Crimes of the Centuries

Latest Episodes:

S5: Bonus: Gary Glitter and the Dark Side of Glam Rock Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

For this holiday week, we're releasing an episode that initially was available only to subscribers through GrabBagCollab.com and Apple Podcasts. In the 1970s, Gary Glitter was a glam rock sensation: sequins, stadium anthems, and screaming teenage fans. But like Jimmy Savile, he used fame as a weapon. This bonus episode unpacks his rise, fall, and the disturbing legacy he left behind.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com

Introducing The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance Dec 26, 2025

Show notes

On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.”
New episodes of Death and Deceit in Alliance will be available every Tuesday and Friday starting on December 2 wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to True Crime Clubhouse on Apple podcasts.

S5 Ep39: All the Queen's Money: The Fall of Rita Crundwell Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

For two decades, the small Illinois town of Dixon couldn't afford new trucks, fresh asphalt, or summer pools. Meanwhile, their trusted treasurer lived like royalty—breeding champion horses, dripping in diamonds, and cruising the country in a $2 million RV. When the truth came out, it was the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
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S5 Ep38: Milkshakes and Murder: The Kissel Brothers Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

When two wealthy brothers from the same family were murdered three years and 8,000 miles apart, it seemed too strange to be coincidence. But behind both crimes lay the same forces—greed, arrogance, and the illusion of control.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
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S5 Ep37: The Murder Farm of Jasper County Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

A boy’s discovery in the Yellow River launched one of the South’s most shocking murder investigations. What authorities found on John S. Williams’s farm in 1921 exposed a brutal system hiding in plain sight. The Georgia case made national headlines and forced Americans to confront how easily cruelty had survived just beneath the surface of everyday life.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
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S5 Ep36: Thomas Jefferson and the $157,000 Bottle Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

In 1985, Christie’s auctioned off a dusty Bordeaux engraved with the initials “Th.J.” The seller claimed it had once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, and the bottle fetched an astonishing $157,000. It was a record-setting sale that turned the wine world upside down — and raised a bigger question: had history truly been uncorked, or had wealthy collectors just bought into a very expensive story?
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
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S5 Ep35: The Saint and the Survivors: The Story of Junípero Serra Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

He gave up comfort for a calling, left Spain for the wilds of California, and walked thousands of miles to bring the Gospel to Indigenous people. Father Junípero Serra is revered by some as a saintly hero — the man who brought Catholicism to the West Coast. But to others, he represents something far darker: a symbol of colonization, forced assimilation, and cultural destruction.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
ButcherBox. As an exclusive offer, our listeners can get free steak in every box for a year PLUS $20 off your first box when you go to ButcherBox.com/COTC
DripDrop. Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code COTC
Hims. To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit Hims.com/COTC
Miracle Made. Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made!
Go to https://trymiracle.com/COTC and use the code COTC to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF

S5 Ep34: The Monster in Plain Sight: Jimmy Savile Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

He was the BBC’s quirky golden boy — cigar in hand, tracksuit on, always ready to raise money for charity. Margaret Thatcher lobbied to get him knighted. The Queen pinned the honor on him. And all the while, Jimmy Savile was one of Britain’s most prolific sexual predators.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
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More Like Ancient FAILiens: Underground Aliens with Guest Amber Hunt Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

While Crimes Of The Centuries is dark this week, please enjoy this special episode of the podcast, More Like Ancient Fail-iens, where Amber Hunt was a special guest!
Whether you are in your enormous underground city hiding from battling sky gods or run into an ant-person who just feels more comfortable beneath the earth’s surface, you, too, have had your life affected by underground aliens. Brandon and Toby are joined by esteemed journalist Amber Hunt to explore the reality behind these subterranean visitors.
You can find more episodes of More Like Ancient Fail-iens, wherever you get your podcasts, or early and ad-free over at www.grabbagcollab.com
Follow Grab Bag Collab on Instagram and Facebook.

S5 Ep33: The Nazi Killed at the Laundromat — and How It Shaped Modern Extremism Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

In August 1967, George Lincoln Rockwell — founder of the American Nazi Party and one of the most hated men in America — was shot by a sniper while doing laundry at a suburban strip mall. His murder made international headlines. The funeral descended into chaos. Conspiracy theories emerged immediately. And then...America forgot. But Rockwell's death had lasting impact: It shattered American neo-Nazism into the decentralized, leaderless cells we see today.
"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.grabbagcollab.com
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod
Episode Sponsors:
Rula. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/cotc #rulapod
Cornbread Hemp. Right now, COTC listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout.
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