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162: Undercover Mother & Another Bathtub Murder? Feb 24, 2021

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Mark Fisher just wanted to have a little fun. That’s why the 19-year-old college sophomore headed into New York City with his friends. While they were out drinking, Mark ran into another friend, and by the end of the night, he found himself at a house party in Brooklyn, surrounded by mostly strangers. The next morning, Mark’s body was discovered just two blocks from the house party. He’d been beaten and shot. When investigators tried to speak with the people Mark had partied with that night, they clammed up. But over time, police came to suspect John Giuca, who’d thrown the party, and his friend, 17-year-old Antonio Russo.
Then Brandi tells us about yet another questionable bathtub murder. When Michele Somers’ family first met Martin MacNeil, they knew something was up. They couldn’t quite put their finger on it, but something about Martin seemed sketchy. But Michele was under Martin’s spell. They eloped in 1978, and aside from Martin’s six month jail stint for forgery, the couple had what appeared to be a healthy marriage. They raised four children, then adopted more. Martin got a medical degree and a law degree. They prospered. But after several decades of marriage, Michele became suspicious of Martin and unhappy with her appearance. Martin suggested she get a facelift.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Undercover Mother” episode of 20/20
“Mother Justice” by Christopher Ketcham for Vanity Fair
“A murder, a conviction, and a never-ending case,” by Alan Feuer for The New York Times
“Second suspect is charged in 2003 murder of student,” by Michael Wilson for The New York Times
“Citing misconduct, lawyer seeks review of conviction in ‘03 Brooklyn killing,” by Vivian Yee for The New York Times
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Martin MacNeill: Was his wife Michele's death accidental or was it murder?” by Sara Lenz and Brian West, Desert News
“Martin MacNeill timeline” by Brian West, Desert News
“Secrets in Pleasant Grove” episode Dateline
“Utah doctor's life of lies unravels after some of his children are convinced he murdered their mother” by Allie Yang, ABC News
“Murder of Michele MacNeill” wikipedia.org
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

161: The Murder of Randy Sheridan Feb 17, 2021

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It was just before Christmas 1992. Randy Sheridan was out jogging near his house in Junction City, Kansas, when he was ambushed and killed. An investigation revealed that he’d been shot five times -- three times at a distance, and twice at point blank range. When investigators spoke to Randy’s girlfriend, Judy Junghans, she gave them some helpful information. Randy had a daughter with a woman named Dana Flynn, and Dana was convinced that Randy was a bad man.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Dana Flynn” episode Snapped
“‘God Wants Him Dead’: Evangelical Siblings Gun Down Woman’s Ex-Boyfriend Amid Custody Battle” by Benjamin H. Smith, Oxygen
“Brother Convicted In Religion-Fueled Shotgun Murder Speaks Out In Exclusive ‘Snapped’ Interview” by Benjamin H. Smith, Oxygen
“Court upholds Salina siblings’ convictions” Associated Press, Lawrence Journal-World
“Closing arguments paint different picture of death” by David Clouston, The Salina Journal
“Jury begins foray into ’92 murder” by David Clouston, The Salina Journal
“Circumstantial evidence was enough against flimsy alibis” by David Clouston, The Salina Journal
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

160: The Mysterious Death of Sarah Widmer Feb 10, 2021

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It was nearly 11 p.m. when Ryan Widmer called 911. He told the dispatcher, “My wife. She fell asleep in the bathtub, I think. I was downstairs. I just came up here and she was laying face down in the bathtub.” He said that his wife, Sarah, fell asleep in the bathtub “all the time.” Ryan drained the bathtub and removed Sarah from it, then began performing CPR. Paramedics showed up a short while later, but were unable to revive Sarah. Later, questions emerged about how exactly Sarah Widmer died.
Brandi presented the only case because Kristin and Norm said goodbye to their sweet pup of 13 years this week. Peanut lived a long, happy life and left her mark on this podcast. She never shared a case, but she did make her presence known with an occasional bark. She’ll be missed.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“The Mystery in the Master Bedroom” episode Dateline
“Sarah Widmer” chillingcrimes.com
“Widmer admitted to punching, killing wife, witness testifies” by Denise G Callahan, Springfield News-Sun
“Newly uncovered Ryan Widmer documents: My wife walked on tippy toes the night she drowned” by Keith BieryGolick, cincinatti.com
“A decade after Sarah Widmer drowned in tub, husband is still trying to overturn murder conviction” by Paula Christian, WCPO Cincinnati
“‘Reasonable Doubt’ explores Ryan Widmer case, concludes he lied to police” by Jay Warren, WCPO Cincinnati
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

159: The Worst Woman on Earth & a Cruise Ship Feb 03, 2021

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Brandi starts us off with a story about a serial killer who the New York Times dubbed, “the worst woman on Earth.” In 1889, Lizzie Brown took a job working as a housekeeper for a 70-year-old farmer named Paul Halliday. Paul quickly proposed to Lizzie, but he’d come to regret that decision. As it turned out, Lizzie Brown wasn’t her real name. Soon, the Halliday’s barn burned down. So did the family home. Paul’s adult son, John, died in the blaze. Neighbors suspected Lizzie had something to do with the fires.
Then Kristin tells us about the cruise from hell. “The Island Escape” is a no-frills cruise ship that sails the Mediterranean. It’s a converted ferryboat that caters to budget travelers and offers balconies that -- unlike most other cruise ships -- hang over the water. Nonetheless, this was the cruise that attorney Lonnie Kocontes selected when he wanted to woo his ex-wife, Micki Kanesaki.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The “Open Water” episode of Dateline
“Irvine attorney convicted in ex-wife’s cruise ship murder,” NBC Los Angeles
‘Almost Got Away With the Perfect Crime': Attorney Gets Life in Prison for Ex-Wife's Cruise Ship Murder,” NBC Los Angeles
“Former lawyer convicted of murdering ex-wife on cruise, tossing her overboard,” by Amanda Woods for the New York Post
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“The Worst Woman on Earth” Murder by Gaslight
“True Crime: The Worst Woman on Earth” by Kieran W, Medium
“She Was Crazy About Killing by Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News
“Lizzie Brown Halliday: The Worst Woman on Earth” by David Levine, Hudson Valley Magazine
“Lizzie Halliday’s Trial” Buffalo Weekly Express, newspapers.com
“Mrs. Halliday Convicted” Lancaster Intelligencer, newspapers.com
“Lizzie Halliday” wikipedia.org
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

158: Rosa Parks & a Serial Killer Jan 27, 2021

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We all think we know the story of Rosa Parks. She was an old, tired woman who got on a bus in segregated Montgomery, Alabama. When the white bus driver asked her to give up her seat to a white passenger, Rosa refused. She was tired! Her feet hurt! For refusing to move, Rosa Parks was arrested. Then, oopsies, she became a civil rights icon! … well, that’s not quite how it went down. Rosa Parks wasn’t that old. Her feet didn’t hurt. When she refused to give up her seat, she knew exactly what she was doing. She’d been a take-no-shit activist her entire life.
Then Brandi tells us about a serial killer. When Alice Williams showed up at 86-year-old Norma Davis’ house and shouted her name, Norma didn’t respond. Alice became concerned. So she cautiously made her way through Norma’s home. That’s how Alice discovered that Norma had been brutally murdered. A knife stuck out of Norma’s neck. Another stuck out of her chest. About a week later, another woman in Norma’s gated community was murdered.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
An episode of the show “The Origin of Everything,” titled “Is the Rosa Parks Story True?”
A Ted Talk titled “The real story of Rosa Parks -- and why we need to confront myths about black history” by professor David Ikard
“Rosa Parks,” entry on Wikipedia
“Edgar Nixon,” entry on Wikipedia
“Recy Taylor,” entry on Wikipedia
“Browder v. Gayle,” entry on Wikipedia
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Dana Sue Gray” episode Diabolical Women
“Addicted to Luxury: The Pampered Killer” by Katherine Ramsland, The Crime Library
“Justice Story: Serial killer Dana Sue Gray offed elderly women so she could shop with their credit cards” by Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News
“Dana Sue Gray” wikipedia.org
YOU’RE STILL READING? My, my, my, you skeezy scunch! You must be hungry for more! We’d offer you some sausage brunch, but that gets messy. So how about you head over to our Patreon instead? (patreon.com/lgtcpodcast). At the $5 level, you’ll get 19+ full length bonus episodes, plus access to our 90’s style chat room!

157: Amber Alerts! Jan 20, 2021

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Stephenie Woods was beyond exhausted. She’d just had a c-section a week earlier, when she gave birth to her daughter, Abby. So Stephanie laid down on her couch for a nap. Abby was asleep in her crib, and Stephanie’s one-year-old son, Conner, was in his playpen. Stephenie woke to a stranger at her door. The woman was Shannon Torrez. She told Stephenie that her car had broken down. Could she use her phone? Could she use her bathroom? Stephenie was groggy and taken off guard. Bewildered, she agreed to help the woman. But Shannon wasn’t there for Stephenie’s phone. She was there for her baby.
Then Kristin tells us about Elizabeth Thomas. In the fall of 2016, 15-year-old Elizabeth was at a particularly vulnerable time in her life. She and her siblings had been homeschooled their whole lives by an abusive mother. The kids eventually made the brave decision to call Child Protective Services on their mother, and she was removed from the home. This meant that at 15, Elizabeth would enter public school for the first time. It was a rocky transition, but her health teacher, Tad Cummins made it better. He took a special interest in her. He cared for her. At least, it seemed that way at first.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The 20/20 episode, “From Classroom to Captive”
“‘The devil won, my dad freaked out,’ daughter of Tad Cummins pens letter before sentencing,” by Caitlyn Shelton for News Channel 9
“Teen kidnapped by former Maury County teacher Tad Cummins settles suit for $650,000,” by James Bennett for the Columbia Daily Herald
“Tad Cummins sentenced to 20 years in prison for taking a teenage student from home for sex,” by Adam Tamburin for The Tennesseean
“Tad Cummins’ wife files for divorce amidst Elizabeth Thomas Amber Alert,” by Natalie Neysa Alund for USA Today Network
“Tad Cummins sentencing: Read the teen victim’s statement to teacher who took her for sex,” on The Tennessean
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Shannon Torrez” episode Snapped
“MO Newborn Abducted Day of Stillbirth” NBC14 News
“Kidnapped Baby Found” ABC News
“Judge Gives Torrez Maximum Sentence” by Maggie Rotermund, emissourian.com
“Franklin County woman sentenced in throat slashing and kidnapping” by Betsy Taylor/The Associated Press, The Columbia Missourian
“Woman Gets 30 Years For Newborn Abduction” by The Associated Press, CBS News

156: The Mysterious Lloyd Gaines & a Creepy Church Lady Jan 13, 2021

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When Lloyd Gaines requested a course catalog from the University of Missouri’s School of Law, the registrar sent one right away. Later, when Lloyd applied to the school, university officials thought nothing of it. He was a qualified applicant. Then the university’s registrar received his undergraduate transcripts, and shit hit the fan. The transcripts came from historically black Lincoln University. But the University of Missouri School of Law refused to accept black students. They asked Lloyd to go to law school in a neighboring state, but Lloyd refused.
Then Brandi tells us about a creepy church lady. Mary Jane Fonder had been attending Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church for years. Despite her long tenure at the church, she didn’t have many friends there. People generally thought she was pretty weird. But her weirdness kicked into overdrive when she convinced herself that she and the church pastor had feelings for one another. She left him long, incoherent messages. She snuck food into his house. Later, when he began helping a new church member named Rhonda Smith, Mary Jane lost her shit.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Before Brown: Charles H Houston and the Gaines Case,” by Douglas O. Linder for Famous-Trials.com
“Lloyd Gaines,” entry on Wikipedia
“Charles Hamilton Houston,” entry on Wikipedia
“Little known Supreme Court case from Missouri was early stepping-stone to school desegregation,” by Ryan Delaney for St. Louis Public Radio
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Mary Jane Fonder” episode Snapped
“Test of Faith: Killing shocks congregation” by Keith Morrison, Dateline
“Bucks County killer Mary Jane Fonder dies just weeks after search for missing father reopened” by Manuel Gamiz Jr., The Morning Call
“Police hope remnants of Bucks County home, once owned by a murderer, holds clues about long-missing man” by Vinny Vella, The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Mary Jane Fonder” wikipedia.org
“Mary Jane Fonder” murderpedia.org

155: A Killer Son-in-Law & An Innocent Joke! Jan 06, 2021

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Kenneth Parks showed up at his local police station in a haze. He was covered in blood. His hands were horribly injured. He was confused, but horrified. He told police, “I think I have just killed two people.” In fact, he’d just murdered his mother-in-law, Barbara Ann Woods. He’d attempted to murder his father-in-law, Dennis Woods as well, but Dennis survived the attack. But why did Kenneth attack his in-laws? Prosecutors said he did it because he didn’t want to tell them about his gambling addiction. But Kenneth’s defense argued he hadn’t intended to attack his in-laws at all. He’d committed the crime while sleepwalking.
Then Kristin tells us about a former army ranger who was down on his luck. Pat Sabo was back in his hometown of Eastlake, Ohio. Money was tight. He’d had a few run-ins with the law. That’s when an old high school friend named Christine Metter connected with him on Facebook. The pair hadn’t talked in nearly 20 years, but they quickly bonded over stories about their ex’s. Christine, in particular, wouldn’t shut up about her ex, David. She and David were recently divorced, and he was seeking primary custody of their daughters. Christine was pissed. So, Pat made an innocent joke. He said, “save your money and hire a hitman! LMAO.” Pat was kidding. But Christine took him seriously.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Eastlake Conspiracy” episode of Dateline
“‘Have Fun,’ Says Dad Trying To Hire A Hitman To Off His Daughter’s Ex,” by Daniel Egitto for Oxygen.com
“Ex-husband Statement At Wife’s Murder-For-Hire Sentencing,” News 5 Cleveland on YouTube
“Facebook Murder-for-Hire Conviction Gets Woman 10 Years,” by Nikki Ferrell for Patch.com
“Christine Metter Gets Maximum 10-Year Setnence For Trying to Hire Hit Man To Kill Ex-Husband,” by Tracey Read for The News-Herald
Clips from Oxygen’s “Murder For Hire” episode, “Daddy’s Girl”
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“A Bump in the Night: When Sleepwalkers Turn Violent” by Matt Soniak, Mental Floss
“Sleepwalking man’s excuse in death of mother-in-law” The Ottawa Citizen
“Innocent By Reason Of…” by Ken MacQueen, The Ottawa Citizen
“Jury acquits sleepwalker in attempted murder case” The Windsor Star
“Sleepwalking Canadian Walks On Murder Charge” by Toronto Globe and Mail, The Chicago Tribune
“Man Acquitted Of Sleepwalking Murder Running For School Trustee In Durham” by News Staff, City News Toronto

154: PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Typhoid Mary & Scrunchies Dec 30, 2020

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Hello you skeezy scunches! We’re off this week for New Year’s, but we’ll be back next week with a brand spankin’ new episode. We hope you’re having a safe and happy holiday season!
And if you enjoy this episode and feel so inclined, please join our Patreon! You’ll automatically get 17 bonus episodes to binge!
In this episode, Brandi starts us off with an old timey story that may have you screaming “TOO SOON!”
In the early 1900s, germs were a novel concept. Washing your hands was an optional activity. The idea of being an asymptomatic carrier was nearly unheard of. So when a sanitation engineer named George Soper approached a woman and demanded samples of her blood, urine and feces, she scared him away at forkpoint. She scared the next doctor away, too. But the public health community would not be deterred. They were convinced that Mary Mallon was an asymptomatic spreader of Typhoid. And they had to stop her.
Then Kristin tells us about a nightclub singer named Rommy Revson. Rommy had gorgeous, long hair. She even used it as part of her act. For her first couple of songs, she’d have her hair clipped up with a clampy ring-shaped thingy. Then she’d take it down. But then she had to do the rest of her songs holding that damn hair clip! Rommy knew there had to be a better way. She wanted something that could hold her hair up, without damaging it, and that she could slip on her wrist when she wasn’t wearing it. But that thing didn’t exist. She had to invent it.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
For this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Typhoid Mary's tragic tale exposed the health impacts of ‘super-spreaders’" by Nina Strochlic, National Geographic
“Was The Real Typhoid Mary A Reckless Superspreader Or The Victim Of An Unjust System?” All That’s Interesting
“The Frightening Legacy of Typhoid Mary” by Veronique Greenwood, Smithsonian Magazine
“The Most Dangerous Woman in America: In Her Own Words” pbs.org
“Mary Mallon” wikipedia.org
For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“The Queen of the Scrunchie” episode of the podcast “Every Little Thing”
“Night club singer, Scrunchie inventor Rommy Revson relocates to Rogers” by Kim Souza for Talk Business

153: REBROADCAST: EHR MAH GERD! A CERH BERM! Dec 23, 2020

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Hi everyone! We are taking the week off to celebrate the holidays, but we're rereleasing one of our all-time favorite episodes. We hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays from the LGTC crew!
Amy Anderton was concerned. Her boyfriend, Logan Storm, *seemed* like a good guy. He was a middle school math teacher. He talked a lot about trust and positivity. But something seemed off. So one day, when Logan left for work, Amy snooped through Logan’s stuff. That’s when she came across a thumbdrive. She plugged it into her computer, opened it, and was horrified by what she saw -- hundreds of images of child pornography.
Then, Brandi tells us about high school student Tyler Hadley’s massive party. When Tyler first told his friends about his plan to throw a party, they were a little skeptical.Tyler wasn’t the party-throwing type. His parents were super strict. But Tyler was determined to throw a party, and that’s exactly what he did. Tons of kids showed up from all over the sleepy town of Port St. Lucie, Florida. They had so much fun that they didn’t notice that Tyler’s house was a crime scene.
And now for a note about our process. For each episode, Kristin reads a bunch of articles, then spits them back out in her very limited vocabulary. Brandi copies and pastes from the best sources on the web. And sometimes Wikipedia. (No shade, Wikipedia. We love you.) We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the real experts who covered these cases.
In this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Still claiming innocence, Logan Storm sentenced to eight years in prison on child porn, failure-to-appear convictions,” by Helen Jung for The Oregonian
“Logan Storm slips ankle bracelet, flees hours after verdict on child porn charge,” by Helen Jung for The Oregonian
“Child porn convict dumps monitor,” Statesman Journal
“Former teacher, Logan Storm, sentenced to prison for possessing child pornography and failing to appear in court,” press release for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon
“Jury finds former teacher Logan Storm not guilty of groping girls in public pool,” by Aimee Green for The Oregonian
“Why did seven years pass before former teacher Logan Storm was tried for child molestation,” by Aimee Green for The Oregonian
The “Weathering the Storm” episode of “Who The Bleep Did I Marry?”

In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Tyler Hadley’s Killer Party” by Nathaniel Rich, Rolling Stone
“Best Friend ‘Ruined My Life’ When He Killed His Own Parents” by Sean Dooley, Jenner Smith, and Alexa Valiente, ABC News
“Murder of Blake and Mary Jo Hadley” wikipedia.org

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