Chad Mortenson

Saints & Sinners: True Crime and the History of the West

I'm Chad Mortenson, and in my spare time, I give tours at the Salt Lake Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT. It is the largest municipal cemetery in the United States, and there are so many interesting characters buried there. So many great men and women who were doing the best with what God gave them in this life. Isn’t that what we all try to do? Come on this ride with me as we discuss the psychology, stories, motivations, and places that define the Saints as well as the Sinners who have shaped the macabre and the miraculous, the practical and the paranormal in the history of the West.

Author

Chad Mortenson

Category

True Crime

Latest episode

Jun 11, 2026

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Episodes

Murder in the Sanctuary: The Tragic Case of Arlis Perry 11.06.2026

A 1974 murder in Stanford's Memorial Church sparks a 44 year mystery.  I explore the bizarre clues, dead ends, and the shocking 2018 DNA breakthrough that finally solved the case of the murder of Arlis Perry. 

1122 King Road: The Moscow Idaho College Murders 12.03.2024

Early in the morning on Sunday November 13, 2022, four college students were murdered in their beds at the University of Idaho.  In this episode, the case is examined, as well as my travels to that college town and to the house where it all happened.

Parachute Heart: One August Morning in Salt Lake City 19.02.2024

On the morning of Thursday August 3, 1978, the Immanuel and Rachel David family was changed forever at the International Dunes Hotel in Salt Lake City.  The story leading up to the murder-suicide that happened that day is just as tragic as the event itself. 

The International Dunes Hotel: Bruce Meets Margit, The Conception of a Cult 23.10.2022

Charles Bruce Longo's conversion and baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is discussed, as well as his courtship of Margit Brigitta Ericsson, and the events leading up to the 1970s, and the 1978 tragedy known round the world. 

Special Bonus Episode! Joseph Smith’s Last Christmas 26.12.2021

Joseph's Smith's gathering at the Mansion House in Nauvoo, Illinois on the last Christmas of his life is discussed.  I discuss my travels to that place, as well as to the jail at Carthage where Joseph, and his brother Hyrum were killed. Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell and their final resting places are talked about in this special Christmas episode as well.

Deep in Death Valley, Charlie‘s Last Stand 09.12.2021

Charles Manson's last days of freedom following the murders of Helter Skelter are examined.  I visited the Barker Ranch in Death Valley, the place he was captured in October of 1969.  I also paid a visit to Zac Bagan's The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, seeing some of the key relics of the Manson Murders first hand. 

The Disappearance of Breezy Otteson and Riley Powell Part Two: Tintic Standard Mine #2 25.05.2021

The conclusion in a two part series on the disappearance of two teens in the Tintic Mining District near Eureka, Utah in late 2017.

The Disappearance of Breezy Otteson and Riley Powell Part One: Young Love 08.05.2021

Utah's Tintic Mining District is Explored and the Disappearance of Two Teens in late 2017 is Discussed. 

The Legend of Emo's Grave 21.04.2021

The life of Jacob E. Moritz, as well as his final resting place in the Salt Lake City Cemetery are discussed. 

The Jordan High School Railroad Crossing Tragedy of 1938 14.04.2021

One of the worst train crossing accidents in US history occurred on December 1, 1938 in South Jordan, UT.  We examine it in this episode. 

The Ogden Hi-Fi Murders Part Three: "The Scars Remain" 07.04.2021
The Ogden Hi-Fi Murders Part Two: "Magnum Force" 01.04.2021

Selby and Andrews take an idea from a Clint Eastwood Film and use it in real life. 

The Ogden Hi-Fi Murders Part One: "What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?" 24.03.2021

The first episode in my examination of the Hi-Fi Murders that rocked Ogden and all of Utah in the Spring of 1974.

Grafton, A Ghost Story 18.03.2021

The ghost town of Grafton, just outside of Zion Nation Park in Southern Utah holds many stories and secrets. 

The Mysterious Appearance of Kay's Cross 10.03.2021

An examination of the history of Utah's mysterious Kay's Cross since it's inception in the 1940's.

Mark Hofmann and the White Salamander Murders 02.03.2021

An examination of the two bombing murders that rocked Salt Lake City in the mid 1980's and the forgeries and cover ups that surrounded them.

California Manson Country (Part Two) 25.02.2021

The Summer of '69

California Manson Country (Part One) 16.02.2021

The Bloody Clothes, The Gun, and The Door to Trent Reznor's Studio

Truman Capote and the Clutter Family Murders (Part Two) 09.02.2021

The night that changed true crime forever. Perry and Dick see their plan through at River Valley Farm.

Truman Capote and the Clutter Family Murders (Part One) 02.02.2021

One fateful night in Kansas in 1959 changed the world of true crime forever. 

Prelude: "Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." 25.01.2021

In this introductory episode to my new podcast series, I will talk about my passion for history, places, and true crime. Come on this ride with me as we discuss the psychology, stories, motivations, and places that define the saints as well as the sinners who have shaped the macabre and the miraculous in the history of the West. 

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