all her findings on the Unresolved Mysteries subreddit. Listen along as we talk about the disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierer , the murder o...

This week, the Murder Sheet will be chatting with one of our favorite true crime Redditors: Bones of Autumn . This'll be the first of two episodes featuring Bones, an Indiana-based true crime researcher and writer who posts all her findings on the Unresolved Mysteries subreddit. Listen along as we chat about her methods around digging into obscure crimes, the case of alleged serial killer Frank Le...

Who is James Chadwell, and why is he being looked at in connection with the murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams? This episode takes a break from our focus on restaurant homicides, and is part of our intermittent series of episodes on the Delphi case. We'll present the facts that we've been able to gather on Chadwell, and discuss why he's currently being discussed as a possible perpetrat...

This week on the Murder Sheet , we speak in-depth with Don Williams, a retired Santa Barbara detective who helped capture the infamous Donut Shop Killers. If you haven't already, make sure to go back and listen to "The Donut Shop Killers," episode 23 of our first season.  Williams spoke with us about the multi-state investigation into the case, the tragic aftermath of the grocery shop sh...

It was an ending that no one saw coming.  On April 11, 1967, someone gunned down sisters-in-law Constance Smootz Hevener and Carolyn Hevener Perry at the High's Ice Cream shop in Staunton, Virginia. Police had a main suspect, who was ultimately acquitted in court. The case went cold.  Then, decades later, one citizen sleuth got involved with the case. And the dark secret he helped t...

Late one night in the spring of 1967, gunshots shattered the nighttime calm that had settled over Staunton, Virginia. Two young women — sisters-in-law Constance Smootz Hevener and Carolyn Hevener Perry — were shot at their workplace: High's Ice Cream store. Neither would survive the night. The investigation into the brutal crime would drag on for decades. In this episode, we'll delve into the earl...

On early autumn night in 1971, two creepy men visited Winchell's Donut Shop in Salt Lake City. Sherman McCrary and Carl Taylor sipped on coffee, and directed profane remarks at other customers. Then, when the shop had cleared out, they kidnapped Sheri Martin, the young clerk on duty.  It was the beginning of a multi-state robbery and rape and murder spree for the men and their families. At ti...

Who is Garett Kirts, and why has his name popped up in online discussion of the murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams? This episode takes a break from our focus on restaurant homicides, and will be part of an intermittent series of episodes on the Delphi case. We'll delve into the many crimes of Kirts, a local murderer who claims to have ties to the land where the girls were discovered.&n...

On a warm afternoon in the summer of 1984, James Huberty, a disturbed man with a gun decided to go hunting humans. He ended up in a popular neighborhood McDonald's, where he shot to death 21 people-- including a truck driver nearing retirement, two young boys taking a break from a bike ride and and a teenage mother with her infant in her arms.  Panicked people inside the restaurant play dead...

Early on a summer morning in 1919, cops and robbers faced off in Sioux City, Iowa. The showdown kicked off at the Carbarn, an unassuming eatery dedicated to the city's streetcar workers. Leading the charge on the side of the law was Detective James Garfield Britton, a veteran officer who'd lost his job as police chief over rising crime rates. The bandits were captained by one Donald "Red" Burzette...

This week on the Murder Sheet, we take a break from our usual run of restaurant homicides to bring you some news. We'll be researching the murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams in the coming months, and presenting occasional episodes on that crime on a monthly basis. In this episode, we visit the high bridge in Delphi that Libby and Abby visited on February 13, 2017, shortly before vanish...

Who killed four Bocaccio's employees in the wilds of Florida over four decades ago? Why has the case remained unsolved for so long? And what exactly can be done to change that? This follow-up episode looks into some of the suspects who've been discussed in connection with the case over the years. From drug connections to unwitting recognitions, these are the theories that have swirled around the c...

On a winter's morning in 1975, four employees vanished from a  Florida nightclub. A few days later, a group of brothers stumbled upon their bodies, dumped several miles away in the Everglades. Police still don't know who murdered Joseph McCartney, Gail Reickmann, Mary Ann Hastons, and Neata Harvard all those years ago. In this episode, we'll delve into this heinous crime, involving...