The First Degree

In the middle of the night, a man bangs on the door of a suburban house. A mother and daughter huddle in the bathroom. A father goes to the front door to investigate. Within minutes, both the mother and father are killed with shotgun blasts. And the daughter was kidnapped. In episode 97, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined by a true crime obsessive who followed the crime—who learned of her unthinkabl...

The story of how Keith Raniere became an international self-help guru — and, later, a convicted sex-cult leader — is one of those cautionary tales that’s not unfamiliar. A man who is a master of manipulation, able to seduce, exploit, alienate and control countless individuals after developing keen abilities to select precise prey, bait them, and slowly coerce them into doing exactly what he wants....

This week, we are handing our mic over to our Black listeners to share their experiences of living in this country as a Black American. To everyone who sent their stories in, thank you. We appreciate the time and energy you gave us, and we feel honored that we can amplify your voices. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree...

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The story of Lorena Bobbitt drew media attention in 1993 for being one of the most and disturbing domestic dispute stories to ever hit the news. Lorena was not the first woman to ever fight back against her husband- and she wasn’t the last. But her story was one of the first to demand change in the way the world perceived domestic abuse and sexual assault. On episode 93, Jac, Alexis and Billy are...

You get a call that your father is dead. You rush home and find he has been murdered. He was tied up, stabbed 31 times and beaten over the head. What could be worse? Police believe your mother—who was found tied up and locked in the bedroom closet—is the lone suspect in his death. In episode 93, Jac, Alexis and Billy tell the story of the murder of Jim Melgar, and how law enforcement disregarded k...

It was a trial that seduced, consumed, and horrified the nation— Jodi Arias, facing the death penalty for the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Over the course of four months, Arias was up against a mountain of physical and circumstantial evidence. How did she defend herself? She went on the attack, grasping at straws, telling shocking and fabricated lies about Travis. In episode 92, Ja...

Travis Alexander was found Murdered in his shower—shot in the face, stabbed in the back, his throat slashed ear to ear. Many of his friends pointed a finger at his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias. But police had to piece together her whereabouts on the day of the murder—and her calculating actions made that incredibly difficult. In episode 89, part two of a three part series, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve...

Jealousy. Suspicion. Rage. And a calculated murder. You may think you know everything about Jodi Arias, the woman who killed Travis Alexander. But in episode 90 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy speak with a first degree who had a front row seat to their ill-fated relationship, and learn details about Jodi’s actions that have never come to light before. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes p...

A Detective is trying to solve a murder at a local truck stop. His only lead is a grainy image of a yellow truck. One day, When a yellow long haul truck passes in front of him, his eyes widen. It’s a long shot, but Sgt. Pat Postiglione stops the driver. Inside his cab, he finds a bag of bloody clothes—evidence of other murders. In episode 89, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the murders of trucker...

A woman is found murdered at a truck stop in Nashville Tennessee. She is nude, displayed grotesquely, and a chunk of her flesh is missing. Was it to hide her identity, or did the killer take a trophy? In episode 86 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy not only speak with the sister of the victim, but also with Detective Pat Postiglione, who was tasked with finding the killer-who soon learns...

Jose Ramirez frantically called the police. He told them that his house had been ransacked, his parents were missing—and there was dried blood on the floor. When the police arrived, they didn’t find professor Susan Brill De Ramirez or her husband Antonio Ramirez Barron. But what they would later discover would shock the community of Peoria’s Bradley University to its core. On episode 87, Jac, Alex...

Sheila Bellush had been discovered brutally murdered in her home, her four quadruplet babies covered in her blood after being left alone with their mother’s body for more than 6 hours. A supposedly random person drove 1700 miles to kill her. But why? In episode 86 of The First Degree, Jan, Alexis and Billy dig deep into the relationship of Sheila and Allan Thornburg and uncover the twisted lengths...

Sheila Bellush is found dead, her throat slashed and shot in the face in the laundry room of her Florida home. The only witnesses to her murder? Her 23 month old quadruplets, covered in their mother’s blood. In the 85th episode of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy unravel the tale, which takes them from the beaches of Sarasota to the golf courses of San Antonio, uncovering a wicked tale a re...

In true crime, the story always seems to start like this: they had a perfect life, a loving family, a great home. Then we talk about how everything goes to hell. When parents seemingly do everything right. Work long hours. Raise their children in a supporting and loving household--And they’re still punished. We have to try to make sense of it. There’s a reason we say at the top of every episode: t...

Do you think you can always guess who the killer is just from a few details? The husband did it. The boyfriend did it. But sometimes, it’s not so simple. When Mackenzie Cowell was discovered murdered, the small town of Wenatchee, Washington was shook to its core. Fingers were pointed, claims were made, until the man with a Hannibal Lector tattoo emerged from the shadows. On episode 83 of the First...

In 2005 a 30-year-old pageant queen and teacher named Tara Grinstead went missing. The community, her family and law enforcement were baffled- but all of that changed the moment a filmmaker named Payne Lindsey started digging into the details. On episode 81, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined by Payne Lindsey of the groundbreaking "Up and Vanished" Podcast. Payne shares the details of the investigat...

"Welcome to the house of fun. I'm Trey.” This is how teenager Trey Sessler introduced himself to the world on his Facebook profile. What was so fun about Trey’s house? He lived with his best friend brother and their parents. He was obsessed with anime, and had a popular Youtube channel where he commented on different movies and TV shows. And he liked guns. And one day, the house of fun turned into...

What if you were at a party and someone looked through your purse? What if they found something that to you was completely innocent—but to them was a threat? On Episode 80 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into the 2018 case of missing 19-year-old Megan Metzger. A case that deals with a chance Facebook message, a three-day long party, crazed paranoia, a car set on fire and a pact be...

You’re awakened at night by a prowler entering your home. What do you do? In the case of Kinney Glasson, you grab your gun and investigate—to devastating consequences. In episode 79 of The First Degree, Jac, Alexis and Billy begin with a home invasion, which then opens up into a world of exotic dancers, biker clubs and desperation. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episod...

He was an eccentric doctor in charge of fighting VD in Los Angeles. He held lavish parties at his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, entertaining famous artists and actors. He went to trial for raping his 14-year-old daughter. And he is the suspect that makes the most sense in the biggest murder mystery in American History. On episode 78, Jac, Alexis and Billy are joined Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pe...

The body of a woman is found in a vacant lot in suburban Los Angeles. She has been mutilated, cut in two with surgical precision, and her face has been slashed at both ends of her mouth, giving her a ghastly, horrific smile. In episode 77, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into Elizabeth Short’s life in Hollywood and the lives—and lies— of the early suspects of the case, before landing on the one man wh...

A mother and her two children seemingly disappear from their home in rural Missouri. An officer searching for them from the air spots something strange floating in a pond near their house. When he lands and investigates, a horrific nightmare begins to reveal itself. On episode 76, Jac, Alexis and Billy explore a case that begins in the countryside of Missouri, spans the United States with a nation...

Aurora Duran was busy getting her children ready for school when she heard a commotion at her front door. When she went to investigate, she saw two men dragging her 17-year-old daughter out of the house and into a waiting car. It was the stuff of nightmares for any parent. On episode 75, Jac, Alexis and Billy delve into one of the most unique cases—and speak with one of the most unique guests— in...

On New Year's Day of 2014, the parishioners of St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church were waiting patiently for morning mass to commence in Eureka, California. Father Eric Freed was slated to lead services, but when he failed to show up that morning, concern began to fill the room. Worry grew to panic when a horrific discovery was made in the church rectory. On episode 74, Jac, Alexis and Billy expl...