Once Upon A Crime

Latest Episodes:

Scott Peterson: The Case, the Claims, and the Controversy Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

More than twenty years after Laci Peterson's murder captivated the nation, one of America's most infamous true crime cases is back in the spotlight.

In this upcoming special two-part series, Once Upon a Crime host Esther Ludlow revisits the case with fan-favorite co-host Yolanda, taking a fresh look at the investigation, the evidence, and the questions that continue to divide the public. Originally covered by the podcast in 2016, this updated series examines what's changed, and why so many people are debating Scott Peterson's guilt once again.

The disappearance of eight-months-pregnant Laci Peterson on Christmas Eve 2002 sparked a media frenzy unlike anything seen before. As investigators uncovered Scott Peterson's affair with Amber Frey and his shocking lies about his marriage, public opinion quickly turned. Months later, the bodies of Laci and her unborn son, Conner, were discovered along the shores of the San Francisco Bay, leading to Scott's arrest, conviction, and death sentence.

But the story didn't end there.

With new legal challenges from Scott Peterson's defense team, renewed attention from the Los Angeles Innocence Project, and recent documentaries reigniting debate, the case has become the subject of fresh scrutiny. Could key evidence have been misunderstood? Were important leads overlooked? Or does the original investigation still point to the same conclusion?

Subscribe to Once Upon A Crime so you don't miss this upcoming series.

Next episode drops Monday August 10, 2026

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Before Bali: The Untold Story of Sheila von Wiese-Mack Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Once Upon a Crime, we revisits the murder of Sheila von Wiese Mack through the new book When Lambs Become Wolves by retired Sergeant Rasul T. Freelain, who knew Sheila and her daughter Heather years before the Bali killing.

Freelain recounts how a 2010 theft report led to repeated police contact, revealing escalating child-to-parent violence: Heather’s manipulation, financial fraud, and assaults that included breaking Sheila’s arm and later a brutal attack.

Despite diversion programs, mentoring, probation, and numerous calls for service, Sheila often refused to press charges, focused on saving her family, and ultimately told Freelain, “She’s going to kill me.”

When Lambs Become Wolves. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0809339943?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Resorting to Murder: The Body in the Suitcase: https://art19.com/shows/once-upon-a-crime/episodes/eef34649-e83a-47cb-a960-5403629b2295

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The House on New York Street: The Sylvia Likens Case, Part Two Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Part 2 of the Sylvia Likens case examines the heartbreaking final hours of Sylvia Likens, one of the most horrific child abuse and murder cases in American history.

On October 26, 1965, after months of unimaginable torture inside a home in Indianapolis, Indiana, 16-year-old Sylvia was carried upstairs for a bath before she was discovered unresponsive. As Gertrude Baniszewski scrambled to cover up the abuse with a fabricated confession letter, investigators immediately recognized the devastating evidence of prolonged torture. Including severe burns, starvation, countless injuries, a fatal subdural hematoma, and the chilling message carved into Sylvia's abdomen.

The investigation took a dramatic turn when Sylvia's younger sister, Jenny, courageously told police, "Get me out of here, and I'll tell you everything." Her testimony unraveled Gertrude Baniszewski's lies and led to the arrests of Gertrude, several of her children, and neighborhood teenagers who participated in or witnessed the abuse.

Sources:

https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-later

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2013/10/24/sylvia-likens/3178393/

House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying - John Dean

Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation, and Murder - Ryan Green, 2018.

The House from Hell: The True Story of Gertrude Baniszewski, Genoveva Ortiz, Sea Vision Publishing, 2024.

https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sylvia_Likens#Gertrude_Baniszewski

https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/baniszewski.htm

https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/

https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/35446-lawyers-book-retraces-indys-infamous-sylvia-likens-murder-case

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TRAILER: The House on New York Street, Part 2 Jul 11, 2026

Show notes

Police arrived at the New York Street house and quickly realized the story didn’t add up. Within hours, Gertrude Baniszewski, her children, and neighborhood teens were arrested in the torture of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens. In court, everyone pointed fingers—mother against children, children against mother.

Leaving one question: who was lying?

Subscribe and listen to Once Upon a Crime for part two.

Episode drops Monday July 13, 2026.

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The House on New York Street - The Sylvia Likens Case, Part One Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Some crimes are so shocking that they force us to ask a question that seems impossible to answer. Not 'Who did it?' We know who did it. Not even 'Why?' Though we'll spend this series trying to understand that. The question is this:

How did an entire neighborhood watch a teenage girl disappear in plain sight?

Over three months in the fall of 1965, dozens of people entered a small house on East New York Street in Indianapolis. Children played there. Teenagers gathered there. Neighbors stopped by. A minister visited. Police responded to the home. A public health nurse knocked on the door.

Yet sixteen-year-old Sylvia Likens remained trapped inside…starved and tortured.

By the time anyone finally listened, it was too late.

Sources:

https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-later

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2013/10/24/sylvia-likens/3178393/

House of Evil: The Indiana Torture Slaying - John Dean

Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation, and Murder - Ryan Green, 2018.

The House from Hell: The True Story of Gertrude Baniszewski, Genoveva Ortiz, Sea Vision Publishing, 2024.

https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Sylvia_Likens#Gertrude_Baniszewski

https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/baniszewski.htm

https://www.history101.com/sylvia-likens-the-family-she-left-behind/

https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/35446-lawyers-book-retraces-indys-infamous-sylvia-likens-murder-case

Sponsors:

See a list of our sponsors and discount codes on our website:

https://www.truecrimepodcast.com/sponsors/

Links:

Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime

Our Website - www.truecrimepodcast.com

OUAC Merchandise Shop - https://onceuponacrime.dashery.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

TRAILER: The House on New York Street: The Sylvia Likens Case Jul 05, 2026

Show notes

How does an ordinary home become the scene of extraordinary evil, and how does a community fail to save a sixteen-year-old girl?

This week on Once Upon a Crime, we begin a two-part series on the murder of Sylvia Likens, examining the heartbreaking facts of the case and the psychological forces that turned one Indianapolis home into an innocent girl’s torture chamber, drawing seemingly ordinary children into unimaginable cruelty.

Follow Once Upon a Crime, new episodes drop every Monday

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The Tragedy of Sylvia Likens: A Two-Part Series Preview Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

In the summer of 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens was left in the care of a mother of seven while her parents traveled for work. What should have been a temporary arrangement turned into one of the most horrifying child abuse and torture cases in American history. As the abuse escalated behind closed doors, an entire neighborhood witnessed signs of cruelty, manipulation, and neglect. Yet Sylvia’s suffering continued in plain sight.

Next week, Once Upon a Crime takes a deep dive into one of the most infamous true crime cases of the 20th century. A story of abuse, torture, manipulation, and the tragic death of Sylvia Likens that continues to haunt America decades later.

Subscribe to Once Upon A Crime so you don't miss this gripping two-part series. New episodes drop every Monday

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Marie Hilley: The Poisoner Who Fooled Everyone Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

A black widow. A poisoner. A con artist. A master manipulator.

This week on Once Upon a Crime, Esther dives into the unbelievable case of Marie Hilley. A woman accused of murdering her husband, nearly killing her own daughter, disappearing while out on bail, and creating entirely new identities to stay one step ahead of the truth.

As investigators closed in, Marie spun outrageous stories and convinced friends, family, and complete strangers to believe them. The deeper this case goes, the stranger it gets.

One of the most bizarre and fascinating true crime stories Esther has ever researched is now live wherever you get your podcasts.

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Marie Hilley: The Woman Who Became Her Own Twin Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

She poisoned her husband.

She nearly killed her own daughter.

She vanished while out on bail.

Then she reinvented herself with a brand-new identity… and somehow convinced people she was her own twin sister.

This week on Once Upon a Crime, we unravel the unbelievable case of Marie Hilley. One of the most notorious Black Widows in American true crime history.

What began as the life of a seemingly ordinary wife and mother spiraled into a shocking saga of poisoning, manipulation, fraud, and deception that stretched across multiple states and identities. As investigators closed in, Marie stayed one step ahead by crafting elaborate lies, faking illnesses, and ultimately attempting one of the strangest identity swaps ever seen in a criminal case.

From arsenic poisoning to forged documents and a fugitive run worthy of a movie script, this case is as bizarre as it is disturbing.

If you think you’ve heard every wild true crime story, think again.

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Marie Hilley: Black Widow and Master Manipulator Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

She could become whoever people needed her to be.

A devoted wife.

A loving mother.

A trusted friend.

A helpless victim.

But behind the carefully crafted image was one of the most manipulative and deceptive women in true crime history.

In this chilling new episode of Once Upon a Crime, Esther dives into the shocking case of Marie Hilley. A woman whose lies, manipulation, and alleged poisoning crimes left devastation everywhere she went. When Marie’s husband died unexpectedly, no one suspected murder. Later, as her daughter became gravely ill, doctors struggled to explain the mysterious symptoms consuming her body.

From poisoning and fraud to psychological manipulation and identity deception, the story of Marie Hilley is stranger than fiction and packed with twists that seem impossible to believe.

“Marie Hilley: Black Widow and Master Manipulator” drops Monday, June 29 wherever you get your podcasts.

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