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
An empty nest middle aged couple from Arizona purchased a yacht that they kept harbored in Newport, California. The yacht was the next journey they would embark on as a married couple. It was their dream to cruise around to exotic spots and swim with whale sharks. After two years of cruising they were ready for their next journey when they found out they were new grandparents. Their new plan was to sell the yacht and move closer to their new grand baby. Everything was going as planned until they met once child actor, Skylar Deleon. Skylar had a plan for Tom, Jackie and their yacht and it wasn't good.
Promo for: Mountain Murders
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/yacht-killer-got-taxpayer-funded-sex-change-while-death-row-after-harris-behind-scenes-policy-work
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27293986
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/10/Death-sentence-for-killer-of-SoCal-couple/12411239395902/
https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6813191&page=1
https://orangecountyda.org/press/background-on-the-three-criminal-cases-involving-skylar-deleon/
https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/alonso-machain-details-murders-tom-jackie-hawks-part-68365133
https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/tv-shows/2022/07/22/62db07aee2704ee4318b45b0.html
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It's been a tough week so I'm pulling from the Patreon Exclusive Vault. Enjoy, and I'll be back next week with a regular case for ya'll!
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In 2010, Swedish National Anni would travel to the UK and meet wealthy businessman Shrien Dewani. The two would date and when Anni returned home, they continued a long distance relationship with each other. In the middle of the year, they would become engaged and in October they would marry. In November they honeymooned in South Africa where things would take a tragic turn. Shrien a bi-sexual man would become a victim to some and a killer to others as his wife would end up dead a few days into their honeymoon.
Our True Crime Quickie is from Savannah, Georgia in March of this year 2025.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-13226067
https://magazine.atavist.com/2013/the-honeymoon-murder
https://news.sky.com/story/anni-dewani-murdered-honeymoon-brides-family-slams-decision-to-free-her-lowlife-killer-on-parole-in-south-africa-12638364
https://thecinemaholic.com/shrien-dewani/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/08/shrien-dewani-profile-lavish-wedding-high-court-murder-trial-south-africa#:~:text=Shrien%20was%20privately%20educated%20at,to%20help%20run%20PSP%20Healthcare.
https://thecinemaholic.com/anni-dewani-murder/
https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2025/05/07/savannah-fatal-shooting-lgbtq/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social&fbclid=IwY2xjawON_8BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFTWGdHUTVPTjdwdXBianFkc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHulsQD-8G52drYoCg0Brx_o3GbaUGK02thzIzPrzOiRuqPWYXvoGbZpg90hC_aem_gtal8_KlESq7tKFryXy9hQ
https://www.wsav.com/community/vigil-held-for-savannah-man-killed-in-dollar-general-shooting/
https://www.facebook.com/roughdraftatl/posts/chris-allen-villegas-fentress-29-was-a-volunteer-for-the-savannah-pride-center-b/1390075465417464/
https://www.wjcl.com/article/dollar-general-savannah-murder/65078109
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Beginning in 2013, four people with ties to one man would have tragic incidents happen to them. Three would die in various ways, and one, a gay man would end up missing in 2017. Who is this man all four people would be involved with? And why has this man not been charged with any of the deaths or the disappearance?
Our True Crime Quickie is from Italy in 2019. 28 year old lesbian Elisa Pomarrelli would befriend a socially awkward 45 year old man only to have him obsessed with her.
Promo for True Crime California
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Resources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/missing-in-america/reporter-turned-advocate-one-woman-taken-2017-disappearance-colin-arey-rcna143839
https://www.justiceforthebucksport4.com/
https://www.justiceforthebucksport4.com/colin-arey
https://www.justiceforthebucksport4.com/christy-appleby
https://www.justiceforthebucksport4.com/kirk-davis
https://www.justiceforthebucksport4.com/robin-davis
https://www.ellsworthamerican.com/news/former-bucksport-resident-gets-9-months-in-arson-case/article_b7e22282-6a29-11ef-b1ec-6f055e2afab0.html
https://harrisonbiography.com/the-disappearance-of-colin-arey/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOEhihleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFKQzlkWE1RUWt1RDJrdlozc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgHMVV5_XPVYQCpQd_cxrsEdFJbVV2QiNVhWaXdSep58DUkFnWKQqXIH2hYo_aem_nhNhw-0KC_vDs7I4SOUJUg
https://www.foxbangor.com/archive/no-answers-two-years-after-orrington-burned-car-death/article_a1691e9e-d630-5c08-9f3f-c38a5bb7c852.html
https://www.foxbangor.com/archive/bucksport-man-disappeared-2-years-ago/article_8686b47b-17d5-5e34-ba47-bf36e61e173e.html
https://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/8489
https://www.direcontrolaviolenza.it/en/elisa-pomarelli-uccisa-da-un-amico-un-anno-fa-fu-femminicidio/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Elisa_Pomarelli#:~:text=On%20August%2025%2C%202019%2C%2028,to%2020%20years%20in%20prison.
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/missing-in-america/reporter-turned-advocate-one-woman-taken-2017-disappearance-colin-arey-rcna143839
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/missing-in-america/reporter-turned-advocate-one-woman-taken-2017-disappearance-colin-arey-rcna143839
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33 year old Robert Hillsborough was a gardner for the City of San Francisco, Caliornia in 1977. Robert was also gay. At that same time in Florida, celebrity Anita Bryant was beginning a campaign called "Save Our Children" against the LGBTQ community declaring gays were recruiting kids. Listen to how the two lives intermingled without ever meeting.
True Crime Quickie is from the U.K. in 2018. The Murder of black trans woman Naomi Hersi.
Our sunshine this episode is a little different and based upon the episode's title, Stupid is as Stupid Does...
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for: Autumn's Oddities
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Murder_of_Robert_Hillsborough
https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=866205962216563&id=100064815007563
https://www.tumblr.com/lgbt-history-archive/146304210307/robert-hillsborough-why-why-why-why-we
https://allthatsinteresting.com/anita-bryant#:~:text=In%20a%20different%20world%2C%20Anita,16%2C%202024%20at%20age%2084.
https://www.pbs.org/outofthepast/past/p5/1977.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/1970s-christian-crusader-anita-bryant-helped-spawn-floridas-lgbtq-cult-rcna24215
https://bcrw.barnard.edu/archive/lesbian/Out.pdf
http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/bryant_anita_S.pdf
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-45625789
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/01/man-jailed-for-murder-transgender-woman-after-drugs-binge
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beyond-the-rainbow-podcast--4398945/support.
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Grace Jennings was a 21 year old bi sexual woman living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Grace got involved first with a 19 year old bi sexual woman named Kiara McCulley but the relationship ended badly. Then Grace became involved with a 25 year old man named Isaac Apodaca, that relationship ended when Isaac hooked up with Kiara. Feeling there wasn't much left in Santa Fe for her, Grace left for Albuquerque. Here she met a new boyfriend who quickly became her fiance. But when things became rocky in that relationship, Grace went back to Santa Fe and met up with Isaac and Kiara. Things didn't go as planned.
Our True Crime Quickie is of 24 year old Nicole Alston from New York.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for Pod of Terror
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Ourtro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/new-mexico-murder-sword-boyfriend-b2218485.html
https://www.courttv.com/title/analyzing-the-murder-of-grace-jennings-vinnie-politan-investigates/
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/woman-pleads-guilty-in-sword-murder-case/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/20-old-accused-october-sword-043300993.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAExV7Ggu3Pq3xkhMDZr0EluPb6QwkHxcPMjCKQ5IDEhRYm5Cax5xq7lIMOLG_e87Lc4WJbw8Kbbb-WxE13Mf3ywpTuYayuCFGW_V8O30A-GTK3yvTPuf-IAKJIbMuG8Vr0bsilfo6NzBHmWpREx_dovYxYFMoE_v_TL0vbf-flWN
https://www.yahoo.com/news/20-old-accused-october-sword-043300993.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAExV7Ggu3Pq3xkhMDZr0EluPb6QwkHxcPMjCKQ5IDEhRYm5Cax5xq7lIMOLG_e87Lc4WJbw8Kbbb-WxE13Mf3ywpTuYayuCFGW_V8O30A-GTK3yvTPuf-
https://sfreporter.com/news/enough-evidence/
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/nicole-alston-cold-case-murder-new-details-from-law-enforcement/85-0bdcc6ca-1ef4-45d8-9d12-6758d4745c91
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/cold-case-murder-roommate-arrest-killing-nicole-alston-fulton-county
https://people.com/woman-found-dismembered-dumped-burning-bag-girlfriend-charged-murder-17-years-later-11790745
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Welcome to our Halloween Special, Tales of the Darkcast Network Cryptkeeper. This is my episode this week and I hope you will enjoy stories from The Final Trace, Day by Day, Book of the Dead, Pod of Terror, Missing in the PNW, Mythical True Crime, Tragedy With a View, Murder in the PNW, The Bell Witch Podcast, Rainbowcrimes and Rogue Darkness! Jackie from Cause of Death - 100 seconds to Midnight is our narrator.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beyond-the-rainbow-podcast--4398945/support.
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Sextortion can happen to anyone. This episode is a collection of stories that happened to teenaged boys who were extorted online. While these cases may not involve the boys being LGBTQ, it is important to educate our children to the dangers of the internet and of predators lurking in the dark corners of the web.
Promo for: The Family Plot Podcast
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/report-remove/
https://www.kptv.com/2025/07/22/he-died-terrified-teens-death-connected-sextortion-scheme-mother-says/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLuBuVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmNsC5odglNyGBBkm0RQ_GodsiHijLOFjsKNIgw8_Vr9QXQdVKw8z-Qwc5xk_aem_avAqOHBNN07Eo0Zs6wIbnQ
https://www.kwch.com/2022/05/24/high-school-senior-dies-by-suicide-after-falling-victim-online-sextortion-family-says/
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4737255-sextortion-instagram-boys/
https://www.ice.gov/features/sextortion
https://opdv.ny.gov/power-down-speak-up-rileys-story
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/20/us/ryan-last-suicide-sextortion-california
https://www.house.mn.gov/comm/docs/THDBxvFu8Eir2LmiIuscPg.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/29/it-can-happen-to-any-child-parents-of-sextortion-victim-fight-for-justice
https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/03/26/another-man-convicted-role-deadly-sextortion-ring-that-led-marquette-teens-suicide/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2llzppyx05o
https://www.facebook.com/SuicidePainter/posts/sadly-another-teen-has-taken-his-life-due-to-an-online-sextortion-scheme-14-year/1567391921270400/
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This is a collection of different stories where at least one intimate partner ends up murdered.
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Promo for: Missing in the PNW
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/10/springfield-woman-gets-28-years/11043177007/
https://epgn.com/2024/04/02/alice-wilson-lesbian-accused-of-murdering-wife-maintains-innocence/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29994648
https://www.silvertonmemorial.com/obituaries/Alana-J-Miccolis?obId=42233149
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/woman-accused-shooting-killing-27-year-old-orlando-waldorf-astoria-hotel
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boynton-beach/hes-dead-man-shoots-husband-at-home-in-boynton-beach-calls-911
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/08/13/same-sex-marriage-gay-domestic-violence-divorce/981429002/
https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/phoenix-man-accused-of-beating-husband-to-death-with-hammer/article_9d329d26-9fc4-11e8-95a9-6ba31def012a.html
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/09/23/margot-lewis-found-guilty-murdering-minneapolis-dj-liara-tsai
https://www.kttc.com/2024/11/21/jury-trial-set-margot-lewis-alleged-murder-liara-tsai/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/beyond-the-rainbow-podcast--4398945/support.
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In the 80's and 90's eight women living in Massachusetts had murdered their abusive partners. Most had claimed "Battered Woman Syndrome" as their defense. This lowered many of their charges from murder to manslaughter. In the 1990's these women, after all meeting at a prison domestic abuse support group, petitioned the court for an early release. Most were granted. Only one of these eight women however, was LGBTQ. Her name, Debra Reid. Debra had to fight extra hard because it was incredulous to everyone else how a lesbian could suffer battered woman syndrome. She couldn't have possibly been abused the way the other woman were at the hands of a man!
Our True Crime Quickie is from Australia and the first case in their history of a gay man using the Battered Woman Defense.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Outside the U.S.:https://www.hotpeachpages.net/a/countries.html
Promo for: Conspiring to Argue
https://www.patreon.com/c/rainbowcrimes
Intro: Shire Girl by David Fesilyan
Outro: Beating Heart by David Renda
Resources:
https://everloved.com/life-of/meekah-scott/
https://www.cryan.com/blog/20171018.jsp
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/01/11/Lesbian-asks-commutaion-of-manslaughter-conviction/1524726728400/
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9780203903308-11/necessary-voices-battered-lesbian-fights-recognition-ann-russo
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/in-the-dream-house/characters/debra-reid
https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/2004/12/19/time-for-healing-struggle-framingham/41179483007/
https://researchers-admin.westernsydney.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/94927095/uws_18916.pdf
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/state/1997/12/16/freed-convicted-killer-arrested-in/50584371007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114736e004400v114736b0047xxd004765&gca-ft=159&gca-ds=sophi
file:///C:/Users/beyon/Downloads/Emilyn_Hazelbrook_Thesis%20(1).pdf
https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/court-of-appeals/volumes/31/31massappct917.html
https://www.deseret.com/1998/3/20/19370247/once-abused-woman-found-not-guilty-in-purse-theft/
https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SydLRev/1997/13.pdf
https://researchers-admin.westernsydney.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/94927095/uws_18916.pdf
https://researchers-admin.westernsydney.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/94927095/uws_18916.pdf
https://researchers-admin.westernsydney.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/94927095/uws_18916.pdf
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