Let's Go To Court! - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

81: The Kidnapping Of Edward Cudahy & A Baker Who Refused To Make A Cake Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Brandi starts us off with the old timey-est kidnapping of them all! It was the winter of 1900 in Omaha, Nebraska, and 16-year-old Edward Cudahy was walking home from a neighbor’s house. Two men pulled up beside him and lured him into their carriage. They’d chosen their target wisely. Edward’s father owned Cudahy Packing Company. He was a millionaire. He had more than enough money to pay their ransom. But would he?
Then Kristin tells us about a cake maker who didn’t want to make a cake. It was 2012, and Charlie Craig and David Mullins were in love. In fact, they were so in love that they decided to get married. That was a little tricky, though. At the time, Colorado prohibited same-sex marriage. But Charlie and David weren’t going to let legalized homophobia stop them. They planned to get married in Massachusetts and have a reception back in their home state. So they went to Masterpiece Cakeshop to order a wedding cake. There was just one problem. The owner of the bakery, Jack Phillips, refused to make cakes for same-sex couples.
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:
“In baker’s case, neither side has much reason to rejoice,” by Jennifer Rubin for the Washington Post
“Colorado judge orders Christian baker to bake gay wedding cake. Will he say no?” by Patrik Jonsson for the Christian Science Monitor
“Colorado cake maker asks Supreme Court to provide a religious liberty right to refuse gay couple,” by David Savage for the Los Angeles Times
“Supreme Court to take case on baker who refused to sell wedding cake to gay couple,” by Robert Barnes for the Washington Post
“Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission,” Wikipedia
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“The Bold Cudahy Kidnapping” by David Krajicek, Crime Library
“Kidnapping Edward Cudahy Jr.” NorthOmahaHistory.com
“New Life For The Strangest Of Legends” by Micah Mertes, Omaha World-Herald

80: A Swig of Mountain Dew & the Phony Pony Bandit Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Ronald Ball was thirsty. So he walked over to the vending machine, got himself a Mountain Dew and cracked it open. He took a swig. Right away, he became violently ill. As soon as he recovered, he turned his attention to the Mountain Dew. What the hell was wrong with it? As he poured the rest of the soda into a cup, a dead mouse plopped out. When Ronald Ball threatened Pepsico with a lawsuit, the company relied on a defense that shocked the world… and probably had their PR team looking for new jobs.
Then, Brandi tells us about a string of bank robberies that occurred in the summer of 2012. Over time, law enforcement came to refer to the mysterious bank robber as the “Phony Pony Bandit,” because the robber wore a cheap wig, pulled back in a ponytail. The Phony Pony Bandit went on quite a spree, but it came to an end on September 25, when a sheriff’s deputy caught him in the act.
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:
“Swig of Mountain Dew included dead mouse, suit claims,” by Kelly Holleran for the Madison-St. Clair Record
“A brief history of rodents in soda containers,” by Arielle Duhaime-Ross for The Verge
“Pepsi says Mountain Dew can dissolve mouse carcasses,” by Eric Randall for The Wire.
“Mouse and Mountain Dew Experiment” on YouTube
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Bank robbery suspect shot in Stanwood” by Diana Hefley and Rikki King, The Everett Herald
“‘Phony Pony Bandit’ admits to armed robberies” by Diana Hefley, The Everett Herald
“‘Phony Pony Bandit’ gets 17-year sentence for robberies” by Diana Hefley, The Everett Herald
“Bank robber shot in Stanwood drops lawsuit against SnoCo” by Jeremiah O’Hagan, Skagit Valley Herald

79: Cruel Teenage Girls & the Snake House Jul 24, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Brandi starts us off with a story so upsetting that she’s put off telling it for weeks. In the winter of 1992, two hunters discovered a body that was so badly abused it initially didn’t look real. The body was charred. It had been beaten and stabbed. Law enforcement officers were stunned. Murders weren’t common in Madison, Indiana, but this one was unspeakably gruesome. Despite the state of the body, it didn’t take long to determine that it belonged to 12-year-old Shanda Sharer. A little while later, investigators rounded up their prime suspects: teenagers Melinda Loveless, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, and Toni Lawrence.
Then Kristin tells us about Jeff and Jody Brooks. In 2014, the couple found a house they thought they’d live in for the next twenty years. The modest ranch in Annapolis, Maryland, had a main floor office for Jody and plenty of room for their children. But the home also had a strange scent. As winter turned to spring, the family discovered snakeskins on the floor. Then, they heard movement coming from inside their walls. What they discovered will give you the heebie jeebies.
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:
“Welcome to ‘The Snake House’: Lawsuit claims home infested with snakes,” by Tim Prudente for the Capital Gazette
“Settlement reached in Annapolis ‘snake house’ case,” by Ben Weathers for the Captial Gazette
“Capital follow-up: Famed Annapolis ‘snake house’ close to sale,” by Rachael Pacella for the Capital Gazette
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Death of Innocence – The Murder of Young Shanda Sharer” by David Lohr, Crime Library
“Why 12-Year-Old Shanda Sharer Was Tortured And Killed By Four Teenage Girls” by William DeLong
“Woman convicted in 1992 slaying of 12-year-old Shanda Renee Sharer is released from prison” by Justin L. Mack, The Indy Star

78: Dating Naked & the Abduction of Amber Hagerman Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
When Jessie Nizewitz agreed to be on VH1’s reality dating show “Dating Naked,” she knew one thing for certain — she’d be filmed naked. When Jessie arrived on set, she says producers encouraged her to wrestle naked with her date. They urged her to playfully slam him into the sand. Jessie was hesitant, until they reassured her that all of her private parts would be blurred when the episode aired. A few weeks later, Jessie was back at home, watching her episode. Just as promised, her naked body was blurred. But then, for a split second, it wasn’t. That image was captured and spread all over the internet. Jessie was humiliated. She felt lied to. So she decided to sue.
Then Brandi tells us about the abduction of Amber Hagerman. Her name might not initially sound familiar, but you probably know her legacy. Amber was just nine years old, riding her bike a few blocks from her grandparents’ home when a man abducted her. A neighbor witnessed the abduction. He called police to report what he’d seen. Soon, the FBI stepped in. But did they have enough information to find Amber?
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:
“This is why Dating Naked was Canceled,” by Nicki Swift for YouTube
“‘Dating Naked’ cast member sues after crotch-blur fail,” by Jamie Schram and Amber Sutherland for the New York Post
“‘Dating Naked’ cast member sues after VH1 showed her naked,” James Hibberd for Entertainment Weekly
Court documents
“‘Dating Naked’ lawsuit seeks to strip Viacom of $10M for showing too much,” by Dominic Patten for Deadline
“‘Dating Naked’ $10M lawsuit stripped by judge,” by Dominic Patten for Deadline
“‘Dating Naked” $10M “inadvertent” nudity suit should be tossed, says Viacom,” by Dominic Patten for Deadline
“$10M ‘Dating Naked’ lawsuit dismissed,” HNGN.com
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Amber Hagerman” by David Krajicek, The Crime Library
“Amber Hagerman: 20 Years Later” CBS DFW
“Amber Alert” wikipedia.org.
“Ariel Castro Kidnappings” wikipedia.org

77: A Home Invasion & Pepsi Points Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
It was the winter of 2014, and Sue Duncan and her husband Leo Fisher were settling in for a quiet night at home. Sue had a chicken roasting in the oven, and Leo was reading on his recliner. Then, the doorbell rang. Leo opened the door to find a man in a long black jacket at his doorstep. The man fired a Taser at Leo’s chest and barged into the couple’s home. The man said he was with the “Virginia SEC,” and that he was there to arrest Leo. Right away, Sue sensed she didn’t have the full story.
Then, in the mid-90’s, Pepsi launched a new ad campaign. It was pretty simple. Every time you bought a Pepsi, you earned points. With those points, you could buy items from the Pepsi catalogue. To advertise Pepsi Points, Pepsi aired a commercial aimed at showing off all of their sweet swag. You could buy a t-shirt. A leather jacket. And, as a funny little twist, they ended the commercial by saying that Pepsi drinkers could buy a Harrier jet for 7,000,000 points. It was clearly a joke. At the time, Harrier jets were worth $33.8 million. Plus, they were only available for military use. But you know who didn’t think they were joking? A 21-year-old business student named John Leonard.
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 commercial itself, which is available on YouTube
Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc., 88 F. Supp. 2d 116 (S.D.N.Y. 1999)
“Pepsi Harrier Giveaway,” Snopes.com
John Leonard, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Pepsico, Inc., Defendant-appellee, 210 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2000)
“Pentagon: ‘Pepsi ad not the real thing.’” CNN.com
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“A Home Invasion, A Torture Session, One Lawyer Nearly Killing Another—The Gruesome November Night in One of Washington’s Wealthiest Suburbs.” by Jason Fagone, The Washingtonian
“Ex-Lawyer Sentenced to 45 Years in Home Invasion, Torture Attack of Former Boss, His Wife” by David Culver, NBC Washington

76: A Shopaholic & the Glensheen Mansion Murder Mystery Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
It’s October of 2014, and the people of Duncan, Oklahoma, are concerned. They haven’t seen the Hruby family all weekend. The Hruby’s are usually everywhere. They own the local newspaper. They’re actively involved in the community. But on Monday morning, their longtime housekeeper made a gruesome discovery. John, Tinker, and 17-year-old Katherine Hruby were dead. Everyone in the Hruby family was dead. Everyone but Alan.
Then, Brandi tells us about a murder mystery at the Glensheen Historic Estate. The 20,000 square foot mansion is something to behold. It’s now a museum, operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth. But for a long time, the mansion was home to the Congdon family. In the late 60’s, the original owner’s youngest daughter Elisabeth promised the home to the university upon her death. But her death came sooner than anticipated. Late at night on June 27, 1977, Elizabeth Congdon and her nurse Velma Pietila were murdered. Who could have carried out such a senseless crime?
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:
American Greed episode “Blood Relatives”
“Man to spend life in prison for killing parents, sister,” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Trail of clues, legal twists kept Glensheen murder case going for years” by Candace Renalls, Duluth News Tribune
“Blood money: The grisly murders at Duluth’s Glensheen mansion” by Hannah Jones, City Pages
“Man’s Suicide Note: ‘I Didn’t Kill Those ’Girls’” Associate Press
“40 years later, Glensheen murders still grip Duluth” by Dan Kraker, MPR News

75: The Jenny Jones Show & Brandi’s Most Horrifying Case Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Brandi starts us off with a story that makes her skin crawl. Seriously. She dry heaved like five times telling this story. It starts innocently enough. In late 2007, Brian and Susan Trost bought their dream home. Their 2,400-square-foot house had gorgeous views of the Whitmoor Country Club’s lush golf course. Soon after they moved in, the Trosts gave their new home a deep clean. But not long after they’d cleaned the house, Susan noticed a spider web. She figured it was no big deal — she’d just missed it. But she figured wrong.
Then Kristin tells us about what is arguably the most controversial episode of any daytime talk show, ever. On March 6, 1995, the Jenny Jones Show taped an episode on same sex secret crushes. Scott Amedure was on the show to discuss his secret crush on an acquaintance named Jonathan Schmitz. Before Jonathan came on stage, Jenny asked Scott to describe the fantasies he’d had about Jonathan. Scott laughingly obliged. When Jonathan finally came on stage and learned that Scott was the one who’d brought him on the show, Jonathan seemed surprised. He told the Jenny Jones show that he was a heterosexual. All in all, the segment didn’t seem like much. Scott had a crush; Jonathan didn’t feel the same way. But then, three days after the taping, Jonathan bought a shotgun, drove to Scott’s home, and shot him twice in the chest.
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:
Gay and Trans Panic Defense, LGBT Bar
“Jury: Jones’ show liable; awards $25 million,” by Justin Hyde for the Associated Press
“Dad of accused gay-killer rips TV host, victim,” by Todd Nissen for Reuters
“Murder trial under way in talk show slaying,” Associated Press
“Jurors watch ‘Gay Crush’ episode,” Associated Press
“Woman describes Schmitz’s manner before fatal shooting,” Associated Press
“Lawyer: Make Jones testify,” by Greta Guest for the Associated Press
“Defense lawyer angles for manslaughter verdict,” by L.L. Brasier, Detroit Free Press
“Witness: Two at bar together,” by Justin Hyde for the Associated Press
“Same Sex Secret Crushes” episode of the Jenny Jones Show on YouTube
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Extreme case of brown recluse spiders drives owners from Weldon Spring home” by Susan Weich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“State Farm Was NOT There When This Family’s House Was INFESTED With Thousands Of DEADLY SPIDERS” by Eric Owens, Daily Caller
“Spider Man” by John Amick, The Pitch

74: A Killer Party & An Upsetting Discovery Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
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

73: Brock Turner & The Boy Who Thought He Pulled Off the Perfect Murder Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Shirley Kopitske was concerned. It had been days since she’d heard from her adult son, Glenn. When she drove to his house to check on him, she discovered a horrifying scene. Glenn was dead, and had been for some time. An investigation would reveal that he’d been shot and stabbed. Initially, investigators weren’t sure who would commit such a heinous crime. But months went by, and a bold, unashamed suspect emerged. He blabbed his motive all over town. But when his trial rolled around, he changed his tune.
Then, Emily Doe woke up in a hospital room with pine needles in her hair and blood on her hands and elbows. She had bruises on her body. Her underwear was missing. She remembered going to a party at Stanford University with her sister the night before, but after that, her memory went blank. Weeks later, she was at work when she came across an article about her attack. She learned that two Swedish exchange students were biking through campus when they spotted a man and woman behind a dumpster. It didn’t take them long to realize that the man was thrusting on top of an unconscious woman. They yelled at him. He ran, but they caught him and pinned him to the ground. Emily’s attacker was 19-year-old Brock Turner.
And since this is apparently sooo important, you should probably know that he was a great swimmer.
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:
“People v. Turner,” wikipedia
“Brock Turner Wanted Only Outercourse, Lawyer Argues in Appeal,” by Daniel Victor for The New York Times
Victim impact statement

“Father of student convicted of rape: Steep price for ‘20 minutes of action,” by Alexandra Samuels for USA Today
“Brock Turner’s mommy calls cops as protesters swarm house,” by Lindsay Putnam for the New York Post
“Brock Turner case goes to jury,” by Sue Dremann for the Palo Alto Weekly
“Stanford swimmer denies alleged rape in police report,” by Elena Kadvany for the Palo Alto Weekly
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“Gary Hirte and the Perfect Murder” by Seamus McGraw, The Crime Library
“All-American Thrill Killer” by Seamus McGraw, Stuff Magazine
“Murder of Glenn Kopitske” wikipedia.org

72: The Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan & Bite Mark Analysis Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

Hate ads? The entire LGTC catalog is available ad-free on Patreon!
Ione Cychosz’s life ended in the worst possible way. Her body was discovered in a vacant lot. She’d been beaten, stabbed, and bitten. There were no witnesses. And since it was the 80’s, investigators didn’t test for DNA. So they turned to a relatively new form of science — bite mark analysis. A forensic dentist examined the bite marks and told detectives that the killer was missing an upper front tooth. It didn’t take long for investigators to find 20-year-old Robert Lee Stinson. Robert lived near the crime scene and was missing a right front tooth. The detectives knew they had the right guy. There was just one problem: They didn’t.
Then, Brandi tells us about the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Interestingly, when John Hinckley Jr. set out to murder Ronald Reagan, he didn’t have a political agenda. In fact, John later admitted that he opened fire on the president in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster. He’d become obsessed with Jodie ever since he saw her in the movie Taxi Driver. His trial drew worldwide attention and forever changed the way we look at insanity pleas.
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:
“False Positive: When Forensic Science Fails,” Vox video
“Robert Lee Stinson,” National Registry of Exonerations
“Robert Lee Stinson case,” Wikipedia
“Robert Lee Stinson,” Innocence Project
“Innocent man piecing life together after conviction,” by Dinesh Ramde for the Associated Press
“A long ride for me,” by Dinesh Ramde and Todd Richmond for the Associated Press
“Man sentenced to life for murder,” Associated Press
In this episode, Brandi pulled from:
“The John Hinckley Case” by Denise Noe, Crime Library
“The Trial of John W. Hinckley Jr.” Famous-Trials.com
“John Hinckley Jr.” wikipedia.org

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Let’s Go To Court!

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected