Stay ConnectedBeyond the Rainbow Podcast a.k.a. Rainbow Crimes is a show about crimes committed by and against the LGBTQ plus community. Join host C.J. for an array of true crime stories from all over the world, especially lesser known cases. Remember, it’s not a crime to be gay…unless you’re a murderer…
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Copyright: ℗ & © 2019 Beyond The Rainbow - True Crimes of the LGBT
It was Medford, Oregon in the early 1990's when the couple of Roxanne Ellis and Michelle Abdill owned a property management company. A conservative group in Oregon at the time were trying to pass laws to mandate gays were not given any rights, Roxanne and Michelle stepped forward to fight against these laws.
Then on a cold day in December of 1995 the women would vanish, but what happened to them? Was it retaliation from a political extremist group? Or something else?
Our True Crime Quickie is from Utah in 1983, the Murder of David Stevens.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Hands Off My Podcast
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-20-ls-15918-story.html
https://ktvl.com/news/local/abdill-ellis-murderer-acremant-dies-on-death-row
https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-row-inmate-killed-visalia-182954035.html?guccounter=1
https://www.glapn.org/6339RoxanneEllisMichelleAbdil.html
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/lesbian-couple-murdered-oregon/
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/2-lesbian-activists-murdered-in-Oregon-3117619.php
https://www.opb.org/news/article/robert-james-acremant-inmate-oregon-death-row-dies/
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnchainedMelancholy/comments/14qv6ok/the_murders_of_roxanne_ellis_and_michelle_abdill/
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/14/us/suspect-held-in-killing-of-2-oregon-lesbians.html?eafs_enabled=false
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/murdered-for-being-lesbians-3117658.php
https://www.deseret.com/1990/3/27/18853351/top-utah-court-rejects-killer-s-appeal/
https://law.justia.com/cases/utah/supreme-court/1990/19559.html
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914c211add7b049347bd582
https://www.advocate.com/news/chicago-cop-transgender-sex-assault
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Hey guys, this will this week's episode as I did two stories for it, one to represent Rainbow Crimes and one to represent Murder in the PNW. Enjoy, it was a labor of love for some of the Darkcast shows!
I'll be back with a new season next week!
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It is still Domestic Violence Awareness Month as I share two cases where love didn't prevail but murder did.
The first is that of Annissa Ellen-Williams in Illinois and the second is that of Shaikia Strong in Georgia.
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/KendallCountySAO/posts/30-year-sentence-on-first-degree-murderkendall-county-states-attorney-eric-weis-/1054119193571562/
https://www.wcsjnews.com/news/wspynews/oswego-woman-pleads-guilty-to-february-2023-murder-sentenced-to-30-year-prison-sentence/article_f080bd27-2038-5370-82c2-41d88d80a1e9.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/oswego-woman-who-tried-to-stage-girlfriends-murder-as-a-suicide-sentenced/3789309/
https://www.shawlocal.com/kendall-county-now/2023/02/20/oswego-police-told-woman-shot-herself-while-driving-vehicle-death-investigation-underway/
https://people.com/woman-sentenced-killing-girlfriend-staging-death-suicide-11775836
https://abc7chicago.com/post/oswego-illinois-murder-case-alexia-telles-sentenced-death-annissa-ellen-williams-tried-stage-suicide/17161696/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article310692045.html
https://www.wcbi.com/biloxi-woman-charged-with-death-of-west-point-woman/
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article293790829.html
https://www.wxxv25.com/biloxi-woman-turns-herself-in-after-being-accused-of-murdering-her-girlfriend/
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This episode is dedicated to three cases I covered a while back. Missing Brian Neil Hooks, Tayy Dior Thomas and Sam Nordquist. Each case will be reviewed with a brief update.
Become a Patreon Member https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Castles and Cryptids
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://charleyproject.org/case/brian-neil-hooks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2792283837586071/posts/3391459681001814/
https://www.wmbfnews.com/story/34092437/family-continues-search-for-florence-man-missing-for-28-years/
https://ncmissingpersons.org/brian-neil-hooks/
https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/tayy-thomas-murderer-guilty-plea
https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-remembers-brandon-tayy-dior-thomas-transgender-teenager-killed-in-mobile-alabama
https://www.al.com/news/2024/06/transgender-alabama-teen-tayy-dior-thomas-was-killed-because-of-her-trusting-and-loving-nature-family-says.html
https://www.them.us/story/tayy-dior-thomas-trans-woman-killed-alabama
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/really-preferred-trial-alabama-family-191210442.html
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/09/sam-nordquist-killers-sentenced-to-life-in-prison
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/public-safety/2026/09/08/2-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-the-torture-and-murder-of-sam-nordquist
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disturbing-details-emerge-death-sam-nordquist-transgender-man-tortured-rcna194850
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/06/23/sam-nordquist-family-saw-signs-of-control-before-he-was-killed
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sam-nordquist-killing-room-22-rcna194129
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/05/us/sam-nordquist-ny-murder-indictment
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Another Domestic Violence Case coming out of the U.K. in 2010, although the results of the story don't wrap up until this year of 2026. The story is of two Polish lesbians who meet, fall in love, and stay together no matter how turbulent there relationship is. To get a fresh start on their relationship, they move to the U.K.
Our true crime quickie is from Denver, Colorado, and another DV case in 2019.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In March of 2011, Canadian resident Allan Lanteigne was brutally murdered by a dark figure laying in wait inside of his home. His husband happened to be in Greece at the time so it couldn't possibly be him could it?
Our True Crime Quickie is from Iraqui Kurdistan in 2022.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Bite Sized Crime
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.oxygen.com/killer-couples/crime-news/demitry-papasotiriou-lanteigne-murder-husband-insurance
https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2018/09/04/toronto-man-convicted-in-husbands-murder-granted-bail-pending-appeal/
https://www.robsoncrim.com/single-post/hearsay-evidence-in-r-v-papasotiriou-lanteigne
https://www.minicounsel.ca/oca/2023/358
https://www.law360.ca/ca/articles/1762220/appeal-dismissal-illustrates-downside-of-trial-by-jury
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/feb/21/kurdish-transgender-woman-shot-by-brother-had-been-hiding-from-family
https://www.openlynews.com/i/?id=bb69a122-c91a-4e41-b17d-063b5f137e5b
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Doski_Azad
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In 1990, a 24 year old man set out to work his job as a door to door canvasser for an environmental company. The young man would be found dismembered about 3 miles from where he was working. Was his killer a resident in the area he visited?
Our true crime quickie is from an attack outside a gay bar in Liverpool England on September 20th, 2026
Become a Patreon for the new lower price of $3 a month, less than a cup of coffee! Unless of course you make it yourself! You'll get ad free, early release episodes and an extra episode at the end of each month!
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for And Then They Were Gone
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=21642
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-7th-circuit/1178640.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z343KPcxF8k
https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/09/14/killer-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/three-men-were-stabbed-outside-a-gay-bar-police-arent-investigating-it-as-a-hate/
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There has been an increase of violence against the LGBTQ community in Sacramento's gayborhood of Lavender Heights. Two lesbians, two gay men and at least four other attacks on queer people in the past month or so. And during Halloween of last year, one gay man, Alvin Prasad, had his life ended in the same area.
Our true crime quickie is from Southern California in 1980.
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In 1984, Greeley, Colorado, 12 year old Jonelle Matthews had been dropped off to her home after singing in a Christmas Choir Concert. Jonelle would be alone for approx. an hour, when her dad and sister would be be back to join her. However when her father and sister got home, the lights and television were on, but no Jonelle. A bisexual man, Steven Pankey, who was a youth pastor at the church Jonelle's family attended would insert himself in various ways in Jonelle's disappearance.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Psychology of the Strange
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.oxygen.com/the-girl-on-the-milk-carton/crime-news/what-to-know-about-jonelle-matthews-killer-steve-pankey
https://ballotpedia.org/Steve_Pankey
https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/i/cbslocal/wp-content/uploads/sites/15909806/2020/10/Steve-Pankey-Indictment.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/jonelle-matthews-murder-steven-pankey-trial/
https://people.com/where-is-jonelle-matthews-killer-steven-pankey-now-11740959
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/10/31/jonelle-matthews-case-pankey-guilty-of-kidnapping-felony-murder/69606715007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z114134a114440c114440u115834e008425v114134&gca-ft=212&gca-ds=sophi
https://www.the-sun.com/news/7423839/who-jonelle-matthews-what-happened-dateline-true-crime/
https://medium.com/@Charlie_OBrien/jonelle-matthews-the-heartbreaking-story-1edc0231b164
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29 year old Canadian, Luka Magnotta was a lot of things...he was an attention whore, longing to be known around the world. He was a porn actor. A model. He was an animal abuser, torturer and an animal killer, he was the murderer of a human life. Luka would blame his mental disorders on all of it.
Our True Crime Quickie is from Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2016
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Murder Unscripted
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-guilty-of-1st-degree-murder-in-jun-lin-s-slaying-1.2875989
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/9369269/Human-head-found-in-park-suspected-to-be-victim-of-Canadian-porn-actor.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-trial-jun-lin-hid-homosexuality-from-his-family-ex-boyfriend-testifies-1.2783185
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-trial-witness-describes-evidence-found-at-apartment-1.2781832
https://www.nydailynews.com/2017/06/22/canadian-cannibal-killer-luka-magnotta-set-to-wed-prison-inmate-lover-in-jailhouse-wedding/
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/little-evidence-luka-rocco-magnotta-was-a-gay-porn-star-or-many-of-the-other-things-he-called-himself
https://nypost.com/2017/06/22/cannibal-porn-star-who-ate-boyfriend-to-marry-a-murderer/?utm_campaign=partnerfeed&utm_medium=syndicated&utm_source=flipboard&noamp=mobile
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/luka-magnotta-trial-jun-lin-s-family-still-haunted-by-horrific-death-1.2882560
https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/02/21/racist-gay-man-jailed-for-life-after-killing-neighbour-claiming-he-was-worried-about-homophobia/#:~:text=Racist%20gay%20man%20jailed%20for,was%20worried%20about%20homophobia%20%7C%20PinkNews
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/okla-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-hate-crime-slaying-of-lebanese-neighbor/
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