Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast - Blue Ewe Media

Latest Episodes:

396: The 1951 Murder of Clarence Pellett w/ Clem Pellett Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

Clem Pellett grew up knowing very little about his grandfather, Clarence Pellett, who was murdered along Montana's iconic Hi-Line in April of 1951. Pellett's father had cut ties with the family, and Pellett didn't even know his grandfather's first name until he started investigating the case as an adult. Through extensive research over many years, Pellett uncovered the details of his grandfather's cold-blooded murder by a hitchhiker named Frank Dryman, as well as the lengthy legal battle that followed.

Pellett has written a book called "Murder on Montana's Hi-Line" about his grandfather's murder, and a feature film adaptation titled "Pellet" is in the works.

"The Pellett Project" website: https://pellettproject.com/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepellettproject/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePellettProject/

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePellettProject

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395: The 1917 Murder of Beatrice Epler w/ Allie Seibert Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

On the morning of September 5th, 1917, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Epler was found dead just steps from her home in Alma, Michigan. The investigation into her murder would soon entangle a brothel madam, a traveling theater owner, a local farmer, and a French-Canadian amateur detective.

My guest is Allie Seibert, author of Bloodstained: Exploring Michigan's Darkest Murders Forgotten By Time. She walks us through this unsolved mystery and shares some of the strange twists she was able to uncover while researching this long forgotten case.

The author's Household History website: https://www.householdhistory.com/

The author's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Allie-Seibert/author/B0F5BYH6BH

Allie in the Archives Podcast links: https://www.pod.link/1819388236

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394: The Castleton Massacre with Margaret Carson & Sharon Anne Cook Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

On May 2, 1963, Robert Killins, a former United Church minister, slaughtered every woman in his family but one. She (and her brother) lived to tell the story of what motivated a talented man who had been widely admired, a scholar and graduate from Queen’s University, to stalk and terrorize the women in his family for almost twenty years and then murder them.

Through extensive oral histories, Sharon Anne Cook and Margaret Carson painstakingly trace the causes of a femicide in which four women and two unborn babies were murdered over the course of one bloody evening. While they situate this murderous rampage in the literature on domestic abuse and mass murders, they also explore how the two traumatized child survivors found their way back to health and happiness.

Their book is called "The Castleton Massacre: Survivors' Stories of the Killins Femicide" and the authors join me to discuss this horrific and very personal tragedy.

Their publisher's book page: https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459749863-the-castleton-massacre

Sharon Anne Cook's website: https://sharonannecook.com/

Sharon Anne Cook's faculty page: https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-education/sharon-anne-cook

More about Margaret Carson: https://www.dundurn.com/authors_/t156375/p148940-margaret-carson

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393: The Man Who Shot J.P. Morgan w/ Mary Noé Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

On the morning of July 3, 1915, John Pierpont Morgan Jr., one of the most famous names in finance, was entertaining guests at his sprawling Long Island estate when the doorbell unexpectedly rang. An armed man forced his way inside. At the same time, authorities in Washington, DC, were investigating a shocking bombing at the US Capitol. While no one had been killed, the blast had destroyed the reception room, and DC citizens were on edge.

Nine years earlier, in 1906, Leone Krembs Muenter had fallen ill and died shortly after giving birth. Her husband, Harvard professor Erich Muenter, blamed his wife’s Christian Science religious beliefs, which prohibited medical intervention, for the death, but an investigation suggested something more sinister: arsenic poisoning. As suspicions mounted, Muenter vanished.

Joining me is Mary Noé, author of "The Man Who Shot J. P. Morgan: A Life of Arsenic, Anarchy, and Intrigue". She tells the remarkable tale of a deceptive Harvard professor who reemerges with a new name and family —and a dangerous loyalty to Germany during World War I.

The author's website: https://manwhoshotmorgan.com/

The author's publisher page: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2024/the-man-who-shot-j-p-morgan/

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392: Golden Age Pirate George Lowther w/ Craig Chapman Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

George Lowther was a mutineer and a pirate, one of the most prolific during the golden age of piracy. His first mate, Edward "Ned" Low, went on to establish himself as perhaps the most sadistic and depraved of all pirate captains. Virtually all popular sources specify Lowther's death being by suicide in 1723, while marooned on the small island of Blanquilla, off the coast of Venezuela.

While researching the War of Jenkins' Ear, historian Craig Chapman found repeated references to "Lowther the Pirate" in primary source material. This Lowther was pardoned and commissioned as a Royal Navy lieutenant in 1741. Further research revealed that this was indeed George Lowther, and therefore, that the date and place of his death had been reported erroneously.

Military historian and author Craig Chapman shares the story of how Lowther became a pirate, some of his most notable and notorious actions, and his astonishing resurfacing years after his purported death. His book is called "The Resurrected Pirate: The Life, Death, and Subsequent Career of the Notorious George Lowther".

The author's website: https://craigschapman.com/

The author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CraigSChapmanAuthor/

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MoNo Encore: The Murder of Kitty Genovese w/ Catherine Pelonero May 29, 2025

Show notes

(Original pub. date: 9/27/2018)

Catherine Pelonero, author of "Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences", is my guest. She walks us through the murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens, New York in 1964 and its aftermath. The horrific crime is especially infamous because no one called police or stepped in to help, despite being witnessed by dozens of people.

Note: I normally post a link to an author's website, but a listener just notified me that Catherine's no longer exists. Her Wikipedia page hasn't been updated yet with news of her passing, but here is the link to that page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Pelonero

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391: Civil War Era & Gilded Age Con Artist Charles Cowlam w/ Frank W. Garmon Jr. May 27, 2025

Show notes

Charles Cowlam stands out as one of the most remarkable con artists of nineteenth-century America. He talked his way into receiving pardons from both President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. Through deception, he secured a role investigating Lincoln’s assassination. He preyed on lonely widows, attempted to manipulate a Florida election, and created a secret society to steal money. His cons were as bold as they were relentless.

My guest, Frank W. Garmon Jr., has written the definitive book on this colorful charlatan. It's called A Wonderful Career in Crime: Charles Cowlam’s Masquerades in the Civil War Era and Gilded Age.

The author's website: https://www.frankgarmon.com/

The author's publisher page: https://lsupress.org/9780807182161/a-wonderful-career-in-crime/

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390: Abingdon's Boardinghouse Murder w/ Greg Lilly May 19, 2025

Show notes

In November 1945, James Newton, a young World War II veteran, was shot four times—twice in the back—in his room at an Abingdon, Virginia boardinghouse owned by Helen Clark. She would soon stand trial for his murder, as speculation swirled about the true nature of their relationship. Was she a protective, motherly figure trying to prevent Jimmy from taking his own life, or had she killed him in a fit of jealousy?

Greg Lilly joins me to disuss the case. He is the author of "Abingdon's Boardinghouse Murder".

More about the author and his work on his website: https://www.greglilly.com/

His publisher page: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467157322

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389: A History of Axe Murder w/ Rachel McCarthy James May 12, 2025

Show notes

Much like the wheel, the boat, and the telephone, the axe is a transformative piece of technology―one that has been with us since prehistory. And just as early humans used the axe to chop down trees, hunt for food, and whittle tools, they also used it to murder. Over time, this particular use has endured: as the axe evolved over centuries to fit the needs of new agricultural, architectural, and social development, so have our lethal uses for it.

Rachel McCarthy James, who wrote "The Man From the Train" with her father Bill James, returns to the show to talk to share some of the history of this iconic tool and weapon. She shares examples of how it's been used for violence over the centuries - from the Vikings to Henry VIII to Lizzie Borden.

Her new book, out on May 13, called "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder".

The author's website: http://rmccarthyjames.com/

The author's publisher page: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250276735/whackjob/

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388: The Adriatic Affair w/ Jennifer Sellitti May 04, 2025

Show notes

The American sailing vessel Adriatic collided with the French steamship Le Lyonnais on November 2, 1856, off the coast of Nantucket in what can best be described as a maritime hit-and-run. Adriatic’s captain, Jonathan Durham, rendered no aid and left the passenger steamship to fend for herself. 114 people died in the collision and in the days that followed.

My guest is shipwreck hunter Jennifer N. Sellitti, author of "The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-and-Run off the Coast of Nantucket". In this episode of Most Notorious, she recounts the tragic tale of the incident and the dramatic efforts by France to bring Captain Durham to justice. She also shares details of her quest to uncover the long-lost wreck of the Le Lyonnais.

Atlantic Wreck Salvage's website: https://dvtenacious.com/

The author's publisher page: https://www.schiffermilitary.com/products/the-adriatic-affair

More on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dvtenacious

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