Residue: A True Crime Podcast

In this episode, we uncover the true story behind When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, the 2017 film inspired by real events. We explore who Falicia Blakely was, the circumstances that shaped her life, and how an abusive and controlling relationship influenced the choices that ultimately led to a series of tragic crimes. Sources: https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/200146223/s01-e09-falicia-blakely...

Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez is based on the true story of Abby Hernandez, a New Hampshire teenager who was abducted in 2013 while walking home from school. Held captive in a concealed shipping container for nine months, Abby endured unimaginable hardship but demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience. It is ultimately a story of hope, perseverance, and the strength of...

The Bling Ring is based on the true story of a group of Los Angeles teenagers who burglarized the homes of celebrities including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, and Orlando Bloom between 2008 and 2009. Driven by an obsession with fame, fashion, and celebrity culture, they stole millions of dollars' worth of luxury items before eventually being caught by police. Sofia Coppola's 2013...

Boys Don't Cry brought Brandon Teena's story to the big screen, but how closely did the film follow the real events? In this episode, we separate fact from fiction, exploring Brandon's life, the people often left out of the story, and the lasting legacy of a case that changed conversations about transgender representation in America. Using a victim-centered approach, we'll look beyond the movie to...

The story of David Rothenberg's survival would eventually reach millions of viewers through the 1988 made-for-television film David. Starring Bernadette Peters as Marie Rothenberg and Matthew Lawrence as David, the film focused not only on the horrific crime that nearly took his life, but also on his extraordinary recovery and the strength he showed in the years that followed. Sources: David’s Sto...

Was Sarah Jo Pender a master manipulator who orchestrated a brutal double murder, or was she a young woman caught in a flawed investigation and wrongfully convicted? One of the most controversial true-crime cases of the 2000s. Sarah Jo Pender was convicted in 2002 for the murders of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman, a crime prosecutors argued she planned and directed. Dubbed the "female Charles M...

In July 1988, Washington, North Carolina businessman Leith Von Stein was fatally stabbed and bludgeoned in his bed while his wife, Bonnie, was severely injured. The violent crime was initially staged as a burglary but later exposed a twisted conspiracy motivated by a $2 million inheritance. The chilling true-crime story was famously chronicled in the 1991 bestselling book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinn...

We are taking a true crime break this week, but still focusing on a "based on a true story" movie. Mike and Claire Sardina were a real-life Milwaukee husband-and-wife musical duo who formed the popular Neil Diamond tribute act "Lightning & Thunder". Their remarkable true story of soaring success, devastating heartbreak, and perseverance inspired the acclaimed feature film Song Sung Blue (2025). Th...

In this episode, we explore the shocking true story behind the Lifetime film Abducted: The Carlina White Story. A case so unbelievable it sounds fictional, yet every major detail really happened. In 1987, 19-day-old Carlina White was kidnapped from Harlem Hospital in New York City by a woman later identified as Ann Pettway, who raised her under the name Nejdra “Netty” Nance for more than two decad...

PART 2: While Steven Stayner became known for his extraordinary survival, his story reached millions through the made for TV film I Know My First Name Is Steven, and for a time the Stayner name was associated with resilience and hope. But that sense of closure did not last, and years later the same name would return to the national spotlight under far darker circumstances. In 1999, Cary Stayner ca...

PART 1: The 1989 television miniseries I Know My First Name Is Steven is a dramatization of the real-life kidnapping of Steven Stayner, who was held captive for seven years before heroically escaping and rescuing another child. The film chronicles the abduction of seven-year-old Steven by Kenneth Parnell in 1972. Parnell brainwashes Steven into believing his parents no longer want him and renames...

The 2003 film Soldier's Girl tells the true story of Barry Winchell, a young soldier stationed at Fort Campbell who becomes romantically involved with transgender performer Calpernia Addams. Their relationship develops quietly at first, but it becomes increasingly dangerous within the highly rigid and hostile environment of the military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era. As rumors about Winche...

In this episode, we examine the disturbing events surrounding the Kidnapping of Hannah Anderson, a case that shocked the nation in 2013. The story follows 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, who was abducted by family friend James DiMaggio after what initially seemed like a routine visit. What followed was a tragic chain of events, including the murders of Hannah’s mother, Christina Anderson, and her you...

This episode explores the chilling true story that inspired Heavenly Creatures, the 1997 film based on the infamous case of Pauline Parker and Juliette Hulme. In 1950s Christchurch, New Zealand, two teenage girls formed an intense and obsessive friendship after bonding over illness, isolation, and a shared love of fantasy. Together, they created an elaborate imaginary world where they ruled as pow...

The tragic true story of Gregory Glen Biggs and the shocking case involving Chante Mallard. A story that stunned the nation for its cruelty and unimaginable choices. We break down what really happened the night Biggs lost his life, the disturbing decisions that followed, and how those actions impacted not only the victim, but his family, including his son Brandon, and others who became entangled i...

In this episode, we unpack the unsettling themes behind Gaslit By My Husband:The Morgan Metzer Story, a story that dives into the hidden world of psychological abuse. What happens when the person you trust most begins to manipulate your reality? What starts as small moments of doubt quickly escalates into something far more unsettling, as Morgan struggles to separate truth from deception and hold...

The 2002 true-crime film Vampire Clan dramatizes the shocking real-life murders carried out by a group of teenagers who believed they were part of a vampire cult. Starring Drew Fuller as cult leader Rod Ferrell, the film follows how fantasy role-playing and obsession with vampirism spiraled into violence, ultimately leading to the brutal killing. The case of Rod Ferrell and the brutal Wendorf Murd...

In this episode, we explore the shocking true story behind the made-for-TV movie Abducted by My Teacher and the real-life case of Elizabeth Thomas. In 2017, Elizabeth was a 15-year-old student in Tennessee when her health teacher, Tad Cummins, groomed and ultimately abducted her, sparking a nationwide search. What began as a troubling case of teacher misconduct quickly turned into a multi-state ma...

In 1968, Rosemary’s Baby arrived in theaters and changed horror forever. A story about a young woman manipulated, isolated, and ultimately betrayed by those closest to her, the film tapped into a cultural moment already steeped in paranoia. America was reeling from assassinations, war, the rise of the occult, and the founding of the Church of Satan. Evil lived next door.  But what happened after t...

In December 2019, 33-year-old Heidi Broussard disappeared in Austin,TX along with her three-week-old daughter, Margot Carey, shortly after dropping her older child off at school.  The case was dramatized in the 2023 Lifetime television film Stolen Baby: The Murder of Heidi Broussard, directed by Michelle Ouellet. The movie stars Emily Osment as Fieramusca and Anna Hopkins as Heidi Broussard, and f...

In this episode, we dive into the glitter-soaked rise and catastrophic fall of New York City’s infamous Club Kid scene, as portrayed in the film Party Monster. But beyond the tabloid-fueled fame lies a far darker true story — the murder of Andre "Angel" Melendez. We explore how Michael Alig, once a self-proclaimed king of nightlife, built a celebrity persona in the early ’90s underground party wor...

In this episode, we dig into the truth behind Jennifer’s Body the 2009 horror film that was initially dismissed and later reclaimed as a cult classic with feminist themes of female rage, power, and exploitation. While the movie is fictional, its central premise (a teenage girl sacrificed by a band seeking fame) echoes a disturbing real-life case that many viewers are unaware of. We examine the 199...

In this episode, we unpack the story behind Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story and the real-life survival of Carlesha Freeland-Gaither. On November 2, 2014, Carlesha was abducted while walking home in Philadelphia, a crime that was partially caught on surveillance footage and sparked a desperate search. Through the Lifetime film, viewers are taken inside the fear, resilience, and...

In this episode, we examine An American Crime (2007), a harrowing film based on one of the most disturbing true crime cases in American history. The movie follows the story of Sylvia Likens, a teenage girl left in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski while her parents traveled for work. What begins as a temporary living arrangement quickly spirals into unimaginable cruelty, as Gertrude, her children,...

The true story behind The Girl From Plainville, the chilling real-life case that sparked national debate about responsibility, mental health, and the power of words. In 2014, 18-year-old Conrad Roy III died by suicide in a Massachusetts parking lot. In the months leading up to his death, Roy had been in an intense, mostly digital relationship with 17-year-old Michelle Carter — a relationship later...